What to watch: things you should be streaming on Netflix and more
Great shows and movies you should be streaming on Netflix and beyond.
Welcome to the WatchList, the ultimate place to find out the best things to stream this week - what you should be watching at the weekend and beyond.
Each week we will look at some fantastic new things that have landed on the likes of Netflix, Prime Video, NOW, Apple TV Plus and Disney Plus.
We have spent A LONG time watching things on all these streaming services. So, if you want more of an in-depth look at the shows and movies you can stream the please head to the following guides.
- The best Apple TV Plus shows, revealed
- The best Netflix shows and best movies on Netflix
- The best Amazon Prime Series and best movies on Amazon Prime Video
- The best Disney Plus shows and best Disney Plus movies
- The best NOW TV shows and best movies on NOW TV
Still here? Then what you are after are a handful of recommendations to stop you endlessly scrolling into next week.
1. Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
2. Sex Education
Season 3 of Sex Education has landed and cements the show as one of the very best on Netflix right now. With season 2 seeing the school branded a 'sex school' because of its pupils' shenanigans, here the show deals with the messy clean-up operation with new head Hope Haddon (Girls' Jemima Kirk) trying to change things. White it's still as funny as ever, there is a sense of maturity with this season.
3. The Morning Show: Season 2
4. Squid Game
This Korean survival drama series is fantastic. The plot is ace: hundreds take part in an extreme version of kids' games where the contestants are 'eliminated' if they don't complete the tasks. Squid Game may be pretty extreme dark in places, but stick with it as it's a brilliant satire on the competitive nature of adults - especially when money is involved!
5. Y: The Last Man
- Watch on Star on Disney Plus from Wednesday 22 September
Previously on the WatchList
1. Archer
2. Money Heist
3. The Voyeurs
4. Doogie Kamealoha, M.D
5. American Horror Stories
1. Kevin Can F Himself
2. Wrong Turn (2021)
3. Cinderella
4. Only Murders In The Building
5. Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles
Directed by Robert Rodriguez, this concert film sees Billie Eilish backed backed by the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra. It's an intimate look at the singer who performs her latest album in sequential order.
On the big screen...
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings
Hot on the heels of the much-delayed Black Widow, Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings is now on the big screen and it is everything you want from a Marvel movie. Yes, it's another origin story but this one is needed, given Shang-Chi is one of the lesser known characters of the MCU. Simu Liu is great as Shang-Chi but it's the legendary Tony Leung that steals the movie for us.
- In cinemas now.
Previously on The Watchlist...
1. Count Me In
2. Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed
Bob Ross is famed for his calming painting in the show The Joy Of Painting, but after he died at the young age of 52 things got quite nasty with the rights to his estate. This documentary charts the relationship between the estate and the family and offers up some home truths about Ross himself.
3. Cruella
4. Mandalorian: Making of a Season 2 Finale
5. Britannia III
On the big screen....
Candyman
The Night House
We are huge fans of The Ritual so we are happy to report that director David Bruckner's latest movie is also a horror marvel (and it makes us VERY happy that he is going to be directing a Hellraiser reboot). Rebecca Hall stars as a widow who starts to uncover some very disturbing secrets about her late husband. Although this is a haunted house story of sorts, there are huge folk horror elements and a twist that's, well, definitely a twist.
1. Nine Perfect Strangers
While Nicole Kidman is the ‘star’ of this latest Amazon effort, she is upstaged by her wig and the brilliant Melissa McCarthy. The plot here is simple: nine very different people head to a wellness retreat and are all subjected to ‘interesting’ methods to get them the tranquility they all desire. This has been created by David E. Kelley and has that Big Little Lies vibe. Episodes are streaming weekly and the likes of Michael Shannon, Tamara Weaving and Luke Evans all co-star.
2. The Chair
Sandra Oh is fantastic in this limited series about her character, Professor Ji-Yoon Kim, as she heads up the English Lit chair at a US university. Each episode is only 30 minutes long but there’s loads packed in with the series weaving through heady issues such as sexism, racism and pretty much every other -ism you can think of. While it might sound a little heavy, there is a lot of laughs throughout.
3. The White Lotus
While the US has already had its fill of this awkward, brilliant comedy - it’s only just come to the UK and is an absolute must watch. The White Lotus is an anthology series about an upper class resort and the downright dreadful people that frequent it. Jennifer Coolidge is an absolute delight in the show, but everyone who stars is brilliant/awful in their own right.
4. Brand New Cherry Flavor
We got major David Lynch vibes from Brand New Cherry Flavor, a horror series made by the creator of Channel Zero, Nicholas J. Antosca. Lisa Nova (Rosa Salazar) heads to LA with the hope that she can direct her first movie. It doesn’t happen, thanks to a producer that wrongs her, and things change rapidly after this. Brand New Cherry Flavor is a pretty extreme, surreal tale of revenge that does just enough to keep you coming back for more.
5. The Walking Dead
If you have given up on The Walking Dead, then the good thing is that all seasons up to now are available through Disney Plus, so you have a gory binge-watch ahead of you. The 11th season starts Monday and even though it is split into two parts, it is the final one. It’s good to have the likes of Negan, Daryl and Maggie back.
What to watch on the big screen
Pig
Now, we went into Pig expecting a John Wick style thriller about a man who is out to find out who took his prize, truffle hunting pig. But this movie is so much more. Pig has Nicolas Cage’s best performance in years, as a truffle hunter who lives in the wilderness. With his pig stolen, he heads back to Portland to face up to his past and a city that hasn’t quite forgotten him.
Pig is a stunning card trick of a movie, flipping every expectation you have on its head. Parts of it do feel like John Wick, other bits veer towards Fight Club but the theme that resonates throughout is the feeling of loss: of animals, people and things that you once cherished. It’s stunning stuff.
- Watch in UK cinemas now
Censor
Another delayed film that is finally out on the big screen, Censor is a traumatic look at the video nasty era. Set in 1985, it follows Enid, a film censor who witnesses a movie that seemingly depicts a traumatic event in her childhood. From there, she heads into a story that blends fact and fiction. It’s a fantastic first movie from director Prano Bailey-Bond (who based the movie on her short Nasty) with a superb central performance from Niamh Algar.
- Watch in UK cinemas now
1. What if…
2. Untold: Malice at the Palace
3. Vivo
4. Boss Level
5. CODA
1. Cocaine Cowboys
In the 80s, two people were the Tony Montanas of the drug trade in Miami, bringing in over $2 billion during their years. This documentary, which follows on the success of previous Cocaine Cowboys docs, has been 12 years in the making and is a great look at a world that’s straight out of the movies.
2. Cruel Summer
Teen drama it may be, but Cruel Summer is an intricate mystery that focuses on the disappearance of a girl and the glow up of another who seemingly takes her place when she disappears. The series is clever, taking place in 1993, 1994, and 1995 but on the same day in each year. While the acting leaves a lot to be desired, there’s enough here to keep you watching and a second series has already been confirmed.
3. Ghosts
One of the most heart-warming, funny TV shows in years (well, until Ted Lasso came along) Ghosts is heading to its third series and continues the exploits of ghosts, from different historical periods, that are all haunting a country house. This really is charming stuff and if you haven’t caught up yet, the other series are available to stream in the UK on BBC iPlayer now.
4. Jolt
This one is a couple of weeks old on Prime Video now, but it’s still ludicrous fun. Kate Beckingsale is a bouncer with anger issues. Every time she has homicidal thoughts, she jolts herself with a device - an idea given to her by her new psychiatrist. It’s silly and when the real murder mystery plot kicks in you won’t really care but, boy, did we have fun with it.
5. Aliens
One of the best movies ever made, Aliens has come to Disney Plus in the UK and Ireland and it’s an essential watch. While the first Alien was a haunted house movie in space, James Cameron’s sequel is a war film, turning Sigourney Weaver into an all-out action star and the Aliens as cannon fodder. Has it aged? Absolutely, but it’s still a fantastic watch.
Out on the big screen...
Free Guy
Think Truman Show for Fortnite fans, Free Guy is about Ryan Reynolds, a background guy in a video game that finds out he is a background guy in a videogame and that the game he is in is about to go offline. It’s silly but is exactly what the box office needs right now - high concept, yes, but brainless fun that’s packed with joy.
- In cinemas from 10 August
Previously on The WatchList
1. The Grand Tour Presents: Lochdown
2. Summer of Soul
Dubbed the Black Woodstock, this fascinating and entertaining documentary charts a series of nine weekend concerts featuring the best black musicians the US has ever seen. From a teenage Stevie Wonder to Nina Simone, we get to see the revolution that wasn't televised. This is a stunning documentary that, despite being in cinemas recently, is now free to watch on Disney Plus.
3. Watch The Sound
Mark Ronson gets a whole host of stars into the studio to talk about music and the gear used to make it. The likes of Paul McCartney and Dave Grohl are interview and while we think Song Exploder does it better, this is a fun doc for anyone interesting in music.
4. Jungle Cruise
There is a lot of fun to be had with Jungle Cruise but it's also as one-note as you would expect from a movie about a Disney Ride. The Rock and Emily Blunt are great as the captain and explorer who are travelling the Amazon in search of The Tree Of Life. It's Jesse Plemons who steals the show, though, as the rival explorer hell-bent on discovering things first.
5. Shadow In The Cloud
On the big screen... The Suicide Squad
James Gunn switching sides from Marvel was controversial - and actually due to some controversial tweets he sent - but the result is this superb, no-holds-barred superhero story that would never be allowed from The Mouse House. Playing out like Dirty Dozen-style war movie, a new Suicide Squad is tasked with a mission that could see many of them die.
- In cinemas now
1. Masters Of the Universe: Revelation
Kevin Smith has created something special here. His Masters of the Universe reboot/sequel doesn't alienate those who grew up with the character in the '80s but it also manages to progress the character for today. While the show looks similar, it does make some bold departures, such as sidelining big characters for smaller ones but this opens up the world of Eternia even more and makes for a fun ride.
2. Movies That Made Us: Series 2
This second series of the popular TV series that interviews the cast and crew of some of the biggest movies of all time does more of the same, but we aren't complaining. Dirty Dancing is the first to get the treatment with Jurassic Park, Pretty Woman, Back To The Future and Forest Gump all lined up.
3. Turner & Hooch
It's a hard task to try and replace Tom Hanks and while Josh Peck does an admirable turn, he's definitely still finding his feet in the first episode. He's funny, though, and thats certainly the way this show is going - so don't expect any dark turns like the movie. But it's all likeable enough and Hooch is still brilliant fun and the star of the show.
4. Blood Red Sky
Vampires! On a plane! That's the premise of Blood Red Sky, where it is down to a vampire to stop a highjacking and it's bloody good fun. It's great to see Dominic Purcell back in a movie, too, after his long stint on Legends of Tomorrow. And if you are a fan of blood, then good news as this movie has it and then some.
5. Ted Lasso
It's SO GOOD to have Ted Lasso back, the uplifting manager of Richmond FC who has oodles of sage advice to make sure that he gets the most out of his players. This time around, we have more space for the supporting characters to shine but it's Jason Sudeikis who is the real deal here, playing one of the sweetest characters ever on the small screen.
One to watch on the big screen
Old
Well, what can we say about Old? We watched it a few weeks ago and still can't work out whether it is so watchable because it's a brilliant, straight up horror based on an Island where premature ageing takes hold of the inhabitants, or a so-bad-it's-good movie destined for the midnight crowd. We enjoyed it but did mouth 'WTF?' throughout. Seriously, WTF?
- In Cinemas now
1. Fear Street Part Three - 1666
This enjoyable horror series comes to an end with Fear Street Part Three - 1666. As you can guess, this one is set way back in the past where we get to understand just what happened to witch Sarah Fier. There's a really nice twist here where we see all the actors play variants of their characters in the past, all culminating in a finale that ties everything together in horrifying fashion.
2. A Classic Horror Story
Another spooky recommendation, this one is a 2021 Italian horror film set in the backwoods of southern Italy and is a really fun watch. It's packed with horror cliches, for good reason: this movie is as meta as it gets, knowing it's a horror movie about horror movies.
3. War of the Worlds: S2
This is a seriously good modern day adaptation of the HG Wells classic alien invasion story, adapted by Misfits creator Howard Overman. Season 2 is based after the attack and is filled with cracking characters and the show now has an altogether new meaning in a Covid-19 riddled world.
4. Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar
One of the best comedies of 2021 is now available to stream and we can't recommend this one enough. Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo are excellent as lifelong friends Barb and Star who have ventured away from their hometown for the first time, in search of sun and fun. Lovely stuff, even if it'll make you jealous that they managed to go on an actual holiday.
5. This Way Up: Season 2
One of the best comedy series in years is back and, boy, is it lovely to revisit these characters again. Aisling Bea stars (and is creator of the show) as Shona who has fallen for single dad Richard. It's a far cry from the 'teeny little nervous breakdown' we saw her recovering from in the first series but this show just gets better and better.
1. Fear Street Part Two - 1978
If you are a fan of horror, then Netflix is offering up a number of treats right now. There are three movies in the Fear Street saga, all streaming weekly. The first took place in 1994 and was a cracking meta mashup that was ideal for scream fans. This one channels Halloween and other slashers. Now in 1978, the backwards step through the decades makes for a film that's not as exciting as the first but the gore is certainly still there.
2. I Think You Should Leave: S2
Toxic masculinity isn't usually an area primed for comedy but Tim Robinson is the expert in offering up characters that are so entitled you want them to fail, badly. The first season of this sketch show is a must watch and Season 2 ups the ante and the weirdness, with guest roles from the likes of Bob Odenkirk. If you watch the show and see yourself in it, then the laughs will fall flat and you need to take a long, hard look at yourself. For the rest of you, there will be tears (mostly of laughter).
3. Black Widow
We've recommended this one twice in two weeks, mainly due to the fact that you now down't need to head to the big screen to watch Black Widow (although we would recommend that you do) as you can pay a premium and see it on Disney Plus. Delving deeper into the character of Black Widow this prequel of sorts is a fun but brutal look at the history of Natasha Romanoff and pieces together some of the backstory that was left hanging from Endgame other Marvel movies. While Scarlett Johansson is superb, the star of the show is the ace Florence Pugh.
4. Monsters At Work
We're still scratching our heads wondering why Disney thought a workplace comedy would work for children, but it's great to see the characters back for Monsters at Work, a small screen show that riffs on some of the themes seen in Monsters Inc - and begins right after the movie ends. Episodes are streaming weekly and while it's great to hear John Goodman and Billy Crystal back as Sully and Mike, there's not enough magic that the movie brought some 20 years ago. We reckon this one will improve with more episodes, though.
5. Son
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