As we wait for Netflix’s upcoming animated detective movie Ray Gunn to get a trailer, there’s one important question: will it come to theaters?
The answer currently appears to be “no,” but writer-director Brad Bird would love for that to change. At this week’s Annecy Animation Festival, he mentioned to Polygon he was “talking” to the streamer, but he doesn’t know “whether they’re listening.” Glad as he is that the film exists, he’d be even happier if it was on the big screen, he said, highlighting his membership in the exhibition trade organization Cinema United. “[They’re] all about theatrical,” said Bird, “and I believe it’s the best way to see this movie the first time you see it.”
Every once in a while, Netflix puts a movie in theaters for Oscar consideration. But in the past year, KPop Demon Huntersand the Stranger Things finale both came to theaters because they were big events that proved to be worth the effort. Next year, the streamer will let Greta Gerwig’s Chronicles of Narnia movie, The Magician’sNephew, open in theaters first, then bring it to the platform after the reverse has been the standard for years.
Should Netflix decide Ray Gunn isn’t theater-worthy, Bird has a plan B for audiences: DIY a theatrical experience. “Find the biggest screen you can, even if it’s down the street at your neighbor’s place,” he suggested. “Barge right in there and say, ‘We’re seeing this movie, because you have a big screen and that’s the way it should be seen.’”
Ray Gunn is expected to hit Netflix on December 18.
Netflix is teaming up with Ben Affleck and leveraging the goodwill he’s earned with his views on AI to bring even more AI tools into filmmaking.
The streaming giant announced today that it has acquired Affleck’s filmmaking tech company, InterPositive, which the actor quietly founded in 2022 to develop AI-powered tools for filmmakers.
Netflix did not disclose the terms of the acquisition. But Variety reported that InterPositive’s 16-person team will join Netflix, with Affleck serving as a senior adviser. The company reportedly plans to offer InterPositive’s tools to its creative partners rather than selling commercial access to them.
In a press release, Affleck explained his motivation for founding InterPositive. He wrote that after spending time observing the early rise of AI in film production, many of the models fell short. So, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
“Together with a small team of engineers, researchers and creatives, I began filming a proprietary dataset on a controlled soundstage with all the familiarities of a full production,” Affleck said. “I wanted to build a workflow that captures what happens on a set, with vocabulary that matched the language cinematographers and directors already spoke and included the kind of consistency and controls they would expect.”
Affleck said the model was specifically trained to understand “visual logic and editorial consistency.”
In a video accompanying the announcement, Affleck emphasized that the tool is “not about text prompting or generating something from nothing.”
Instead, filmmakers can build their own model using their movie’s footage and then use it in post-production to make changes like removing stunt wires, creating missing shots, or adjusting backdrops, colors, and lighting.
The news is somewhat surprising after Affleck’s past comments expressing a more skeptical view of AI have gon viral. In particular, he has questioned AI’s ability to write, saying that “by its nature it goes to the mean, the average.”
“I don’t think it’s very likely that it’s gonna be able to write anything meaningful, or in particular, that it’s going to be making movies from whole cloth, like Tilly Norwood. That’s bullshit,” Affleck said on The Joe Rogan Podcast in January about AI, referencing the AI-generated actor. “Really, what it is, it’s going to be a tool just like visual effects.”
So it’s no surprise Netflix is tapping Affleck to help get filmmakers on the AI bandwagon.
The company said last year that it plans to expand its use of AI. In a letter to shareholders in October, Netflix wrote that it aims to focus on “empowering creators with a broad set of GenAI tools to help them achieve their visions.”
The company also highlighted some early examples of the technology in action. Netflix touted its use of de-aging AI in Happy Gilmore 2, and said the producers of Billionaires’ Bunker used AI tools to create concept art.
Even before that, Netflix announced in July that the Argentinian sci-fi series El Eternauta featured what the company described as the “very first GenAI final footage to appear on screen” in a Netflix show or film
With this new partnership, it’s pretty safe to assume that we’ll be seeing more AI show up in Netflix productions. Hopefully, Affleck can help prevent it from being too cringe.
Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison is apparently still hopeful that investors will approve his $108.4 billion hostile takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. Paramount Skydance announced Thursday that it’s extending its all-cash offer to acquire the storied studio, and giving investors until February 20, 2026 to accept. The company’s previous offer expired on January 21, but with a lawsuit in the works and a revised Netflix deal to compete with, Paramount Skydance wants to stay in the conversation.
Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery originally announced their $82.7 billion acquisition agreement in December 2025. Netflix’s deal is for a significant portion, but notably not all, of Warner Bros. Discovery as it exists today. If approved, the streaming service would acquire Warner Bros. film studios, New Line Cinema, HBO, HBO Max, the company’s theme parks, game studios and select linear channels like TNT, but not the collection of reality TV and news programming that Warner Bros. Discovery calls “Global Networks.”
Paramount Skydance made its competing offer of $108.4 billion for all of Warner Bros. Discovery a few days later in December, with the recommendation that shareholders reject the Netflix deal. To add pressure, Paramount Skydance also sued Warner Bros. Discovery in January alleging that the company had not provided adequate information about why it favored Netflix over Paramount. Beyond offering more money, Paramount contends its deal is more likely to be approved by regulators because owning Warner Bros. doesn’t “entrench Netflix’s market dominance.” Warner Bros. Discovery claims that funding for Paramount’s deal “remains inadequate” and that the company is uncertain Paramount Skydance will actually be able to complete the deal.
David Ellison was previously able to merge Skydance with Paramount using the financial backing of his billionaire father Larry Ellison, and the Ellison family’s friendly relationship with the Trump administration. Promising to make sure that CBS News represents “a diversity of viewpoints” via a newly appointed ombudsman, and that the merged Paramount Skydance won’t create any diversity, equity and inclusion programs was enough to get the FCC to approve the merger. Ellison might have thought acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery would be equally easy, but at least so far that hasn’t worked out as planned.
Stranger Things fever is at an all-time high. The show ends forever tomorrow, and we’ll finally get to see if good—aided by science, superpowers, junk food, and Dungeons & Dragons-inspired strategy—will triumph over evil and allow the long-suffering heroes of Hawkins to move on with their lives. In these precious few hours when there are still plenty of Stranger Things unknowns, let’s do the silliest thing imaginable and rank all the couples on the show (inclusive of pairings that are romantic, platonic, and… more abstract) according to how much chemistry they have.
Leaving aside the main characters who are not attached in any way (Will, Murray, Kali, Holly, and the rest of the young kids), we’ll start from least sizzling and work our way up to red hot.
10. The Wheelers
This marriage has long been in trouble—who could forget Karen’s crush on Billy, circa his bad-boy lifeguard era? (No doubt she hasn’t.) At this point, no amount of wine, golf, or demogorgon battles seems likely to reignite any passion here.
Ah, season three: everyone hung out at the mall, and Stranger Things was completely invested in this tweenage love affair. Hopper’s overprotective hovering couldn’t stop these two from smooching on the sly. But now that Eleven and Mike are high school age, prime time for raging hormones, their spark seems to have gone out completely. Sure, they’re still close, but they favor chaste hugs when they reunite—and while Mike’s determined to make Eleven dream of a life post-Vecna, somewhere involving at least one waterfall, we’re getting mostly friendship vibes from these two.
8. Nancy and Jonathan
Speaking of couples who are better off as friends, it took a brush with death inside a melting building, but Nancy and Jonathan finally realized that breaking up was the best way forward for each of them. After all the negativity they’d flung at each other, their heart-to-heart capped by Jonathan’s “un-proposal” was such a relief. They’ll be bonded forever, but marriage is thankfully not in the cards.
7. Hopper and Joyce
This relationship has settled into a place that would feel almost comfortable if not for the circumstances surrounding them. Will Joyce and Hopper, who’ve known each other since high school but only became a couple recently, be able to make it work once the chaos that pushed them together subsides? There are certainly feelings between them, but the longevity here is debatable, even without taking Hopper’s suicidal tendencies into consideration.
Nobody gets in the way of Dr. Kay and her deranged plan to force a superpowered captive to produce blood that’s infused into pregnant women (also being held captive) in the hopes of creating a new generation of superpowered soldiers who can assure American military supremacy. Nobody. That might not be love, but it sure is devotion.
As it turns out, Max didn’t need Kate Bush to guide her out of Vecna’s mind prison—she just needed to feel Lucas’ hand and know he was there on the other side, believing that she’d one day open her eyes again. We hope these two kids can make it work, but there’s a strong possibility that the Nancy-Jonathan “shared trauma” situation could repeat itself here too.
4. Steve and Dustin
Stranger Things is now a well-established safe space, but Steve and Dustin are not (alas) a romantic couple. However, they are besties forever—now that they’ve learned they need to talk about their feelings and clear the air before engaging in any more violent physical confrontations. At the very least, don’t break another walkie-talkie, your only lifeline to safety in the Upside Down.
3. Mr. Clarke (aka “Snookums”) and the librarian (aka “Sugar Lump”)
Murray takes great delight in clowning on Mr. Clarke’s pet name, but maybe he’s just a little jealous that love has bloomed between two of the nerdiest faculty members at Hawkins High School. We’re delighted for Snookums and Sugar Lump. Long may they reign.
Dr. Kay is laser-focused on her objective, but she could, conceivably, walk away at any moment and go do something else. Vecna is cosmically entwined with his evil scheme to merge the Abyss with Earth, using Hawkins as a crash point—and while we don’t know all the details about his motivations, origins, or hopes for the future, we can definitely see he’s fully committed to achieving his endgame. 2gether 4ever.
One day. Enzo’s. Dinner and dessert. If Stranger Things‘ most believable, most adorable couple doesn’t get their long-awaited date by the end of the finale episode, “The Rightside Up,” we’re cancelling our Netflix subscriptions and never looking back.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s board has formally rejected the $108 billion takeover bid from Paramount Skydance, the company announced. WBD said it remains committed to its $82.7 billion deal with Netflix, which would close some time next year, pending regulatory approval.
“[The board] has unanimously determined that the tender offer launched by Paramount Skydance on December 8, 2025 is not in the best interests of WBD and its shareholders and does not meet the criteria of a “Superior Proposal” under the terms of WBD’s merger agreement with Netflix announced on December 5, 2025,” the studio said in the press release.
Paramount’s offer was funded in part by sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, so it could have triggered a national security review by the US government. However, Paramount said that even if those entities dropped out, the company’s owners (the Ellisons) would “backstop the full amount of the bid.”
However, the board said that Paramount “has consistently misled WBD shareholders that its proposed transaction has a ‘full backstop’ from the Ellison family. It does not, and never has,” adding that “the terms of the Netflix merger are superior.” WBD explained that Paramount is relying on an “opaque revocable trust” for said backstop which is “no replacement for a secured commitment by a controlling shareholder.” WBD’s board also noted that Paramount expects to achieve $9 billion in cost synergies from the merger, and that “would make Hollywood weaker, not stronger.”
In a statement, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said that “the Warner Bros. Discovery board reinforced that Netflix’s merger agreement is superior and that our acquisition is in the best interest of stockholders. This was a competitive process that delivered the best outcome for consumers, creators, stockholders and the broader entertainment industry.”
Paramount has yet to comment, but the company has previously said that its $30 per share offer is a better deal, due to the all-cash nature (compared to 84 percent cash for Netflix) and fact that it would have a clearer path to regulatory approval due to the Ellison’s supposedly tight relationship with President Trump.
Paramount Skydance on Monday launched a hostile, $108.4 billion bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), days after Warner agreed to be acquired by Netflix for $82.7 billion.
Paramount is going straight to WBD’s shareholders with an all-cash offer of $30 per share, and it noted that its offer provides shareholders $18 billion more cash than the Netflix deal, which offered $23.25 in cash and $4.50 in Netflix shares for a total of $27.75 per share.
Paramount is bidding for all of WBD, while Netflix’s deal with the company only includes its Hollywood studios and streaming business.
CNBC reported on Monday that these were the very terms from Paramount that WBD’s board rejected a week ago.
“We believe the WBD Board of Directors is pursuing an inferior proposal which exposes shareholders to a mix of cash and stock, an uncertain future trading value of the Global Networks linear cable business and a challenging regulatory approval process,” Paramount CEO David Ellison said in a statement.
Paramount’s offer is backstopped with equity financing from the Ellison family and the private-equity firm RedBird Capital, in addition to $54 billion of debt commitments from Bank of America, Citi, and Apollo.
Netflix came out on top on Friday after winning a bidding war against Paramount and Comcast, but Paramount’s hostile bid is sure to drag on the battle for one of Hollywood’s most iconic studios, a fight which has already stretched out for months.
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Netflix’s proposed deal has already raised antitrust questions, as it would combine two of the most popular streaming platforms into one. Additionally, President Donald Trump has said the deal “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined companies’ market share.
A deal between WBD and Paramount would also likely raise similar concerns.
Netflix agreed to pay WBD $5.8 billion if the deal doesn’t go through. WBD would have to pay Netflix $2.8 billion if the deal collapses.
Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Streaming services are known for having award-worthy series but also plenty of duds. Our guide to the best TV shows on Netflix is updated weekly to help you know which series you should move to the top of your queue. They aren’t all surefire winners—we love a good less-than-obvious gem—but they’re all worth your time, trust us.
Feel like you’ve already watched everything on this list that you want to see? Try our guide to the best movies on Netflix for more options. And if you’ve already completed Netflix and are in need of a new challenge, check out our picks for the best shows on Hulu and the best shows on Disney+. Don’t like our picks or want to offer suggestions of your own? Head to the comments below.
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The Witcher
Almost everything is different in The Witcher’s fourth season. Gone is former leading man Henry Cavill, with Liam Hemsworth donning the gray wig as monster-slaying Geralt of Rivia in his place. It’s been a controversial switch, but Hemsworth holds his own well enough, despite being perhaps a bit too cautious in his portrayal. However, this latest chapter in the fantasy epic, based on the novels of Andrzej Sapkowski, really belongs to sorceress Yennefer (the returning Anya Chalotra), gathering forces against the dark mage Vilgefortz (Mahesh Jadu), and trainee Witcher Ciri (Freya Allen), seeking a new life for herself with a group of thieves called the Rats. While the core trio’s tales barely intersect this season, the distance allows each to stand on their own strengths. It also sets the stage for greater things to come in the fifth and final season. This Cavill-less Witcher might take some getting used to, but if you’ve been watching since the beginning, it’s definitely worth sticking around.
Boots
Adapted from Greg Cope White’s memoir The Pink Marine, this eight-episode series follows closeted teen Cameron Cope (Miles Heizer) as he follows his friend Ray (Liam Oh) into the US Marine Corps—even as his mother Barbara (Vera Farmiga) barely notices him leaving. Picking up in 1990—before “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”—Boots walks the fine line between drama and comedy as it charts Cameron’s fish-out-of-water travails through basic training. While it could all have easily devolved into a collection of tropes, the series instead serves up a smart exploration of masculinity and camaraderie that can feel surprisingly tender at times, while never pulling its punches when it comes to the conditions recruits can face.
Wayward
Wayward was created by comedian Mae Martin, but don’t expect a laugh riot in this dark and distressing thriller. The series focuses on the secretive Tall Pines Academy in Vermont, a boarding school for troubled teens, ruled with an iron fist by self-styled savior Evelyn Wade (a chillingly commanding Toni Collette). Except, to the outside world, Wade is a caring pillar of the community, helping desperate youths—a dichotomy that the school’s latest residents, Abbie (Sydney Topliffe) and Leila (Alyvia Alyn Lind), are about to brutally experience firsthand. Their only hope may be Alex (Martin), a newly transferred cop who grows suspicious of the hold Wade has over both the town and Laura (Sarah Gadon), Alex’s wife who is herself a graduate of Tall Pines. Despite having the vibe of a docudrama, Wayward is entirely fictional—but its exploration of control, coercion, and the power of charismatic figures feels all too real.
House of Guinness
If you’re a fan of a pint of the black stuff—that’s famed Irish stout beer Guinness for the nondrinkers out there—this historical drama based on the family behind its creation will go down smooth. When patriarch Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness dies, he leaves behind one of the largest and most powerful businesses in Ireland, setting the stage for a war of succession between his four children. With control left to eldest sons Arthur (Anthony Boyle) and Edward (Louis Partridge), but nothing for daughter Anne (Emily Fairn), and only a token trust fund for Benjamin Jr. (Fionn O’Shea), the wealthiest family in Ireland is about to go to war—right as the company is trying to expand into New York. Is it 100 percent authentic to the period or settings? About as accurate as creator Steven Knight’s Peaky Blinders was to early 20th century Birmingham, England—which is to say, not exactly, but the mix of drama, betrayal, and politics is a hell of a lot of fun all the same. Sláinte!
Haunted Hotel
When Katherine inherited the dilapidated Undervale Hotel from her late brother Nathan, she didn’t expect he’d still be ra esident there—but anyone who dies at the Undervale never checks out, so he’s hanging around as a ghost. Now Katherine is stuck trying to manage a failing business, keep a few centuries’ worth of squabbling specters happy, and stop her kids Ben and Esther from dabbling in the dark arts—all while Abaddon, a demon trapped in a pilgrim child’s body, keeps trying to get his infernal powers back. Created by Rick and Morty writer Matt Roller, Haunted Hotel starts off as a seemingly familiar addition to Netflix’s roster of original adult animated series but manages to interrupt its spooky hijinks with some unexpectedly profound and emotionally resonant moments. With a voice cast boasting comedy greats Will Forte and Eliza Coupe, Haunted Hotel is worth digging up this Halloween.
Alice in Borderland
When slacker Ryohei Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) was mysteriously transported to a deserted Tokyo, his keen gaming skills turned out to be an edge in navigating a series of lethal games that tested intellect as much as physical prowess. Yet after finally escaping and starting a new life with Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya), the newly arrived third and final season finds Arisu drawn back into the Borderland for one final round of brutal games—with the lives of everyone he cares about on the line. Going beyond the material laid down in Haro Aso’s original manga was a risky decision, but it pays off in this last batch of six episodes, serving up some of the most inventive and thrilling challenges in the series’ history while tying up some long-running character arcs.
Black Rabbit
The Black Rabbit is on its way to being New York’s hottest restaurant, an ultra-cool eatery that’s one glowing New York Times review away from blowing up. Proprietor Jake Friedken (Jude Law) has poured everything into it—so it’s the absolute worst time for his screw-up brother Vince (Jason Bateman) to crawl back into his life. On the run from a hit-and-run in Reno, and with long-standing debts to the mob hanging over him, Vince’s reappearance threatens to drag Jake down, and pushes brotherly love to lethal limits. Created by writers Zach Baylin and Kate Susman, this eight-episode limited series blends The Bear and Breaking Bad into a deliciously tense thriller that leaves you wanting a second course.
Wolf King
Based on the Wereworld books by Curtis Jobling, this animated fantasy adventure follows young farmer Drew (Cel Spellman), whose life is thrown into chaos when he learns he’s actually the hidden son of the lost Wolf King. Being the Wolf King’s hidden son means he’s also the last threat to the rule of King Leopold, the werelion who has stolen the throne. Joined by reluctant allies Whitley (Nina Barker Francis) and Hector (Chris Lew Kum Hoi), Drew is thrust into a quest to master his lupine powers and claim the crown he’s destined for—if they can evade Leopold’s forces. While the animation style won’t be for everyone—a pseudo-stop-motion approach—Wolf King will capture fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Dragon Prince, and its balance of swords and sorcery and savage werebeasts gives it just enough bite for parents and older viewers.
Long Story Short
Adult animation is awash with family sitcoms—The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, on and on—but they’re all stuck in the perma-present, mixing outlandish events with a never-changing status quo. Not so for Long Story Short, the latest series from BoJack Horseman creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg. The show follows the thoroughly pedestrian antics of the Schwoopers, jumping between the 1950s and 2020s as it does so. As it ricochets through the lives of parents Naomi and Elliot, and their children Avi, Shira, and Yoshi, it proves itself as a series that balances finding comedy in the mundane—from chaotic bar mitzvahs to anniversaries-turned-interventions—with Waksberg’s penchant for the poignant woven throughout, all brought to life by a fantastic voice cast including Ben Feldman, Abbi Jacobson, and Nicole Byer. Already renewed for a second season, this is one story Netflix hasn’t cut short.
Hostage
With the UK in the midst of a health crisis, prime minister Abigail Dalton (Suranne Jones) is keen to strike a deal for medicine from French president Vivienne Toussaint (Julie Delpy)—standard politics, until Dalton’s husband Alex (Ashley Thomas), a doctor working with Medicins san Frontieres, is kidnapped in French Guiana. With the kidnappers demanding the PM’s resignation, the professional and the personal dangerously blur, while a conspiracy threatens Toussaint’s own position. Tense and masterfully paced, and with striking performances from Jones and Delpy, this five-episode limited series is an excellent political thriller to binge.
Wednesday
After spending the summer honing her psychic powers by tracking down serial killers, Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) returns to Nevermore Academy—but this school year is more of an Addams Family reunion. With her mother, Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), drawn into an onsite committee role by suspicious new principal Barry Dort (Steve Buscemi), brother Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez) joining the school after developing electric powers, and eccentric Grandmama (Joanna Lumley) turning up, Wednesday barely has a chance to investigate a new string of murders or a conspiracy surrounding a shady psychiatric hospital. The perils of the show’s protracted three-year gap between seasons is hard to overlook in places—Pugsley now towers over Wednesday, explained as a growth spurt, and you’ll almost certainly need to rewatch the first season to remember what’s going on—but this is a welcome return for Netflix’s spooky, ooky teen drama.
Love, Death + Robots
Developed by Deadpool director Tim Miller, Love, Death + Robots is one of Netflix’s most exciting animated offerings—an anthology series where the only common thread is each episode’s unique interpretation of that eponymous trio of themes. Now in its fourth season, viewers are treated to wild concepts that include psychic street gangs in a postapocalyptic future (400 Boys), a re-creation of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Live at Slane Castle performance of “Can’t Stop” in marionette form (directed by David Fincher, no less), and, in a rare hybrid of live action and CGI, a priest (played by Rhys Darby) meeting an alien envoy that thinks God has been reborn as an Earth dolphin. Wildly experimental, Love, Death + Robots constantly juggles animation styles and genres and practically vibrates off the screen with sheer visual energy. You never know what you’re going to get with this show—and that’s half the fun.
Sneaky Pete
Just released from prison, Marius (Giovanni Ribisi) steals the identity of former cellmate Pete Murphy in order to hide from the dangers of his old life. On the run from a vicious gangster played by Bryan Cranston (who also jointly created the show), Marius nestles in with Pete’s motley crew of estranged family. They’re delighted to be reunited with their long-lost relative, but he finds taking over another man’s life might be even more dangerous than the past he’s running from. Originally an Amazon Prime series, this three-season drama can now be binged in its entirety on Netflix.
Grace and Frankie
The brainchild of Friends cocreator Marta Kauffman, this sharp sitcom sees Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as the titular Grace and Frankie, longtime acquaintances forced into living together after their husbands leave them late in life—for each other. The show follows this contemporary odd couple as they deal with their ex-husbands’ coming out, their adult children’s drama, and each other’s maddening personalities, all while building a genuine friendship and trying to prove to themselves and the world that age is just a number. Taking cues from Arrested Development, Grace and Frankie‘s chief comedic currency is awkwardness, as their two extended families—the rich, business-minded Hansons and the borderline hippy Bergsteins—bring their neuroses and baggage to bear while navigating adult familial relationships. Think of it as a modern-day Golden Girls—just with more swearing and drug use.
Sakamoto Days
Taro Sakamoto used to be the worst of the worst, a hitman par excellence, his lethal skills making him a legendary figure in the criminal underworld. Then he fell in love, got married, and retired to run a convenience store with his wife Aoi and their daughter Hana. Unfortunately, he didn’t exactly leave his old job on the best of terms, and now a cadre of killers are out for the billion yen bounty on his head. Luckily, Sakamoto’s lost none of his skills—even though he’s let himself go in other areas—but can he protect his family without breaking Aoi’s strict “no killing” rule? Based on the manga by Yuto Suzuki, this comedy action anime is a blast. Now into its second season, with new episodes dropping each Monday, it’s appointment viewing you won’t want to miss.
Squid Game
The Korean sensation that became a global phenomenon, Squid Game’s blend of Hunger Games’ shocking elimination battles and Parasite’s condemnation of exploitative capitalism turned it into one of Netflix’s biggest-ever hits. It started off simply enough—hundreds of desperate people recruited to compete in a series of playground games with a deadly twist, the survivor winning a ₩45.6 billion ($35.8 million) jackpot. But now, with its third and final season, the stakes are higher than ever, and even perennial survivor Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) might not be able to win this round. Intense, brutal, and frequently graphic, Squid Game remains gripping to the very end.
Trainwreck
Little else is as fascinating as a real-life disaster born of sheer hubris. The strange mix of “saw that one coming” and “get the popcorn,” as you watch events unfold makes for captivating viewing. That’s the special sauce for Trainwreck, Netflix’s series of documentaries exploring some of the biggest, well, train wrecks of recent history. From the crack-cocaine-fueled tenure of Toronto’s disgraced mayor Rob Ford to the avoidable errors that saw a luxury cruise liner turned into an infamous “poop cruise,” each installment is a fascinating exploration of how badly things can go wrong when the wrong people are in charge. Netflix oddly categorizes each Trainwreck as its own movie, but it’s really a loosely connected anthology, and while some cases require their own multi-episode arcs to excavate the wreckage (shoutout to Woodstock ’99), there’s no particular starting point—simply pick your favorite screw-up and just try to look away.
The Survivors
Years ago, Kieran Elliott (Charlie Vickers) survived a storm that trapped him in a sea cave, but his brother Finn and friend Toby died in the rescue attempt. Fifteen years later, he returns to his hometown with his partner Mia (Yerin Ha) and their baby Audrey for a memorial, finding that everyone from neighbors to his own mother still blame him for the tragedy. While those deaths still haunt the small town community, they may also have obscured another tragedy—teenager Gabby Birch went missing the same night. Now, out-of-town investigator Bronte (Shannon Berry), the only person who still cared about the long-cold case, has wound up dead herself, and everyone in Kieran’s life seems to be connected. Adapted from the novel by Jane Harper, this Australian murder mystery from Glitch creator Tony Ayres is a darkly compelling miniseries.
Dept. Q
Edinburgh police detective Carl Morck (The Crown‘s Matthew Goode) used to be one of the best—until his arrogance got his partner paralyzed and a uniformed officer killed, and saw him narrowly survive a bullet through his own neck. After returning to work following a lengthy period of mandatory leave, Morck finds himself heading up the new Department Q—an underfunded, under-staffed operation in the precinct’s dank basement, dedicated to solving the iciest of cold cases. Gathering a team of misfits, including Rose (Leah Byrne), eager to please but recovering from a breakdown, Akram (Alexej Manvelov), a Syrian refugee, and Morck’s still-bedbound partner James (Jamie Sives), the department has a lot to prove—but solving the disappearance of Merritt Linguard (Chloe Pirrie) might be a good start. Based on the novels by Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen, Dept. Q is a brilliant blend of Scandi noir and gritty British crime drama.
Sirens
First The White Lotus, then The Perfect Couple, and now Sirens—Meghann Fahy is making a career out of starring in shows where we get to see awfully rich people doing awfully bad things to each other. Here, she plays down-on-her-luck Devon, drawn into the luxurious world her sister Simone (Milly Alcock, imminently Supergirl) inhabits by proxy, working as an assistant to billionaire’s wife Michaela (Julianne Moore). It’s never clear how willingly Simone got involved with the charismatic Michaela, who may be a mentor or cult leader or something else entirely, nor how overprotective or paranoid Devon is, but the hook of this glossy, dark comedy is in finding out.
Blood of Zeus
This adult animated take on Greek mythology returns for its third and final season, bringing the odyssey of demigod Heron—son of Zeus and mortal woman Electra—to a brutal conclusion. After years of manipulation, power plays, and betrayals, the season picks up with the Olympian gods and their Titan predecessors lined up against each other, the fate of the world hanging on the outcome of the ultimate family feud. Heron and his estranged brother Seraphim may be the only ones able to bring peace—so it’s rather inconvenient that Heron is dead. From start to finish, Blood of Zeus has impressed with smart writing that offers compelling twists on the classic myths, all brought to life with top-tier animation and phenomenal voice acting, and it doesn’t disappoint as it reaches its finale. One of Netflix’s best animated series.
You
Based on the novels of Caroline Kepnes, You is an often deeply disturbing series. During the first season, bookstore manager Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) falls in deranged-love-at-first-sight with aspiring author Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail). In subsequent ones, he relocates to Los Angeles, where heiress Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti) became the focus of his attention, and then to London, where he poses as an unassuming university professor before meeting his match in Kate Galvin (Charlotte Ritchie). At each turn, the globe-hopping saga of murderous obsession has become more and more unsettling. In the fifth and final season, Joe returns to New York with his new wife, Kate, but the darkness and brutality that’s followed him around the world is never far behind. Often shocking, You is a gripping thriller that hits the same sinister sweet spot as early (read: good) seasons of Dexter.
Black Mirror
Black Mirror returns with six new episodes that continue to explore humanity’s complicated relationship with technology. Although the new, seventh season includes a couple of rare sequels to previous Black Mirror episodes, the anthology format means every episode remains accessible. That means you can jump right in with the heartbreaking “Eulogy,” where Paul Giamatti’s Phillip dives through his own fractured memories of a lost lover. Or you can start with the sinister “Plaything,” in which a gaming journalist gets murderously obsessed with a strange life-sim game, partly inspired by series creator Charlie Brooker’s own background. (In a very meta twist, you can play the game for real.) Whether you’re a longtime fan or this is your first encounter with poignant tech dystopias, all of Black Mirror awaits your viewing.
North of North
Young Inuk woman Siaja (Anna Lambe, True Detective: Night Country) married straight out of high school, then spent years trapped in the shadow of her shallow, selfish husband, Ting—the golden boy of their small town of Ice Cove, nestled far in the Arctic Circle. A brush with death—and possibly the goddess Nuliajuk—gives her the push to make a fresh start, but an explosive breakup in a community of only 2,000 people means Siaja’s personal life is now everyone’s business. Netflix’s first Canadian original series, this sharp sitcom is packed with warmth and humor, while its on-location shooting in Iqaluit (the real-life capital of the Arctic Canadian territory of Nunavut) delivers breathtaking natural beauty along with the laughs.
Devil May Cry
Building on the success of Castlevania, Netflix’s take on Capcom’s Devil May Cry series continues the streamer’s strong track record of animated video game adaptations. For those who’ve never picked up a controller, the series follows half-demon devil hunter Dante, a stylish slayer with a penchant for slicing up hell’s worst offenders. This eight-episode spectacular sees Dante (voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch) clashing with the horrific White Rabbit (Hoon Lee), a twisted monster aiming to tear down the barrier between Earth and hell. Animation fans will also appreciate one of the final performances from the venerable, sadly-passed Kevin Conroy as the villainous US Vice President Baines. Devil May Cry may be unashamedly in love with its own early 2000s origins—as evidenced by a soundtrack filled with songs from the likes of Limp Bizkit and Papa Roach—but this slickly animated action masterpiece is a hellishly good time.
Adolescence
A quiet English town. 6 am. Police raid the house of Jamie Miller on suspicion of murdering an innocent girl. Jamie is 13 years old. A shocking mini-series, this isn’t a whodunit, but a whydunit. Its four episodes—each masterfully shot in a single real-time take—explore how boys are radicalized online to hate women, and the horrifying effects it has. The powerhouse cast includes cocreator and writer Stephen Graham (Bodies, A Thousand Blows) as Jamie’s father Eddie, Ashley Walters (Bulletproof) as Detective Boscombe, the arresting officer and investigator of Jamie’s crime, and Erin Doherty (The Crown) as the psychologist evaluating Jamie. Each brings this incredibly difficult material to life, but it’s newcomer Owen Cooper as Jamie who most astounds, turning from petrified to cheeky to vitriolic in a terrifying heartbeat. Adolescence is harrowing but important viewing.
Pantheon
Originally an AMC+ show, both seasons of Pantheon are now available on Netflix. Good timing too, since its nightmarish scenario of digitally uploaded human consciousnesses and exploration of the impact such technology would have on society feels worryingly prescient. With plot threads weaving between isolated Maddie Kim, whose dead father may have been reborn as an “Uploaded Intelligence,” Caspian Keyes, a genius teenager whose entire life is a Truman Show–style lie, and Vinod Chanda, an engineer investigating UI, this hard sci-fi outing—based on the short fiction of Ken Liu—offers a dark examination of virtual immortality. A uniquely brilliant adult animated series.
Zero Day
Cards on the table: A significant part of the appeal here is seeing the iconic Robert De Niro in his first major English-language TV role (he previously appeared in the Argentinian Nada, aka Nothing). He doesn’t disappoint with his performance as former US president George Mullen—pulled out of retirement to oversee a commission investigating a colossal cyberattack that left thousands of Americans dead and the terrifying warning that “this will happen again”—commanding the screen with his trademark gravitas. Director Lesli Linka Glatter wrings great drama from the whodunit of it all (Russians? hackers? hedge fund bros?), but with Mullen handed unprecedented powers to track down the culprits, the real nail-biting moments come from its suddenly timely explorations of abuses of power. With a powerhouse cast that includes Angela Bassett, Lizzy Caplan, and Jesse Plemons, Zero Day is an engaging political thriller, and at six episodes it makes for a great binge-watch.
The Night Agent
Special agent Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) is back, and the stakes have never been higher. While the first season of The Night Agent wove a compelling spy drama out of the idea of a mole at the heart of America’s intelligence services, the newly arrived second season takes a more global approach—Sutherland hunts down a stolen chemical weapon project, drawing him back into the orbit of tech savant and sometime love interest Rose Larkin (Luciane Buchanan), while Iranian diplomatic aide Noor Taheri (Arienne Mandi) offers secrets to the CIA in return for asylum, and a deposed Eastern European dictator aims to manipulate everything from behind bars. Sure, the show’s mix of politics and spook work won’t surprise genre diehards, but it weaves together its many influences—and many more plot threads—into a supremely entertaining thriller.
Asura
The four Takezawa sisters are close but have little in common. Eldest Tsunako (Rie Miyazawa) is already a widow; repressed Takiko (Yû Aoi) and rebellious Sakiko (Suzu Hirose) are always at each other’s throats; and second-born Makiko (Machiko Ono) tries to balance keeping the peace with being a housewife and mother to her own two children. Yet when Takiko learns that their father Kotaro (Jun Kunimura) may have a second, secret, family, the sisters’ bonds are put to the test as they struggle to uncover the truth. Asura is far more than a turgid family drama—it’s equal parts heartwarming and hilarious, capturing the complexities of the relationships between its quartet of protagonists. Keeping the 1970s setting of Kuniko Mukōda’s original novel allows Palme d’Or– winning director Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters) to craft a gorgeously shot period piece that still feels incredibly timely and modern.
Jentry Chau vs the Underworld
You know the drill—everyday teenager learns she has superpowers and is destined to fight the forces of darkness. Except Jentry Chau (voiced by Ali Wong) is not like any other teenage girl—she’s known about the supernatural her whole life (her uncontrollable fire powers were a giveaway) and spent a lifetime avoiding it. Sent to study in Korea for her own safety, Jentry is drawn back into the mystic world after being attacked in Seoul by a jiangshi named Ed (Bowen Yang). Brought back to her home in Texas by her great-aunt, Jentry has to survive not only the formidable mogui Mr. Cheng, who intends to drain her soul and powers, but the horrors of high school, culture shock, and the pain of her own past. Taking the “high school is hell” metaphor of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, adding a dash of Gravity Falls’ mystery, and rooting it all in Asian mythology, Jentry Chau vs the Underworld is one of Netflix’s freshest animated shows in years.
A Man on the Inside
The latest show from comedy mastermind Michael Schur (The Good Place, Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), A Man on the Inside features Ted Danson as Charles Nieuwendyk, a retired engineering professor who’s lost all direction since his wife passed. But when private investigator Julie Kovalenko (Lilah Richcreek Estrada) needs a man of his demographic to go undercover in a retirement community to investigate allegations of resident abuse, Charles may find an unlikely new lease on life—if he can figure out how to use his smartphone, that is. Reflecting on end-of-life realities as much as it plays up Charles’ fish-out-of-water situation, it’s a show that’s equal parts poignant, melancholic, and achingly funny—and it’s based on a true story, to boot.
Black Doves
Helen Webb (Keira Knightley) is wife to the UK defense secretary, mother to two children, and bored with her picture-perfect life. Spectacular cover then, since she’s actually a spy for the mercenary organization Black Doves, selling state secrets to the highest bidder. But when her real love Jason (Andrew Koji) is killed, Helen is determined to find out who killed him and why—and her pursuit of the truth threatens both her public and private lives. Paired with assassin and old friend Sam (Ben Whishaw, in a very different spy role to his turn in the James Bond films) at the behest of stern operator Mrs. Reed (Sarah Lancashire), Helen’s obsession could have led to a dour, gritty thriller, but Black Doves bucks the grim-dark trend to serve up a pulpy, colorful outing with enough heart to balance its violence. At only six episodes (with a second season already confirmed), it’s a brisk watch too.
Arcane
Animated series based on video games can run the gamut from cheap cash-ins to half-decent if forgettable tie-ins, inaccessible to anyone but hardcore devotees. Yet Arcane stood out by making its connections to Riot Games’ League of Legends almost optional. While its central figures, orphaned sisters Vi and Jinx, are playable characters in the game, this steampunk saga of class war, civil uprising, and the people caught in between is entirely accessible. The second and final season, released in a trio of movie-length blocks of three episodes apiece, escalates the conflict between the warring factions but never loses its central focus on the fractured relationship between sisters. With a gorgeous painterly art style, strong characters, and frequently shocking story beats, Arcane is one of the best animated series in years—and it has racked up plenty of awards, including a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program, to prove it.
Heartstopper
One of the most joyful shows on Netflix returns for another school year of teen drama and heartfelt queer romance. In the long-awaited third season, things heat up between the central couple, with Charlie (Joe Locke) preparing to say three little words to Nick (Kit Connor) for the first time, while Elle (Yasmin Finney) and Tao (William Gao) try to have the perfect romantic summer before Elle starts art college. Heartstopper‘s return also sheds some of its earlier cloying tendencies, growing up alongside its talented young cast and giving them more serious material to work with, tackling more mature themes of sex, eating disorders, and gender dysphoria—all without losing the warmth and charm that made audiences fall in love with the show in the first place. The show younger LGBTQ+ viewers need now, older ones needed years ago, and one that everyone needs to watch, whatever their sexuality.
The Boyfriend
“Anyone can fall in love with anyone” is the opening narration to The Boyfriend, Japan’s first same-sex dating show—a bold and progressive statement that reflects the shifting tide of opinion in the country. Throwing nine single men together in an idyllic beach house for a summer and charging them with running a coffee truck, the over-arching concept is to see who’ll pair up, but the series is as interested in exploring the friendships that emerge between the cast as it is the romantic relationships. Unlike Western dating shows, there are no scandals, no dramatic twists, no betrayals, and the “challenges” are adorably focused on confessing feelings. The gentleness of it all adds an almost relaxing quality, with the men discussing their emotions—and the nature of being queer in Japan—earnestly. An absolutely joyful example of reality TV.
Kleo
If you’re pining for more Killing Eve, then this German thriller may be the next best thing. Set in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the series follows the eponymous Kleo (Jella Haase), a Stasi assassin imprisoned by her agency on false treason charges. Released after the fall of the Berlin Wall, she seeks revenge on her former handlers—but West German detective Sven (Dimitrij Schaad), the only witness to her last kill, may have something to say about that. As dark and violent as you’d expect given the period and the themes of betrayal and vengeance, Kleo is lightened by its oft-deranged sense of humor and a charismatic lead duo who brilliantly bounce off one another—chemistry that’s only heightened in the second season as Kleo’s pursuit of her old allies intensifies, attracting attention from international spy agencies in the aftermath of the Cold War.
Supacell
One by one, five Black Londoners awaken to strange superpowers. Struggling father Andre (Eric Kofi-Abrefa) develops superstrength, nurse Sabrina (Nadine Mills) unleashes phenomenal telekinetic might, drug dealer Rodney (Calvin Demba) races at superspeed, and wannabe gang leader Tazer (Josh Tedeku) turns invisible. But it’s Michael (Tosin Cole, Doctor Who) who may be the most pivotal, realizing he can leap through time and space and learning he only has three months to save his fiancée’s life. Created by Andrew “Rapman” Onwubolu, Supacell is a show about superpowers, but not necessarily superheroes, with its fantastic cast offering up a far more realistic and human exploration of now-familiar ideas than anything you’ll find in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And the mystery of why—and how—only Black people seem to be gaining powers builds up to a more powerful punch than an Asgardian god of thunder. A smart, modern, and refreshing take on the genre.
3 Body Problem
In 1960s China, at the height of the Cultural Revolution, gifted scholar Wenjie Ye witnesses her physicist father being beaten to death for his research, only for her to be recruited to a secret project relying on that same knowledge. Fast-forward to the present day, and physics is broken: Particle accelerators around the world are delivering impossible data, while scientists are being plagued by countdowns only they can see. Meanwhile, strange VR headsets appear to be transporting players to an entirely different world—and humanity’s continued existence may rely on there being no “game over.” Game of Thrones’ creators D. B. Weiss and David Benioff and True Blood executive producer Alexander Woo reimagine Chinese author Cixin Liu’s acclaimed hard sci-fi trilogy of first contact and looming interplanetary conflict as a more global affair. Wildly ambitious, and boasting an international cast featuring the likes of Benedict Wong, Rosalind Chao, Eiza González, and GOT alum John Bradley, Netflix’s 3 Body Problem serves up the opening salvo in a richly detailed and staggeringly complex saga.
Ripley
Perhaps best known nowadays from 1999’s The Talented Mr. Ripley starring Matt Damon, novelist Patricia Highsmith’s inveterate criminal Tom Ripley has a longer, darker legacy in print and on the screen. For this limited series, creator Steven Zaillian goes back to Highsmith’s original text, presenting Ridley (a never-more-sinister Andrew Scott of All of Us Strangers) as a down-on-his-luck con man in 1950s New York who is recruited by a wealthy shipbuilder to travel to Italy and persuade the businessman’s spoiled son Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) to return home. But once in Italy, Ripley finds himself enamored with Dickie’s lavish lifestyle—and will do anything to take it for himself. Shot in black and white to really sell its noir credentials, this is an instant contender for the finest interpretation of Highsmith’s works to date.
Blue Eye Samurai
In the 17th Century, Japan enforced its “sakoku” isolationist foreign policy, effectively closing itself off from the world. Foreigners were few and far between—so when Mizu (voiced by Maya Erskine) is born with blue eyes, nine months after her mother was assaulted by one of the four white men in the country, it marks her as an outsider, regarded as less than human. Years later, after being trained by a blind sword master and now masquerading as a man, Mizu hunts down those four men, knowing that killing them all is the only way to guarantee her vengeance. Exquisitely animated—which makes its unabashed violence all the more graphic—and with a phenomenal voice cast bolstered by the likes of George Takei, Brenda Song, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, and Kenneth Branagh, Blue Eye Samurai is one of the best adults-only animated series on Netflix.
One Piece
Mark one up for persistence: After numerous anime adaptations ranging from “awful” to “not too bad,” Netflix finally strikes gold with its live-action take on the global phenomenon One Piece. Despite fans’ fears, this spectacularly captures the charm, optimism, and glorious weirdness of Eiichiro Oda’s beloved manga, manifesting a fantasy world where people brandish outlandish powers and hunt for a legendary treasure in an Age of Piracy almost verbatim from the page. The perfectly cast Iñaki Godoy stars as Monkey D. Luffy, would-be King of the Pirates, bringing an almost elastic innate physicality to the role that brilliantly matches the characters rubber-based stretching powers, while the crew Luffy gathers over this first season—including swordsmaster Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu), navigator and skilled thief Nami (Emily Rudd), sharpshooter Usopp (Jacob Romero Gibson), and martial artist chef Sanji (Taz Skylar)—all brilliantly embody their characters. A lot could have gone wrong bringing One Piece to life, but this is a voyage well worth taking.
Mark Rober will bring his scientific talents to Netflix with two upcoming projects. Rober is a former NASA engineer who parlayed his skills into an entertaining and educational YouTube career. In past years, we’ve seen him develop , but stinky glitter bombs to fend off porch package thieves, as well as leading work on a Guinness World Record-holding .
According to an from Netflix, Rober “will bring some of his most beloved, ambitious, and informative experiments” to the streaming platform later this year. Then in 2026, he’ll also host a competition series aimed at kids and family viewers. Rober’s CrunchLabs business and Kimmelot, late night host Jimmy Kimmel’s production company, will be producing.
Netflix has been adding several YouTube creators to its content lineup, with a particular angle toward family-friendly science programs. Earlier this year, it brought some content from , with educational topics for very young children, to the platform.
How about this heavyweight matchup between two action icons in The Old Guard 2? In one corner sits Charlize Theron, a powerful force who conquered the Wasteland in Mad Max: Fury Road and survived as a secret agent in Atomic Blonde. Facing off against Theron is Uma Thurman, a pioneer in the genre who became an icon for playing The Bride in Kill Bill.
This summer, Theron and Thurman square off in The Old Guard 2, the fantasy sci-fi adventure on Netflix. In the trailer, Andy (Theron) adjusts to life without her immortality. Quynh (Veronica Ngô) has escaped her underwater prison, and Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts) remains in exile after his betrayal.
Andy and her team — including Nile (KiKi Layne), Joe (Marwan Kenzari), Nicky (Luca Marinelli), and James Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) — enlist the guidance of Tuah (Henry Golding), an old friend who may have the answers to immortality. The super team needs all the help to defeat Discord (Thurman), the very first immortal and Andy’s former foe.
“I will destroy everything you stand for with a power you can’t even imagine,” Discord says before squaring off against Andy.
Joshua Ade / Netflix
Victoria Mahoney directs The Old Guard 2 from a screenplay by Greg Rucka, based on the graphic novels by Rucka and illustrator Leandro Fernandez.
The movie is an action sequel to The Old Guard directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. Released on Netflix in July 2020, The Old Guard received positive reviews for its action, direction, and lead performances.
Netflix hopes the sequel will be a hit, as the streamer searches to create more franchises. The five-year gap between movies could be an issue in drumming up interest for a sequel. Quality always wins out, and if The Old Guard 2 is well-received, it will attract a strong audience.
The Old Guard 2 has a prime summer release date of July 2 on Netflix. Until then, fans can stream The Old Guard.
Greetings, Polygon readers! Each week, we round up the most notable new releases to streaming and VOD, highlighting the biggest and best new movies for you to watch at home.
This week, Trigger Warning, the new action thriller starring Jessica Alba as a hardened Special Forces commando, premieres on Netflix. That’s not all, as plenty of other exciting new releases make their streaming debuts this week, including a documentary on tennis legend Roger Federer on Prime Video, Kung Fu Panda 4 on Peacock, Sometimes I Think About Dying on MUBI, and more. There’s also several highly anticipated releases on VOD this week, including animated sci-fi noir mystery Mars Express and dystopian sci-fi romance The Beast starring Léa Seydoux.
Here’s everything new that’s available to watch this weekend!
New on Netflix
Trigger Warning
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Image: Netflix
Genre: Action thriller Run time: 1h 46m Director: Mouly Surya Cast: Jessica Alba, Anthony Michael Hall, Mark Webber
The Alba-naissance is here. Five years after her last film role (crime thriller Killers Anonymous), the onetime Sue Storm is teaming up with Indonesian director Mouly Surya in an action-packed movie inspired by the John Wick franchise (and produced by John Wick producer Basil Iwanyk). Trigger Warning is Surya’s English-language debut and was filmed three years ago, but is finally dropping on Netflix this week.
Black Barbie
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Image: Netflix
Genre: Documentary Run time: 1h 40m Director: Lagueria Davis
This doc from Shondaland digs into the first Black Barbie and three Black women at Mattel who made it happen: Beulah Mae Mitchell, Kitty Black Perkins, and Stacey McBride-Irby.
New on Prime Video
Federer: Twelve Final Days
Where to watch: Available to stream on Prime Video
Image: Prime
Genre: Documentary Run time: 1h 40m Directors: Asif Kapadia, Joe Sabia Cast: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic
Arguably the greatest men’s tennis player to ever live, Roger Federer finally hung up his racket for good in 2022. This documentary, co-directed by Senna and Amy director Asif Kapadia, focuses on the final 12 days of the Swiss legend’s illustrious career.
Genre: Martial arts comedy Run time: 1h 34m Director: Mike Mitchell Cast: Jack Black, Awkwafina, Bryan Cranston
The fourth entry in the Kung Fu Panda saga sees Po taking on a new apprentice to succeed him as the Dragon Warrior. When a mysterious sorceress plots to resurrect Po’s past adversaries, he’ll need to call upon all his strength and allies to save the day.
While the individual scenes and moments in Kung Fu Panda 4 are entertaining (and sometimes even great), it never quite gels as an enjoyable movie on its own. The message of change tying it together is flimsy, and the plot feels strung along, trying to get the characters in the right place to launch a few seconds of cool action. After four movies, it isn’t really a surprise that the Kung Fu Panda machine is running out of steam — thankfully, though, it has just enough power left to churn out some genuine laughs at the end.
New on MUBI
Sometimes I Think About Dying
Where to watch: Available to stream on MUBI
Image: Oscilloscope Laboratories
Genre: Romantic drama Run time: 1h 34m Director: Rachel Lambert Cast: Daisy Ridley, Dave Merheje, Parvesh Cheena
Star Wars icon Daisy Ridley takes a dramatic turn in this new existential drama, playing the role of a socially awkward office worker who tentatively attempts to come out of her shell. It’s dark, funny, awkward, and achingly human.
Not much happens in Sometimes I Think About Dying, but that’s the point of the movie. Even the smallest thing, like Fran mustering up the courage to say goodbye to someone after work, is given huge weight. The movie lingers on the mundane, using it to paint a thorough portrait of who she is, without having her say or act much. The steps she takes to help overcome her social anxiety might seem small, but they’re all hurdles to her. It’s a movie made up of quiet moments: pauses in conversation, lingering glances, and outstretched hands. Lambert emphasizes the importance of these small interactions, and the ways they build up to connections. It’s a quiet story that aches in the best sort of way.
New on Metrograph at Home
Last Night I Saw You Smiling
Where to watch: Available to stream on Metrograph at Home
Image: Metrograph at Home
Genre: Documentary Run time: 1h 18m Director: Kavich Neang
In the final days of a condemned, iconic building, director Kavich Neang follows three families who live there (including his own). This is the streaming premiere of the movie, which first came out in 2019 and won awards on the international festival circuit, and is a part of Metrograph’s “Davy Chou Selects” series.
New to rent
Handling the Undead
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Image: Neon
Genre: Horror drama Run time: 1h 37m Director: Thea Hvistendahl Cast: Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Bahar Pars
There’s tons of horror movies about the dead coming back to life. None of them are quite like Handling the Undead, though. Based on John Ajvide Lindqvist’s 2005 novel, the film follows the story of three families living in Oslo whose loved ones all mysteriously rise from the dead as semi-sentient corpses. How will they handle this new phenomenon, and is it a second chance to say goodbye… or a curse?
I Used to Be Funny
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Image: Barn 12/Utopia
Genre: Comedy drama Run time: 1h 45m Director: Ally Pankiw Cast: Rachel Sennott, Olga Petsa, Jason Jones
Rachel Sennott (Bodies Bodies Bodies) stars as Sam, a stand-up comedian living in Toronto who takes on a nannying job in order to earn some cash. After the young girl she was caring for goes missing, Sam is stricken with PTSD and no longer performs comedy, haunted by the loss of her charge and her own helplessness.
IF
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Image: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Fantasy comedy Run time: 1h 44m Director: John Krasinski Cast: Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski
Remember Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends? Well, imagine that, but set in New York and starring Ryan Reynolds and not so imaginative. IF follows Bea (Cailey Fleming), a young girl who works alongside her neighbor to help imaginary friends whose real-life friends have grown up. It’s ostensibly a kids’ movie, but with a message that’s slightly… off.
Mars Express
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Image: Everybody on Deck/GKIDS
Genre: Sci-fi action Run time: 1h 25m Director: Jérémie Périn Cast: Léa Drucker, Mathieu Amalric, Daniel Njo Lobé
This sci-fi noir thriller follows a private detective and her android partner who are hired by a wealthy businessman to track down an elusive hacker. Their investigation dovetails into a search for a missing woman before inadvertently spiralling into a vast conspiracy that threatens to unravel the fabric of human civilization.
Mars Express is the rare example of an animated feature that warrants an almost immediate rewatch upon completion, if only to appreciate the craftsmanship of its presentation. It’s a densely layered sci-fi story that’s light on proper nouns, but heavy on subtext. It’s set in a world that doesn’t tell so much as it shows the depth of its narrative and worldbuilding, by trusting its audience to pay close attention and connect the dots alongside the film’s characters. In short, it’s a rare example of “adult” animation that treats its audience like adults, and its execution elevates its premise until it stands confidently as one of the year’s best animated features.
The Beast
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Image: Janus Films
Genre: Sci-fi romance Run time: 2h 26m Director: Bertrand Bonello Cast: Léa Seydoux, George MacKay, Guslagie Malanda
Imagine Cloud Atlas meets The Age of Innocence meets Mulholland Drive. That’s about the simplest way of describing The Beast, Bertrand Bonello’s sci-fi romance drama. Léa Seydoux (Spectre) stars as Gabrielle, a woman living in the near-future who undergoes a process to “purify” her DNA of strong emotions by reliving her past lives. Her procedure becomes more complicated after crossing paths with Louis (George MacKay), a man whom — in a past life — she may or may not have loved.
The Beast’s three timelines play with seemingly unmixable genres: a classic period romance, a gripping horror-thriller, and dystopian sci-fi. That places them at a logistical disconnect, but Bonello binds them aesthetically and emotionally. Through his lengthy, thought-provoking close-ups of Gabrielle and Louis in each section, he creates a sense of longing and isolation across time, binding together human experiences of the past, present, and future, and putting them into sharp and chilling context.
We Grown Now
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Image: Sony Pictures Classics
Genre: Drama Run time: 1h 33m Director: Minhal Baig Cast: Blake Cameron James, Gian Knight Ramirez, S. Epatha Merkerson
Set in Chicago in the early ’90s, We Grown Now centerson the story of Malik and Eric, two young boys growing up in a housing complex who survive the mundanity of school life and the perils of their environment through the strength of their friendship. When a sudden tragedy threatens to strain their bond, Malik and Eric will have to grow up fast and make a choice between what to hold on to and what to let go of.
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