Last week saw Dune: Part Two worm its way onto Max in the US, and although this weekend’s on-demand arrivals aren’t quite so exciting, there are still plenty of new movies and TV shows to pick from as May turns to June.
Leading the series charge is Eric on Netflix – a new six-part thriller featuring Marvel movie star Benedict Cumberbatch – while horror movie fans can enjoy (or endure?) The First Omen on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK. Elsewhere, The Great Lillian Hall begins streaming on Max, and For Love & Life comes to Prime Video.
Below, we've rounded up the biggest new movies and TV shows to stream on Netflix, Prime Video, Max, and more this weekend.
Eric (Netflix)
Benedict Cumberbatch returns to small screen action this weekend in Eric, which is now streaming in its entirety on Netflix.
This six-episode thriller from The Iron Lady writer Abi Morgan centers on a grieving and increasingly unstable father (Cumberbatch) in 1980s New York who copes with his son’s disappearance by talking to the seven-foot-tall puppet monster that lives under the latter’s bed. Gaby Hoffmann, Clarke Peters, David Denman and Dan Fogler also star.
Critics have lauded Eric as “wildly ambitious” and “poignant”, which suggests it could be one of the best Netflix shows to hit the world’s best streaming service in quite some time.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
The First Omen (Hulu, Disney Plus)
Horror fans, stand up: The First Omen is now streaming on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.
This supernatural hair-raiser and prequel to The Omen (1976) stars Nell Tiger Free as a well-meaning American woman who, after being sent to work at an orphanage in Rome, uncovers a sinister conspiracy to bring about the birth of the Antichrist.
If that all sounds like standard horror fare, that’s because it is, but critics have nonetheless praised The Omen for being a “stylish horror prequel” and an “enjoyable act of IP renovation.”
Now available to stream on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.
The Great Lillian Hall (Max)
If you’re after something a touch more sentimental than The First Omen this weekend, then The Great Lillian Hall could be worth a look.
This Max-exclusive film – which was originally intended as a Meryl Streep-led theatrical release – follows a fictional broadway star (Jessica Lange) as she prepares for a new show while dealing with the early symptoms of dementia. Lily Rabe, Pierce Brosnan, Kathy Bates and Jesse Williams also star.
Lange’s performance as the titular actress has earned near-unanimous acclaim from critics, so The Great Lillian Hall could be among the best Max movies of the year.
Now available to stream on Max.
The Famous Five (Hulu)
Acclaimed Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn turns his talents to British literature this weekend with The Famous Five on Hulu.
This BBC-produced adaptation of Enid Blyton's beloved children's novels – which first aired in the UK back in December – follows the action-packed adventures of five young explorers (including one dog) in the English countryside during World War II.
Despite being accused of “going woke”, this six-episode series supposedly manages to improve on Blyton's source material, so it sounds like a treat for both existing Famous Five fans and anyone encountering Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy for the first time.
Now available to stream on Hulu in the US.
Camden (Hulu, Disney Plus)
The first of three documentaries on this week’s list of recommendations is Camden, which is now streaming on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.
Produced by Dua Lipa and directed by Amy and Senna filmmaker Asif Kapadia, this four-part docuseries reveals how the lives and careers of some of the world’s most iconic music artists were influenced by the titular London district.
Noel Gallagher, Nile Rodgers, Boy George, Chris Martin, Mark Ronson and Dua Lipa herself all feature in Camden, so music fans of any age will likely find plenty to enjoy here.
Now available to stream on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.
Ren Faire (Max)
If you’re in the mood for a so-strange-it-can’t-be-true docuseries this weekend, look no further than Ren Faire on Max.
Produced by the Safdie brothers, this three-part HBO feature follows a group of employees at the world's largest Renaissance festival – the Texas Ren Faire – as they vie to succeed its 86-year-old leader, King George Coulam.
The first episode of Ren Faire – which critics have described as a “beautifully shot, slightly demented fairy tale” – is available to stream on Max from Sunday, with the show’s remaining two installments due to arrive a week later, on June 9.
Available to stream on Max from Sunday.
For Love & Life: No Ordinary Campaign (Prime Video)
The last of this week’s documentary picks is For Love & Life: No Ordinary Campaign on Prime Video, which sounds like a tough watch, but an important one.
This feature-length production chronicles the life of Brian and Sandra Wallach, two political campaigners who fell in love on Obama’s 2008 campaign trail and proceeded to form an ALS awareness movement following Brian’s diagnosis with the disease at the age of 37.
Now available to stream on Prime Video.
For more streaming coverage, check out our guides on the best Disney Plus movies, best Netflix films, new Prime Video movies and new Max films.
