It’s only the second week of January, but the streaming giants have seen fit to bless our screens with a host of new (and eagerly awaited) movies and TV shows over the next few days.
The biggest arrival is Peacemaker, the Suicide Squad spin-off now available on HBO Max, but other additions like The Tragedy of Macbeth and The House should provide plenty of choice for those juggling multiple streaming subscriptions.
Below, we’ve rounded up the seven biggest movies and TV shows available to watch on the likes of Netflix, HBO Max, Prime Video and more this weekend.
- Check out the best Netflix shows to watch today
- Or read up on our top picks for the best Netflix movies, instead
- These are the best Amazon Prime shows to check out, too
Peacemaker (HBO Max)
Director James Gunn returns to the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) this week with Peacemaker, which sees John Cena reprise his role as the titular anti-hero from Gunn’s 2021 film, The Suicide Squad.
According to Gunn, the show is “an opportunity to delve into current world issues through the lens of this superhero/supervillain/and world’s biggest douchebag” – which means we can expect Cena’s character to continue his misguided quest to uphold justice at all costs.
Episode one is now available to stream on HBO Max in the US, with the remaining seven scheduled to arrive weekly every Thursday. Gunn has promised UK viewers that Peacemaker will arrive overseas “very soon.”
Now available to stream on HBO Max in the US
The Tragedy of Macbeth (Apple TV Plus)
Having released theatrically before arriving on Apple TV Plus this Friday, Joel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth stars powerhouse duo Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand as the scheming Shakespearean couple.
Early reviews have been overwhelmingly positive for this one, with Washington, in particular, earning plaudits for his portrayal of the titular king. Presented in an artsy black and white format (similar to Netflix’s Roma), it also marks the first film directed by one of the Coen brothers without the other's involvement.
Fans of film and theater should find plenty to enjoy here, especially since the Bard’s dialogue remains (mostly) intact throughout.
Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus
The House (Netflix)
Netflix clearly has a thing for anthology storytelling, but if the success of shows like Black Mirror and Love, Death and Robots is anything to go by, the streamer’s latest quirky collection, The House, more than tickles our fancy.
A stop-motion animated anthology from award-winning animation house Nexus Studios, this series tells three surrealist tales about three generations of a family living in a mysterious, Coraline-esque home. It’s got a star-studded voice cast, too, featuring the likes of Miranda Richardson, Helena Bonham-Carter and Mia Goth.
In our review, we described The House as a “Wallace and Gromit-cum-David Lynch fever dream,” which should be quite enough to stoke the fires of excitement.
Now available to stream on Netflix
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (Prime Video)
Arriving on Prime Video this week (having been sold by Sony to Amazon) is the fourth installment in the unexpectedly popular Hotel Transylvania series, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania.
After Van Helsing's mysterious new invention transforms Dracula and company into humans, the gang must find a way to reverse the effects and return to their horrific selves before the transformations become permanent.
We don’t expect Hotel Transylvania: Transformania to reinvent the series, but with A-list actors including Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez and Andy Samberg reprising their roles for a fourth time, we can’t help but feel as though there must be something new to enjoy here.
Now available to stream on Prime Video
After Life season 3 (Netflix)
The third and (potentially) final season of Ricky Gervais’ comedy-cum-tragedy series, After Life, becomes available to stream on Netflix this Friday.
Season 3 will pick up where season 2’s dramatic finale left off, exploring the relationship between Tony – still desperately mourning the loss of his wife and father – and nurse Emma, who stepped in to save him from a potentially-fatal decision.
Existing fans will know what to expect from After Life’s new episodes, but Gervais has promised that “hope is everything” in season 3. Could a happy ending be on the cards for Tony, after all?
Now available to stream on Netflix
Cheer season 2 (Netflix)
Also arriving on Netflix this week is season 2 of the Emmy Award-winning reality series, Cheer, which follows coach Monica Aldama and her team of competitive college athletes.
Fans of the show will be pleased to hear that Cheer’s second season wastes no time in addressing the elephant in the room of new episodes. Jerry Harris, a breakout star of season 1, was arrested and charged with child pornography offences in 2020 – a specific episode in season 2 documents the reactions of two of Harris's alleged victims, their families as well as several of his former co-stars.
It’s not all doom and gloom, though, and Cheer’s second season looks set to contain plenty of uplifting moments to inspire and entertain new and returning fans.
Now available to stream on Netflix
Wolf Like Me (Peacock)
Abe Forsyth, the mind behind Peacock’s latest drama series, Wolf Like Me, has suggested viewers will be best served by heading into his latest project knowing as little as possible.
Now, that makes our job tricky, but here goes: Wolf Like Me is a "genre-bending" rom-com, starring Josh Gad and Isla Fisher, that follows two strangers in suburban Australia whose romantic connection is hindered by a unique (and perhaps obvious) secret.
To say more would, as Forsyth suggests, ruin the show’s biggest surprises, but rest assured that this one looks to be worth the investment into its six-episode story.
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