7 new movies and TV shows to stream on Netflix, Prime Video, Max, and more this weekend (December 29)
Merry Christmas everyone, and a Happy New Year! 2024 is just around the corner, but if you're planning on spending the New Year's weekend firmly on the couch, our picks of the best new movies and TV shows to stream should help you see out 2023 with a bang.
Leading the pack this weekend is Emerald Fennell's controversial new thriller Salt burn, which recently landed on Prime Video after making headlines in theaters. Elsewhere, Ncuti Gatwa makes his standalone debut as the titular Time Lord in Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road on Disney Plus, while a new Money theft spinoff, Berlinis now streaming on Netflix.
Below, we've rounded up the seven biggest new movies and TV shows you can stream this weekend on Netflix, Prime Video, Max, and more.
Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road (Disney Plus, BBC iPlayer)
Ncuti Gatwa's solo stint as The Doctor started on Christmas Day, but if you missed the live broadcast: Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road is now streaming on Disney Plus in the US and BBC iPlayer in the UK.
This special holiday episode brings The Doctor's newest companion, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), into the fray, and after a typically Whovian introduction, the pair find themselves on a mission to thwart a horde of baby-stealing goblins.
To avoid spoilers, we'll keep further plot details under wraps, but Doctor who fans can rest assured that Gatwa's first standalone spell as the titular Time Lord will kick things off with a bang.
Now available to stream on Disney Plus.
Saltburn (Prime Video)
After a surprisingly successful cinema screening, Emerald Fennell's new film is released, Salt burnis streaming on Prime Video (it actually became available last weekend, but we couldn't fit it in alongside our other recommendations!).
This Talented Mr. Ripleystyle drama starring Barry Keoghan as Oliver Quick, an Oxford University student whose infatuation with wealthy fellow student Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi) leads to a summer of unbridled debauchery (we'll let you discover the details for yourself).
Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant and Carey Mulligan also star Salt burn, which critics have described as “an obscure class satire, but also a lot of fun.” Perhaps this one deserves a spot on our list of the best Prime Video movies from 2023?
Now available to stream on Prime Video.
Berlin (Netflix)
Pedro Alonso reprises his role as the carefree, sophisticated and slightly psychotic Berlin (aka Andrés de Fonollosa) in the latest Netflix series. Money theft spin-off series, aptly titled Berlin.
This prequel to the streamer's 2017 Spanish-language phenomenon – which also comes from original creator Álex Pina – finds Berlin in Paris as he and a masterful gang of thieves prepare to steal €44 million worth of jewels in one night.
says Pina herself Berlin is “a journey through the character's golden age, when he was robbing like mad across Europe,” so it's safe to expect a fair amount of suspense, romance, and humor from this new Netflix series.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Pokémon Janitor (Netflix)
Pokémon fans, your time has come: a new stop-motion animated series, Pokémon Janitoris now streaming on Netflix.
Set on a tropical Pokémon island resort, this four-episode series centers on Haru, a new hotel concierge who welcomes and interacts with visiting Pokémon and their owners. But as she soon discovers, caring for the likes of Pikachu, Eevee, Magikarp, and Dragonite is no easy task.
Suffice it to say, Pokémon Janitor – a collaborative project between The Pokémon Company and the acclaimed Japanese animators dwarf studios – appears to be the most creative Netflix project since then Pinocchio by Guillermo del Toroso Pokémon fans new and old will find plenty to enjoy here.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Ricky Gervais: Armageddon (Netflix)
Ricky Gervais is understandably a divisive figure, but fans of the British comedian's unbridled style will be pleased to hear that his latest special, Armageddonis now streaming on Netflix.
According to the show's official synopsis, this “taboo-shattering comedy special about the end of humanity” sees Ricky Gervais' “controversial take on political correctness and hypersensitivity.” Standard Ricky Gervais fare.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare (Netflix)
The first of two documentary choices on this week's list is Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare on Netflix, which delves deep into the harrowing true story of an American “wilderness therapy camp” that promised to reform wayward teens.
Former military special forces officer Steve Cartisano founded the Challenger Foundation in the Utah desert in the 1980s, charging $15,900 for the 63-day reform program. However, the foundation was soon closed after multiple allegations of child abuse and negligent homicide following the death of a 16-year-old girl.
What really happened in the desert? That is what Hell Camp: Teen Nightmare promises to reveal – and it looks like it's one of the best Netflix documentaries for some time.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Oprah and the color purple journey (Max)
A new musical adaptation of The color purple is now playing in US theaters (the film is released in Britain on January 26), and Max subscribers can enjoy an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at its development this weekend Oprah and The Color Purple Journey.
Narrated by Oprah herself, who played Sophia in Steven Spielberg's original 1985 film And produced the new version – this feature film celebrates the lasting legacy of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
Now available to stream on Max.