Another week is over, and aside from two of the world’s top streaming services (up your game, Hulu and Disney Plus), there’s something new to watch on their rival platforms this weekend.
In fact, from a few new movies originally set to hit theaters in late 2024, to a slew of new shows (and the return of a blockbuster Netflix series), there’s plenty for you to wrap your eyes around the next few days. – Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter
The Night Agent Season 2 (Netflix)
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From The recruit to Black PigeonsNetflix has been slowly building out its back catalog of fun, dramatic and exciting spy genre shows. However, few are more popular on the service than The night agentwhose first season was a surprise overnight hit for the streaming titan, earning it a spot on our list of best Netflix shows.
Two years after its unprecedented success, the spy thriller is back for its second season. This time, trust is in short supply for newly minted night agent Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso), who becomes embroiled in yet another wild conspiracy that will force him to question who he can really trust. I’ll be tuning in to see if Netflix’s seventh most-watched English TV Original of all time can build on its debut season’s almighty performance. Before you do the same, be notified that the show is returning with ours The night agent season 2 hub. – TP
Prime Target (Apple TV Plus)
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Apple TV Plus keeps its busy start to 2025 going with new espionage thriller Primary targetlike stars One day actor Leo Woodall with Quintessa Swindell from Euphoria. In the Apple TV Original, Woodall plays a math genius who works on a secret research project to discover patterns in prime numbers that eventually catches the attention of Swindell’s NSA surveillance agent.
The idea around which the story is built is the fact that prime numbers form the basis of the world’s most common types of encryption, still widely used today, which is why a Cambridge graduate cracking the code is of seismic global proportions in this new series. . The best way I can think of to describe it is The Da Vinci Code meetings Good Will Hunting and while it might not be among the best Apple TV Plus shows, it’s an absorbing watch none the less. – Amelia Schwanke, Entertainment Editor
The Wild Robot (Peacock)
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One of the best 52 movies of 2024 has finally made its streaming debut – yes, in the US (sorry UK and Australian readers). The wild robot is an absolute delight of a film, with its beautiful, painterly art style and wonderfully realized animation, emotionally resonant story and top-notch voice acting, making for a perfect, easy-to-watch flick at the Peacock this weekend.
Marvel star Lupita Nyong’o voices Roz, a service robot who becomes castaway on a remote island inhabited by talking animals. Not surprisingly, she is seen as an outsider by the creatures that live on it. But, armed with a steely will to adapt to her environment, plus the fact that she becomes the adoptive mother of an orphaned goose called Brightbill (Cardiac arrester‘s Kit Connor), Roz decides to not only ingratiate herself with the locals, but also become their chief protector. A beautiful film in more ways than one that deserves to be seen. – TP
Gladiator II (Paramount Plus)
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Ridley Scott’s long-awaited sequel to the iconic 2000 film Gladiator is now available on Paramount Plus (again, though only in the US). If you weren’t among those who attended last year’s unexpected double bill Glicked (that is Gladiator II and Evil), you can bring the excitement of the Colossuem to your home. It hasn’t worked that well Evilwhich was recently nominated for Best Picture, but its 71% Rotten Tomatoes rating means it could be worthy of a spot on our Best Paramount Plus Movies list.
With a brilliant ensemble cast including Pedro Pascal, Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington and Derek Jacobi, the film takes place 15 years after the first and is definitely worth your time if you’re a fan of the original. It’s perfect if you’re looking for an action packed movie this weekend. All in all now: Aren’t you amused!? – Lucy Buglass, entertainment writer
CB Strike: The Ink Black Heart (Max)
Max is now home to the television adaptation of controversial author JK Rowling’s novel series of the same name, which was published under her pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The series follows private investigator Cormoran Strike who teams up with his assistant Robin Ellacott to take on cases that have baffled the police in the hope that they can finally get to the bottom of what happened. It’s no easy task and they work in a cramped office, but they get the job done.
There will be weekly episode releases for this one, and the series has already premiered in the UK, where it’s been met with some seriously mixed reviews. The Rotten Tomatoes score is too low to warrant a spot on our top Max shows, but you can have a good time with it regardless. – LB
Star Trek: Episode 31 (Paramount Plus)
Paramount Plus has released its first ever Star Trek TV movie; a 100-minute spin-off of galactic proportions focusing on the secret Star Fleet agency called Section 31. Star Trek: Episode 31 sees Michelle Yeoh reprise her role as Empress Philippa Georgiou, who we met in the first episode Star Trek: Discovery before she eventually becomes a member of the special ops division.
It’s a little different from your usual Star Trek movies, with Yeoh previously describing it as a mix of Mission: Impossible and Guardians of the Galaxy, which makes sense with the plot’s cheerful bunch of mercenaries who get caught up in a heist to defend the United Federation of Planets against multi-universal threats. It’s gone through many iterations to get here (it was originally supposed to be a series), which means that “there was so much more” that was left out, Yeoh’s co-star Sven Ruygrok said. That may be why long-time Trekkies and newbies alike have absolutely smitten it, with many calling it one of the franchise’s worst projects ever. Practice! – SEAM
Harlem Season 3 (Prime Video)
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The third and final season of Harlem is out now. Prime Video’s beloved comedy series is coming to an end, but I’m sure the Amazon TV Original will go high. You’ll get two episodes each week until the finale on February 6th, and I’m sure this will beat the January blues that some of us might be feeling.
The iconic cast of Meagan Good, Grace Byers, Shoniqua Shandaie, Jerrie Johnson, Tyler Lepley and Whoopi Goldberg are all back, with a few surprises and new faces being teased for the final round. We’ve got plenty of great comedy recommendations on our Best Prime Video Shows if you need a fill-in Harlem shaped hole in your heart, though nothing quite compares to how amazing this is. – LB
For more streaming suggestions, read our guides on the best Netflix movies, best Prime Video movies, best Disney Plus shows, and best Hulu movies.
