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It’s another great weekend for streaming services, with the Ana de Armas-led Netflix thriller, Blonde, fronting the newcomers alongside a highly anticipated sequel to Disney’s classic fantasy comedy, Hocus Pocus.
Subscribers to Prime Video, Apple TV Plus and HBO Max can join in too, thanks to the addition of Jungle, The Greatest Beer Run Ever and Hostages in the coming days.
Below, we’ve rounded up seven of the biggest new movies, TV shows, and documentaries to sink your teeth into as we say goodbye to September.
Blonde (Netflix)
It’s only been out in the wild for a few days, but Andrew Dominik’s controversial Netflix film Blonde has already caused quite a stir on social media.
Based on Joyce Carol Oates’ novel of the same name, the film loosely chronicles the meteoric rise to fame — and equally uncompromising demise — of Marilyn Monroe (Ana De Armas) in the 1950s and 1960s. It’s not a biopic per se, but instead plays like a psychological horror in which Monroe is the troubled protagonist; a young star, haunted by her past, struggles to break free from an industry that tries to control her.
Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Xavier Samuel and Julianne Nicholson also star in Blonde, which we described in our review as “a brutal journey through the life of a Hollywood icon”.
Now streaming on Netflix.
Hocus Pocus 2 (Disney Plus)
Hocus Pocus 2, Disney’s highly anticipated sequel and reboot of the 1993 classic, is now available to stream on Disney Plus.
Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker all reprise their roles as a third of the Sanderson Sisters, a trio of child-hungry witches who, after being accidentally returned to modern-day Salem, must find a way into their new world.
The critical reception of Hocus Pocus 2 has been fairly unanimous thus far, with most reviewers describing it as a harmless, largely insignificant sequel that is likely to please at least existing Hocus Pocus fans.
Now available to stream on Disney Plus.
Entergalactic (Netflix)
Who says Netflix is no longer pushing creative boundaries?
Entergalactic, an animated accompaniment to the new album of the same name by rapper Kid Cudi, plays the artist himself as an artist who moves into his dream apartment in New York, but his ambitions are complicated by an encounter with an unexpected love interest (Jessica Williams).
This long Netflix special shares an animation style with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and features supporting turns from Timothée Chalamet, Vanessa Hudgens, Jaden Smith, Macaulay Culkin and many more. It looks intriguing to say the least.
Now streaming on Netflix.
Industry Season 2 (BBC iPlayer)
After landing on HBO Max, the second season of HBO’s critically acclaimed drama series with major financial resources, in August, Industryis finally coming to BBC iPlayer in the UK.
Two years after the show’s first season, new episodes show young investment bankers Yasmin (Marisa Abela), Harper (Myha’la Herrold), and Robert (Harry Lawtey) grappling with the pressures of work, their relationships and the global pandemic at a prestigious London finance company.
A potent blend of Euphoria and Succession, Industry’s first season has been praised for its sharp writing style and bold story choices – and in every way Season 2 continues in the same vein.
Now available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
The Biggest Beer Run Ever (Apple TV Plus)
Zac Efron returns to the (small) screen in Apple TV Plus’ beautiful new movie, The Greatest Beer Run Ever.
Based on the real-life novel of the same name by John “Chickie” Donohue, the film chronicles the author’s extraordinary (but ill-advised) quest to supply beer to Marines on the front lines of the Vietnam War. Efron stars as Donohue, with Russell Crowe, Bill Murray, Jake Picking and Will Ropp in tow as supporting cast.
Sadly, The Greatest Beer Run Ever hasn’t been as well-received as director Peter Farrelly’s previous films — we called the film “ungraspably and painfully simplistic” in our review — but it looks like a mildly fun tale of booze and brotherhood nonetheless.
Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus.
Jungle (prime video)
If you want to enjoy something different this weekend, Prime Video’s Jungle might be the series for you.
Not to be confused with the Daniel Radcliffe thriller of the same name (which incidentally also streams on Prime Video), this six-episode show follows the overlapping stories of different strangers living in inner-city London. The twist, though, is that these stories are set to various rap, grime, and drill scores from artists like Big Narstie, Unknown T, Tinie Tempah, and IAMDDB.
Critical reception for Jungle has been fairly mixed so far, but like Entergalactic (above), the series seems poised to please music fans of any generation. All six episodes are now available to stream.
Now available to stream on Prime Video.
Hostages (HBO Max)
This week’s documentary pick is Hostages, yet another de facto HBO production (like last week’s Escape From Kabul) turning heads in 2022.
This four-part docuseries goes back to the Iran hostage crisis of 1979, in which more than 60 Americans were held captive in the US embassy in Tehran for 444 days. Combining never-before-seen archival footage and interviews with both the hostages and the hostage-takers, Hostages appears to provide the definitive account of an event that still has political resonance today.
The series is released weekly to HBO cable viewers, but Hostages can now be streamed in its entirety on HBO Max. We expect it to appear on Sky and Now for UK viewers in the coming weeks.
Now available to stream on HBO Max.