7 new movies and TV shows to stream on Netflix, Prime Video, Max, and more this weekend (May 17)
Catch Madame Web, Bridgerton, The Big Cigar, and more
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When it comes to offering new movies and TV shows to stream, not all weekends are created equal. This weekend, for instance, there are no less than three (three!) documentaries in our seven-entry list of recommendations, which speaks to the lack of headline-grabbing new titles available on the likes ofNetflix,Prime VideoandMax.
That’s not to say there’s absolutely nothing new to stream, mind. US Netflix subscribers can enjoy (or endure) Sony’s latestMarvel movie,Madame Web, whileThe Big CigarandOuter Rangeseason 2 begin streaming onApple TV Plusand Prime Video, respectively.
Below, we’ve rounded up the biggest new movies and TV shows to stream on Netflix, Prime Video, Max, and more this weekend.
Madame Web (Netflix)
You’d be forgiven for deliberately missingMadame Webduring its headline-grabbing theatrical run in February, but if curiosity gets the better of you this weekend,Sony’s latestMarvelmovie is now available to stream on Netflix in the US.
ThisSpider-Man-adjacent movie stars Dakota Johnson as a New York City paramedic-turned-precognitive mutant whose newfound clairvoyance leads her to three endangered young women. Sydney Sweeney, Adam Scott, Emma Roberts and Tahar Rahim also star.
We don’t need to tell you how poorly receivedMadame Webwas upon its theatrical release earlier this year – let’s just say it’s definitleynotone of thebest Netflix moviesof the year – but superhero fans will surely findsomedegree of enjoyment in this comic book-inspired adventure.
Now available to stream on Netflix in the US.
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Bridgerton season 3 part 1 (Netflix)
The long-awaited third season of one of thebest Netflix shows,Bridgerton, begins streaming on the world’sbest streaming servicethis weekend. We say ‘begins’, becauseBridgertonseason 3 is being split into two parts, with the second arriving on June 13.
Season 3’s first four episodes center on the will-they-won’t-they romance between Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and her longtime crush Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), though series favorites including Simone Ashley, Golda Rosheuvel and Jonathan Bailey remain part of the furniture.
Critics have describedBridgertonseason 3 as “more lush and enticing than audiences might remember,” so existing series fans will no doubt find plenty of debaucherous drama to enjoy here.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
The Big Cigar (Apple TV Plus)
AppleTV Plus’ latest history-inspired production comes in the form ofThe Big Cigar.
This six-episode miniseries recounts the true story of how Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton (André Holland) fled to Cuba with the help of Hollywood producer Bert Schneider (Alessandro Nivola) to evade capture by the FBI in the 1970s.
The first two episodes ofThe Big Cigar– which critics have described as “dynamic and punchy” – are now streaming on Apple TV Plus. The remaining four installments are due to land weekly every Friday through June 14.
Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus.
Outer Range season 2 (Prime Video)
DuneandMarvel moviestar Josh Brolin returns to hisNo Country for Old Menroots in the second season of Prime Video’s western-style thriller seriesOuter Range.
Here’s the synopsis for the new season’s opening episode: “In the aftermath of the bison stampede [don’t ask], the Abbott family is more fractured than ever. Royal and Cecilia confront some difficult truths as they fight to keep their family together, while the Tillersons promise revenge against the Abbotts.”
Sure, that won’t make a lick of sense to anyone who hasn’t seen the first season ofOuter Range, but it sounds like existing series fans have plenty of Wyoming-based action to look forward to in the show’s new episodes.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Power (Netflix)
The first of three documentary picks on this week’s list of recommendations isPoweron Netflix.
This feature-length film sees director Yance Ford – whose 2017 crime documentaryStrong Islandwas nominated for an Academy Award – return to the subject of American policing to ask the question: are cops a corrective force necessary to combat criminals?
Critics have said thatPower“could just as easily have benefited from the docuseries treatment” but still manages to “land plenty of hard truths and harder questions.” By the sounds of things, then, this Sundance-selected feature could be one of this year’sbest Netflix documentaries.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
99 (Prime Video)
Soccer fans (and, in particular, Manchester United fans): this one’s for you.
Through a combination of archive footage and never-before-seen interviews with key figures including Alex Ferguson, Paul Scholes and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Prime Video’s99tells the incredible story of United’s incredible treble-winning season in 1998/99.
This new sports documentary has been dubbed “a superb piece of work” by critics, so anyone who enjoyed the historical thrills of Netflix’sThe Last Danceshould give99a go.
Now available to stream on Prime Video.
Spacey Unmasked (Max)
Having sparked news headlines and a reaction from Kevin Spacey himself upon its release in the UK last week, new documentarySpacey Unmaskedis now streaming on Max.
This two-hour special takes a microscope to the allegations (both old and new) made against the titular actor, drawing testimony from several accusers as well as members of Spacey’s family.
Critics have describedSpacey Unmaskedas “far more than a did-he-didn’t-he exposé”, so perhaps this film provides a more balanced account of events than it first may seem to.
Now available to stream on Max.
For more streaming coverage, check out our guides on thebest Disney Plus movies,best Netflix films,new Prime Video moviesandnew Max films.
Axel is TechRadar’s UK-based Phones Editor, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest AI breakthroughs as part of the site’s Mobile Computing vertical. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion.
Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.
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