7 new movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and more this weekend (December 16)
It’s been a bumper week for big screen entertainment news. James Cameron’s long-awaited Avatar sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, finally splashed into theaters, Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse got an amazing first trailer and Henry Cavill’s Superman was forced to hang up his cape once and for all.
It’s fitting, then, that this weekend’s streaming recommendations are headlined by a pair of movies whose theatrical runs haven’t even ended yet – if you’re in the US, both Black Adam and The Banshees of Inisherin are now available to stream on HBO Max.
There’s plenty more to watch elsewhere, too, and below, we’ve rounded up seven of the biggest new movies and TV shows available to stream on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus and more this weekend.
Black Adam (HBO Max)
Thank the gods! Having hit theaters worldwide less than two months ago, Black Adam is now available to stream on HBO Max in the US.
This Dwayne Johnson-starring superhero flick follows the titular Teth-Adam, a centuries-old Kahndaq native blessed with god-like powers who, after escaping prison, does battle with the modern-day Justice Society: Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) and Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell).
Suffice to say, Black Adam is not one of the best superhero movies ever made – but seeing The Rock toss military planes into the ground never gets old. UK viewers can stream the movie via video-on-demand services like Prime Video.
Now available to stream on HBO Max.
The Banshees of Inisherin (HBO Max)
Another US-exclusive movie heading to HBO Max this weekend is The Banshees of Inisherin, which was released in theaters around the same time as Black Adam.
In Bruges duo Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson reunite for director Martin McDonagh’s fifth feature film, which follows one man’s quest to figure out why his best buddy suddenly put an end to their lifelong friendship on the fictional Irish isle of Insherin (jeez, that’s a mouthful).
The Banshees of Inisherin was near-universally praised for its unusual blend of comedy and tragedy upon release in October, and the movie has been touted a strong contender for next year’s Best Picture Oscar. As mentioned, this one is only available in the US for now, but UK viewers will be able to stream The Banshees of Inisherin on Disney Plus from December 21.
Now available to stream on HBO Max.
1923 (Paramount Plus)
Arriving almost exactly one year after the debut of its previous prequel, 1883, Yellowstone’s next follow-up series, 1923, begins streaming on Paramount Plus from Sunday.
This latest installment in showrunner Taylor Sheridan’s popular Western universe stars Harrison Ford (in his first regular TV role), Helen Mirren, James Badge Dale, Darren Mann and Michelle Randolph as new Dutton characters, and follows the family’s attempts to navigate prohibition and the Great Depression in – you guessed it! – 1923 Montana.
Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) and Timothy Dalton (the James Bond series) also feature in 1923’s eight-episode debut season, so Paramount Plus could have a real gem on its hands here.
Available to stream on Paramount Plus from Sunday.
Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (Netflix)
Oscar-winning director Alejandro González Iñárritu returns with his first feature-length project since 2015’s The Revenant with Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths on Netflix.
This Mexico-set Spanish-language drama centers on a Mexican journalist, Silverio (Daniel Giménez Cacho), who experiences an existential crisis after returning home from Los Angeles having won a prestigious documentary award.
Sure, that synopsis makes Bardo sound a little heavy – and the film’s imposing 150-minute runtime doesn’t help in that regard, either – but history has taught us that Iñárritu’s stories are almost always worth hearing. Might this one break onto our list of the best Netflix movies?
Now available to stream on Netflix.
National Treasure: Edge of History (Disney Plus)
Disney continues its quest to expand every universe in its intellectual property (IP) arsenal this weekend with National Treasure: Edge of History.
This 10-episode series stars Lisette Olivera as Jess, a tenacious dreamer who embarks on a treasure-hunting adventure when her family’s swashbuckling past comes to the fore. Harvey Keitel and Justin Bartha reprise their roles from the National Treasure movies, while Catherine Zeta-Jones joins the show’s ranks as newcomer Billie Pearce.
If you’re already a fan of Disney’s National Treasure series – or even Sony’s Uncharted franchise – then Edge of History will likely feature enough rope-swinging action to keep you hooked (just don’t expect former star Nicolas Cage to appear in any capacity).
Now available to stream on Disney Plus.
Nanny (Prime Video)
Prime Video steps up its awards-chasing game with Nanny, which scooped the top prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
In this psychological horror from first-time writer-director Nikyatu Jusu, Anna Diop stars as a Senegalese immigrant whose days working in Manhattan as a nanny for a young wealthy white woman become haunted by an ominous (read: terrifying) supernatural presence.
Reviews for Nanny have been surprisingly mixed since the film’s Sundance debut, though praise for Diop’s “astonishing performance” has come thick and fast.
Now available to stream on Prime Video.
If These Walls Could Sing (Disney Plus)
This week’s documentary pick is If These Walls Could Sing, which documents the enduring musical legacy of London’s Abbey Road Studios.
Directed by Mary McCartney (yes, that’s Paul McCartney’s daughter), this feature-length film combines interviews, session tapes and never-before-seen archive footage to chronicle nine decades-worth of creative magic. Elton John, Nile Rodgers and members of The Beatles are just some of the names who lend their revealing anecdotes.
Now available to stream on Disney Plus.
