6 Must-Stream Movies and Shows This Weekend on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus and More (December 12–14)
Whodunits and demigods rule the queue this week, as a new Knives Out mystery and the return of Percy Jackson lead the must-watch streaming lineup.
Big weekend for couch time. If you want new movies and shows to ride into Christmas with, the streamers did not skimp: Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, Max, Apple TV Plus, and Hulu all dropped something worth a look. Murder puzzles, teen quests, dog-parent rom-coms, a clown you do not want to meet in a sewer, and yes, high-octane race cars. Here is the quick hit list before we get into the good stuff.
- F1: The Movie (Apple TV Plus) – worldwide, Dec 12
- Wake Up, Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix) – worldwide, Dec 12
- Merv (Prime Video) – worldwide, Dec 10
- Neighbourhood Watch aka Neighborhood Watch (Hulu) – US, Dec 12
- Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2 (Disney Plus) – worldwide, Dec 10
- It: Welcome to Derry season finale (Max) – US, Dec 14
New movies
F1: The Movie (Apple TV Plus)
Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) points the camera at Formula One and bolts the throttle down. This one was a big box office hit earlier in the year and now it is on streaming, which means you can feel that engine-in-your-chest vibe without leaving the couch. Also: star power everywhere.
Brad Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a 1990s F1 driver whose career went off a cliff after a brutal crash. Years later, team owner and old friend Ruben (Javier Bardem) pulls Sonny back in to mentor a rookie phenom, Joshua 'Noah' Pearce (Damson Idris), for the Apex Grand Prix team (APXGP). Expect slick racing, big personalities, and the kind of paddock access that makes real F1 fans a little jealous.
Streaming worldwide on Apple TV Plus from Dec 12.
Wake Up, Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix)
Rian Johnson is back with round three of Benoit Blanc sleuthing, and the setup is deliciously audacious. During an Easter service in the small town of Chimney Rock, Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin) is killed in front of a full congregation. Father Jud (Josh O'Connor) teams up with Blanc (Daniel Craig) to pick apart what looks impossible on paper.
The suspect pool is stacked: Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), Wicks' devoted right-hand; local doctor Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner); razor-edged attorney Vera Draven (Kerry Washington); fallen bestseller Lee Ross (Andrew Scott); retired concert cellist Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny); up-and-coming politico Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack); and groundskeeper Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church). It is a prime holiday crowd-pleaser if you like accusing your family members mid-movie.
Streaming worldwide on Netflix from Dec 12.
Merv (Prime Video)
Charlie Cox and Zooey Deschanel headline a very modern rom-com that asks the real question: after a breakup, who gets the dog?
'When their beloved dog Merv loses his spark after their split, Anna and Russ are forced into the world's most awkward co-parenting arrangement. Hoping to shake Merv out of his funk, Russ takes him to Florida for a much-needed getaway — only for Anna to show up unexpectedly. As Merv slowly gets his groove back, turns out fixing their dog's broken heart may lead to a few sparks of their own.'
Yes, the dog is the emotional center. Yes, there is sun, sand, and exes trying very hard not to admit what is obvious to everyone else. Feels like a pre-holiday comfort watch.
Streaming worldwide on Prime Video from Dec 10.
Neighbourhood Watch (Hulu)
Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Jack Quaid pair up for a scruffy, odd-couple caper with a 1970s-thriller heartbeat. It is running a decent 70% on Rotten Tomatoes, which tracks for this kind of shaggy, character-first mystery.
The hook: a young man with mental illness believes he sees an abduction; the cops shrug; he turns to his neighbor, a bitter ex-security guard, to help find the missing woman. Expect grumpy mentorship, bad decisions, and two leads chewing their way through a tense small-town puzzle. Minor quirk: you will see the title spelled both 'Neighbourhood Watch' and 'Neighborhood Watch' depending on where you look; the Hulu listing is the one that matters here.
Streaming in the US on Hulu from Dec 12.
New TV shows
Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2 (Disney Plus)
Percy is back, and Disney is not treating this like a fling. Season 2 adapts Rick Riordan's The Sea of Monsters, and season 3 is already confirmed, so settle in.
This time, Percy heads into the Sea of Monsters to rescue his best friend Grover and track down the Golden Fleece, which might be the only thing that can save Camp Half-Blood. Annabeth is in, Clarisse is in, and so is Percy's cyclops half-brother, Tyson. Meanwhile, Luke and the Titan Kronos are gearing up to take a swing at the camp and, ultimately, Olympus. Teen fantasy adventure boxes: all checked.
Streaming worldwide on Disney Plus from Dec 10.
It: Welcome to Derry season finale (Max)
The prequel series to Andy Muschietti's It films hits its finale this Sunday, and it is aiming for a full-on bloodbath. The show pulls from the interludes in Stephen King's novel, digging into Derry's cursed history and stashing King Easter eggs in almost every episode. And yes, Bill Skarsgard returns as Pennywise — the season makes you wait for it, but the payoff lands.
Set 27 years before the first It movie, the story follows Mike's grandparents, Charlotte (Taylour Paige) and Leroy (Jovan Adepo), after they move to Derry and befriend Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk) — the same Dick Hallorann from The Shining. It is a neat connective thread for King fans and a grim reminder that Derry has always been wrong.
Streaming in the US on Max from Dec 14.