After last week’s streaming onslaught that dropped You season 3 and Halloween Kills, even more new movies and shows are arriving on our digital doorsteps.
The most high-profile new release is Dune, which hits HBO Max thanks to the day-and-date strategy of its corporate sibling Warner Bros. Denis Villeneuve may think you should see Dune on the big screen, but those of us who don’t want to go to the movie theater right now (for whatever reason) appreciate the option to stream the film.
Also on deck is the return of Insecure for its fifth and final season. Issa Rae is wrapping up her dramedy and we’re so not ready to say goodbye. Luckily, we’ll have 10 weeks to come to terms with it.
Here’s a look at what to watch this weekend on Netflix, HBO Max, Peacock and other streaming services.
Dune (HBO Max)
The length and sweeping scope of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi opus has made it very difficult to adapt for the screen. David Lynch tried and had an epic fail with his 1984 film. A 2000 mini-series on the Sci Fi channel fared a little better, but still didn’t take off. Now, Denis Villeneuve gives it a go, with an assist from basically every star in Hollywood.
So far, Dune seems like a success. Reviews are mostly positive, lauding the gorgeous visuals and outsized action setpieces. Villeneuve walks the tricky line between fidelity to the source material and not getting bogged down in exposition. What he doesn’t do is try to whittle down the entire 900-page behemoth into a single film. Expect an open ending that leaves room for sequels. (How to watch Dune online)
Dune has a runtime of two hours and 35 minutes and is rated PG-13.
Streaming now on HBO Max
Insecure season 5 (HBO)
Issa Rae’s journey of glowing up and growing up is coming to an end. The final season of her criminally under-awarded series is back with the season 5 premiere episode, which sees Issa and Molly(Yvonne Orji) attending their 10-year reunion at Stanford. The women spent last season estranged from each other; this weekend brings them together to reminisce about the origins of their friendship.
The rest of the final season continues following Issa and Molly as they pursue their hopes, dreams and ambitions, while also grappling with self-doubt and uncertainty. Oh, and dealing with the various men in their lives. It looks like Issa’s got Lawrence (Jay Ellis), Nathan (Kendrick Sampson) and a new guy (played by Queen Sugar’s Kofi Siriboe) circling around her.
Insecure season 5 consists of 10 episodes, which will air weekly.
Streaming Sunday on HBO Max
Invasion (Apple TV Plus)
A truly Earth-shattering event rocks our planet in the form of a massive alien invasion. The 10-episode sci-fi drama comes from Simon Kinberg (producer of various X-Men movies) and David Weil (Hunters) and takes a page from War of the Worlds.
The aliens’ arrival triggers catastrophic power outages, fires and destruction. The ensuing terror and confusion is told from the perspectives of a diverse set of characters across the globe, including: a sheriff on the verge of retirement (Sam Neill); a Syrian immigrant mother (Golshifteh Farahan); a soldier (Shamier Anderson); a Japanese aerospace technician (Shioli Kutsuna); and others.
Invasion premieres with the first three episodes, then the rest drop weekly.
Streaming now on Apple TV Plus
Locke and Key season 2 (Netflix)
The supernatural adventures of the Locke family and their magical keys continue in the second season (and will keep going in a third, as well). To summarize: The show revolves around three siblings who move into the mysterious Keyhouse. There, they discover special keys that open different doors and bestow powers. An evil figure named Dodge covets the keys, particularly the Omega Key, which opens a portal to a demon-filled dimension.
When season2 kicks off, Tyler (Connor Jessup), Kinsey (Emilia Jones) and Bode (Jackson Robert Scott) believe that they’ve defeated Dodge. But they are unaware that Dodge has the Identity Key and is roaming around in the form of Gabe (Griffin Gluck). Not only that, he’s teamed up with another demon inhabiting Eden (Hallea Jones) to gain control of the Keyhouse.
Streaming now on Netflix
Curb Your Enthusiasm season 11 (HBO)
Yes, Larry David is still making Curb Your Enthusiasm. Can you believe the series debuted back in 2000? Wild, right? Season 11 is set in a post-pandemic world, though the global crisis hasn’t changed Larry at all. He is as irascible and irritating as ever — maybe more so! The premiere episode begins with a bunch of different threads, showrunner Jeff Schaffer teased to EW, which are “all going to knit together in the end to make an exquisite petty shame blanket.”
As usual, expect great guest stars. New faces include Woody Harrelson, Kaley Cuoco, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, Tracey Ullman and Bill Hader. Making return appearances are Ted Danson, Jon Hamm and Vince Vaughn.
Curb Your Enthusiasm season 11 premieres with one episode, then airs weekly on Sundays.
Streaming Sunday on HBO Max
Queens (ABC)
Eve, Brandy, Naturi Naughton and Nadine Velazquez headline this drama, which is the second show of the year about a one-time successful ‘90s-era girl group getting the band back together again. Also like Peacock’s Girls5eva, they get the idea to reunite after one of their songs is sampled by a young rapper. Their manager Eric Jones (Taylor Sele) wants them to perform with Lil Muffin at the BET Awards for a quick payout.
Naturally, it won’t wind up being a one-and-done thing, but the group faces some major obstacles to recapturing their old magic. Naomi/Xplicit Lyrics (Brandy) and Valeria/Butter Pecan (Velazquez) have beef, while Jill/Da Thrill (Naughton) refuses to perform suggestive material due to her religious beliefs — while also desperately trying to stay in the closet. And Brianna/Professor Sex (Eve) not only has five kids on her hands but an ill, cheating husband.
Queens premiered with one episode and subsequent ones air weekly on Tuesdays.
Streaming now via Hulu
The Girl in the Woods (Peacock)
This supernatural YA thriller definitely has shades of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The titular girl, Carrie (Stefanie Scott), is a runaway from a rural cult who claim to guard an ancient door that leads to a terrifying monster dimension. You know, like Buffy’s Hellmouth.
After her arrival in the small town of West Pine, Carrie makes new friends in Nolan (Misha Osherovich) and Tasha (Sofia Bryant). The trio of teens must summon their bravery when townspeople start going missing, which Carrie assumes is the work of the monsters. The series features an all-women writing team and the first four episodes come from director Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones). The complete season is available and ready for a binge.
Streaming now on Peacock
Sex, Love and Goop (Netflix)
Gwyneth Paltrow’s transformation has spanned many roles: Oscar-winning actress to occasional Marvel cameo to wellness guru and now a relationship therapist. Her Goop empire’s first Netflix series, Goop Lab, explored things like cryotherapy and the use of psychedelics. One episode focused on female pleasure and that apparently inspired Paltrow to make a second series centering entirely on sex and relationships.
Over the course of six episodes, Paltrow meets with couples in a group setting, then sends individual couples off with an expert to delve into their particular issues — whether it’s attraction, communication or repression. The experts offer a number of ideas for treatment, such as experimenting with sex toys or talking through past traumas.
Streaming now on Netflix
The Bachelorette season 18 (ABC)
If it feels like the Bachelor Cinematic Universe has been in constant motion lately, it’s because this year has brought four different seasons of the franchise nearly back-to-back. Matt James’ Bachelor installment yielded to Katie Thurston’s time as Bachelorette, which was followed by Bachelor in Paradise. Now, we’ve got a second season of The Bachelorette with Michelle Young.
Bachelor Nation members can be forgiven if they feel a bit exhausted. Hopefully, they can take a rose-flavored shot of adrenaline because Michelle is truly the lead they deserve. She’s genuine and gorgeous and really seems to have her shit together. Her cast of men might be the most diverse yet (and strong enough that one of them has already been chosen as the next Bachelor). Plus, her season is the first to get back to traveling. After a few weeks at a resort, Michelle and her suitors will head to her home state of Minnosota.
The Bachelorette two-hour episodes air weekly on Tuesdays. (How to watch The Bachelorette 2021 online)
Streaming now via Hulu