9 new movies and TV shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Disney Plus, Max and more (Aug. 25-27)
Summer is running out, but streaming never will. Another batch of new movies and shows to watch this weekend are arriving on Netflix, Disney Plus, Max and other top streaming services.
The weekend watch list is led by Ahsoka, the latest Star Wars show set in the galaxy far, far away. Rosario Dawson first played the live-action version of the former Jedi apprentice in The Mandalorian and now Ahsoka Tano gets her own spotlight.
Several returning shows are on the docket, including The Ultimatum season 2. Plus, the Riverdale series finale concludes the Archie comics adaptation, while And Just Like That season 2 wraps things up for now (with season 3 on the way).
On the movies side, Vacation Friends 2 continues the buddy comedy hijinks of the original.
Here’s our guide on what to watch this weekend.
TV Premieres
Ahsoka (Disney Plus)
The promise of building out the Star Wars and Marvel universes with television shows was one of the main draws of Disney Plus. But in nearly four years, that promise has yielded mostly disappointment. Things on the Star Wars side started off strong with The Mandalorian, but quickly faltered with the lackluster likes of The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi (the only exception was the exceptional Andor).
Ahsoka falls somewhere in the middle. While the show doesn’t feel like an unnecessary retread, it also relies heavily on plots and characters from the animated series Clone Wars and Rebels. Rosario Dawson bristles with energy as the titular character, the former Jedi Padawan to Anakin Skywalker. She ropes in her estranged ally Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) on a quest to find the dastardly Imperial officer Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) and save Jedi-in-training Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi).
Streaming now on Disney Plus
Invasion season 2 (Apple TV Plus)
The sci-fi drama kicked off with an alien invasion, following it through the eyes of characters in different parts of the world. For a good chunk of the first season, few people even realized that extraterrestrials had come to Earth with the goal of taking it over. Now, nearly four months after the arrival, millions are dead and many survivors have fled their homes.
Humans have notched a key victory by shooting down one of the ships, but the aliens have still conquered over 30 percent of the planet. The newly formed World Defense Coalition is fighting back, hoping to prevent them from spreading out further. The aliens are quickly evolving, however, and time is running out.
Streaming now on Apple TV Plus
Untold: Swamp Kings (Netflix)
Florida is often the butt of jokes and derision, but at least they have the Gators. Not the animal, but the football team fielded by the University of Florida. This installment of the sports docu-series chronicles the college football dynasty that loomed large from 2005 to 2010.
That success was largely due to Urban Meyer, the team’s new head coach at the time. His demanding, take-no-prisoners style led to many wins on the field, but a lot of drama off of it. The saga of the Swamp Kings is told through the perspectives of the men who lived it: Meyer, Tim Tebow, Brandon Siler, Major Wright and others. Their interviews, along with archival footage, relive some of the most memorable moments in that era, including two BCS National Championships.
Streaming now on Netflix
Ragnarok season 3 (Netflix)
Every coming-of-age story gets to the part where the protagonist, well, comes of age. They're forced to grow up, take on responsibilities and overcome obstacles on their own. For Norwegian teen Magne (David Stakston), all of that is exponentially amped up since he's the reincarnation of Thor. In the third and final season of Ragnarok, Magne and half-brother Laurits (Jonas Strand Gravli), a.k.a Loki reincarnated, face an epic battle with the Jutuls.
Streaming now on Netflix
The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On season 2 (Netflix)
Is the grass actually greener on the other side? That's the question at the heart of The Ultimatum (from the demented-but-brilliant producers of Love Is Blind, of course). Five couples are on the verge of marriage, but while one partner is ready to say "I do," the other is more like, "I'm not sure." An ultimatum is issued, and over the course of eight weeks, a decision must be made. In the meantime, each will get to try out life with a new potential partner from one of the other couples. Things are bound to get messy and we're here for it.
Streaming now on Netflix
Notable New Episodes
Riverdale series finale (The CW)
Archie and the gang are saying farewell after seven seasons of serial killers, cults, time travel, a parallel universe, high school shenanigans, and milkshakes at Pop’s Diner. The finale features yet another of the show’s signature time jumps, this time more than 60 years into the future.
An 86-year-old Betty (Lili Reinhart) finds out Jughead (Cole Sprouse) has died, leaving her as the final member of the Riverdale gang. She decides to travel back in time to relive her last day of senior year, spending it by catching up with friends Archie (KJ Apa), Veronica (Camila Mendes), Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch), Kevin (Casey Cott) and more. Now that they've all said goodbye, get your teen drama fix from one of these shows like Riverdale.
Streaming now on CWTV.com
And Just Like That season 2 finale (Max)
Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment is like one of the hats or bags from a children’s story that can hold more and more and more stuff — neverending, limitless. Somehow, a studio apartment is the site of a dozen-person dinner party catered by a Michelin-starred chef (not Carmy from The Bear, though that would’ve been an epic if unlikely crossover).
The whole gang is in the house, which is the perfect setup for marital spats, tension between exes and, considering how things left off in the last episode, possibly a breakup between Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Aidan (John Corbett). More importantly, though, the finale features the brief, leaked cameo by Kim Cattrall. If anyone can sense dramatic fireworks in store, it’s Samantha Jones.
Streaming now on Max
Movie Premieres
Vacation Friends 2 (Hulu)
The 2021 buddy comedy Vacation Friends was a pleasant surprise with its light-hearted humor and observations about adult friendships. The sequel picks up after a few months, when newly married couple Marcus (Lil Rel Howery) and Emily (Yvonne Orji) invite their inhibited pals Ron (John Cena) and Kyla (Meredith Hagner) to join them for an all-expenses-paid trip to a Caribbean resort.
Marcus is traveling there to meet with the resort owners about a potential construction contract. But business soon turns into displeasure why Kyla’s Kyla’s incarcerated father Reese (Steve Buscemi) unexpectedly turns up. And like their previous vacation, this one descends into total chaos.
Streaming now on Hulu
You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (Netflix)
The star of Netflix’s latest Sandler film is not Adam, but his daughter, Sunny Sandler. In fact, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah is a family affair, with Adam, his wife Jackie and their other daughter Sadie all showing up to the party. They will be joined by Idina Menzel (Sandler’s Uncut Gems castmate), Luis Guzmán and Sarah Sherman.
Lifelong best friends Stacy (Sandler) and Lydia (Samantha Lorraine) have always dreamed about having epic bat mitzvahs. But their plans go awry when popular boy Andy Goldfarb (Dylan Hoffman) and Hebrew school drama come between them.
Streaming now on Netflix
