January may have a reputation as a ‘dump month’ for new releases, but the world’s best streaming services aren’t breaking stride with some keenly anticipated new movies and shows debuting in time for this weekend.
Indeed, with a brand-new Game of Thrones spinoff, the return of fan-favorite series, the arrival of one of last year’s biggest blockbuster flops, and a spicy behind-the-scenes documentary that’s turning fans upside down and inside out, who said the start of the year is a quiet one? Read on, then, to learn more about this week’s biggest offerings – Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment editor
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO Max)
The expansion of HBO’s Game of Thrones universe continues apace with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ arrival. A near-perfect adaptation of The Hedge Knight, the first entry in the ‘Dunk and Egg’ novella trilogy, it’s set around 100 years before Thrones, and will introduce one of the franchise’s most beloved pairings – Ser Duncan ‘Dunk’ the Tall and ‘Egg’ – to a wider audience.
I don’t want to spoil anything else about this new HBO Max show, but you can read my review of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms to see why it’s the triumphant underdog tale that HBO’s Thrones-Verse needs right now. Once you’re done, find out everything you need to know about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and then check out my episode 1 guide to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms to learn where you can watch it. – Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter
One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things season 5 (Netflix)
I love a good behind-the-scenes feature. It’s one of the biggest perks of owning a DVD or Blu-ray, as all that extra material lets you linger in the world of something you’ve just watched and really savor the experience.
So, you’d think a two-hour documentary about the making of Stranger Things season 5 would be a dream come true for fans who aren’t quite ready to let go, right? Instead, One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things season 5 has only fueled more frustration. Fans have taken issue with several creative decisions, including some who believe ChatGPT helped to write its scripts.
Adding to the furore was the belief that a secret extra Stranger Things episode will still drop, but this documentary fully proves that won’t be the case. – AS
The RIP (Netflix)
You can’t beat a movie starring long-time friends and actors Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. The arrival of The RIP, a new action crime thriller that the duo front and have executively produced for Netflix, then, should be worth celebrating. And yet, as I outline in my review of The RIP, it’s just another of the streamer’s original movies that’s simply tailor-made for the Netflix generation’s short-lived attention span.
Inspired by true events, The RIP follows a group of police officers who uncover a hidden stash worth millions of dollars during an everyday investigation. However, loyalties are put to the test as they debate what to do with the life-changing monetary haul. – TP
Hijack season 2 (Apple TV)
For goodness sake, somebody tell Idris Elba to stop taking public transport. As if Sam Nelson (Elba) having to safely control a hijacked plane in the Apple TV Original’s first season wasn’t bad enough, now he’s got to deal with a commandeered subway train in Hijack season 2, which has just premiered on – surprise surprise – Apple TV.
If you ask me, this season is going to be a grower, slowly world-building its way to unavoidable disaster. I’m also really enjoying the location change, with season 2 set in a snowy, picturesque Berlin. Bad news for residents though, who will probably never want to get on the U-Bahn again after this. Still, Elba is truly the everyday superhero we need in trying times. – Jasmine Valentine, entertainment reporter
Tell Me Lies season 3 (Hulu/Disney+)
If you didn’t hate Stephen before, wait until you sit down to watch Tell Me Lies season 3. Hulu and Disney+ dropped three episodes as part of this season’s premiere as a little surprise but, if I’m being honest, the weekly breathers function as the cooling off period I sorely need.
After last season’s bombshell finale revealed Stephen sent Bree a recording of Evan admitting to cheating on Bree with Lucy while they were at university, Bree and Evan’s eventual 2015 wedding looked to be hitting a rough patch.
However, we aren’t done reliving the horrors of 2009 yet, and Stephen is upping the cruel factor when it comes to his treatment of Lucy. He can’t get over the fact the she was briefly with Evan after he dumped her. So, obviously, he’s resorted to playing callous mind games. Somebody punch him before season 3 is over, please. – JV
Ponies (Peacock)
Ponies has debuted with a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score, so I have high hopes that this will be the latest great thriller to debut on Peacock.
Set in 1977 Moscow, we follow two “persons of no interest” (or PONIES) who work anonymously as secretaries in the American Embassy. However, when their husbands dies under mysterious circumstances in the Soviet Union, they’re thrust into the CIA.
Emilia Clarke plays the sharp and over-educated Bea, while Haley Lu Richardson is the abrasive, bold and fearless Twila, who find themselves teaming up to investigate why their husbands were killed. The set up here is fantastic, so I am praying it sticks the landing. All eight episodes of Ponies are out now, FYI. – Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer
The Running Man (Paramount+)
Edgar Wright’s take on Stephen King novel The Running Man was met with mixed reviews. With a 62% Rotten Tomatoes score, it certainly left critics sitting on the fence. Still, Wright’s adaptation is better than the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger-starring version, and of the two I’d say the 2025 iteration, which is out now on Paramount+, is better all around.
Chad Powers star Glenn Powell leads the cast here, playing a blacklisted laborer who signs up for the titular Running Man reality TV program. What is the eponymous gameshow about, you might ask? Well, it’s a very popular series broadcast by an authoritarian media network, where the “runners” who sign up can win $1 billion by surviving 30 days. But, it’s far easier said than done, of course. – LB
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tom.power@futurenet.com (Tom Power)
