Yes, it’s that time again, the weekend, and time to review the best new movies and television shows added online this week, to Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. And there are some exciting new adds this week, so let’s get started.
HULU
Hulu has some big adds this week, like Springsteen Deliver Me from Nowhere, the 2025 biographical drama. This takes place in 1981 with Bruce Springsteen (Jeremy Allen White) coming off his tour for The River, and beginning his Nebraska album. But as Springsteen returns to New Jersey to write, he is exhausted from stardom and his tour, and the creative process for the album is even more fatiguing. But as his manager Jon Landau (Jeremy Strong) protects Springsteen from ravenous producers, and fans, and a woman Bruce meets Faye (Odessa Young), may offers succor, too. Paul Walter Hauser, Stephen Graham, and Gaby Hoffman also star, and Scott Cooper directed. And this movie won Best Period Film at the 2026 Winner Movies for Grownups Awards, and gets a 6.7/10 on IMDb. And Bilge Ebiri of New York Magazine/Vulture said “t its best, the film gives us a sincere look at the creative process and reveals it to be a sad, scary, at times uncontrollable and destructive thing. Just for that alone, it’s worth seeing.” So I’m watching. But Hulu has also added The Beauty, the FX horror series. This series from Ryan Murphy and Matt Hodgson, begins with a series of bizarre (and gross) deaths in Paris, occurring among it’s top models. So FBI Agents Cooper Madsen(Evan Peters)and Jordan Bennett (Rebecca Hall) investigate, and find a virus in the remains of one of the models. And they discover that a mysterious beauty substance sold by a billionaire, Byron Forst (Ashton Kutcher), may carry that virus, that causes a certain(and gruesome) death for anyone who uses it. Anthony Ramos, Jeremy Pope, and Ray Nicholson also star, and there are 3 episodes available for streaming now, with 8 more to come. And this series gets a 74% on Rotten Tomatoes, and India Block of the London Evening Standard says “silliness and high camp is part of the tried and tested Murphy formula. You may not want to contract The Beauty fever, but after binging those first few episodes you’ll be addicted to this super hot mess.” So it’s on my list. Hulu has also added Pole to Pole with Will Smith, a 2026 Nat Geo series. Here, Will Smith decides to take the advice of his late mentor, Dr. S. Allen Counter and visit the ends of the earth to challenge himself. So in the first episode, he travels to Antarctica, to visit with scientists, and traverse a 300-foot ice wall and ski 15 miles. He then travels to the Amazon, to catch an anaconda, and also meet with scientists and indigenous people of the area. He then heads for the Himalayas, the Pacific Islands, the Kalahari, and the North Pole. This fascinating series gives free rein to Smith’s adventures, but also to the scientists working in each area, and the native peoples that call them home. There are 7 episodes available for streaming now, and this series gets a stunning 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. And Joel Keller of the Decider says to stream it, adding “between Will Smith’s joking but reverent hosting and the sweeping visuals, Pole To Pole With Will Smith is a show that’s worth watching, even if you stopped being a fan of his post-slap.” So I’m watching. And, finally, Hulu has added Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the 2025 sci-fi adventure. Here, Egon Spengler‘s daughter Callie (Carrie Coon!),Gary (Paul Rudd), Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and Trevor (Finn Wolfhard1) have relocated to New York City. As they reopen the Ghostbusters business and start work they are pressed by civil authorities, and closed down. Which doesn’t matter, of course, and the whole old gang returns, including Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd!), Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson!), Dr. Venkman (Bill Murray!) and Janine (Annie Potts!), to fight the ghosts and monsters. The Stay-Puft marshmallow guy even (sort of) makes a return appearance, as the whole bunch tries to save New York and the world, from disaster. Emily Alyn Lind, Kumail Nanjiani and Patton Oswalt also star, and Gil Kenan directed. And it gets a 6.1/10 on IMDb, and Amy Nicholson of the New York Times called it “an eclectic, enjoyable barrage of nonsense — a circus act that kicks off with a Robert Frost poem and climaxes with Ray Parker Jr.’s titular synth banger.” So I’m watching.
NETFLIX
Netflix has an exciting add this week with Eleanor the Great, the 2025 drama. June Squibb(!) stars, here, as Eleanor Morgenstein, a woman given to the occasional white lie or two. And after the shattering death of her best friend and roomie Bessie, Eleanor moves to New York, to live with her daughter, Lisa (Jessica Hecht). But when she unintentionally joins a Holocaust survivors group by mistake, she tells them a horrific story of survival that she wasn’t actually her own, but Bessie’s. And as the lie spins out of control, it attracts the attention of others, including Nina(Erin Kellyman), a young woman mourning the loss of her mom. And soon, Eleanor develops a friendship with Nina, and has no choice but to tell her the truth, come what may. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rita Zohar and Lauren Klein also star, while Scarlett Johansson(!) directs, for the first time. And this movie was nominated for Un Certain Regard Award at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, and won the Audience Award at the Deauville Film Festival and the 2025 Karen Morley Award at the Women Film Critics Circle Awards. And it gets a 6.7/10 on IMDb, and Sonia Rao of the Washington Post said this “film allows [Squibb] a complexity rarely afforded to elderly characters. She radiates warmth in scenes with Kellyman, serving as a wise and witty grandmotherly figure, and exhibits sharp comedic timing when playing opposite Jessica Hecht.” So I’m tuning in. Netflix also offers The Big Fake, a 2026 Italian crime-drama movie. This takes place in the 1970‘s, Rome, where an out of work artist Toni(Pietro Castellitto) is talked into forging great pieces by a beautiful art dealer, Donata (Aurora Giovinazzo). Soon , though, he finds his way into other shady endeavors , like check forgery and robbery. Until, finally, he finds himself engaged in a scheme to rob a bank, anxious to keep up his luxurious lifestyle, with his now-girlfriend, Donata. Giulia Michelini, Andrea Arcangeli, Edoardo Pesce, Claudio Santamaria, and Pierluigi Gigante also star, while Stefano Lodovichi directs. and this movie gets a 6.6/10 on IMDb, and Anne Campbell of Film Gate says its “a visually compelling movie, but it’s not a compelling story. I say that as partly problematic and partly complimentary. Creating a visually compelling movie is hard to do and an important part of filmmaking, but it’s not the only part. The story just isn’t as strong or coherent as it should be.” You decide. Netflix has also added A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, the 2025 romantic fantasy. Here, as David(Colin Farrell) heads to a wedding in a remote part of England, he has car trouble, and gets a loaner that has a magical GPS. When that GPS asks “do you want to go on a big journey,” he says yes, and finds himself meeting Sarah(Margot Robbie), at the wedding. As they travel in the car back to town, they find magical doors that lead them to relive past experiences of their lives, and maybe, to each other. Phoebe Waller-Bridge(!), Hamish Linklater(!), Lily Rabe and Kevin Kline(!) also star, and Kogonada directed. But this movie has a weak script, and so, gets only a 36% on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, Ben Nicholson of Sight & Sound said “rather than a sweeping romance, Kogonada and his stars have crafted an earnest and heartfelt modern love story, albeit one lacking in ardour.” You decide. Luckily, Netflix has also added Sandokan, a 2026 Italian historical action series. Set in 1845 Borneo, where the indigenous Dayak people are ruled by a pitiless British Empire, the pirate Sandokan( Can Yaman), or the Tiger of Malaysia, works to gain their freedom, and freedom for all of Borneo. As he and his gang of rebels try to rankle the invaders, they decide to rob the British Consulate. So Sandokan befriends the Consul’s daughter, Marianna (Alanah Bloor, under an assumed identity. But pirate hunter James Brooke (Ed Westwick) is also interested in Marianna.. and in hunting down Sandokan. Lucy Gaskell, Matt McCooey and Madeleine Price also star, and there are 8 episodes available for bingeing now. And this series gets a 6.9/10 on IMDb, and Guy Howie of Screen Rant calls it “the perfect Shogun replacement.” So I’m tuning in. And, finally, Netflix has added Gimbap and Onigiri, a 2026 Japanese romcom series. Here, after a setback, former star athlete Hase Taiga(Eiji Akaso) works aprt time in the restaurant, Tanomi, hoping to find his way. And when homesick Korean grad student Park Rin (Kang Hye-won) wanders in, she finds the food she has been yearning for, and feels at home. So the two slowly bond, and support each other, as Rin is faced with an eviction notice. But even as they solve one problem, another faces Taiga, as he realizes Rin won’t be in Japan forever. Moon Ji-hoo, Mai Fukagawa, Rin Kataoka, and Shodai Fukuyama also star, and there are 2 episodes available now, with one more to come. And this series gets an awesome 8.2/10 on IMDb, and Neerja Choudhuri of the Midgard Times says “if you want something adorable to watch over, this show is your go-to one. A bond over meals and a love story is budding, which can make your heart smile.”
AMAZON
Amazon‘s big title added this week is Steal, a 2026 British thriller series. Sophie Turner (!) stars as Zara, here, a midlevel worker at the Lochmill Capital, a pension fund company, which is suddenly taken over by armed intruders one morning. And they force Zara and her friend Luke(Archie Madekwe), to make an unauthorized trade, earning the robbers £4 million. Inspector Rhys Covec (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) suspects an inside job, and so, Zara and her fellow workers are put under intense scrutiny. But Zara is determined to solve the mystery herself, and so enters into a dangerous world of deceit and trickery, that may get her killed. Ellie James, Eloise Thomas, Anastasia Hille and Andrew Koji also star, and there are 6 episodes available now. And this series gets an impressive 7.2/10 on IMDb, and Lucy Mangan of the Guardian says “amid all the action, however, Steal finds room for thought. While never taking its foot off the narrative gas, the series becomes a meditation on the notion that the love of money is the root of all evil.” And of course, Turner is wonderful, so I’m definitely tuning in. But Amazon has also added Preparation for the Next Life, a 2025 drama. This tells the story of Aishe(Sebiye Behtiyar), an Uyghur undocumented immigrant, surviving on the fringes in New York City. As she labors at a Chinese restaurant, and fears being detained, she meets Skinner (Fred Hechinger), a vet scarred by his experiences in Iraq. As they slowly become friends, working out together at the gym, they find something more developing. But can it survive the very tenuous situation they both face, never knowing if they will remain in the city? Eddie Yu, Alicher Adill and Dralla Aierken also star, and Bing Liu directed. And this movie was nominated for 2 Gotham awards, including Breakthrough Performer for Behtiyar, and gets a stunning 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Isaac Feldberg of RogerEbert.com called it “beautifully tough and unflinching… As sensitive to painful, implacable realities as it is alive to the possibilities that nevertheless emerge, in small moments of tenderness and connection, between its characters.” And I am so watching. And finally, Amazon has House of Hummingbird, a 2020 K-drama coming of age drama. This takes place in 1994 Seoul, where 14 year-old Eun-hee(Park Ji-hu) lives with her family, and attends school. But though she pends time with her best friend Ji-suk(Park Seo-yoon), and her boyfriend Ji-wan(Jung Yoon-seo), her home life is difficult , as her parents are distant, and her brother physically abuses her. Then, when Eun-hee needs surgery, and gets in deep trouble with Ji-suk, her life seems to unravel. Luckily, she has her new teacher, Ms. Kim, to inspire and encourage her through these dark times. But then her teacher goes to a new school, and Eun-hee is heartbroken, wiht more tragedy to follow. Kim Sae-byuk, Jung In-gi and Seol Hye-in also star, and Kim Bora directed. And this movie won the International Jury for the Best Film at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival, and Best International Narrative Feature Award at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. And it gets an astounding 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Elizabeth Kerr of The Hollywood Reporter called it “a warm, complex and hopeful slice of teen life.” So I’m definitely watching.
So sit back and binge this weekend, on classics, old and new, on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Enjoy!
Grownups Guide to Streaming 