Beat the heat with a sizzling slate of new TV shows and movies to watch this weekend on Netflix, Apple TV Plus, Prime Video and more streaming services. There’s something for everyone, from a murder-mystery comedy to a teen romance to a sci-fi epic.
The slate includes three shows returning for their second seasons: The Afterparty, The Summer I Turned Pretty and Foundation. Plus, What We Do in the Shadows season 5 brings back Staten Island's best vampires for more fang-tastic escapades.
On the movie side, Bird Box Barcelona takes the dystopian horror tale to Europe. Here's our guide on what to watch this weekend. And be sure to check out our guide to all the top new movies to watch this week as well.
TV Premieres
The Afterparty season 2 (Apple TV Plus)
The murder mystery/comedy has experienced a boom in the last couple of years, as streamers eagerly present shows that allow true crime aficionados to have a (dark) laugh. Like The White Lotus, The Afterparty is a quasi-anthology that carries over some characters.
In season 2, Detective Danner (Tiffany Haddish) is back on the case when the groom is murdered at a wedding. And look who’s involved: her old pals Aniq (Sam Richardson) and Zoë (Zoë Chao) from the first season. Danner will have to figure out whodunnit by questioning family members, exes and business partners, and hearing each suspect’s retelling of the weekend, each with their own unique perspective and visual style.
Streaming now on Apple TV Plus
What We Do in the Shadows season 5 (FX)
One of the funniest shows on television is back! The vampires of Staten Island are ready for new adventures, including a trip to the mall. All sorts of hijinks await, like Nandor (Kayvan Novak) trying to use a cutout of Ryan Seacrest as a coupon.
The major storyline through this season is the ongoing quest by Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) to get his fangs. Last we saw, he had paid a vamp to turn him, yet the process seems to be moving very, very slowly. He can’t fly or turn into a bat yet! Laszlo (Matt Berry) mentors him, which just makes Nandor jealous. Meanwhile, Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) is at loose ends after her nightclub closed and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) decides to run for comptroller. Watch out, New York City.
Streaming now via Hulu
The Summer I Turned Pretty season 2 (Prime Video)
Belly may be summer lovin’, but she isn’t always having a blast. She used to look forward to her time at Cousins Beach, but now she’s torn between brothers Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno). Oh, what’s an attractive teen girl to do when two hotties are vying for her heart?
Their love triangle is actually the last of their concerns, since the boys’ mom Susannah (Rachel Blanchard) is battling cancer again. Plus, an unexpected visitor casts a dark cloud over the future of the beach house. Belly must rally their families and friends to keep their paradise.
Streaming now on Prime Video
Foundation season 2 (Apple TV Plus)
The television adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s book series is veering off page in season 2. Showrunner David S. Goyer has openly talked about having the weight of exposition lifted off the writers’ shoulders. Now, they can dig into the juicy stuff — including romance.
Set more than a century after the season 1 finale, the story picks up with tensions roiling the galaxy. The Cleon clones are unraveling and Brother Day (Lee Pace) decides to upend tradition by creating a family through procreation. The vengeful Queen Sareth (Ella-Rae Smith) plots to take down the Empire from within, while Hari (Jared Harris) and his allies discover a colony of people with the ability to change psychohistory.
Streaming now on Apple TV Plus
Survival of the Thickest (Netflix)
The always hilarious Michelle Buteau knocks it out of the park with everything she does, whether it’s hosting The Circle or anchoring a podcast or stealing scenes as a supporting character in rom-coms. Now, she’s fully in the spotlight as an actress in this comedy based on her acclaimed book of essays.
Mavis Beaumont is a Black, plus-sized, newly single stylist who has to rebuild her life. She is determined to not only survive, a la Gloria Gaynor, but thrive. She has support from her chosen family, a body positive attitude and some damn cute clothes.
Streaming now on Netflix
Project Greenlight: A New Generation (Max)
Over 20 years ago, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon first gave us a peek behind the curtains at movie-making with the docu-series Project Greenlight. Now, a reboot is doing the same, but with a focus on the next generation of talented female filmmakers. And this time, as producer Issa Rae has put it, they’re going to make a great film.
Rae, Kumail Nanjiani and Gina Prince-Bythewood serve as mentors to director Meko Winbush, who was hand-picked from thousands of applicants, as she makes the sci-fi thriller Gray Matter. Like the previous incarnations of the show, we follow along as Winbush casts, shoots and and later edits the movie with all the usual obstacles along the way.
Streaming now on Max
Movie Premieres
Bird Box Barcelona (Netflix)
Remember in the olden days of 2018 when the Sandra Bullock post-apocalyptic thriller Bird Box captivated our eyeballs with its tale of people walking around blindly to avoid seeing monsters? Well, now it’s got a Spanish spinoff.
Not much is different about the new version. It’s basically the same story on a different continent. Sebastián (Mario Casas) and daughter Anna (Alejandra Howard) are trying to survive after the crisis has decimated the world. As they form alliances with others, Sebastián grapples with inner demons that haunt him.
Streaming now on Netflix
