9 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Max and more (Oct. 18-20)
'Shrinking' and 'Woman of the Hour' lead the weekend watch list
As we get deeper into the fall, there are plenty of must-watch movies and shows to watch this weekend on the best streaming services.
Shows are admittedly not the biggest draw this week, but there are some great options. If you're outside the U.S., the Australian reboot of "The Office" hits Prime Video this weekend. Americans aren't left hanging though. "Shrinking" returned for its second season this week and the Apple TV Plus comedy drama is no consolation prize. It's the real deal.
Movies are loaded this weekend, though. Whether it is original new releases like Netflix's "Woman of the Hour" or newly added library movies like A24's "MaXXXine" hitting Max, there are lots of great movies to watch this weekend. Plus, "The Wild Robot" and "Alien: Romulus" hit PVOD streaming services this week, so if you haven't seen them yet, now is the time.
Here's our guide on what to watch this weekend.
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New TV shows
'The Office' (Australia) (Prime Video)
U.S. readers, you can skip this section. Unless you have a VPN like NordVPN then you won't be able to watch the Australian reboot of "The Office." But for the rest of the world, don't sleep on this new Prime Video sitcom. Yes, it definitely feels like the famous American version of the show, but that doesn't mean it's a bad time. Our own Lucy Scotting has already watched the first few episodes and has declared it "a bloody ripper," which I assume is Australian for pretty darn good.
Stream now on Prime Video
'Shrinking' (Apple TV Plus)
“Shrinking” might be the best Apple TV Plus show you’re not watching. It comes from legendary sitcom creator Bill Lawrence, and is written by Lawrence, "Ted Lasso" star/writer Brett Goldstein and Jason Segel, who also stars in the show as therapist Jimmy Laird.
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In season 1, Jimmy started telling his patients what he really thinks — and that had some disastrous consequences. It also earned the ire of Jimmy’s colleague Paul (Harrison Ford). This season, Jimmy has to deal with those unintended consequences while still healing from the loss of his wife. I promise, as dramatic as that all sounds though, you'll definitely laugh while watching "Shrinking."
Stream the first two episodes of season 2 now on Apple TV Plus
'Hysteria' (Peacock)
Bruce Campbell in a horror property? Sign me up. The "Evil Dead" star is perfect for the role of Chief Dandrige in this new Peacock original show. Set during the "Satanic Panic" of the 1980s, "Hysteria" follows the struggling high school metal band Dethkrunch as they take advantage of the heir town's sudden interest in the occult and rebrand as a Satanic metal band. Unfortunately, that backfires, and they quickly become the targets of the town's witch hunt following the disappearance of the school's quarterback.
Stream now on Peacock
New movies
‘Woman of the Hour' (Netflix)
"Woman of the Hour" is Anna Kendrick's directorial debut and also stars the famous actress as "The Dating Game" bachelorette Cheryl Bradshaw. Cheryl's appearance on the 1978 episode of the popular TV show should have been innocuous. But she became part of history when she went on a date with contestant Rodney Alcala ... who was really a notorious serial killer currently on a murder spree that may have involved over 130 murders across multiple states. Don't miss this movie based on incredible true events.
Stream now on Netflix
'MaXXXine' (Max)
Ti West's "X" trilogy has been a big success, including this year's final installment, "MaXXXine." It stars Mia Goth as Maxine Minx, who is trying to transition from adult film star to scream queen after scoring a role in the horror film "The Puritan II." But this is all set to the backdrop of the infamous "Night Stalker murders," so it's unclear if Maxine will ever survive to get her big break.
Stream now on Max
‘Brothers' (Prime Video)
The first trailer for "Brothers" looked unhinged. The movie stars Peter Dinklage and Josh Brolin as twin brothers with sordid criminal pasts. Dinklage is looking to pull one last score, but Brolin is trying to walk the straight and narrow. Dinklage ultimately wins him over, and what follows appears to be an insane road trip with toilet humor, an orangutan and incredible acting talent. With a supporting cast that includes Brendan Fraser, Glenn Close and Marisa Tomei, this may be one of the most loaded call sheets of the year, let alone this week.
Stream now on Prime Video
‘Late Night with the Devil' (Hulu)
There's no time like the present to get in the Halloween spirit. "Late Night with the Devil" star David Dastmalchian as Jack Delroy, host of the late night show "Night Owls with Jack Delroy." While the show had been successful initially, ratings started to tank, forcing Jack to take drastic measures. In a special occult Halloween episode, Jack attempts to summon a demon and, of course, things don't go as planned.
Stream on Hulu starting Oct. 19
'The Wild Robot' (PVOD)
"The Wild Robot" is based on the 2016 novel of the same name. The story follows Roz (Lupita Nyong'o), a Universal Dynamics robot stranded on an uninhabited island during a storm. She's accidentally activated by the local wildlife, and while things start rough, she eventually adapts to her surroundings. This animated movie has been a massive critical hit and a moderate success at the box office. Watch it now before the inevitable Oscar buzz begins.
Buy or rent now from Amazon or Apple
'Alien: Romulus' (PVOD)
We associate the "Alien" franchise with science fiction, but the original movie is a horror classic. "Alien: Romulus" is very much in that same vein, with "Evil Dead" (2013) filmmaker Fede Álvarez helming this latest movie in the beloved series. Set between the events of "Alien" and "Aliens," "Alien: Romulus" features Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu as a group of young space colonists examining a derelict Weyland-Yutani research station harboring a terrible secret.
Buy or rent now from Amazon or Apple
More from Tom's Guide
Malcolm McMillan is a senior writer for Tom's Guide, covering all the latest in streaming TV shows and movies. That means news, analysis, recommendations, reviews and more for just about anything you can watch, including sports! If it can be seen on a screen, he can write about it. Previously, Malcolm had been a staff writer for Tom's Guide for over a year, with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI), A/V tech and VR headsets.
Before writing for Tom's Guide, Malcolm worked as a fantasy football analyst writing for several sites and also had a brief stint working for Microsoft selling laptops, Xbox products and even the ill-fated Windows phone. He is passionate about video games and sports, though both cause him to yell at the TV frequently. He proudly sports many tattoos, including an Arsenal tattoo, in honor of the team that causes him to yell at the TV the most.