Halloween has come and gone for another year, so it’s no surprise to see streamers dusting off the cobwebs and offering a much more varied slate of new movies and TV shows to enjoy this weekend.
That’s not to say the next few days are completely free of frights, mind. Netflix’s new World War II series, All the Light We Cannot See, has its fair share of grisly drama, while Hulu’s A Haunting in Venice centers on another typically gruesome Agatha Christie murder. Prime Video’s Invincible returns for more X-rated superhero action, too.
Below, you’ll find our pick of the best new movies and TV shows to stream on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus and more this weekend.
All the Light We Cannot See (Netflix)
Arriving an entire year after its original scheduled premiere date, All the Light We Cannot See is now streaming on Netflix.
This four-episode adaptation of Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize-winning WWII novel centers on a blind French teenager (Aria Mia Loberti) whose path collides with a young German soldier (Louis Hofmann) in Nazi-occupied France. The series traces the pair’s story across multiple decades, with different actors appearing throughout.
Despite its esteemed production team (Shawn Levy and Steven Knight) and star-studded cast (Mark Ruffalo, Hugh Laurie, and more), All the Light We Cannot See hasn’t been too well-received by critics so far. That said, the quality of the series’ source material suggests it could still count among the best Netflix shows of the year.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
A Haunting in Venice (Hulu)
Kenneth Branagh returns as mustached Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in A Haunting in Venice, the actor-director’s third adaptation of an Agatha Christie mystery (after Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile).
Based on Christie’s Hallowe’en Party novel, Branagh’s latest feature finds Poirot once again compelled to solve the case of a murdered young woman, this time at an eerie séance in post-World War II Venice (he sure knows where to find trouble).
Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey and Kelly Reilly all star alongside Branagh in A Haunting in Venice , which is now available to stream on Hulu. UK viewers will have to wait a few more weeks for the film’s debut on Disney Plus.
Now available to stream on Hulu.
Invincible season 2 (Prime Video)
Prime Video’s blood-spattered superhero series, Invincible, returns for its highly-anticipated second season this weekend.
New episodes find Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) and his mom, Debbie (Sandra Oh), struggling to move on after the events of Invincible’s season 1 finale (which we won’t spoil here, in the interest of newcomers). Grayson reckons with the possibility that he could become as brutally authoritarian as his dad, the all-powerful Omni-man, while the titular superhero must also ward off a host of new threats.
Invincible season 2 is releasing in two parts – read our interview with co-showrunner Simon Racioppa to find out why – and Prime Video’s intention with the series (which is already one of the best Prime Video shows) is to craft a bolder and “more grounded” multiverse than Marvel and DC. In other words, Invincible could (and should) be your next superhero obsession, if it isn’t already.
Now available to stream on Prime Video.
Blue Eye Samurai (Netflix)
Sticking with the theme of gore-heavy animated shows, Blue Eye Samurai begins streaming on Netflix this weekend.
This eight-episode series – which comes from husband and wife writing duo Michael Green and Amber Noizumi – follows a young warrior on a bloody quest for revenge in Edo-period Japan. Maya Erskine, Kenneth Branagh, Stephanie Hsu, Brenda Song and George Takei are among the show’s voice cast.
Suffice to say, critics loved Blue Eye Samurai. The series has been described as “exhilarating” and “a must-watch”, with particular praise going towards its “gorgeous, gory” fight scenes. FYI: this isn’t one to watch with the kids.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Fingernails (Apple TV Plus)
Having also released in theaters this weekend, new sci-fi romance Fingernails is now streaming on Apple TV Plus.
This Black Mirror-style movie is set in an alternate world in which a machine (built by the Love Institute) can accurately determine whether two people are in love by, uhh, prying a fingernail from each person. But when Anna gets a job at said institute, her pre-approved relationship (and thus the accuracy of said machine) is called into question by a new love interest.
Riz Ahmed, Luke Wilson, Annie Murphy and Jeremy Allen White also star in Fingernails, which critics have described as “moving and convincing as a case for romantic anxiety” (cheery!).
Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus.
Nyad (Netflix)
The second of this weekend’s streaming-but-also-theatrical releases is Nyad on Netflix.
This true-story sports drama follows long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad (Annette Bening) as she attempts – at the age of 60, no less – to become the first swimmer to make the 110-mile ocean journey from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage.
Jodie Foster and Rhys Ifans star alongside Bening in this new Netflix movie, which comes from the Oscar-winning directors of Free Solo, Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Quiz Lady (Hulu, Disney Plus)
Booksmart fans, listen up: Quiz Lady, a new comedy produced by Will Ferrell and Jessica Elbaum, is now streaming on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.
This Jessica Yu-directed movie centers on a dysfunctional family that seeks to raise much-needed cash by winning a quiz-based game show. Sandra Oh, Awkwafina, Jason Schwartzman, Tony Hale and Ferrell himself all star.
Critics have praised Awkwafina and Sandra Oh’s “hilarious” chemistry in what is a refreshingly low-concept comedy, so this might just be one of 2023’s best Hulu movies.
Now available to stream on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.
Didn’t see anything you like? Take a look at our guides on the best Apple TV Plus shows, best Paramount Plus movies, best Hulu movies, and new Max movies.
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