Some of our most-anticipated new movies and shows have arrived just in time for the weekend. The headline TV shows include the return of our favorite dojo-based series Cobra Kai on Netflix, the premiere of historical epic Those About to Die on Peacock (or, if you're watching internationally, Prime Video) and new 1960s thriller Lady in the Lake on Apple TV Plus.
We've also picked out two sports-related documentaries in the run-up to the Olympics: the first is a four-part series on Netflix about the legendary gymnast Simone Biles called Simone Biles Rising, while the other is a biopic about the late Olympic champion Gertrude Ederle on Disney Plus.
Rounding out our list of recommendations is the latest season of the reality dating show Too Hot to Handle on Netflix, alongside the Marvel TV show animation Hit-Monkey on Hulu. Not sure where you should start? Find out more about the biggest new shows and movies on the best streaming services below.
Those About to Die (Peacock/Prime Video)
"Are you not entertained!?", Maximus Decimus Meridius shouted at a crowd of coliseum-based patrons in 2000 historical epic Gladiator. We certainly were (and still are 24-years on) but, if you thought you'd be similarly engrossed in Those About to Die, a new historical drama available to stream on Peacock (US) and Prime Video (internationally), you might want to rein in your expectations.
Why? Well, while we suggested Those About to Die's first trailer made it look like a spicy meeting of minds between Game of Thrones and Gladiator, reviewers claim it's anything but. Billed as a series with "obvious limitations" and an "increasingly dull" narrative, this Anthony Hopkins-led drama should be consigned to the history books. Don't expect to see it on our best Prime Video shows list anytime soon, then.
Cobra Kai season 6 (Netflix)
Sensei and students of the Cobra Kai dojo are returning to our screens once more to train for the world championship of karate in Cobra Kai season 6. The Sekai Taikai tournament is set to be the epic final showdown that fans of the hit series have been waiting for since seeing early trailers of one of the best Netflix shows' final outing.
While it's sad news that this season will be its last, the show is going to go out with a bang as there are a whopping 15 episodes to get through that will be released in three parts. The first five dropped on Thursday, July 18, and are available to stream this weekend, but you'll have to wait until November 15 for the next batch to kick off. If you're already twiddling your thumbs, then here are three similar shows that pack a punch to stream while you wait.
Lady in the Lake (Apple TV Plus)
Natalie Portman’s new Apple TV Plus show Lady in the Lake sees her star as Maddie Schwartz, an affluent Jewish housewife in 1960s Baltimore whose life fatally collides with Cleo Johnson (Moses Ingram), a Black mother juggling three jobs, when a young girl goes missing at the Thanksgiving Day parade.
The thriller, which has been adapted from a book originally penned by Laura Lippman, has only just landed on the streaming service and it’s already received rave reviews. The Guardian wrote: “This fearless, 60s-set thriller is astonishingly written and acted. It’s so sumptuous that its brilliance threatens to overwhelm you.” We’re sure it’s a worthy contender for our best Apple TV Plus shows list and if you manage to watch it all this weekend, here are three more shows on the streamer with 86% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes.
Too Hot to Handle season 6 (Netflix)
Too Hot to Handle isn’t your average dating show. Yes, there’s attractive singles hooking up in a villa, but their idea of paradise soon shatters when they’re forbidden from kissing or engaging in any sexual acts. If they break the rules, everyone pays the price as money is deducted from the $100,000 prize pool.
If it’s explosive drama and addictive entertainment you’re looking to watch this weekend, then Too Hot to Handle season six is available to watch on Netflix.
Simone Biles Rising (Netflix)
The legendary gymnast Simone Biles documents her mental health struggles after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and her triumphant return to the 2024 Paris Olympics in this inspiring Netflix documentary Simone Biles Rising.
Variety said the four-part docuseries is "an elegantly paced and vulnerable account that infuses the history of gymnastics with Biles’ personal legacy– which has been hard-won but mesmerizing to watch”. Currently sitting at a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating, not only does Biles win a place in our hearts, but her docuseries seems like a gold medal-winning future addition to our best Netflix documentaries guide.
Hit-Monkey season 2 (Hulu)
Marvel’s hitman monkey and sidekick ghost are back on Hulu (or Disney Plus if you're streaming internationally) this week. It’s been two years since the hit animation series first aired but in that time the show has built up a loyal following with generally positive reviews – it's sitting with an 82% score on the Tomatometer, which warrants a place on our best Hulu shows list.
Like its protagonist Japanese macaque, the show has been a force to be reckoned with, surviving being cancelled after Marvel TV shutdown in 2020 and managing to secure a renewal despite its sister Marvel show's cancellation. In season two, we're no longer in the snowy mountains of Tokyo but New York City, where Monkey (Fred Tatasciore) and Bryce (Jason Sudeikis) are looking to escape a life of killing and find redemption. Can this unlikely duo escape a world of apes and assassins?
Young Woman and the Sea (Disney Plus)
Star Wars alumnus Daisy Ridley continues to rebuild her reputation after the mixed reception to the iconic sci-fi franchise's sequel movie trilogy with this heartfelt and crowd-pleasing period drama that wears its female empowerment badge on its sleeve.
In it, Ridley plays Gertrude 'Trudy' Ederle, who attempted to become the first woman to swim all 21 miles of the English Channel. Along the way, her efforts to break new ground are constantly met with obstacles, not least from a patriarchal society that claims the fairer sex couldn't possibly achieve such a feat.
A beautifully shot and thematically dense flick, Young Woman and the Sea is a powerhouse of a film that deserves far more recognition than it has earned thus far. A worthy inclusion on our best Disney Plus movies when we update it next, it deserves to be.
For more streaming coverage, check out our guides on the best Apple TV Plus movies, new Netflix movies, best Max movies, and best Max shows.
