Big weekend for streaming. The long wait in Hawkins is finally over (well, part of it), there is a freshly restored music doc with a new chapter, and a horror riff on Cinderella that is way gnarlier than you think. Here is what actually looks worth your couch time across Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Apple TV Plus, and Hulu.
New TV this weekend
Stranger Things season 5, part 1 (Netflix)
The endgame begins. Netflix just dropped the first chunk of Stranger Things season 5, the show’s fifth and final run. This initial batch is out now, with more rolling in during the holidays: part 2 hits on December 25 and part 3 on December 31. Expect a bigger, darker push against Vecna, a town under lockdown, and the government once again laser-focused on Eleven. Also in the mix: Terminator legend Linda Hamilton.
"Scarred by the opening of the Rifts, our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna."
Translation: Vecna has ghosted, military quarantine turns Hawkins into a pressure cooker, Eleven gets driven back into hiding, and the clock ticks toward the anniversary of Will’s disappearance. The vibe is very last stand, full party required.
Streaming worldwide on November 26.
The Beatles Anthology (Disney Plus)
The 1995 landmark doc series just got a full restoration and a new home on Disney Plus, and Disney slipped in a brand-new episode 9. That extra chapter includes never-before-seen footage of Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr reuniting 15 years after John Lennon’s death to shape the series and look back on what they built. No narrator, no third-party talking heads — it’s the band telling their story themselves, which is exactly why this holds up.
Streaming worldwide on November 26.
Pluribus episode 5 (Apple TV Plus)
Five episodes in and, yes, Pluribus is already one of 2025’s best new series. Vince Gilligan’s latest swings big — he has said it is bigger than anything he has made — and the show earns the claim. Think Twilight Zone energy: Rhea Seehorn plays Carol Sturka, dubbed the most miserable person on Earth and somehow one of the few who can stop a virus that forces people into permanent happiness. That’s all you need before episode 5 lands.
Streaming worldwide on November 26.
New movies this weekend
The Ugly Stepsister (Hulu)
The fairy-tale-turned-horror trend has been... uneven. This one works. Writer-director Emilie Blichfeldt leans into why bedtime stories were always a little creepy and threads in a sharp jab at beauty myths. Lea Myren stars as Elvira, stuck in a kingdom where looks rule everything. She preps for a royal ball to win the prince, then realizes she cannot compete with her dazzling stepsister — yes, that stepsister, Cinderella — and goes to extreme, gross lengths to become the belle of the ball. It is pointed, nasty, and surprisingly smart.
Streaming in the US on November 25.
Mickey 17 (Prime Video)
After Parasite, Bong Joon Ho pivoted to a satirical sci-fi that plays closer to Okja’s oddball heart than to awards-season bait, adapting Edward Ashton’s novel Mickey7. The box office was softer than expected earlier this year, so now’s your chance at home. Robert Pattinson leads a killer cast with Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette, and Naomi Ackie. Pattinson plays Mickey Barnes, an expendable on a mission to colonize the planet Niflheim — he takes on the suicide jobs, dies, and gets reprinted. The glitch: Mickey 17 is presumed dead, Mickey 18 is born, and both exist at once. Awkward does not begin to cover it.
Streaming worldwide on November 26.
Flight Risk (HBO Max)
Want a lean, airplane-in-peril thriller that does not pretend to be anything else? This is it. Mel Gibson directs, Mark Wahlberg plays a pilot with secrets, and Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery is the Air Marshal escorting a fugitive across the Alaskan wilderness. Tensions spike, identities blur, and the scenery does a lot of heavy lifting. Not the best thriller you will ever see, but solid dumb fun for a chilly night.
Streaming in the US on November 26.
Dates and where to watch (quick hits)
- Nov 25: The Ugly Stepsister - Hulu (US)
- Nov 26: Stranger Things S5 Part 1 - Netflix (Worldwide)
- Nov 26: The Beatles Anthology - Disney Plus (Worldwide), includes new episode 9
- Nov 26: Pluribus episode 5 - Apple TV Plus (Worldwide)
- Nov 26: Mickey 17 - Prime Video (Worldwide)
- Nov 26: Flight Risk - HBO Max (US)
And if you are still catching up on 2025 highlights, keep Andor season 2, Netflix’s Adolescence, and KPop Demon Hunters on your list. December is coming in hot.