With next weekend just around the corner, we’re back with a bunch of streaming recommendations to tide you over until Monday morning – and there are plenty of movies to watch this week. First up, the new Damon Affleck collaboration and heist comedy The Instigators is now available on Apple TV Plus after a brief run in theaters earlier this month. Planet of the Apes is now available to watch on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus elsewhere, and a black-and-white version of Godzilla Minus One has appeared on Netflix.
In the US, Peacock subscribers can see Austin Butler, Tom Hardy and Jodie Comer in the new drama The Bikeriders, while Netflix viewers in the UK can add BJ Novak’s directorial debut, the black comedy thriller Vengeance, to their watchlist. As for TV series, season 4 of The Umbrella Academy is now available on Netflix, bringing the superhero comic book adaptation to a close.
The Umbrella Academy Season 4
Available: Worldwide
Watch now: Netflix
The Umbrella Academy returns for a fourth and final season on Netflix. The Hargreeves siblings lead normal lives without superpowers – until they are needed for one final mission. Long-held questions are finally answered, new faces (one of them played by Nick Offerman from The Last of Us) appear and, predictably, an impending apocalypse must be prevented at the end of the comic adaptation. All six episodes are available to stream now.
The instigators
Available: Worldwide
Watch now: Apple TV Plus
Matt Damon and Casey Affleck star in “The Instigators,” a new heist comedy from Apple TV Plus. Directed by “Edge of Tomorrow” director Doug Liman, the duo play a pair of thieves who go on the run after a job goes wrong – with one of their therapists in tow. In addition to starring, Damon produced the film with frequent collaborator Ben Affleck. The cast also includes Hong Chau, Alfred Molina, Ving Rhames, Michael Stuhlbarg and Paul Walter Hauser.
Planet of the Apes: Kingdom
Available: Worldwide
Watch now: Hulu in the US, Disney Plus in the UK
300 years after 2017’s “Planet of the Apes: Survival”, Caesar (Andy Serkis) is now dead and the latest installment in the ape series begins instead with the young chimpanzee Noa (Owen Teague) in a completely different world. The civilization founded by Caesar has splintered into different clans and humans have fallen back into a savage state and a life in the shadows. The film was directed by Wes Ball and also stars William H. Macy, Freya Allan from “The Witcher”, Peter Macon from “The Orville” and Dichen Lachman from “Severance”.
Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color
Available: Worldwide
Watch now: Netflix
One of the best monster movies of 2023 is now available in black and white. Set in post-war Japan, Godzilla Minus One follows former kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) who, plagued by survivor’s guilt, ends up fighting Godzilla with the crew of his minesweeper ship. The film has been praised for its suspense and action, but also for its emotional resonance, as Shikishima finds an unusual but touching family of other loners and survivors.
The Bikers
Available: US
Watch now: peacock
The Bikeriders, the latest film from Take Shelter director Jeff Nichols, is now available to stream on Peacock. Based on true events, the film follows the exploits of a Chicago biker gang in the ’60s. Austin Butler plays one of their members, wildcard Benny, while Jodie Comer plays his lover Kathy and Tom Hardy plays gang leader Johnny. The cast also includes Michael Shannon, Norman Reedus of The Walking Dead and Mike Faist of Challengers.
Industry Season 3
Available: US
Watch now: Max
The thrilling corporate drama Industry is back for a third season – and there are some new players in the corporate world. After Harper (Myha’la) is fired at the end of season two, her former colleagues become involved in an affair with the CEO of a greentech company, played by Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington. New episodes air every Sunday. The new season is expected to be available via BBC iPlayer in the UK later this year, but there is no release date across the pond yet.
Revenge
Available: United Kingdom
Watch now: Netflix
BJ Novak of “The Office” made his directorial debut in 2022 with the black comedy thriller “Vengeance,” in which he also stars. He plays Ben, a New York City journalist who travels South to investigate the murder of a woman he once dated. “Succession” also stars J. Smith Cameron, Issa Rae and Boyd Holbrook, and Jason Blum is on board as a producer.
If there’s nothing here that appeals to you, you may need to look at each streaming service’s back catalogue, which can be a daunting task given the number of titles each service offers. But fear not… if you’re a TV fan, we’ve got you covered with our lists of the best Netflix shows, the best Disney Plus shows and the best Amazon Prime Video shows.
