My picks for the best new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Disney Plus and more (Dec. 27-29)

Out with the old, in with all the new movies and TV shows to watch this weekend. The final days of 2024 are bringing more new releases to Netflix, Disney Plus and more of the best streaming services.

At the top of my weekend watch list is "Squid Game" season 2. The South Korean thriller is back with more deadly games for Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) to navigate as he attempts to end the competition for good. On the movie side, "Gladiator II" hits premium video-on-demand, so you can be entertained from the comfort of your couch. Here's our guide on what to watch this weekend.

New TV shows

‘Squid Game’ season 2 (Netflix)

Netflix’s most-streamed show to date returns with new games, more treacherous thrills and even higher stakes. Last we saw Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), aka Player 456, he’d turned back from boarding a plane to reconnect with his daughter so that he could find a way to end the competition that took so many lives. Now, three years later and armed with more knowledge, he enters the life-or-death games again, contending against new participants vying for the 456 billion won prize. But his biggest foe is the mysterious Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), who keeps his true motivations secret.
►Episodes 1-7 streaming now on Netflix

‘Doctor Who: Joy to the World’ (Disney Plus)

The wonders of streaming have made it much easier to partake of the beloved tradition that is the “Doctor Who” Christmas special. Ncuti Gatwa returns as the Fifteenth Doctor, joined by “Bridgerton” star Nicola Coughlan as a new character named Joy. When she checks into a London hotel in 2024, she opens a secret doorway to the Time Hotel — leading to danger, dinosaurs and the Doctor!
►Special is streaming now on Disney Plus

‘Your Friend, Nate Bargatze’ (Netflix)

Comedian Nate Bargatze has been touring on the standup circuit for years, known for being a clean comic, but has become more of a top-shelf draw thanks to a turn hosting “Saturday Night Live” last year (“Washington’s Dream” is a riot). He returned to host again a few months ago, though to less effect (“Washington’s Dream 2” was still pretty funny). In his third special, he riffs on pizza-ordering strategies for guys' night, wanting a second dog and relying on his responsible wife.
►Special is streaming now on Netflix

New movies

‘Gladiator II’ (PVOD)

Over two decades after “Gladiator” made bank at the box office and cleaned up at the Oscars, Ridley Scott presents a direct sequel. Russell Crowe isn’t around, since his character, Maximus Decimus Meridius, is long dead, though he’s there in spirit. Instead, the story focuses on prisoner of war Hanno (Paul Mescal), the long-lost son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen). He returns to Rome as a gladiator enslaved by Macrinus (Denzel Washington), an ambitious arms dealer who has his eye on the throne. Even as Hanno uncovers the truth about his heritage, he must fight for survival in the Colosseum

Streaming now with purchase on Amazon or Apple

‘Nightbitch’ (Hulu)

Amy Adams returns to form in this magical realism dark comedy about the life-changing (and body-changing) experience of motherhood. She plays an up-and-coming artist who’s taken a step back to raise her child. It’s mostly on her shoulders since her husband (Scoot McNairy) travels for work. Then, something strange happens to her — she’s able to transform into a dog at night. And it gives her blessed relief from her daily parenting struggles.

Streaming now on Hulu

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