It’s a clash of the comic book titans this week as Marvel and DC go head-to-head in a TV bout for the ages. Indeed, the Disney- and Warner-owned comic giants have released new shows this week, so you’ll be incredibly unsurprised to learn that the duo lead our streaming recommendations for the weekend.
It isn’t just Disney Plus and Max who are coming out swinging this week, though. Two more of the world’s best streaming services have some new movies and TV shows to bring you on the stay-at-home watching front, too, so if you’re not a fan of superheroes or cinematic comic book franchises, one of this article’s other five suggestions should take your fancy. Enjoy!
Agatha All Along (Disney Plus)
Just when I thought I’d finally got WandaVision‘s incredibly catchy (and popular!) original song out of my head, Marvel has only gone and named an entire TV spin-off after it. That’s right, Kathryn Hahn’s delightful and morally complex Agatha Harkness is back, with the calculating witch’s own series – Agatha All Along – finally launching in time for spooky season.
Stripped of her powers by Wanda Maximoff in WandaVision‘s final episode, Harkness must cobble together her own coven of misfit witches to traverse the Witches’ Road, a dangerous realm that, if successfully navigated, will turn a traveler’s long-held dream into reality. No pressure, then, gang.
Based on its numerous trailers, this Marvel Phase 5 show looks like it could be another MCU TV project that dominates online discussions throughout its nine-episode run. I can’t wait to see more after its campy, catty, chilling, and cackle-inducing two-episode premiere – although, as I noted in my Agatha All Along review, I wished it leaned more into its horror roots. Anyway, altogether now: It was Agatha all alooooooong!
Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter
The Penguin (Max)
Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb/The Penguin was one of many highlights of mine in 2022’s The Batman (you can read more on the others in my review of The Batman). Even so, considering his screen time – in a near-three-hour long movie, no less – totalled a curt eight minutes, I was hesitant about the prospects of this sleazy, cunning criminal being able to star in one of the best Max shows ever made. (NB: The Penguin is available to stream on Sky/Now TV in the UK and Binge in Australia.)
I need not have worried. The Penguin is an absolute blast from start to finish, with Farrell and co-lead Cristin Milioti’s (she plays Sofia Falcone) performances making this unmissable miniseries. By the time it came to penning my thoughts on the latest Batman live-action project, I’d only watched the first two episodes. Even then, though, I could tell The Penguin deserved to sit alongside The Sopranos in HBO’s crime drama pantheon. Now, having finished the full series, I’m tripling down on that opinion – it’s just that epic. Give Farrell and Milioti their 2025 Primetime Emmys trophies now, please and thank you.
Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (Netflix)
Ryan Murphy’s got quite a dark portfolio. From American Horror Story to Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, he’s taken viewers down some twisted paths. His foray into true crime continues with the latest in his Monster series, which focuses on Lyle and Erik Menendez, two brothers who were convicted of the murder of their parents.
This double-murder resulted in a huge investigation that has gone down in American history, largely due to Court TV broadcasting the trial. With some big names like Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny involved, this dramatization is well worth the watch if you’ve got the stomach for it. A third instalment of Monsters will explore the life of serial killer Ed Gein, portrayed by Sons of Anarchy lead Charlie Hunnam.
Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer
His Three Daughters (Netflix)
His Three Daughters already promises to be one of the best Netflix movies of 2024 with its 99% Rotten Tomatoes score – and that’s before it has even started streaming on Netflix. His Three Daughters features a star-studded cast of Elizabeth Olsen, Carrie Coon, and Natasha Lyonne, who play three estranged sisters that reunite in New York City to care for their ill father. As the sisters wait at their father’s bedside during his final days, they confront past resentments and face fresh struggles in their relationships.
I can tell this bittersweet portrayal of sisterhood in all its happiness and pain will have me laughing and crying until the very end, so I’m ready to strap in for the emotional rollercoaster ride with one of September’s new Netflix movies.
Grace Morris, entertainment writer
A Very Royal Scandal (Prime Video)
Just like Netflix’s Scoop, which aired earlier in the year, A Very Royal Scandal on Prime Video is another bombshell drama about Prince Andrew’s explosive 2019 Newsnight interview. A Very Royal Scandal is a retelling of Newsnight journalist Emily Maitlis’ journey leading up to her interview with Prince Andrew on the BBC Two news and current affairs programme.
Michael Sheen takes on the role of Prince Andrew, while Ruth Wilson plays Maitlis, so if the two leading stars are anything to go by, there’s a possibility that this could end up as one of the best Prime Video shows.
Grace Morris, entertainment writer
Twilight of the Gods (Netflix)
Zack Snyder needs no introduction around these parts, but the beloved/divisive director’s (delete as applicable) partnership with Netflix got off to an inauspicious start with the arrival of his two-part Rebel Moon movie. Despite pulling in viewers when Rebel Moon Part 1 aired last December, both films’ critical and commercial receptions left a lot to be desired, and it’s unclear if Snyder’s epic sci-fi franchise will be given the time, effort, and money it demands to turn its fortunes around.
The former DC Cinematic Universe (DCEU) filmmaker, then, will hope this Norse mythology-inspired, R-rated animated series will fare better. Twilight of the Gods stars Sylvia Hoeks as Sigrid, an iron-willed warrior who, after assembling a ragtag group of crusaders, embarks on a death-defying mission of revenge after Thor murders her betrothed – and on her wedding day, no less. One to join similar adult animated fare like Arcane and BoJack Horseman on our best Netflix shows list? I guess it depends on how bloody and thunderous it is.
Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter
I Saw The TV Glow (Max)
I Saw the TV Glow is still my favorite horror of the year. My colleague Rowan Davies agrees, too, in his *ahem* glowing personal piece on I Saw The TV Glow, where he explains how it made him re-watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It’s easy to see why, as this powerful coming of age story does explore topics of identity, fandom, and more, with the help of a creepy fictional TV show called The Pink Opaque.
Horrors like this are special and don’t come around all the time. This isn’t jump scares galore or full of over the top gore (as much as there’s a space for that) – instead, it’s subtle yet eerie throughout. Indeed, one of September’s new Max movies not only relies on this sense of dread and discomfort, but a general deeply unsettling feeling that something is missing. Two unlikely teenagers bond over this slightly campy, 80s-esque supernatural series, and the result is something as beautiful as it is haunting. To say too much would spoil it but I can’t recommend it enough, so you can expect to see it on our best Max movies list very soon.
Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer
For more streaming coverage, read our guides on the best Hulu shows, best Paramount Plus movies, best Apple TV Plus shows, and best Disney Plus movies.
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tom.power@futurenet.com (Tom Power)
