For all the doom and gloom that January brings, the 2023 edition of the so-called worst month of the year has been nothing short of spectacular when it comes to offering new movies and TV shows to stream.
Last weekend saw the arrival of feature-length hits like The Menu and The Pale Blue Eye. This weekend, though, plays host to some of the most hotly anticipated new series of 2023, with HBO’s The Last of Us and Netflix’s Vikings: Valhalla season 2 taking center stage.
Below, we’ve rounded up seven of the biggest new movies and TV shows to stream on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and more over the next few days. Wrap your eyes around these top picks ASAP.
The Last of Us (HBO Max)
What can we say about The Last of Us that you don’t already know? The new HBO series’ marketing campaign has been so all-encompassing that the video game adaptation is already one of the biggest shows of 2023.
For those still not in the know: The Last of Us tells the story of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), an unlikely duo who attempt to cross a post-apocalyptic United Stars in the aftermath of a fungal outbreak that turns most of the world's population into feral, man-eating creatures known simply as 'the infected'. The tentpole series comes from the game’s original writer, Neil Druckmann, and Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin, who explained to us in an interview how the move to TV allowed the pair to develop this era-defining story.
We called The Last of Us “heartfelt and unforgiving” in our review, so no doubt it’ll make its way onto our list of the best HBO shows in the coming weeks. The series’ first episode comes to HBO Max in the US on January 15, and Sky Atlantic and NOW at the same time (albeit overnight) on January 16 in the UK. Surprisingly, it'll also be available on Prime Video in France.
Available to stream on HBO Max in the US from Sunday, and Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK from Monday.
Vikings: Valhalla season 2 (Netflix)
Vikings: Valhalla proved an unexpectedly popular spin-off to Prime Video’s Vikings series when it first aired in February 2022, and the show’s hotly anticipated second season has already arrived on Netflix to continue its globe-trotting story.
The historical drama’s sophomore outing picks up one month after the season 1 finale and finds Leif (Sam Corlett), Freydís (Frida Gustavsson), and Harald (Leo Suter) on the run following the brutal battle at Kattegat. The trio are forced to split up after becoming enemies of the state, reinventing themselves in the process – but their respective legendary legacies beckon.
In an interview with TechRadar, series creator Jeb Stuart explained how he “didn’t want to do the same thing” with the show’s follow-up, which suggests Vikings: Valhalla will maintain its place on our list of the best Netflix shows.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Hunters season 2 (Prime Video)
Prime Video’s Al Pacino-starring thriller series, Hunters, returns for its second (and final) season this weekend.
This eight-episode follow-up, set two years after a failed mission scattered the titular Nazi-hunters across the globe, finds Jonah (Logan Lerman) reckoning with the prospect that Adolf Hitler himself may still be alive.
Hunters’ debut season received a lukewarm reception from critics, but its “bonkers” and “absurd” second outing could force its way onto our list of the best Prime Video shows.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
The Traitors (Peacock, BBC iPlayer)
Reality series The Traitors was an unexpected hit in the UK when it premiered in November 2022, and now a US version of the show is available to stream in its entirety on Peacock and BBC iPlayer.
Hosted by Alan Cumming (rather than Claudia Winkleman) but filmed in the same location as its UK counterpart, The Traitors brings 20 celebrity contestants together to complete a series of challenges with the aim of earning a cash prize. The catch? Three of the contestants – termed “the traitors” – will devise a plan to steal the prize from the rest.
An adaptation of Dutch TV series De Verraders, this Among Us-style game show looks set to occupy your Twitter feed for the foreseeable future – so get watching ASAP.
Now available to stream on Peacock in the US and BBC iPlayer in the UK.
Velma (HBO Max)
Well, who saw this one coming? Created by Charlie Grandy (The Mindy Project, The Office), HBO Max's newest adult animated comedy series tells the high school-set origin story of beloved Scooby-Doo character Velma Dinkley, “the unsung and underappreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. gang.”
Mindy Kaling, Glenn Howerton, Sam Richardson, Constance Wu, Wanda Sykes, and more lend their voices to potentially one of the best HBO Max shows, which has been described as a “spunky re-imagining” of the Scooby-Doo universe. Velma’s first two episodes are available to stream now, with the remaining eight set to arrive in pairs every Thursday through February 9.
Now available to stream on HBO Max.
Mayor of Kingstown season 2 (Paramount Plus)
Paramount Plus’ Jeremy Renner-led drama series, Mayor of Kingstown (not to be confused with HBO’s Mare of Easttown), returns for its second season on Sunday.
Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan's show follows the McLusky family as they traverse the ins and outs of America’s criminal justice system, and Mayor of Kingstown season 2 finds head honcho Mike dealing with the fallout of a disastrous prison riot.
Mayor of Kingstown already ranks among the best Paramount Plus shows, so here’s hoping its follow-up continues the good form established by its debut season. New episodes will become available to stream every Friday.
Available to stream on Paramount Plus from Sunday.
Break Point (Netflix)
Mega-popular sports docuseries F1: Drive to Survive returns to Netflix next month, but the first half of a new tennis-focused production, Break Point, comes to the streamer this weekend.
Hailing from the same producers as Drive to Survive, this fly-on-the-wall series gives viewers a rare insight into the highs and lows of the tennis world, featuring commentary from players including Nick Kyrgios, Taylor Fritz, and Ons Jabeur.
Critics have hailed Break Point as “riveting almost from the first point,” so Netflix will be hoping its newest court drama can revitalize a sport whose biggest stars are on their way out. Expect this one to pop up on our best Netflix documentaries list soon.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
