It’s time to unwind after a long week of work – and what better way to do so than streaming one or several new movies and shows that have dropped this week?
Unsurprisingly, Wednesday‘s second season has been the talk of the entertainment town over the last few days. However, many of the world’s best streaming services have also got something interesting to offer, so one of the biggest Netflix TV Originals of all-time isn’t the only thing worth watching this weekend. Hop to it, then, and learn more about what else has arrived. – Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter
Wednesday season 2 part 1 (Netflix)
The queen of anti-socialness, goths, and the macabre has returned. Wednesday Addams is back on Netflix for her sophomore semester at Nevermore Academy – and, considering it’s been nearly three years since the hugely successful show’s first season dropped, it’s high time we were reunited with the psychic teen.
Wednesday season 2 won’t be an easy ride for Jenna Ortega’s eponymous character, though. Indeed, season 2’s official trailer reveals she’ll be in a race against time to save the life of her self-installed bestie Enid Sinclair. There’ll be numerous other intriguing subplots to unravel, too, with the wider Addams Family having a larger role to play in proceedings than last time. Here’s hoping one of the best Netflix shows’ second outing is as kooky and spooky as its forebear. – TP
King of the Hill season 14 (Hulu/Disney+)
Can you believe that little Bobby is all grown up? Hank and Peggy have returned to Middle America after a lengthy retirement, and it’s incredible how little their world seems to have changed in the interim. In reality, King of the Hill has been off our screens for the last 16 years and it’s the perfect dose of nostalgia for the week.
The Hulu and Disney+ show as charming as I remember, and has somehow managed to pick up exactly where prior seasons left off. If you sewed them together, you’d hardly be able to see the seams. Frankly, that’s a massive two fingers up to every other legacy sequel in existence. I promise it’ll exceed your expectations, even if you can’t fully remember the full Hank-lore (you don’t really need to). – Jasmine Valentine, entertainment writer
The Pickup (Prime Video)
I love watching an action movie on a Friday night but, after reading early reviews for one of August’s new Prime Video movies, I’m not getting my hopes up for The Pickup. Billed as a heist comedy, it pairs Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson as armored truck drivers caught in a criminal ambush.
On paper, this Prime Video flick sounds like the kind of plot that could set up thrilling action sequences – but I’m not convinced this one’s going to deliver. Considering Murphy’s track record with buddy comedies, his performance might be the only bright spark in what could otherwise be a car crash of an Amazon film. – Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment editor
Platonic season 2 (Apple TV+)
From the moment I saw the trailer for Platonic season 2, I knew the Apple TV+ series was onto another winner. The BFF (and things have strictly remained platonic) chemistry between Rose Byrne’s Sylvia and Seth Rogen’s Will is exactly the kind I hope I grow up to have, even if it comes with too many midlife hurdles for two people to handle. As Apple puts it: “The duo tries their best to be each other’s rock – but sometimes rocks break things.” That only means one thing… a huge helping of delicious drama.
As far as I’m concerned, tension and fallouts between two close friends hits a lot harder than any lovers tiff or evil rivalry, and there’s a genuine honesty and vulnerability that comes alongside the laughs this summer. It’s the perfect summer comedy we’ve not yet been treated to, if you discount the bloody accidents on the golf course. – JV
The Monkey (Hulu)
Osgood Perkins scared us all silly with the Nicolas Cage-led serial killer horror Longlegs, last year. Now, he’s back with something very different. Based on a Stephen King story, The Monkey follows twin brothers who discover a cursed toy monkey that causes horrific deaths around them.
It leans more into comedic gory horror than straight-up frights and there are some seriously shocking moments throughout. One of seven new horror movies on Prime Video, Shudder, HBO Max, and more you can’t afford to miss this month. – Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer
Freaky Tales (HBO Max)
Pedro Pascal has been a busy boy lately. Whether he’s navigating the apocalypse in The Last of Us season 2 or putting his spandex on for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, he’s been on our screens a lot, including in this anthology flick that’s out now on HBO Max.
In Freaky Tales, we follow an NBA star, a corrupt cop, a female rap duo, teenage punks, neo-Nazis and a debt collector set against an ’80s backdrop. It’s as varied as it sounds, with the movie showing us four interconnected stories that are sure to entertain. With a 74% Rotten Tomatoes critical rating, it’s worth checking out this weekend – LB
Stolen: Heist of the Century (Netflix)
Remember those headlines about the world’s biggest diamond heist back in 2003? The story of Italian thieves robbing an estimated $100–500 million from the vault of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre in the dead of the night has left many scratching their heads since, especially considering most of the gems have never been recovered.
Now, thanks to authors Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Campbell, we finally have the inside story. Their book Flawless detailed the daring operation and it’s now been adapted into a Netflix documentary. Think real-life Ocean’s Eleven, produced by one of the minds behind the brilliant Don’t F**k with Cats. I’m already sold. – AS
