Three major blockbusters all arrive on streaming this week, as does one of the year’s most acclaimed low-budget independent films. James Gunn’s highly anticipated follow-up to “Superman” makes its long-awaited premiere on HBO Max this week as well, while Netflix and Hulu subscribers have a trio of promising new TV shows to look forward to. You should not, in other words, have any trouble finding something new to watch at home over the coming few days.
Here are the eight best new movies and shows you can stream this weekend.
“The Bad Guys 2” (2025)
One of the year’s most fun animated comedies, “The Bad Guys 2,” hit video-on-demand this week, which means you now have the chance to rent or buy it from the comfort of your own home. You should consider doing just that, too. A sequel to its hit 2022 predecessor, the film follows its central crew of “Bad Guys” as they’re forced out of retirement in order to join forces with a new, all-female squad of criminals to try to pull off one last, career-defining heist.
Directed with the same slick sense of style and boasting the same endearing streak of tongue-in-cheek humor that made the first film so enjoyable, “The Bad Guys 2” is the perfect way to spend a Friday or Saturday night.
“Elio” (2025)
Speaking of endearing animated films that can entertain the whole family, Disney and Pixar’s “Elio” has also arrived on the VOD market this week. When it hit theaters in early June, the film’s release was overshadowed a bit by its many delays and reports about its behind-the-scenes rewrites and creative overhauls. What was lost amidst all of that noise was the fact that the finished film was sweet, charming fun.
Co-directed by “Turning Red” filmmaker Domee Shi, “Elio” follows an eleven-year-old misfit who finds himself transported to space when he is mistakenly identified as Earth’s intergalactic ambassador. Featuring more than a few cute, cuddly aliens and enough sci-fi whimsy to make your heart flutter at least a few times, “Elio” would be a worthy addition to any watchlists this weekend.
“Familiar Touch” (2025)
Here is a film that probably was not on your radar this week. “Familiar Touch,” writer-director Sarah Friedland’s feature directorial debut, is one of the most acclaimed films of the year so far. Now available to rent or buy at home, the film follows an elderly woman (a spell-binding Kathleen Chalfant) whose transition to an assisted-living facility is challenged by her evolving relationships with herself and her new caregivers, as well as her own, declining cognitive abilities.
Featuring a surprising supporting turn by “Bob’s Burgers” voice actor H. Jon Benjamin, “Familiar Touch” is neither as emotionally manipulative as its premise suggests nor as oppressively bleak. It is a celebration of life, as well as an acknowledgement of the inevitable end of it. As far as this week’s streaming offerings go, “Familiar Touch” is unlike any other entry on this list, and if you give it a chance, you will likely find yourself moved by its grace and low-key, understated power.
“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” (2025)
You could not find a movie that has less in common with “Familiar Touch” than “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.” The latter, which purports to be the last installment in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, is another action extravaganza overflowing with practical stunts that boggle the mind and set pieces that deserve to be seen on as big a screen as possible.
Now, several months after it made its theatrical debut, the film has arrived on VOD. While “The Final Reckoning” is nowhere near the best “Mission: Impossible” movie, it is still a thrilling and often astounding blockbuster. If you put off watching it back in May, now is your chance to finally tick it off your standing watchlist.
“The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox” (Hulu)
A limited series that ambitiously tries to dramatize one of the 21st century’s oddest and most well-publicized true-crime stories, “The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox” has finally arrived on Hulu. Created by K.J. Steinberg, the series centers on its eponymous protagonist (“Tell Me Lies” star Grace Van Patten) as her study abroad in Italy takes a horrifying turn when she is wrongfully imprisoned for the murder of her roommate.
The aptly titled “Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox” follows Van Patten’s Amanda as she is forced to prove her innocence — both in the court and in the press. The first two episodes of the series premiered Wednesday on Hulu. Its remaining six episodes are set to debut weekly on Wednesdays moving forward. If you’re a true crime fan, this is one series you won’t want to miss.
“Hostage” (Netflix)
Netflix’s “Hostage” has the potential to be a riveting, pulpy breakout hit this week. Created by “Bridge of Spies” co-writer Matt Charman, the series follows British Prime Minister Abigail Dalton (Suranne Jones) and French President Vivienne Toussaint (Julie Delpy) as their international summit is challenged by the kidnapping of Abigail’s husband and sudden threats of blackmail against Vivienne. A U.K.-set drama, the limited series runs just five episodes long, all of which premiere Thursday on Netflix.
If edge-of-your-seat political thrillers are your thing, then you may want to check out “Hostage” this weekend. It’s a seemingly straightforward series that promises to quickly grab your attention and hold onto it right up to its inevitable conclusion.
“Peacemaker” Season 2 (HBO Max)
Over three years after its first season premiered, “Peacemaker” is back. Helmed, once again, by DC Studios co-CEO and “Superman” filmmaker James Gunn, “Peacemaker” Season 2 sees Gunn and co. complete their soft reboot of the now-dead DC Extended Universe. It is unclear how “Peacemaker” Season 2 will deal with its past episodes’ ties to the DCEU, but viewers do know that the new season takes place after “Superman” and that they should expect to see plenty more violence, humor, romance and universe-hopping shenanigans.
The season’s first episode premieres Thursday on HBO Max, and its remaining seven installments will follow one at a time every Wednesday through Oct. 9. Coming off the success of both its first season and “Superman,” “Peacemaker” Season 2 ranks easily one of this week’s biggest streaming premieres.
“Long Story Short” (Netflix)
“BoJack Horseman” creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg returns this week with his newest Netflix original, “Long Story Short.” Animated in the same colorful, zany style as Bob-Waksberg’s previous series, “Long Story Short” follows the members of a middle-class Jewish family as they grow up, change and experience their own victories and failures over the course of 30 years.
Featuring a star-studded voice cast headlined by Ben Feldman, Abbi Jacobson, Max Greenfield, Lisa Edelstein and Paul Reiser, the series promises to offer the same mix of absurdist humor and melancholic emotions that made “BoJack Horseman” such a fan-favorite hit. The series’ entire first season premieres Friday on Netflix, and “Long Story Short” has already been renewed for a second season as well. That should give you the confidence to dive right in this weekend. Unlike a lot of other Netflix originals, you won’t have to worry about it going away anytime soon.
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