By now, you’re probably experiencing a sense of decision fatigue when it comes to the increasingly confusing world of catching TV and movies in the streaming era. Not only is it exhausting to surf through an endless catalogue of movies and shows that aren’t quite what you’re looking for on a single platform such as Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, these days it’s exhausting just trying to pick a streaming service to peruse in the first place. Luckily, that’s where we come in. Hopefully we can help you narrow down exactly what you’re looking for with a quick list of high-quality projects from a number of different sources. Some of the following films and shows are available to stream at home, while others are still currently in theaters, allowing you an excuse to treat yourself to a nice night out of the house.
So without any further preamble, let’s dive in to a brief list of new favorites and old classics, and see if we can at least jump-start your ability to settle on something to watch. We won’t include any spoilers for any of the following projects below, so feel free to go in with an open mind and no fear. We’ll also include trailers for each of the following entires, so you’ll have quick and easy access to preview the project if our brief synopsis’ leave you wanting more.
Rebel Ridge (2024)
If you’re looking for crime drama and action thrills this weekend, it’s time to check out Rebel Ridge. Produced by Jeremy Saulnier and starring Aaron Pierre, the Netflix release has already raked in tons of positive reviews. Following a Marine veteran whose has funds, funds he needed to post bail for a family member, unjustly seized by corrupt cops. With shootouts and close combat, it’s sure to please action movie fans who might be craving something with a punch to watch this weekend.
Rebel Ridge is available to watch on Netflix. Within the span of three short days, the film had garnered over 31.2 million views. The following week earned it another 38.6 million. Those views spelled good things, too, as 95% of its 110 critics’ reivews on Rotten Tomatoes are glowingly positive, landing at an average rating of 7.9 out of 10. People are already buzzing about a possible Rebel Ridge sequel. That is, while they’re still working out the events of the film’s ending.
The Front Room (2024)
The newest psychological horror entry from A24, starring Brandy and Andrew Burnap, The Front Room is a perfect entry to your October watchlist, and a must-see movie to watch this weekend if you want family drama turned up to a horrifying eleven. Pregnant professor Belinda (Brandy) is going through a troublesome, anxiety inducing time at work, while grieving the loss of a stillborn child. When her husband’s estranged stepmother calls and eventually moves in, it turns into everyone’s nightmare about what it might be like to have their in-laws rooming with them.
Being a relatively new film, it’s currently only available to rent on platforms like YouTube, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.
Get out (2017)
If you’re a fan of comedy or horror, you’re likely already aware of visionary filmmaker Jordan Peele‘s directorial feature debut, Get Out. The film, which premiered in 2017, put Peele on the map as a prolific face in the horror genre, following his previous work in sketch comedy as one half of the hilarious duo Key & Peele. Get Out stars Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener, Lil Rel Howery, and LaKeith Stanfield, in a disturbing narrative that centers on a young black man’s trip to visit his white girlfriend’s parents for the first time. The film contains intense themes of discrimination, idolatry, and the black experience within the United States, and comes complete with a few hilarious moments that allow Peele’s comedy background to come shining through.
Truly any of Jordan Peele’s films would be an excellent choice for what to watch this weekend, as they each contain a similar level of proficiency behind the camera, impeccable writing, and powerful, moving performances. Get Out specifically holds a staggering 98 percent certified fresh critic score on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the most highly praised horrors of the 2010s. The film was also nominated for four Oscar awards, including Best Picture, and ultimately took home the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. All in all, Get Out would be the perfect choice to watch on any weekend, especially if you’ve never seen it before, or you’re just in desperate need of a rewatch. Get Out is currently streaming via Hulu and Peacock.
The Bear (2022-Present)
If you haven’t already been keeping up with the runaway hit FX original series The Bear, there’s likely very little we can do to convince you to check it out now. Still, suffice is to say, the massive hype this show has been receiving is well earned. The Bear premiered its first season in 2022 to massive critical and audience acclaim, and recently delivered its third season amidst a wave of record-shattering Emmy nominations. This series focusses on a dysfunctional restaurant on the South Side of Chicago, led by a number of well-meaning but maladjusted chefs, servers, and would-be business managers who just can’t seem to stop screaming at each other. Along the way, the staff grow to become more like a family than they ever anticipated, despite (or perhaps because of) their difficulty dealing with trauma.
The show has incorrectly been labelled a comedy because of its half-hour format, but make no mistake, The Bear is a heart-wrenching drama, save for a few hilarious moments. Even still, the series has a ton of heart, an artsy presentation, and a series of infectious turns of phrase that will leave you shouting “yes chef!” at your co-workers for weeks to come. If you need an excuse to stay in and binge something this weekend, be sure to check out The Bear on Hulu.
Game Changer (2019-Present)
If Get Out and The Bear are a little too heavy for your taste, and you just need something upbeat and joyful to throw on while you enjoy your brief time off work, Game Changer might be exactly what you’re looking for. The series, which is a Dropout original, sees a wide array of internet comedians and sketch comedy legends taking on a revolving door of absurd prompts. Game Changer is a pseudo game show in which the game changes each episode, all headed by Dropout mastermind Sam Reich. Over the course of six seasons and counting, Reich tortures his friends and coworkers with a series of chaotic games which include an impromptu escape room, a modern take on Simon Says, and even a stress test aided with the assistance of heart rate monitors.
Unlike some of the other shows on this list, Game Changer is not a serialized narrative, and requires no previous understanding of any existing episode to dive right in. Several episodes are available for free on YouTube, though a Dropout subscription costs only $5.99 per month. Those seeking a lighthearted comedy owe it to themselves to check out this hilariously off-the-rails show, especially if you grew up watching College Humor videos on YouTube. If you do wind up checking the show out, there are several similar programs on the Dropout network which should scratch a similar itch, ensuring that you have plenty to binge through for many weekends to come.
Longlegs (2024)
But what if you’re tired of trying to find something to watch at home, from the comfort of your couch? We’ve got you covered there as well. The hit horror movie Longlegs is currently terrifying audiences in theaters across America, with a Nicolas Cage performance that can only be described as nightmare-inducing. The marketing of this film was very careful not to give too much away to prospective audiences, so we won’t spoil the plot here, but suffice is to say, this is one of the creepiest movies to arrive in theaters in years. Released on July 12, Longlegs currently touts an impressive 86 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, and is already part of contention for best films of 2024.
Longlegs is an independently financed movie, distributed through Neon, so there’s no telling what streaming service it will wind up on once its theater run is complete. One thing’s for sure, if the streaming rights aren’t already locked up behind the scenes, this modern classic will definitely be the subject of an intense bidding war. If you’re looking to get goosebumps and fear the dark this weekend, this is the best pic you’ll find on this, or any other list.
Despicable Me 4 (2024)
Those looking for something a little more family friendly to watch in the theater need not leave this list disappointed. The latest installment in the Despicable Me franchise was also released at the top of July, and offers a fun-filled adventure suitable for all ages. Like the previous installments in the series, Despicable Me 4 centers on Steve Carrell’s Gru as he balances his work of being an evil mastermind with his family life. In this outing, Gru welcomes a new baby to the family named Gru Jr., who seems intent on tormenting his father at every turn. The supporting cast for the movie includes the voice talent of comedy greats such as Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell, Sofía Vergara, Steve Coogan, Stephen Colbert, and Joey King.
The other Despicable Me movies are available to stream via Peacock, so don’t fret if you don’t get the chance to see this movie before its theater run is over. Even if it takes a few months to hit streaming, you can rest assured that your little ones will enjoy a lengthy rewatch of the original trilogy before catching up with the latest installment. Still, if you’ve got a few hours to kill this weekend and need something bright, flashy, and colorful to keep your family entertained, you can’t go wrong with this high-energy animated outing.
Severance, Season 1 (2022)
Science fiction fans may already be aware of the hit Apple TV+ original series Severance, which first premiered on the streamer back in 2022. The show, which stars Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, Britt Lower, John Turturro, and a career-defining performance from Tramell Tillman, is currently on pace to release its long-awaited second season in January of 2025. Since the show saw such a massive gap between seasons, it seems as though now is a perfect time for new and returning fans to binge through the existing 9 episodes, in preparation for the next chapter.
Severance centers on an extremely intriguing sci-fi premise, as a massive corporation called Lumen has concocted an experimental technology that allows human beings to split their consciousness between their work life and home life. This essentially means that “outties,” or those outside of the office, are given the freedom to never work again, while “innies,” who experience consciousness only while inside their office building, are forced to spend every waking moment of their existence behind a desk performing menial labor. Over the course of just 9 episodes, Severance offers some intense world-building, incredible character work, and a number of shocking twists and turns that will leave you completely obsessed.
Sorry To Bother You (2018)
Say you’re trying to figure out what to watch but don’t have access to any of the aforementioned streaming services. Should you be forced to sit at home and consume nothing but short-form TikTok content all weekend long? Of course not! There are droves of free services available for those uninterested in paying the constantly-rising fees associated with subscription-based streaming, as long as you know where to look. In fact, one of the greatest films of the last decade, 2018’s Sorry To Bother You, is currently streaming for free on Pluto TV. Like Longlegs, Sorry To Bother You is a film best experienced with no prior knowledge of the plot, so be sure to try this one out on vibes alone if possible.
Without giving anything away, Sorry To Bother You centers on LaKeith Stanfield‘s Cassius Green, as he attempts to save money while facing a needlessly oppressive ultra-capitalist society. While this may sound like the set-up for a straightforward film about the constructs of wealth and greed, Sorry To Bother You quickly descends into a surrealist hellscape, offering some truly mind-bending twists and turns. The film serves as the directorial debut of Boots Riley, best known for fronting the revolutionary hip hop group The Coup. Riley has since gone on to launch the Amazon Prime original series I’m A Virgo, which tackles similar themes of black oppression and exploitation of labor. If you’re ready to settle in for a heady, fresh take on the state of modern society, be sure to invite a few friends over and throw on Sorry To Bother You this weekend. You certainly won’t regret it.
Atlanta (2016-2022)
Topping our list of must-watch film and television this week is Donald Glover‘s Atlanta, which premiered on FX from 2016 through 2022. Similar to Sorry To Bother You, this series offers a surreal take on the state of society, as Donald Glover’s Earn Marks attempts to rise through the ranks as a talent manager working alongside his cousin Alfred, better known under his hip hop pseudonym Paper Boi. While Atlanta starts out pretty off-the-walls, each season tends to build on the last with crazier and crazier premises, resulting in some truly original and powerfully artistic creations. Glover originally pitched the series to FX as “Twin Peaks with rappers,” and he fully delivered upon that premise.
Atlanta has received massive critical and audience acclaim throughout its run, resulting in a near-perfect 98 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, and dozens of Emmy Award wins and nominations. If you’ve somehow managed to go this long without checking this series out, do yourself a massive favor and begin your binge session this weekend, as the show only spans four brief seasons. Atlanta offers some of the finest camera work, story beats, and character growth of any series on television, and can only be tested next to classics such as The Sopranos, according to Glover himself. If you’re interested in catching Atlanta today, the series can be streamed in its entirety on Hulu.
The post From New Releases To Old Classics, Here’s What To Watch This Weekend appeared first on Blavity.
