10 New Movies And Shows To Watch This Weekend (Sep 26-27)
El is a Junior TV Features Editor for ScreenRant, with previous experience as The Mary Sue's UK and Weekend Editor. She holds a Bachelor's in International Media and Entertainment Management, as well as an MA and Ph.D. in Creative Writing. There is little she loves more than discussing her favorite TV shows with fellow fans. One day, she hopes to publish an original fantasy novel.
It may be the last weekend of September, but there are plenty of new movies and TV show releases to watch and enjoy. From surprising blockbuster hits making their streaming debut to long-awaited shows returning with new episodes, there's a great mix of genres to choose from, including science fiction, comedy, thrillers, and feel-good reality TV. Guy Ritchie has a returning show on Paramount+. A much-hyped Star Wars-inspired romance is finally available on Prime Video.
Many of the recommendations on this list, including Pixar's latest animated romp and Netflix's fun new reality series, have stormed up the streaming charts, capturing audiences' attention in the US and around the world. So sit back, relax, grab the popcorn, and get ready to neglect any weekend plans. It's time for a binge-watch session.
Toy Story 5
- Streaming service: Disney+
- Genre: Family / Animation
- Runtime: 1h 42m
Pixar's oldest and most beloved franchise is back. This time, iconic toys Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) aren't the central focus. Instead, Toy Story 5 revolves around cowgirl Jessie (Joan Cusack) and her relationship with Bonnie (Scarlett Spears). Rather than fighting a kid's or teen's growing disinterest in toys, the gang is forced to compete with a fancy, shiny new electronic tablet named Lilypad, as the movie explores children's growing dependence on technology and peer pressure.
Toy Story 5 is an incredible return to form for the franchise, earning a massive $1.146 billion at the worldwide box office. Its arrival on Disney+ has helped viewers of all ages rediscover the magic of Toy Story; Toy Story 5 currently holds the top spot on Disney+'s global movie chart, while all four previous installments have likewise re-entered the rankings. Toy Story and Toy Story 2 are in second and third place, respectively.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Season 4)
- Streaming service: Paramount+
- Genre: Sci-Fi
- 10 episodes (full season)
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' fourth and penultimate season came to an exciting close this week on Thursday, September 24, as the spinoff prequel moves ever closer to Star Trek: The Original Series. In the Strange New Worlds season 4 finale, Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) takes center stage as she becomes caught in a classic Star Trek time-warp, doppelgänger plot that reveals what the ship will be like after James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) inevitably takes over as captain of the Enterprise from Anson Mount's Christopher Pike.
It's been a whirlwind of a season for Strange New Worlds, with each episode exploring a new genre or planet. Pike was stuck in a soap opera script. The entire crew became puppets. La'an (Christina Chong) punched a dinosaur. Whatever your favorite genre is, you'll find it in Strange New Worlds season 4. The fifth and final shortened six-episode season has already been filmed and is expected to premiere on Paramount+ next year.
A Different World (Season 1)
- Streaming service: Netflix
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- 10 episodes (full season)
A sequel to the 1980s classic sitcom of the same name (which itself was a spinoff of The Cosby Show), Netflix's A Different World follows freshman student Deborah Wayne (Maleah Joi Moon), the daughter of the original's legacy characters, Whitley Gilbert-Wayne (Jasmine Guy) and Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison), as she embarks on her journey at Hillman College, following in her parents' footsteps.
A Different World isn't a straightforward sitcom, however. It balances comedy and drama in equal measure, as Deborah and her new friends, Rashida (Alijah Kai) and Shaquille (Cornell Young IV), try to find their place in the world and their groove at school. The show doesn't neglect its former cast, however, also showcasing what happened to characters like Ron Johnson (Darryl M. Bell) decades later. The show premiered in full on Netflix on Thursday, September 24, and has already claimed the No. 2 spot on the streamer's Top 10 TV shows chart in the US.
Wonka's The Golden Ticket (Season 1)
- Streaming service: Netflix
- Genre: Reality TV / Game Show
- 7 episodes (more to come)
Netflix has created another hit game show based on a pre-existing property. This time, rather than recreating the harrowing world of Korean thriller Squid Game, Wonka's The Golden Ticket is set in the beloved, colorful world of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. After receiving a titular golden ticket, 12 pairs of contestants enter the factory and compete in Wonka-themed games, puzzles, and physical trials to win a life-changing "lifetime supply of money," or $3 million.
Wonka's The Golden Ticket premiered on Netflix on Wednesday, September 23, and is, at the time of writing, the third most-watched show in the US and fourth worldwide. Who will win the prize? Catch up on the show now to find out when the two-part finale airs on September 30.
The Love Hypothesis
- Streaming service: Prime Video
- Genre: Romance
- Runtime: 1h 50m
The long-anticipated adaptation of Ali Hazelwood's bestselling STEM romance is finally here. Starring Lili Reinhart as PhD candidate Olive Smith and Tom Bateman as Kylo Ren — sorry, Dr. Adam Carlsen — The Love Hypothesis follows an unlikely pair of scientists as they cook up a fake dating scheme, only to inevitably fall in love. Lili wants to convince her best friend Anh (Rachel Marsh) to date a guy she used to have a crush on, while Adam needs Olive's help to assure Stanford's higher-ups that he's not a flight risk. Simple, right?
Hazelwood is one of the biggest names in romance right now; The Love Hypothesis is the first adaptation of her work, though others are also in development. The story was created as Star Wars-inspired Reylo fanfiction before Hazelwood expertly retooled it into a new, original novel, launching an incredible career in one of publishing's most enduring genres. The Love Hypothesis raced to the top of Prime's worldwide movie chart after its release on Wednesday, September 23. Expect it to stay there for a while.
Brothers (Season 1)
- Streaming service: Apple TV
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- 2 episodes (more to come)
Apple TV's Brothers stars Hollywood legends Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, a duo best known for True Detective season 1. In the show, they play fictional, exaggerated versions of themselves in a story "based on a true rumor," leaning into bizarre but potentially real reports that they're biologically related. The series starts with Harrelson visiting McCounaghey in Texas after his daughter's failed wedding and snowballs from there, with Woody becoming obsessed with figuring out the truth.
The first two episodes of the eight-episode show premiered globally on Wednesday, September 23, with new episodes dropping weekly until early November. At the time of writing, Brothers holds the No. 4 spot on Apple TV's worldwide chart, beneath major hits Ted Lasso, Slow Horses, and Silo. Not bad for a brand-new show.
Slow Horses (Season 6)
- Streaming service: Apple TV
- Genre: Spy thriller / Comedy
- 2 episodes (more to come)
Apple TV's best thriller is back. Slow Horses season 6, episode 2, premiered earlier this week on Wednesday, September 23, with four more episodes to come. It's a dangerous time to be a current or former employee of Slough House, as they're being hunted down one by one. Who wants them all dead, though? And more importantly, why?
With a rare perfect Certified Fresh 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, Slow Horses season 6 has once again proven why it's one of the most popular shows on TV and why it deserves its already confirmed two-season renewal. It's also one of the few streaming shows to release a new season each year, with the seventh season planned for 2027. It's currently in second place on Apple TV's streaming chart, just under the ever-popular Ted Lasso.
MobLand (Season 2)
- Streaming service: Paramount+
- Genre: Crime Drama
- 2 episodes (more to come)
It's been a hell of a year for Guy Ritchie on streaming. Netflix renewed The Gentlemen for season 3 before season 2 even premiered and stormed the platform's global streaming charts. Now, Sky and Paramount+'s MobLand is back, as the swanky Harrigan crime family faces more dangerous rivals and threats, most notably from high-ranking government officials.
Tom Hardy, Helen Mirren, and Pierce Brosnan have all returned for season 2, which will consist of 10 episodes. The finale arrives on Friday, November 20. The show is currently No. 1 on Paramount+'s global streaming chart and has already been renewed for season 3, with all three primary cast members returning.
The Great British Baking Show (Collection 14)
- Streaming service: Netflix
- Genre: Reality TV / Competition
- 1 episode (more to come)
It's cake week! Netflix is once again home to Channel 4's The Great British Baking Show, as Britain's best amateur bakers compete for the show's coveted glass cake stand. The first episode of Collection 14 is now streaming on Netflix, with new episodes arriving in the US on Fridays.
The show includes a new face this season, however. Former judge Prue Leith has left the series, with international cooking sensation Nigella Lawson taking her place in the sweltering tent. Like Alison Hammond's arrival as host, Lawson's inclusion brings a fresh, fun new dynamic to the long-running comfort show, best watched with a cup of tea and a scone.
Backrooms
- Streaming service: HBO Max
- Genre: Horror
- Runtime: 1h 45m
Now streaming is A24's Backrooms, a surprisingly sensational horror hit that arrived on HBO Max on Friday, September 25. It stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as a furniture store owner who discovers he can access a terrifying, endless liminal space via his store's basement. The movie was directed by 20-year-old Kane Parsons, who based the script, written by Will Soodik, on his popular web series of the same name.
Backrooms earned over $400 million worldwide, making it A24's highest-grossing movie ever. This stat is even more impressive considering the movie was produced on a $10 million budget. It's no wonder A24 and Parsons have plans for Backrooms 2, as the young visionary explained to Variety: "Backrooms has always been planned to be more of a series that goes outside the confines of this film." Good news for horror fans.
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