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We don't normally tend to theme these lists of the best new shows and movies, but one has naturally emerged from the curious number of animal-themed horror movies that are hitting the streaming services this week. Anaconda, Primate, and Bambi: The Reckoning: all three of these films bring a dose of chaos and carnage to the screen.
But if marauding monsters aren't your sort of thing, don't worry. There's also the return of Apple TV's brilliant Your Friends & Neighbors, as well as new whodunnit series If It's Tuesday, It's Murder, and action film Pretty Lethal, which sets a ballet troupe against a gaggle of gangsters (that's the official collective noun).
Anaconda
Available: US
Where to watch: Netflix
Remember 1997's Anaconda starring Ice Cube and J-Lo? If the answer is "no" then you're not alone, but that's kind of the joke here. Jack Black stars as Doug McCallister, a wannabe director who, with his actor friend Griff (Paul Rudd), decides to reboot this apparently beloved z-list franchise. They hire a big snake and head out into the Amazon Rainforest to shoot a low budget reboot. What could possibly go wrong?
Turns out, everything! It's not long before the gang find themselves in trouble with illegal gold miners and a much bigger, much nastier snake. Tom Gormican's film is as daft as can be, but it's decent fun with a few big laughs from Black, Rudd, and a reliably scene-stealing Steve Zahn.
Find more film with our guide to the best Netflix movies.
Your Friends and Neighbours season 2
Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Apple TV
The second season of this very entertaining and darkly comic thriller reunites us with Andrew "Coop" Cooper (Jon Hamm), a wealthy financier who is stealing from his rich neighbors after losing his job. In season one he was framed for the murder of his occasional lover Sam's (Olivia Munn) husband Paul. He's been cleared of that now, but Coop's problems are only just beginning...
The official logline for season 2 reveals that, "the arrival of a new neighbour threatens to expose his secrets and place his family at risk." Enter James Marsden as Owen Ashe, a mysterious new character who is said to be a "chaos agent". The new 10-episode season starts on Friday.
Our guide to the best Apple TV shows is packed full of unmissable small screen choices.
Pretty Lethal
Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Prime Video
This new action thriller follows a Los Angeles ballet troupe, led by Maddie Ziegler's Bones, who wind up in trouble when their bus breaks down in a forest in Hungary. They take shelter at the Teremok Inn, which is run by the famous prima ballerina Devora Kasimer (Uma Thurman). But what initially looks like a sanctuary is quickly revealed to be something far more sinister. Soon the girls are fighting for their lives against deadly gangsters.
Directed by Vicky Jewson, Pretty Lethal is a dynamic mix of bloodshed and ballet. The premise is daft, but there's a lot of fun to be had here, with suitably balletic and explosive action scenes.
Find more to watch with our guide to the best Prime Video movies.
Primate
Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Paramount Plus
It's clearly the week for old school creature features! Primate plays things far more seriously than the tongue-in-cheek Anaconda, but it's also by far the better of the two films. In it, chimpanzee Ben (intimidatingly played by Miguel Torres Umba) contracts rabies and goes on a feral rampage. His owners and college student Lucy Pinborough (Johnny Sequoyah) must try to survive while trapped inside a high tech house with the bloodthirsty ape.
Yes, Primate is, effectively, a slasher movie with a chimpanzee, rather than a human killer. It's as gruesome and visceral as you'd hope and there's a real charm to a film that offers back to basic thrills with maximum efficiency.
Our list of the best Paramount Plus movies is packed full of modern classics.
If It's Tuesday, It's Murder
Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Disney Plus
This new Spanish-language murder mystery is ideal for whodunnit fans. A group of tourists find themselves in a faded hotel in Lisbon. When one of them is found dead, four of the gang – all confirmed mystery addicts – band together to work out how the person died and if one of their group might be a killer.
Yes, this looks like the perfect cozy crime show to fill that Only Murders in the Building-shaped gap in your life. Shot entirely on location in Lisbon, the new seven-episode series is rolling out weekly from March 31 on Disney Plus.
Browse our guide to the best Disney Plus shows for more TV triumphs.
Bambi: The Reckoning
Available: US
Where to watch: Peacock
Yes really. Completing our trifecta of killer creature features this week is this horror riff on the classic (and now out of copyright) character. In Bambi: The Reckoning – fair play, that's a banger title – the loveable deer is reinvented as a blood-crazed killer seeking revenge on humanity after he is mutated into a marauding monster.
If you've seen any of the previous entries in the Twisted Childhood Universe franchise (which started with 2023's threadbare Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey) you'll know what to expect here: gore, cheap effects, and some questionable acting. This feels the most like a "proper" film, though, with some memorably grizzly kills and amusing moments.
For more terrifying viewing, check out our guide to the best upcoming horror movies.
Our guide to the best Apple TV movies is full of cinematic gems.
