With Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, Max (formerly HBO Max), Paramount+, Netflix, Peacock, Discovery+, Starz and even more streaming services, there’s no shortage of options when choosing what to binge-watch in your free time. However, sometimes the sheer amount of great films and television shows available to stream can be overwhelming and lead to aimless scrolling — hoping to land on that perfect thing to watch.
Scroll no more! To help you out, ET has rounded up the best movies and TV shows to stream this week, including new arrivals, nostalgia-filled favorites, and screen adaptations of classic novels. For your weekend movie night, we suggest the action-packed film Role Play, which stars The Big Bang Theory‘s Kaley Cuoco and Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ David Oyelowo.
There’s plenty more in store to watch this week. In Echo, the Marvel Universe unveils a new superhero: Maya Lopez, who must face her past when she worked with crime boss Wilson Fisk, a.k.a The Kingpin. Peacock’s The Traitors is back for a second season with some of your favorite reality television stars, including Shereé Whitfield, Tamra Judge, Larsa Pippen and Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Plus, Kevin Hart’s new movie coming to Netflix is sure to deliver the laughs.
It’s time to make your weekly streaming plans. Here are this week’s best TV shows and movies to stream.
ET, CBS, SHOWTIME and Paramount+ are subsidiaries of Paramount.
Role Play
Emma (Kaley Cuoco) and Dave (David Oyelowo) are your average married couple with a child at home—at least, that’s what Dave has always believed. When the police call Dave in about his wife, he learns she is a paid assassin. Sticking by his wife’s side, he puts himself in danger in order to help get her out of the job she wants to leave. The movie premieres on Prime Video on January 12.
The Traitors (Season 2)
Filling a home with your favorite reality stars, who then must use treachery and deceit to win, is what The Traitors is all about. Back for a second season, you’ll see contestants from Survivor, The Real Housewives, The Bachelor and more. The backstabbing and blindsiding begins on January 12 on Peacock.
Marvel Studios’ Echo (Season 1)
Depending on how far back you go into the Marvel Universe, you may remember Daredevil’s nemesis Kingpin, who is now pursuing Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox), a deaf Native American who worked for him in her past life. Echo is darker and grittier than most Marvel offerings—similar to Netflix’s Daredevil and Jessica Jones series. All episodes will drop on Disney+ at 6 p.m. PT on January 9.
Lift
A career criminal, Cyrus (Kevin Hart) and his crew are hired to steal $500 million in gold bars from an airplane mid-flight in the Netflix film Lift. Directed by F. Gary Gray, known for The Italian Job and Fate of the Furious, this movie serves up non-stop action and comedy. The film premieres on Netflix on January 12.
Grimsburg (Season 1)
Jon Hamm voices Marvin Flute, one of the greatest detectives ever, in Fox’s new animated series Grimsburg. Alongside Hamm in this new comedy are Rachel Dratch, Alan Tudyk, Christina Hendricks and Amy Sedaris. The series is part of Fox’s Animation Domination on Sunday nights, which means fans can watch the new series on Hulu every Monday.
Good Grief
Written, directed by and starring Dan Levy, Good Grief is the story of a man adjusting to life after his husband passes away. With the help of his friends (Ruth Negga and Himesh Patel), he learns to cope. This movie has moments of levity, but you’ll want the tissues nearby when you watch this bittersweet film on Netflix.
Daughters of the Cult (Complete Docuseries)
Ervil LeBaron was a powerful fundamentalist Morman leader in the 1970s. The polygamist cult leader brainwashed his followers, using his influence to enact murderous revenge on the families that challenged him. The new five-episode docuseries gives insight from affected parties and dropped to Hulu on January 4.
The Brothers Sun (Season 1)
A Taipei triad member (Justin Chien) must warn his mother (Michelle Yeoh) when an enemy begins targeting their family. The youngest son (Sam Song Li) has been unaware of the family’s gang involvement yet finds himself in the middle of the turf war. Stream the new series on Netflix now.
Foe
Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal star in Prime Video’s latest film, Foe. The pair play a couple living a simple farm life until it is disrupted by a stranger who offers a life-changing opportunity for Paul to live in space. Turbulence ensues as they struggle with the idea of being separated. The film is streaming on Prime Video now.
Oprah and The Color Purple Journey
Oprah Winfrey starred in the original film based on Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purple. Now Winfrey is back on The Color Purple musical-movie set, but this time as an executive producer. Sharing her insights from the original movie and behind-the-scenes looks at the new production, this documentary on Max, which premiered December 28, is a must-see for those who love the classic story.
Letterkenny (Season 12)
The feuds are still going strong in the final season of Letterkenny on Hulu. All episodes in Season 12 about the Hicks, Skids and hockey players in Letterkenny, Canada, dropped on December 26.
Maestro
Leonard Bernstein, best known for his work on West Side Story, is a legendary composer and conductor. Maestro, starring Bradley Cooper, focuses on the music icon’s work and relationship with actress and social activist Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (played by Carey Mulligan). The film premiered on Netflix on December 20.
Marvel Studios: What If…? (Season 2)
Traveling through the multiverse, The Watcher returns for a second season in What If…? to show us new heroes and familiar faces. Viewers will see some of their favorite movie moments from a new perspective in a different universe. Season 2 premiered on Disney+ on December 22.
Trevor Noah: Where Was I
This is Trevor Noah’s fourth comedy special with Netflix. In Trevor Noah: Where Was I, the former Daily Show host talks about his recent travels around the world and the different cultural norms he encountered. The special dropped on Netflix on December 19.
Dr. Death: Cutthroat Conman
Paolo Macchiarini became a celebrity in the medical world because of his alleged miraculous organ transplants. His technique was said to be revolutionary, driving desperate patients to sign up to go under the knife and receive synthetic tracheas. The only problem was that Macchiarini was lying about the success of these surgeries, and patients continued to die. See it all unfold by watching the documentary that’s streaming on Peacock now.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Based on Rick Riordan’s best-selling novels, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, a new series on Disney+, premiered on December 20. Percy Jackson seems like your average student, but after his mother dies, he learns the truth about who he is—a demigod. Sent on a dangerous quest to prove himself, Percy must outwit and fight his enemies with the help of two fellow demigods, Annabeth and Grover.
The Family Plan
Dan (Mark Wahlberg) and his wife (Michelle Monaghan) have three children and an ordinary life — until Dan’s enemies from his old life as an assassin come back to take him down. His family, unaware of his past, are now in danger, and he will do all he can to protect them. The movie premiered on Apple TV+ on December 15.
The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: RHONY Legacy
Some of the most iconic housewives in Bravo history are back for The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: RHONY Legacy. Luann de Lesseps, Dorinda Medley, Sonja Morgan, Ramona Singer, Kelly Killoren Bensimon and Kristen Taekman reunite in St. Barths, and you know this beautiful getaway will be anything but peaceful. The first three episodes of the season dropped to Peacock on December 14.
Kevin Hart & Chris Rock: Headliners Only
Two of the biggest names in comedy, Kevin Hart and Chris Rock, look at where they started and where they are today in this new Netflix documentary. Showcasing early stand-up videos and interviews from other career comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and Tiffany Haddish, fans will get an inside look into their success. Comedy fans will not want to miss this documentary that dropped on Netflix on December 12.
Reacher (Season 2)
Learning one of his fellow Army Special Investigators has been murdered, Reacher reunites with his elite group once more in season 2 of Reacher. Based on the best-selling book series, this season is just as action-packed as the last as Reacher uncovers the truth. The new season premiered on Prime Video on December 15.
Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie
Monk (Tony Shalhoub) is back to save the day one final time in the new film Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie. When Monk’s stepdaughter (Caitlin McGee) gets involved in a case, it’s up to him to help out. See what unfolds in the new movie that premiered on Peacock on December 8.
Doctor Who: The Giggle
The Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna (Catherine Tate) are back as of December 9 to battle the Toymaker (Neil Patrick Harris) in the third Doctor Who Disney+ special — which also introduces Sex Education‘s Ncuti Gatwa to the franchise.
Hollywood Houselift With Jeff Lewis
Transforming celebrities’ cribs, Jeff Lewis remodels the homes of some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Back for a second season, Hollywood Houselife with Jeff Lewis premiered on Freevee on December 6. Some of the clients this round are Christina Ricci, Josh Duhamel and Regina Hall.
May December
An actress (Natalie Portman) is researching a role about a woman (Julianne Moore) who, when she was 36 years old, had an affair with a seventh grader (Charles Melton). The couple’s relationship begins to show cracks as the actress digs into the truth. The film premiered on Netflix on December 1.
The Artful Dodger (Season 1)
Thomas Brodie-Sangster (The Queen’s Gambit) stars as Jack Dawkins, the Artful Dodger, who has turned from a life of crime to becoming a successful surgeon. However, when his past catches up to him and he must pay up or be punished for his crimes, he’s forced to turn to his old ways once more. All episodes of the Charles Dickens’ story dropped to on Hulu on November 29.
Selena + Chef: Home for the Holidays
Selena Gomez’s Food Network cooking show is getting a seasonal twist in Selena + Chef: Home for the Holidays. Gomez invites celebrity chefs Eric Adjepong, Alex Guarnaschelli, Michael Symon and Claudette Zepeda into her kitchen to provide holiday cooking wisdom.
Family Switch
The holidays are a time for families to come together, but the Walkers are struggling to understand one another. All that changes when they wake up to find they’ve all switched bodies. The mom (Jennifer Garner) and daughter (Wednesday‘s Emma Myers), Dad (Ed Helms) and son (Brady Noon), and even the family dog and baby all swap places in this new comedy now streaming on Netflix.
Faraway Downs (Limited Series)
Director Baz Luhrmann, known for The Great Gatsby, Elvis and Moulin Rouge, is bringing a new story starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman to Hulu. An English aristocrat (Kidman) must work with a gruff cowboy (Jackman) to save the million-acre cattle ranch owned by her recently deceased husband. All episodes of the six-part limited series hit Hulu on November 26.
Squid Game: The Challenge (Season 1)
Audiences remember the horrifying Netflix original Squid Game, where contestants competed to the death for a huge cash prize. Well now the game is real and 456 contestants are going head-to-head for a whopping $4.56 million prize. While death is off the table this time, many of the games reflect those seen in the Korean series. Watch what lengths contestants will go to when Squid Game: The Challenge premiered on Netflix on November 22.
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