7 new movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and more this weekend (June 17)
In a rare break from tradition, this week’s streaming entries aren’t the kind to rock the internet. This may come across as a criticism, but it’s really refreshing to spend a weekend without having to tune in to the latest Stranger Things movie or TV show out of fear of missing out.
Instead, today’s recommendations are made up of lesser-known designs that, despite still boasting some big Hollywood stars, haven’t been pasted on every billboard and theater screen from sea to shining sea. Netflix thriller starring Chris Hemsworth “Spider Head” is the most notable arrival, while “Old Man”, “Cha Cha Real Smooth” and “Good Luck Leo Grande” are considered some of the most understated of the group.
Below, we’ve rounded up seven of the biggest new movies and TV shows available to stream on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and more this weekend.
Spider Head (Netflix)
One of the most interesting new movies netflix The streamer’s 2022 release calendar includes Spider Head, an adaptation of George Saunders’ 2010 novel. dystopian story (will open in a new tab).
Starring movie marvel regular Chris Hemsworth, Top Shooter: MaverickMiles Teller and DCEU Newcomer Jernie Smollett, this psychological thriller follows the fate of two inmates in a state-of-the-art prison run by the mysterious visionary Hemsworth, where inmates can choose to have their sentence commuted by volunteering to experiment with emotion-altering drugs.
Teller reunited with Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski for this trippy escape film that Hemsworth also produced (as he did with another recent Netflix film, Interceptor). Early criticism of Spider Head was generally positive, with most viewers describing it as an enjoyable adventure that didn’t reinvent the thriller genre (our reviewer, however, called the film “something like a square peg in a round hole”). “).
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Old Man (Hulu, Disney Plus Star)
Don’t be fooled by the title: The Old Man is not about an old man. Okay, so it is, but Jeff Bridges’ Dan Chase is not the grandfather you want to mess with.
Adaptation of the novel of the same name by Thomas Perry. In this FX series, Bridges plays a former CIA agent who, after an unexpected assassination attempt, retires to come to terms with his troubled past. It all sounds a lot like a Liam Neeson action movie, but with Black Sails creators Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine as showrunners – not to mention the involvement Spiderman: No Way Home The Old Man director Jon Watts has the makings of a stellar production.
The seven-part series, which also stars John Lithgow and Amy Brenneman, airs on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus Star in the UK.
Now available to stream on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus Star in the UK.
Cha Cha Real Smoothness (Apple TV Plus)
Want to watch something more inspiring this weekend? Apple TV PlusCha Cha Real Smooth may suit you.
In this coming-of-age film, writer-director Cooper Rife plays a recent college graduate whose job as a bar mitzvah host leads to an unexpected friendship with a mother (Dakota Johnson) and her teenage daughter (Vanessa Burghardt).
AT our reviewwe described it as “more annoying than [an] iconic cultural moment,” but Cha Cha Real Smooth won the prestigious Audience Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival – a prize won by CODA, winner of Best Film in 2021.
Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus.
Good Luck Leo Grande (Hulu)
Good luck, Leo Grande has been described by critics as the pinnacle of Emma Thompson’s career – that should be enough to pique your interest by now.
This little drama from director Sophie Hyde (52 Tuesdays, Animals) unfolds mostly as a conversation between two people in the same room. It follows Nancy (Thompson), a retired schoolteacher and widow, who books a hotel room and hires a prostitute (Daryl McCormack) in hopes of discovering a form of pleasure she never experienced during her marriage.
Offering a refreshing change of pace from the action-packed one so often found elsewhere on streamers, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande sounds like a sweet and subtle comedy, with the two main characters boasting a couple of knockout performances. Those in the US can stream it on Hulu, while UK viewers will have to head to the nearest cinema to watch it.
Now available to stream on Hulu.
God’s Favorite Idiot (Netflix)
Regular comedy duo (and real-life married couple) Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone return to the screen in God’s Favorite Idiot on Netflix.
This eight-episode comedy series tells the story of unremarkable tech support worker Clark (Falcon) who, after finding himself an unsuspecting messenger of God, is tasked with saving humanity (like Evan Baxter in Evan Almighty). McCarthy plays his colleague and lover Emily, who adds even more chaos to Clark’s newly upended life.
Unfortunately, “God’s Favorite Idiot” was panned by critics – one called it a “low point” for the pair on-screen and off-screen – but it still looks like there’s plenty to laugh at here and there.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Father of the Bride (HBO Max)
This wouldn’t be a proper weekly recap if it didn’t include an unnecessary remake – but thankfully Father of the Bride on HBO Max is here to please.
To be fair, this classic story of a domineering father who struggles to come to terms with his daughter’s marriage was originally a novel and has been made into a feature film several times (first in 1950, then again in 1991). This latest version follows a Cuban-American family and stars Andy Garcia and Gloria Estefan in the lead roles.
What else can we say? If you like your cheesy rom-coms, Father of the Bride delivers sugary charms in abundance – just don’t expect it to win an Oscar.
Now available to stream on HBO Max.
Paul Pogba: Pogmentary (Prime Video)
Official: Paul Pogba: “Pogmentary” is the worst documented name in history.
This five-part series puts France and Manchester United football star Paul Pogba under the microscope in an attempt to uncover the man behind the mystique – or so the official synopsis says.
However, judging by the reaction of critics, the reality is a little different. Considering Pogba was looking for a new club to call home at the time of making the Pogmentary, his two and a half hours of behind-the-scenes reporting presumably plays less of a role than advertising the Paul Pogba brand. Either way, casual sports fans can still enjoy it.
Now available to stream on Prime Video.
