6 Can't-Miss New Shows and Movies Streaming This Week on Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video, and More (December 8–14)
Benoit Blanc is back, and trouble is already monogrammed. The suave sleuth wades into a glittering new tangle of lies and alibis, where the suspects are rich, the stakes are lethal, and every clue cuts both ways.
Holiday season means the streamers are turning the volume up. This week: Benoit Blanc is back on Netflix, Percy Jackson dives into his next quest, Pennywise-adjacent terror wraps its first season, a vengeful comedy sharpens its claws, a legendary mockumentary band returns for one last gig, and a Doctor Who spin-off splashes down in the UK first. Here are the ones actually worth your time.
This week at a glance
- Wake Up Dead Man (Netflix, US/UK)
- Percy Jackson & the Olympians season 2 (Disney Plus, US/UK)
- Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (HBO Max, US)
- The Revenge Club (Paramount Plus, US)
- IT: Welcome to Derry season finale (HBO Max in the US, NOW TV in the UK)
- The War Between the Land and the Sea (BBC iPlayer in the UK now; Disney Plus internationally in the new year)
Wake Up Dead Man (Netflix)
Daniel Craig’s super-sleuth Benoit Blanc returns for the third Knives Out mystery, and this time the case is a doozy: an apparently impossible murder of a high-ranking Catholic priest. The suspect pool is stacked as usual, with Josh O'Connor, Cailee Spaeny, Andrew Scott, Glenn Close, and Jeremy Renner all in the mix. Early buzz says this is a big rebound after the hit-and-miss Glass Onion — a slightly more serious tone, a more fully sketched Blanc, and still ferociously fun. Honestly, prime family viewing for the holidays... if you can wait that long. Streaming in the US and UK on Netflix.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians season 2 (Disney Plus)
Season 1 was a monster hit for Disney Plus, and the new season aims to bottle lightning twice with The Sea of Monsters. Percy (Walker Scobell) heads out on a risky mission to save his friend Grover (Aryan Simhadri) and find a way to protect Camp Half-Blood itself. It sticks close to Rick Riordan’s books, and the young cast remains charming — a clear step up from the old movie takes. Episodes roll out weekly, so this one will carry you through the holidays. Streaming in the US and UK on Disney Plus.
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (HBO Max)
The loudest mockumentary band returns for a long-promised encore. Decades after the original film, Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) reunite for one last show. Expect rock cliches turned up to, yes, 11, a parade of famous faces (including Paul McCartney and Elton John), and plenty of glorious stupidity. Reviews have been mixed, but fans will want to check in on the lads. Bonus: the immortal original This Is Spinal Tap also hits HBO Max on December 12. Streaming in the US on HBO Max.
The Revenge Club (Paramount Plus)
Adapted from J.D. Pennington’s novel The Othello Club, this dark comedy starts as a divorce support group and quickly veers into... less therapeutic territory. The members begin plotting — and executing — revenge on the people who wronged them, with schemes that escalate from cathartic to genuinely dangerous. The cast is strong across the board, with Martin Compston, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, and Meera Syal making mischief look like a team sport. Streaming in the US on Paramount Plus.
"Revenge is a dish best served cold."
Look, if you’re going to quote a Klingon proverb, at least back it up with a plan.
IT: Welcome to Derry season finale (HBO Max / NOW TV)
Clown season ends here. After a strong run that kept growing in scope and confidence, the prequel series is headed for its climactic showdown. If you saw episode 7, you know they took a bold swing by reimagining a memorable moment from Stephen King’s novel — no spoilers, but it set the table for a finale with real teeth. The creative team has a multi-season roadmap in mind, each year digging deeper into Derry’s cursed history, so expect answers and new questions. Streaming on HBO Max in the US and on NOW TV in the UK.
The War Between the Land and the Sea (BBC iPlayer; Disney Plus later)
This Doctor Who spin-off is in a weird spot release-wise: UK viewers can watch now on BBC iPlayer, but the international Disney Plus rollout won’t happen until sometime in the new year. The show zeroes in on humanity’s messiest relationship — the ocean — when a race of sea-dwelling creatures arrives furious about what we’ve done to their home. The ecological themes are front and center, but it still moves like a sharp, accessible sci-fi thriller. And to be clear: the Doctor is entirely absent; you don’t need to know anything about his adventures to dive in. The first two episodes are streaming now, two more land on Sunday, and the finale drops December 21.