Happy Thanksgiving weekend! Well, to our US readers, anyway. I hope you’re enjoying plenty of food, downtime with family or friends (or by yourself if you need some peace and quiet!), and this year’s Black Friday sales.
If you’re feeling as stuffed as a Thanksgiving turkey from all of the food you’ve eaten, I suspect you’ll be lounging about in front of the TV at some point, too. Luckily, no matter whether you live stateside or elsewhere, there’s plenty to watch on the world’s best streaming services this weekend. So, read on to see what’s worth catching before the new working week starts. – Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter
Senna (Netflix)
One of the greatest, if not the greatest, F1 driver to ever live, the story of Ayrton Senna is one filled with record-breaking feats, showcases optimism and fearlessness in the face of adversity, and ends in tragedy. It’s high time, then, that the three-time world champion’s life was retold once more in epic and tear-jerking fashion.
Step forward Senna, a six-part Netflix series that dramatizes the Brazilian’s life and career right up to his untimely death at the age of 34. At the time of writing, I don’t know if Senna will manage to race onto our best Netflix shows list. If it recaptures the magic of the Sao Paulo-born driver’s legacy and does as good a job of portraying him as Asif Kapdia’s identically titled 2010 docufilm does, though, I’m confident it’ll secure pole position in the drama section of that Netflix-based guide.
Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter
Beatles ’64 (Disney Plus)
Here comes another Beatles documentary! And it’s just in time for the weekend too, making it prime viewing for Disney Plus subscribers. David Tedeschi’s Beatles ’64 is set to take us back to the quartet’s very first trip to the US, giving us an intimate backstage look at how the band captivated a whole nation and started one of the biggest fan frenzies in history: Beatlemania.
Using restored in 4K footage captured by US filmmaking brothers David and Albert Maysles alongside archival interviews, this new docufilm offers a new way to get a sense of the electricity that must have been in the air when they came together during the Liverpool band’s first performances in the country. I have a feeling this is going straight into our best Disney Plus movies guide.
Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment editor
The Agency (Paramount Plus)
I’m not sure what I’m going to do once The Day of the Jackal finishes, but it looks like I’ve found a perfect alternative with new Paramount Plus spy drama The Agency, an American remake of the French series Le Bureau des Legendes.
Michael Fassbender stars as Martian, a covert CIA agent ordered to leave his undercover life and return to London Station. When he reunites with his lover that he left behind, their romance is thrown into a dangerous game of intrigue and espionage that complicates his career, his real identity, and his mission.
On paper, The Agency sounds like it could be one of the best Paramount Plus shows going with its star-studded cast of Jodie Turner-Smith, Jeffrey Wright, Richard Gere, and Katherine Waterston. But one thing’s for sure is that I can’t wait to watch Fassbender in this action-packed odyssey.
Grace Morris, entertainment writer
The Madness (Netflix)
What would you do if you found yourself framed for murder? Well, The Madness poses this very unnerving question when it arrives on Netflix this weekend. In this tense new thriller, Emmy winning actor Colman Domingo plays a media pundit who is accused of murdering someone after he stumbles across a dead body, and he must reunite with his estranged family amid all the chaos.
Thriller is one of my favorite genres for a reason, because it can incorporate so many gripping stories and themes. I can’t wait to watch The Madness unfold this weekend and follow the story of a man whose life has been turned upside down seemingly overnight. This one looks like the kind of show I’ll be eager to discuss with others, and I can’t wait to be glued to my TV.
Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer
Sweethearts (Max)
I do love a rom-com, but a good one can sometimes be hard to find. However, one of November’s final new Max movies Sweethearts looks like the charming teen comedy I’ve been waiting for all this time. Sweethearts is about two best friends and college freshmen, Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) and Ben (Nico Hiraga), who make a pact to break up with their high school sweethearts over Thanksgiving break. This soon leads to a chaotic night out that puts their friendship to the test.
Sweethearts looks like it has everything I could want from a rom-com with drama, hijinks, repressed feelings, and even a possible friends-to-lovers trope. Yep, this definitely has potential to become one of the best Max movies.
Grace Morris, entertainment writer
It’s In the Game (Prime Video)
A videogame can take on a life of its own outside of the display screen you see it in and that’s exactly what happened to the EA sports series Madden NFL. But did you know that the biggest videogame series of all time almost didn’t get made?
In the new Prime Video four-part docuseries It’s In the Game, EA Sports studio will tell all about the 8-bit game’s pixelated origins and how it came to be its touchdown of the century. What better time to release what could be the next best Prime Video show about Coach Madden, then during Thanksgiving weekend (for US readers, anyway)!
Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment editor
Our Little Secret (Netflix)
It’s the end of November, so Christmas movies are flooding the best streaming services. Over on Netflix there’s plenty to dive into, and I have a little secret of my own because I absolutely loved Lindsay Lohan’s festive movie from last year, Falling for Christmas, so I’m excited to see her back again! Come on, Christmas movies should be silly and fun, that’s what I argued when I spoke about how Red One isn’t perfect but proves we need more action-packed Christmas movies. I’m all for movies that aren’t afraid to be a bit ridiculous, honestly.
In Our Little Secret, Lohan plays a woman who is spending her first Christmas with her boyfriend’s family but discovers her ex is also part of the holiday festivities, so she decides to hide their romantic history. The always brilliant Kristin Chenoweth stars, too, and yeah, I’m ready for some silly festive fun with one of November’s final new Netflix movies. Let’s go!
Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer
For more streaming recommendations, read our guides on the best Disney Plus shows, best Hulu shows, best Paramount Plus movies, and best Max movies.
