June has already played host to new seasons of Bridgerton, The Boys and House of the Dragon, but the summer of potentially award-winning entertainment is just getting started.
Leading the charge this weekend is FX’s high-octane culinary drama The Bear, which returns for its third season on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK. Elsewhere, new Netflix movie A Family Affair comes to the world’s best streaming service, while Land of Women begins streaming on Apple TV Plus.
Below, we’ve rounded up the biggest new movies and TV shows to stream on Netflix, Prime Video, Max, and more this weekend.
The Bear season three (Hulu, Disney Plus)
Few TV shows have enjoyed as much success in such a short space of time (and for such a low production budget) as FX’s The Bear, so it’s perhaps no surprise that the series’ third season – which is now streaming on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK – arrives under a heavy weight of expectation.
New episodes of the Emmy award-winning culinary drama find Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and company grappling with the challenges of opening a high-end Chicago restaurant at a time when costs are high and custom is far from guaranteed.
Critics have described The Bear season three as still “great” and “stressful” but at times also “aimless” and “messy”, so it sounds like the magic of the show’s first two seasons could be wearing off. Still, existing The Bear fans won’t want to miss it.
Now available to stream on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.
A Family Affair (Netflix)
The latest star-studded Netflix rom-com, A Family Affair, comes courtesy of Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman and director Richard LaGravenese.
This cheesy comedy centers on Zara (Joey King), a young woman who, while working as the personal assistant to a self-absorbed Hollywood star (Efron), discovers that her boss is having a secret romantic relationship with her widowed mother (Kidman). What could go wrong?
If that synopsis reads to you like a slightly twisted version of Prime Video’s The Idea of You, then you’re not alone. Critics have indeed described A Family Affair as “a heavily medicated The Idea of You” that “wastes its A-list talent”, so don’t expect to see this one breaking onto our list of the best Netflix movies any time soon.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Land of Women (Apple TV Plus)
Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria returns to small screen action this weekend in Land of Women on Apple TV Plus.
This six-episode adaptation of Sandra Barneda’s novel of the same name follows a New York socialite (Longoria) who as she swaps The Big Apple for a small town in northern Spain after becoming embroiled in her husband’s financial scandal. Victoria Bazua, Carmen Maura and Santiago Cabrera are among the show’s supporting cast.
The first two episodes of this “pretty and pleasant” drama – as critics are calling it – are available to stream now on Apple TV Plus. The remaining four installments are due to arrive weekly every Wednesday through July 24.
Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus.
WondLa (Apple TV Plus)
If you’re after something a little different this weekend, Apple TV Plus subscribers can also dive into new animated series WondLa.
This seven-episode Skydance adaptation of Tony DiTerlizzi’s best-selling book series, The Search for WondLa, centers on Eva, a curious teenager who, having been raised by a robot mother, emerges from her state-of-art bunker to discover a strange planet inhabited by aliens and covered with other-worldly fauna (think Fallout meets Avatar meets Moana).
Jeanine Mason, Teri Hatcher, Brad Garrett and Alan Tudyk all lend their voice talents to WondLa, which could be among the best Apple TV Plus shows given its originality.
Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus.
My Lady Jane (Prime Video)
Prime Video’s library of medieval-set TV shows expands this weekend with My Lady Jane.
Set in 16th century Tudor England, this eight-episode, multi-genre adaptation of the 2016 novel of the same name imagines an alternate history in which a teenaged Lady Jane Grey (Emily Bader) wasn’t beheaded after a nine-day reign.
British comedy giants Jim Broadbent and Rob Brydon star alongside a host of relative newcomers in My Lady Jane, which critics have described as “joyously bananas” and “infinitely watchable”. Could this be among the best Prime Video shows of the year?
Now available to stream on Prime Video.
Problemista (Max)
A24’s much-delayed surrealist comedy Problemista finally debuts on Max this weekend after enjoying a brief theatrical run in March.
Written and directed by star Julio Torres, this off-beat drama centers on an aspiring toy designer (Torres) who lands a job assisting an eccentric-but-struggling art world outcast (Tilda Swinton) in New York. Together, the pair attempt to host a successful exhibition.
Being an A24 production, it’s perhaps no surprise that Problemista has earned rave reviews for being an “imaginative” and “thoughtful” film. Expect this one to make our best Max movies list soon.
Now available to stream on Max.
I Am: Celine Dion (Prime Video)
This week’s one and only documentary pick is I Am: Celine Dion on Prime Video.
Directed by Oscar nominee Irene Taylor, this feature-length film shines a light on the Canadian superstar’s little-known battle with a life-altering neurological illness, while also showcasing the music and performances that shaped her world-beating career.
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.
