10 Shows and Movies to Watch This Weekend
With so many streaming services at our disposal these days, it can feel almost impossible to settle on something to watch. Sometimes, we find ourselves scrolling and scrolling for so long that ultimately, we just end up turning off the TV and going to bed. But even when sites like Netflix offer us their most-watched titles, it still feels hard to pick among all the trending TV shows and movies (not to mention the fact that just because it's trending, doesn't always mean it's good). Luckily, we've decided to make this process a little easier by rounding up some of the best shows and movies from various streaming services in order to turn that endless scroll into a problem of the past. From great new shows like The Lincoln Lawyer, to returning favorites like Hacks, here's what to watch this weekend.
And if you want more tips on what to watch, check out PureWow's brand-new podcast, Stream On, where hosts Phil Mutz and Rachel Gulmi offer the best previews, reviews, hot takes and debates on all things movies, television and more.
1. ‘Now & Then’
The plot is similar to I Know What You Did Last Summer, following six college friends who embark on a weekend trip after graduation. However, one fatal accident results in the death of their friend. Although they make a pact to never speak of the accident again, everything changes 20 years later when they receive an ominous text message from a mysterious blackmailer.
2. ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’
Downton Abbey: A New Era picks up right where the first film left off, with Tom (Allen Leech) and Lucy’s (Tuppence Middleton) wedding. Meanwhile, the Crawleys learn that Violet (Maggie Smith) inherited a villa in the south of France from a mysterious old friend, who has recently passed away. So, they embark on a trip to see the residence, while Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) stays behind to supervise a movie that’s being filmed in Downton.
Available in theaters
3. ‘Hacks’
This HBO Max comedy earned three Primetime Emmy Awards after its first season, including an Outstanding Lead Actress prize for Jean Smart. And now, this show—which sees Smart as a legendary stand-up comedian who strikes up a friendship with a young writer—is back for season 2, and reviews are saying it's just as great. Last fall, PureWow's VP of News and Entertainment, Phil Mutz, praised the show and said, “It goes without saying that Jean Smart is a national treasure, so it should be zero surprise that this HBO Max show starring Smart as an ‘is-she-washed-up-or-just-stuck-in-her-ways?’ stand-up comic is one of the best things on TV.”
4. ‘Love on the Spectrum U.S.’
You may have seen the Australian version, but this U.S. spin-off is a new addition to Netflix. The reality show follows young adults on the autism spectrum as they gain confidence to enter the dating world.
5. ‘Ozark’
Ozark has returned to Netflix with its final episodes, and it's an edge-of-your-seat event that you won't want to miss. This Emmy Award-winning series starring Jason Bateman and Laura Linney follows a family that moves to the Ozarks where the father, Marty Byrde (Bateman), begins laundering money for a drug cartel. The fourth and final season was split into two parts, with Part 1 premiering back in January, and now that the Breaking Bad-esque series has come to a close, this is the perfect time to binge it all (and find yourself screaming at the TV while you do it).
6. ‘Senior Year’
Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect, How to Be Single) stars in this 17 Again-esque comedy film, where a cheerleader falls into a coma and wakes up twenty years later, deciding to return to high school and finish what she started. Also featuring Justin Hartley (This Is Us), Sam Richardson (Veep) and Zoë Chao (The Afterparty), this star-studded film was directed by Alex Hardcastle, who has previously directed episodes of hit comedy shows like The Office, Grace & Frankie, Parks and Recreation and more.
7. ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’
Based on the namesake book by Michael Connelly (and 2011 movie starring Matthew McConaughey), the brand-new series follows a defense attorney named Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), who runs his practice from the back of his Lincoln Town Car. Other cast members include Neve Campbell, Becki Newton, Jazz Raycole, Angus Sampson and Christopher Gorham.
8. ‘The Essex Serpent’
Cora (Claire Danes) relocates to a small village after the death of her abusive husband. When she learns about a mythical creature, called the Essex Serpent, that’s been lurking in the area, she sets out to find answers.
9. ‘Conversations with Friends’
In 2020, one of the hottest new shows was Normal People, the limited romantic drama series that was based on a Sally Rooney novel of the same name. Now, Hulu has adapted another one of Rooney's novels, Conversations with Friends, into a 12-episode miniseries, and recruited stars like Sex Education's Jemima Kirke, Loki's Sasha Lane and The Favourite actor Joe Alwyn to play the lead roles.
10. ‘The Quest’
From the creators of The Lord of the Rings and The Amazing Race, the immersive competition series sends 12 contestants into the fictional world of Everealm, where they encounter magic and mystical creatures.