Fall is just around the corner, and the best streaming services are already raking in plenty of great new movies to catch over the weekend. But with so many options to choose from, narrowing down what to watch can quickly become another headache you don't need when you're trying to unwind.
That's why Tom's Guide is here to highlight the best of the best, so you don't waste your precious streaming time with a dud. Leading the pack this week is the heartwarming intergalactic tale "Elio," the latest animated movie from Disney's Pixar, on Disney Plus. James Gunn and Peter Safran’s first swing at the DCU, "Superman," also just flew onto HBO Max.
For me, though, "28 Years Later" is clearly the correct choice for what to watch this weekend. Regardless of which side you fall on for its wild ending, it perfectly captures the gritty look and tone of the original for a heart-pounding ride. If horror movies aren't your jam, you can also catch the breezy biopic "Swiped" about a trailblazer of modern dating culture on Hulu or Netflix's latest documentary "Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story," which delivers bombshell after bombshell about a headline-making royal romance.
So without further ado, let's dive into the best movies to watch this weekend that just landed on streaming. For even more streaming recommendations, be sure to check out our guide to the best new TV shows on streaming platforms this week.
‘Elio’ (Disney Plus)
Pixar's latest animated adventure, "Elio," fell flat at the box office, a trend the animation giant has struggled to shake off since the early days of the pandemic. And that's a crying shame, as I thought it had plenty of heart and much more charm than Disney's latest soulless live-action reboot, "Lilo and Stitch."
"Elio" follows the titular 11-year-old (voiced by Yonas Kibreab), an alien-obsessed kid being raised by his aunt on a military base after losing his parents. His dream of getting abducted comes true one evening when he's accidentally beamed up by an interplanetary coalition that mistakes him for Earth’s official ambassador. As he tries to keep from blowing his cover, he finds himself thrown headfirst into a high-stakes interstellar incident. It’s a heartfelt tale of self-discovery and courage that anyone who's ever struggled to find their "people" can relate to.
Watch "Elio" now on Disney Plus
'Superman' (HBO Max)
I'll be the first to admit I'm not the Man of Steel's biggest fan. Barring the two seconds he turned evil in "Justice League," he's just always seemed more one-note than his MCU counterparts. But all the good things I've heard about "Superman," which launches James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe, have me eager to check it out now that it's on streaming. Who knows, maybe a superdog is just the missing ingredient I needed to understand the hype.
Like the MCU's "Spider-Man" films, "Superman" skips the origin story and dives straight into the drama as David Corenswet’s Superman finds himself branded a villain. Leading the charge against him is the scheming technocrat Lex Luthor, played by Nicholas Hoult in his second most punchable role (after "The Menu," of course). With Lois Lane (Rachael Brosnahan) and Krypto the Superdog at his side, Superman sets out to remind the world why it still needs him — and superheroes in general.
Watch "Superman" now on HBO Max
‘Swiped’ (Hulu)
From the trailer, "Swiped" strikes me as "The Social Network" for the next generation. This dramatized biopic charts the stunning rise of another social media maverick, Whitney Wolfe Herd (Lily James), the dating-app trailblazer who co-founded Tinder before launching Bumble. But before she became the youngest self-made woman billionaire, she started in the same spot as a lot of Silicon Valley hopefuls: a fresh college grad diving headfirst into a hot new tech incubator.
When a romance with co-worker Justin (Jackson White) unravels, Whitney finds herself forced out of the company. Rather than tanking her career, it turns out to be just a stumbling block when she teams up with entrepreneur Andrey Andreev (Dan Stevens) to launch Bumble, the dating app where women make the first move. Equal parts corporate drama and personal journey, "Swiped" looks like a must-watch for fans of sharp, character-driven biopics.
Watch "Swiped" now on Hulu
‘28 Years Later’ (Netflix)
I'd been waiting decades for "28 Years Later" to emerge from development hell and onto the big screen, and it was worth the wait — even if "28 Weeks Later" is still the high point of the series for me. (Listen, no outbreak story is ever gonna top "abandoned mom gets revenge on her POS husband in the sickest way possible," as far as I'm concerned.)
As you may have guessed from the title, "28 Years Later" picks up nearly three decades after the Rage virus turned the British Isles into a zombie-infested wasteland. With the rest of the world abandoning them to their fate, the last survivors huddle in shrinking enclaves. On a fortified island just off the mainland, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) struggles to care for his son Spike (Alfie Williams) and his bedridden wife Isla (Jodie Comer). When Jamie takes Spike on a coming-of-age journey to the mainland, they make the terrifying discovery that the virus has mutated, and the infected are deadlier than ever.
Watch "28 Years Later" now on Netflix
'Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story'
This summer has been a high mark for Netflix documentaries, and "Tiger King's" Rebecca Chaiklin returns for another immensely bingeable tale. This time about the headline-making romance between Märtha Louise, the eldest daughter of the king of Norway, and Durek Verrett, a self-proclaimed shaman from America whose eccentric personality and conspiracy-laced views have stirred up plenty of controversy back home.
But this isn't your typical commoner meets royalty whirlwind romance. Though their relationship has been painted as a royal scandal, in reality, Louise seems just as unconventional as her partner, which makes them oddly well-matched. "Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story" goes beyond the gossip, diving into the couple's day-to-day life and recasting their much-scrutinized relationship into a testament to love's resilience.
Watch 'Rebel Royals' now on Netflix
'Americana' (PVOD)
Sydney Sweeney may have been making headlines all year, but that notoriety wasn't enough to keep her crime thriller "Americana" from bombing in theaters. She stars as Penny, a stuttering waitress with dreams of becoming a country music star, who teams up with Lefty (Hauser), a heartbroken military vet, to steal a rare Native American artifact. But their plan quickly spirals into chaos when a dangerous criminal (Eric Dane) also has eyes on their big score.
Despite a promising premise and solid critical reception, "Americana" struggled to draw audiences. While it's been on my radar and looks worth watching, I'd probably wait for it to hit a streaming service rather than pay for it on VOD. But if you really have a taste for crime thrillers, check out the best of what Netflix has to offer.
Buy or rent "Americana" on Amazon or Apple now
'Cobweb' (Netflix)
Spooky season is almost here, and Netflix's latest horror movie "Cobweb" is "the creepier cousin of 'Coraline,'" as our streaming writer Alix Blackburn so aptly put it. Both are eerie fever dreams that show domestic settings through a child's perspective, transforming the mundane into nightmare fuel. "Cobweb" follows 8-year-old Peter (Woody Norman), a quiet boy living under the strict watch of his overly protective parents, Carol (Lizzy Caplan) and Mark (Antony Starr). One night, Peter begins to hear knocking sounds coming from inside the walls of his bedroom, which his parents dismiss as an overactive imagination.
Except the sounds don't stop. Soon, Peter starts to communicate with a voice claiming to be trapped within the walls of his home. Even more unsettling is what it's telling him: That his parents are hiding some disturbing secrets. As Peter’s trust in his parents erodes, he’s forced to confront the horrifying possibility that his home may be far more dangerous than he ever imagined.
Watch "Cobweb" now on Netflix
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