December has so far proven pretty lackluster in the festive content department, but we have at least been spoiled for choice when it comes to original (i.e. franchise-free) new movies and TV shows to stream.
That trend continues this weekend on Netflix, Max, Prime Video and the rest, with psychological thriller Leave the World Behind leading the charge on the former streamer, and Culprits making its debut on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.
Below, you’ll find our pick of the biggest new movies and TV shows to stream on Netflix, Max, Prime Video, and more this weekend.
Leave the World Behind (Netflix)
Netflix has made a name for itself in the psychological thriller category, and Leave the World Behind bears all the hallmarks of another home run for the streamer.
This mind-bending mystery – adapted from the 2020 novel of the same name by Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail – centers on a New York family whose weekend trip to a remote vacation home is disrupted (and we mean really disrupted) when two strangers arrive at their door bearing news of a blackout.
Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali, Myha'la Herrold and Kevin Bacon all star in Leave the World Behind, which critics have described as a “cracking apocalyptic thriller.” By the sounds of things, this could be one of the best Netflix movies of 2023.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Doctor Who: The Giggle (Disney Plus, BBC iPlayer)
The third and final Doctor Who 60th anniversary special episode, Doctor Who: The Giggle, comes to Disney Plus in the US and BBC iPlayer in the UK this Saturday.
David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor and Catherine Tate's Donna Noble bow out by coming face to face with Neil Patrick Harris’ sadistic villain, The Toymaker; an iconic Doctor Who character from the early years of the decades-spanning sci-fi series.
Plot details and critical reactions have been kept under wraps for this one, but Doctor Who fans can rest assured that Tennant's second spell as the titular Time Lord will end with a bang.
Available to stream on Disney Plus from Saturday.
Your Christmas or Mine 2 (Prime Video)
Prime Video’s festive culture-clash rom-com, Your Christmas or Mine, reviewed poorly upon its release in December last year, but that clearly didn’t deter Amazon executives from commissioning a sequel to James and Hayley’s mishap-laden love story.
Your Christmas or Mine 2 sees the young couple jetting off to a luxury ski resort for a festive family getaway, but things quickly go awry when a booking mix-up sends their respective parents to the wrong accommodation (Airbnb with a goat, anyone?).
Suffice to say, this “instantly forgettable” follow-up hasn’t fared much better with the critics, but Your Christmas or Mine 2 might still provide some enjoyable escapism nonetheless.
Now available to stream on Prime Video.
Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock)
Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie sees Tony Shalhoub return as detective Adrian Monk in this feature-length sequel to the character’s long-running USA Network series, which last aired in 2009.
This Peacock-exclusive film finds Monk charged with solving one last, very personal case involving his beloved stepdaughter Molly. Ted Levine, Melora Hardin, Traylor Howard, Jason Gray-Stanford and Hector Elizondo also reprise their roles from the beloved noughties series.
Now available to stream on Peacock.
Culprits (Hulu, Disney Plus)
Culprits, a new British heist thriller from I Care a Lot director J Blakeson, begins streaming this weekend on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.
This eight-part series centers on a pair of reformed thieves, Dianne (Gemma Arterton) and Joe (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), whose criminal past comes back to haunt them when an assassin begins targeting members of their former bank-robbing group.
Sure, that synopsis makes Culprits sound a tad unoriginal, but critics have nonetheless described this “uber-slick” series as having “plenty of style and substance.” Might this be one of the best Hulu shows (or best Disney Plus shows) of 2023?
Now available to stream on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.
World War II: From the Frontlines (Netflix)
The first of this week’s two documentary recommendations is World War II: From the Frontlines, which is now streaming in its entirety on Netflix.
Narrated by Star Wars alumnus John Boyega, this six-part series brings World War II to life like never before through a unique combination of vividly enhanced archival footage and voices from all sides of the conflict.
Honestly, it looks fantastic, so don’t be surprised to see World War II: From the Frontlines crop up on our list of the best Netflix documentaries in the coming weeks.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning (Max)
True crime fans, listen up. The second of this week’s documentary picks is Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning, which is now streaming on Max.
Produced in association with The Boston Globe newspaper, this three-part series examines the 1989 murder of Carol Stuart and the racially-charged investigation that followed. Episode one, “Roots”, is available now, with the remaining two installments set to arrive weekly every Monday through December 18. Suffice to say, this one looks grisly.
Now available to stream on Max.
