This week brings with it a truly diverse selection of streaming premieres. On Netflix, subscribers can look forward to the sophomore season of one of last year’s breakout comedy TV hits, as well as a one-take musical special the likes of which has rarely been tried before. Elsewhere, Amazon’s Prime Video has unveiled its second animated original series made in partnership with the cast and creative team of Critical Role, while Peacock has a reality TV premiere on its slate this week that should delight fans of “The Traitors.”
Here are the eight best new movies and shows you can stream this weekend.
“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” (2025)
One of the year’s most distinct and acclaimed films, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” is now available to buy and rent on demand. Written and directed by Mary Bronstein, the psychological drama follows a woman (Rose Byrne) as she struggles to juggle the demands of her daughter’s illness, her absent husband and her hostile relationship with her therapist (Conan O’Brien).
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival all the way back in January and received its theatrical release months later in early October. Surreal, immersive and frequently striking, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” features an unforgettable performance from Rose Byrne and is worth checking out this weekend if you’re interested in watching a movie that is not just affecting in its own, unique way, but unlike anything else you will see this year.
“The Mighty Nein” Season 1 (Prime Video)
The premiere of “The Legend of Vox Machina” Season 4 may still be some months away, but Amazon’s Prime Video has another treat for Critical Role fans this week in the form of “The Mighty Nein” Season 1. The new series adapts the events of Critical Role’s second live-streamed Dungeons & Dragons campaign and, consequently, takes place in the same fictional fantasy world as “The Legend of Vox Machina.” Set 20 years after the events of that show, “The Mighty Nein” follows a group of misfits with wildly different pasts who form an unlikely team and end up at the center of an international conflict involving two warring nations and a stolen relic.
Boasting longer episodes than “Vox Machina” and a darker tone, “The Mighty Nein” is a change of pace from its animated predecessor, but it is no less well-realized or engrossing. The first three episodes of its debut season are streaming now on Prime Video, and its remaining installments are set to premiere one at a time every week through Dec. 22. Whether you are a fan of Critical Role or just interested in checking out a new fantasy series, give “The Mighty Nein” a shot this weekend. You won’t regret it.
“The Assassin” (AMC+)
“The Assassin” is flying a bit under the radar right now. Created and written by Harry and Jack Williams, the new six-episode espionage thriller follows a retired assassin (Keeley Hawes) as she and her estranged adult son (Freddie Highmore) are forced to move past their differences and work together in a fierce fight for their own survival.
The series, which premiered Thursday on AMC+, looks to occupy the same fun, humorous and violent lane as other, recent espionage shows, like “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” That makes it a potentially addictive addition to this fall’s TV slate.
“A Man on the Inside” Season 2 (Netflix)
A year after it made its debut on Netflix, “A Man on the Inside” has returned with its second season. This time, the Michael Schur-created comedy follows Ted Danson’s amateur private detective as he goes undercover as a professor at a local college in order to investigate a multimillion-dollar theft. The entire season premiered Thursday on Netflix, and anyone who was a fan of “A Man on the Inside” Season 1 should check out its new episodes.
Not only does the comedy seem to have maintained the magic of its first season, but its cast has only grown more impressive, thanks to the additions of Gary Cole, Max Greenfield, David Strathairn, Jason Mantzoukas, Stephanie Beatriz and Danson’s real-life spouse, Mary Steenburgen. The latter stars in “A Man on the Inside” Season 2 as a music professor who emerges as both a love interest for Danson’s Charles and a potential suspect in his investigation— just in case it didn’t seem like the series could get any more delightful and fun.
“The Celebrity Traitors UK” Season 1 (Peacock)
Reality TV fans, rejoice! “The Celebrity Traitors UK” has made its U.S. streaming debut this week. The hit “Traitors” spin-off dropped all of its episodes Thursday on Peacock, which should make it easier for fans of the reality TV franchise to wait for “The Traitors” Season 4 premiere in January. Hosted by Claudia Winkleman and filmed at Ardross Castle in Scotland, the series offers a U.K. spin on the usual “Traitors” experience — one that should delight fans of the Alan Cumming-hosted version.
The spin-off’s competitors include British celebs like Alan Carr, Joe Wilkinson, Nick Mohammed, Paloma Faith, Ruth Codd, Stephen Fry and Tom Daley, and its episodes promise to be just as fun, deceitful and deranged as “Traitors” fans have come to expect from the franchise.
“The Family Plan 2” (Apple TV)
Of all of the films coming to streaming this week, the biggest may end up being “The Family Plan 2.” Apple TV’s sequel to its 2023’s “The Family Plan” catches back up with Mark Wahlberg’s former government assassin turned suburban dad as his family’s Christmas vacation to Europe is disrupted when his past comes back to haunt them (again). Wahlberg is back in “The Family Plan 2,” as are returning stars Michelle Monaghan, Zoe Colletti and Van Crosby.
They are joined this time by “Game of Thrones” star Kit Harington, who plays a past foe of Wahlberg’s Dan Morgan who has resurfaced to take his revenge on him and his family. If you liked the first “Family Plan,” then its sequel promises to offer many of the same absurd and action-packed thrills as its predecessor. It is set to premiere Friday on Apple TV.
“One Shot With Ed Sheeran” (Netflix)
Netflix has an unexpected streaming event coming this week. The streamer is set to release “One Shot With Ed Sheeran” on Friday. Directed by Emmy-winning “Adolescence” director Philip Barantini, the special follows its eponymous artist as he wanders around New York City performing some of his hit songs in various different venues, including cramped bars, subway compartments, buses and even on a rooftop.
In Barantini’s now-trademark style, the entire special is shot in one unbroken camera take, which means that it documents Sheeran’s New York City journey in real time and offers him zero room for mistakes or do-overs. None of this may sound appealing if you are not a fan of Sheeran’s music. If you are, though, you will almost certainly want to make time for “One Shot” this weekend.
“Train Dreams” (Netflix)
“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” is not the only acclaimed Sundance drama hitting streaming this week. “Train Dreams” also premieres on Netflix this Friday. Based on a novella by Denis Johnson, the Clint Bentley-directed film follows a lumberer and railroad worker around the turn of the 20th century as he experiences the changes of an increasingly industrialized America and tries to balance the demands of his work with his love for his wife (Felicity Jones) and their young daughter.
Edited with elliptical beauty and featuring heart-wrenching performances from stars Edgerton, Jones, William H. Macy and Kerry Condon, “Train Dreams” is an overwhelming film. Adolpho Veloso’s cinematography allows astonishing natural beauty to materialize in each and every frame of the film, which only heightens the depth of its overarching story and emotions. It is one of the best and most special films of the year. If you only have time to stream one new title this weekend, you’d be wise to make it “Train Dreams.”
