At last, the weekend is here—or at least very nearly here—and that means a whole bunch of new shows and movies to watch as we try to beat the heat. This week has some pretty interesting new releases and, of course, several shows that I’ve been keeping up with and writing about (or keep meaning to write about).
Two of the new releases this week have actors we’ve seen in The Walking Dead, so that’s some trivia for you to put in your back pocket.
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Alright, let’s dive into this streaming guide!
New Shows And Movies
Sunny — July 10th on Apple TV
This is definitely at the top of my list for this weekend’s releases if only because Apple has made it very clear that if a show starts with the letter ‘S’ it’s almost certainly going to be good. As evidence:
- Severance
- Slow Horses
- Shrinking
- Sugar
- Silo
That last one actually also stars Rashida Jones, though she has a bigger role in Sunny, where she plays Suzie, an American living in Kyoto Japan with her husband who, along with their son, goes missing after a plane mysteriously crashes leaving her with more questions than answers. One big question pops up when a robot her husband designed at his company—named Sunny—shows up. As their relationship deepens, they begin to look into the mystery of her family’s disappearance. I haven’t started this one yet but it looks great and so far reviews from critics and audiences are upper 80s’ on Rotten Tomatoes.
Exploding Kittens — July 12th on Netflix
Exploding Kittens used to just be a silly card game. Then it became something of an internet sensation. Now it’s a goofy TV show (one of the top Netflix releases in my July Netflix streaming guide). God and the devil have both been sent to earth—as cats, naturally—and hilarity ensues.
Vikings Valhalla Season 3 — July 11th on Netflix
The spiritual successor to Vikings, I admit I never got into Vikings Valhalla (maybe I’d just burnt out on Vikings) but it’s been a popular offering at Netflix. The stories of Leif, Harald, and Freydís and the rest of the cast will come to an end with season 3.
Sausage Party: Foodtopia — July 11th on Amazon Prime Video
Does Sausage Party, the raunchy and ridiculous 2016 animated film from Seth Rogen, really need its own 8-part television series? This is becoming something of a trend after the Ted series released not long ago. Honestly, I don’t have an answer to that yet but if I feel like watching something really crude and probably very silly, I’ll give it a shot and find out.
The Serpent Queen Season 2 — July 12th on Starz
I’ve been curious about The Serpent Queen for some time now and this is a good reminder to give it a shot. Samantha Morton is a very talented actress who I last saw in The Walking Dead as the terrifying Whisperer leader, Alpha. Here she plays the queen regent of France, Catherine de Medici. This Bourbon drama takes place at the same time as Queen Elizabeth I sits the throne of England (played by Minnie Driver). Court intrigue, power struggles, you know the drill. Sounds gripping.
The Descendants: Rise Of Red — July 12th on Disney+
Younger viewers who enjoy the Descendants franchise—all about the offspring of famous Disney villains—might have fun with the sequel, Rise of Red. I admit, this is a bit outside my normal wheelhouse, but for families this might be a good option this weekend.
IF — Streaming now on Paramount+
Speaking of family friendly fare, I’ve been looking forward to the streaming release of IF, the latest film from John Krasinski (The Office, A Quiet Place). The title stands for “imaginary friend” and features a whole bunch of those. Krasinski directs but also stars as the father of Bea (The Walking Dead’s Cailey Fleming) who copes with her mother’s passing and her dad’s medical issues by imagining up a friend. Only, her grandma’s neighbor (played by Ryan Reynolds) can see these imaginary friends, too.
Longlegs — Now In Theaters
Let’s pivot hard away from family films to Longlegs, a movie that looks so scary I’m not sure I even want to go see it (but I do). I was freaked out by the trailer. I won’t say anything else. Just watch that trailer and tell me this doesn’t look absolutely bonkers!
Ongoing Shows
I have a few shows that I’m following these days, which I’ll run over really quickly.
House of the Dragon Season 2 — Sundays on HBO/Max — The second season of the Game of Thrones spinoff has been absolutely phenomenal, with some amazing dragon battles and that great Shakesperean drama that made Season 1 so powerful and unique. Read my review of Episode 4 here. Truly one of the best episodes of either series. Four episodes remain.
The Acolyte — Tuesdays on Disney+ — I am a lot less fond of The Acolyte, though it’s become such a divisive and culture-war-bound series it’s almost impossible to discuss with any nuance anymore. It feels like a show with some good ideas that got buried under a sloppy execution. I want more from Star Wars but I’m learning to live with disappointment. Read my review of Episode 7 here. The Season finale lands this coming week.
The Boys Season 4 — Thursdays on Prime Video — I’m not reviewing The Boys weekly, but I did write about last week’s episode which I found in very poor taste. Overall, this season of Amazon’s superhero satire has been a very mixed bag, with some great moments and stellar performances, and some really on-the-nose writing. We’ll see. Only two episodes remain.
Presumed Innocent — Fridays on Apple TV+ — I haven’t written about this series yet but I really need to because it’s really, really good. Jake Gyllenhaal plays a prosecuting attorney blamed for the murder of a colleague. A court case and a very murky mystery ensue. Did he do it? Is he being framed? The show keeps you guessing (unless you’ve seen the Harrison Ford movie, I suppose, or read the Scott Turow novel).
My Lady Jane — Amazon Prime Video — This came out recently and all eight episodes are available to stream. I didn’t think it looked like my kind of show, but the off-kilter period romance (with some cool fantasy elements) is actually surprisingly good. It’s a bit like Hulu’s The Great but less dark and satirical and more fun and romantic.
What are you watching? Anything I should add to the list? Let me know your thoughts on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.
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