New Shows And Movies To Stream On Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Apple TV And More
What to watch this weekend.
Credit: Netflix / Apple / Paramount
July is over and August is just beginning, and with it a whole bevy of new shows and movies to stream on all the myriad streaming services that take our subscription dollars each month. Romance is in the air, along with epic historical dramas, screwball comedies and much more.
Every week I scour the internet for all the best new streaming options, and toss in a couple theatrical releases because as convenient as streaming is, I’d really rather not see the end of movie theaters if I can help it.
If you have any tips or I missed something, shoot me a message on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. You can check out last weekend’s streaming guide right here. Let’s dive right in!
What’s New & Notable This Weekend
Chief Of War (Apple TV+)
Jason Momoa stars in his second epic Apple TV+ series. Typically when we think about Hawaii we think about beachy vacations or movies like Moana or Lilo & Stitch. Chief Of War is more like a Mel Gibson movie. Think Braveheart or Apocalypto. This is Hawaii meets Game Of Thrones and Momoa is definitely getting his Khal Drogo on. The series, which debuted to strong Rotten Tomatoes scores, was created by Momoa and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett. Momoa plays war chief Ka’iana, a man attempting to unite the islands’ warring clans during the 18th century, as colonial powers set their sights on the South Pacific. This is my “must watch” show of the weekend. It’s great to see Momoa back in action.
My Oxford Year (Netflix)
We pivot hard from violent historical drama to romance with Netflix’s My Oxford Year. The film’s description reads: “When Anna (Sofia Carson), an ambitious young American woman, sets out for Oxford University to fulfill a childhood dream, she has her life completely on track until she meets a charming and clever local (Corey Mylchreest) who profoundly alters both of their lives.” This one hasn’t been reviewed much, but from what I’ve seen it’s a dud. Still, if you want some cheesy romance drama this weekend, give it a shot.
Code Of Silence (BritBox)
I haven’t started Code Of Silence yet, but it looks terrific. Rose Ayling-Ellis plays Alison Brooks, a deaf civilian working in a police canteen who is drawn into the investigation of a dangerous gang thanks to her lip-reading skills. Things go badly when she finds herself romantically involved with one of the criminals, and at odds with the police. The first three episodes are out now on BritBox.
The Departed (Netflix)
It’s an oldie but a goodie, as they say. Martin Scorsese’s The Departed is one of the best crime thrillers out there (I devoted an entire post urging people to watch it now that it’s on Netflix). It has one hell of a cast also, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Vera Farmiga and Alec Baldwin. Definitely put this one on the list.
War Of The Worlds (Prime Video)
I was pleasantly surprised by the 2005 War Of The Worlds starring Tom Cruise and a young Dakota Fanning. Twenty years later, we have a version starring Ice Cube that looks . . . well it doesn’t look good. It only has 5 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and each one is more negative than the last. Peter Martin of ScreenAnarchy sums it up: “Hilariously bad, until it becomes risibly ridiculous. … A 90-minute infomercial for Amazon.” So maybe this is so bad it would be fun to watch and laugh at . . . ?
Final Destination: Bloodlines (HBO Max)
I only saw the very first Final Destination film, which I thought was pretty good. The sequels just looked like cash grabs to me, a way to use the clever “cheating death has consequences” gimmick to just make money rather than tell a good story. But the trailer for Bloodlines was fantastic and the reviews have been solid. Now that it’s out on HBO Max, I plan to watch it soon. If the trailer can make me wince this hard, I’m sure the full movie will be deeply unsettling.
The Naked Gun (In Theaters)
Critics and audiences alike are heaping praise on Liam Neeson’s The Naked Gun, a sequel to Leslie Nielsen’s Police Squad! spinoff, Naked Gun. I admit, I watched all the Naked Gun movies as a kid and found them hilarious and incredibly stupid, and this new entry in the series looks, well, hilarious and incredibly stupid. I rarely go see anything in the theater that isn’t epic or filled with dragons or superheroes, but I’m going to this one this weekend for sure.
Happy Gilmore 2 (Netflix)
I was enormously skeptical of Happy Gilmore 2, a sequel I really didn’t think we needed, and last week when I included it in this guide I said as much. Then I watched the movie . . . and thought it was great! You can read my review right here or watch my video review above.
What’s Streaming Weekly
A bunch of stuff is airing each week including a few shows I’m watching, though only a couple of these are “must watch” series that I get excited for when each new episode drops. We’ll begin with my current favorite.
Dexter: Resurrection (Paramount+)
The newest Dexter series takes place in NYC instead of Miami or a small upstate town in winter. Michael C. Hall’s Dexter Morgan has followed his son to the Big Apple, where he finds himself entangled with a mysterious billionaire played by Peter Dinklage. Dinklage’s character has a penchant for collecting things, including not only serial killer memorabilia, but serial killers themselves, who he invites to dinner parties. He’s up to something and Dexter wants to find out what that is—and maybe take out a few killers what he’s at it. So far, it’s not as good as early Dexter seasons if only because there hasn’t been the same level of suspense and tension, but it’s still a lot of fun.
The Institute (MGM+)
I’m still very much making up my mind about The Institute, a sci-fi thriller based on a Stephen King novel and directed by FROM director Jack Bender. (I’ve also been watching Mr. Mercedes which is based on a Stephen King series and directed by Jack Bender—go figure). I like the premise more than the execution when it comes to The Institute, which feels like it ought to be better than it is, but still has my curiosity piqued.
Resident Alien — Season 4 (SyFy / Peacock)
I’m behind on Resident Alien, largely because I forget about Peacock. It’s just not one of my go-to streaming apps. A lot of my non-Netflix, non-Hulu, non-Apple streaming apps are in my Prime Video account, so I see everything I’m watching in one place when it comes to MGM, Paramount+, Starz, BritBox, AMC and so forth. Peacock just sort of falls into a corner and I forget about it. But I do love Alan Tudyk and this is one of those shows I can put on any time and get a good laugh.
South Park — Season 27 (Paramount+)
South Park dropped a bomb when Season 27 landed on Paramount just days after the show’s creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker signed a 50-episode deal with Paramount and CBS canceled The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. The long-running animated series went right for Trump’s jugular, and boy did it succeed where almost every other attempt has failed. Absolutely brilliant. The show skipped this past week but is coming back swinging this coming Wednesday with another Trump-focused episode, this time tackling ICE. Whatever you think of Trump or whatever your political stance, one thing is always true: We need good political satire. Society cannot function without it.
Other Currently Airing Shows
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 (Paramount+) — I’m way too far behind on this show to tell you what’s happening, but if you’re looking for probably the best modern Star Trek out there, this is up there. At least it captures the spirit of classic trek.
Foundation Season 3 (Apple TV) — Epic space opera is not Apple’s main thing, but that’s Foundation in a nutshell, though I have yet to even watch a single episode. I keep meaning to and then there’s just so many other things to watch!
Nautilus (AMC) — This one is going up to the top of my list because it just looks like a ton of fun. Based on Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea, Nautilus follows Nemo’s mission to exact revenge on the East India Mercantile Company.
Countdown (Prime Video) — A race-against-the-clock thriller filled with conspiracy and action. Fans of Jensen Ackles from The Boys will want to give this one a shot. I keep meaning to start this and then getting sidetracked. This week, it was because I realized I hadn’t finished the last arc of Hannibal so I watched that instead. I know, I’m a decade late.
Smoke (Apple TV+) — Taron Egerton stars as an arson investigator who gets drawn into a murder investigation / conspiracy. Mystery author Dennis Lehane is the show’s creator. We have just one episode to go on this one.
The Gilded Age Season 3 (HBO) — The lavish HBO period drama will transport you to the “gilded age” of East Coast America in the late 19th century. Still on my backlog, but my do those costumes look lovely.
The Buccaneers Season 2 (Apple TV+) — The Buccaneers is more Bridgerton than Downton Abbey, but should appeal to fans of period romance of all stripes.
BMF Season 4 (Starz) — A dramatization of the rise of the Black Mafia Family in Detroit and elsewhere in the 1980s and 90s. I’ve heard it called the “Black Sopranos” so if that sounds like your thing, give it a shot. The season finale is up next.
What else did I miss? What should I put on this list or add to my backlog? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook.
Previous Streaming Guides From Yours Truly:
July 25th Streaming Guide:
July 18th Streaming Guide:
July 11th Streaming Guide:
July 4th Streaming Guide:
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