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Who’s ready for another month of new movies and TV shows to stream? The answer, of course, is you – and you’ll need to be a Netflix subscriber this week, or your streaming offerings will be relatively patchy. For one thing, the usually reliable Prime Video doesn’t have anything new to offer this weekend, so it’s up to the other top streaming services to fill the void.
And fill the void they have. Whether it’s the return of critically acclaimed Apple TV Plus and Hulu shows, or the arrival of Studio Ghibli’s latest masterpiece on Max, there’s still plenty to wrap your eyes around. So here’s what’s worth watching on the world’s best streaming services this weekend.
Rebel Ridge (Netflix)
When I first saw the official trailer for Netflix’s Rebel Back, I couldn’t help but think it sounded like a modern take on the classic action film Rambo: First Blood, which spawned an entire franchise around its PTSD-ridden protagonist. Once you know that one of the new Netflix movies coming this September is about an ex-marine traveling through a small town and eventually running afoul of the corrupt local police force, which escalates with every passing minute, you’ll understand why it sounds so familiar.
Rebel Back is Jeremy Saulnier’s first new project since directing two of his films Real Detective‘s first season. And, after reading a interview with him on Netflix TudumI can understand why he wrote the script, as he is a fan of “80s and ’90s action films that not only deliver spectacle, but also manage to couple on-screen chaos with a real and genuine emotional component.” At the time of publication, Rebel Back sounds like one of the best Netflix movies of 2024, with a stunning 98% critics score. To say it looks promising is an understatement!
Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment editor
Slow Horses season 4 (Apple TV Plus)
It amazes me that Slow horses has fallen off the mainstream charts in recent years. It’s easily one of the best Apple TV Plus shows out there, but it still passes a lot of people by.
Well, not anymore, I say! With its perfect 100% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Slow horses Season 4 is the best episode yet of the acclaimed spy thriller series. Simply put, there is no valid reason not to watch this TV series starring Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden and Kristin Scott Thomas. It’s action-packed, dramatic and comes with that typical British humor that I love. Sure, you’ll have to stream the other three seasons first, but they’re only six episodes each, so you can breeze through them, plus season 4, in a matter of days. You won’t regret putting on this Apple TV Original, trust me.
Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter
The Boy and the Heron (Max)
Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, you’ve done it again. Just when I think the legendary director and his animation studio can’t top themselves anymore, they prove me wrong with The boy and the heron.
Miyazaki-san’s latest cinematic masterpiece is based on Genzaburō Yoshino’s 1937 novel of the same name, though it does not adapt the story that unfolds within its pages. Nevertheless, Ghibli’s version of The boy and the heronin which young protagonist Mahito Maki is transported to a typically magical land with the help of a peculiar gray heron (typical for a Ghibli film, anyway), is a visually stunning, thematically rich, and wonderfully realized film that deserves to be seen. If it doesn’t make it into our best Max movies guide with immediate effect, I’ll be shocked.
Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter
Tell Me Lies season 2 (Hulu/Disney Plus)
If you’ve been eagerly awaiting the next installment of Tell me liesis out now on Hulu (US) and Disney Plus (international). The Emma Roberts-produced series follows the turbulent relationship between Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White) over the course of eight years.
Season 2 opens with Lucy starting her sophomore year and, if the trailer is to be believed, it’s off to an explosive start. She’s trying to just get on with her big sophomore year of college, only to have all sorts of things go wrong, including trying to avoid Stephen despite him being right around every corner. It’s the messiest relationship on TV right now, so even if it’s unlikely to make our best Hulu shows and best Disney Plus shows lists, you’ll still have a front-row seat to all the drama this weekend.
Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer
The Perfect Couple (Netflix)
I’m raving about it The perfect couple for a while now (maybe you’ve seen me in which Nicole Kidman’s dark matriarchal character is praised). I do love a good whodunnit, especially when you have an ensemble of truly awful characters who could all be capable of committing the crime at the center of the story. Trying to piece together the clues and figure out who the perpetrator is for The show is always satisfying, although I’ve had mixed results with it so far.
If you feel like playing detective this weekend, get started with this six-episode series focusing on Kidman’s Greer Garrison Winbury, who makes visitors sign a nondisclosure agreement before spending time with him. She’s supposed to be watching her son marry his fiancée, but a dead body on the beach takes precedence.
The perfect couple didn’t get off to a great start, with a mixed reception from critics that seemed off-putting. But hey, when have we ever listened to it? Check it out for yourself and see if it deserves a spot on our guide to the best Netflix series.
Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer
Smart Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos (Max)
Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney talks to The Sopranos creator David Chase in this must-see two-part documentary. Featuring talking heads of some of the cast and archival footage, including clips of the late, great James Gandolfini, this is the perfect companion piece for those looking to learn more about not only one of HBO’s most successful TV shows, but also one of the best series ever made.
And honestly, who could blame you? The Sopranos is still so ingrained in pop culture, nearly two decades (!) after its final season aired, that it regularly appears on HBO Max best series lists and is highly quotable — “all this from a piece of gabagool?”
Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer
Selling Sunset season 8 (Netflix)
Now that he has eight seasons under his belt, Sell sunset is one of the few Netflix reality shows that never stops. It seems like there’s no shortage of expensive, lavishly designed homes in Los Angeles, so if you like your architecture mixed with celebrities and ruthless real estate agents, this is the show for you.
I can also say this with authority, as it’s one of TechRadar entertainment writer Grace Morris’s all-time favourite reality shows to stream on Netflix. Indeed, she’s a fan of the agents at The Oppenheimer Group who “are style icons with their stunning outfits in every episode” – and she’s not alone, with critics giving season 5 a perfect 100% rating. As one of the highest-rated new Netflix shows arriving in September, I’m sure there are plenty more fans out there who can’t wait to stream the 11 new episodes, all of which are available now . So, what are you waiting for?
Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment editor
For more streaming coverage, check out our guides on the best Prime Video movies, best Disney Plus movies, best Paramount Plus shows, and best Hulu movies.
