7 new movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and more this weekend (May 20)

by DTM | Posted on

We never thought we’d say this, but it’s high time for a new Disney remake. Both Aladdin and The Lion King were released almost three years ago now, and while the live-action re-telling of Mulan hit Disney Plus in 2020, its release was so severely blighted by the global pandemic that you’d be forgiven for missing it entirely. 

Thank Hercules, then, for Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, a bold reimagining of the classic animated TV series of the same name. Other new arrivals this week include Amazon’s latest space-hopping sci-fi show, Night Sky, and the return of acclaimed Netflix anthology series Love, Death and Robots.

Below, we’ve rounded up the seven biggest new movies and TV shows available to stream on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and more this weekend. 

Love, Death and Robots season 3 (Netflix) 

We may have led the above intro with a spiel on Disney’s famous detective duo, but season 3 of Love, Death and Robots looks by far the most interesting of this week’s streaming arrivals. 

Now available on Netflix, the series’ nine new episodes tell tales of alien-hunting marines, beast-battling fishermen, swarms of angry rats and a host of other fictional nasties. Season 1’s trio of foul-mouthed robots return to the fray, too, and it’s a safe bet to assume that copious amounts of sex and violence will once again feature throughout.

Love, Death and Robots has proven itself one of the best Netflix shows in recent years, so we don’t expect the series’ third outing to disappoint. To refresh your memory of its frequently shocking subject matter, check out our ranking of all 26 episodes released so far.

Now available to stream on Netflix. 

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (Disney Plus) 

If Disney had released Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers a couple of years ago, we’d have almost certainly branded it a soulless cash grab – but in 2022, we’re actually quite excited to reacquaint ourselves with the titular chipmunks.  

This feature-length adventure, taking place in a Who Framed Roger Rabbit-esque live-action setting, finds the pair called back into action when their former castmate, Monterey Jack, mysteriously disappears. John Mulaney and Andy Samberg voice Chip and Dale, respectively, while the likes of J.K. Simmons, Keegan-Michael Key, Eric Bana, Will Arnett and Seth Rogen make up the rest of the movie’s surprisingly star-studded cast. 

Early criticism has been pretty good for this one, too. Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers has been described as a “zippy, highly amiable rodent noir that turns out to be a delightful surprise” – so we’d caution against writing it off as mindless, kid-friendly fodder. 

Now available to stream on Disney Plus. 

Night Sky (Prime Video) 

Arriving on Prime Video to almost zero fanfare this weekend is Night Sky, the latest in Amazon’s long line of customarily trippy sci-fi series. 

Sissy Spacek and J.K. Simmons play Irene and Franklin York, a seemingly ordinary couple whose seemingly ordinary house harbours a secret portal to a far away planet. The pair have successfully kept the portal hidden for close to a decade, but the arrival of an inquisitive young man risks putting an end to their space-hopping ways. 

Newcomers Holden Miller and Daniel C. Connolly helm this eight-episode show, which looks as unique and intriguing as Amazon’s similarly twisty sci-fi thriller, Encounter. 

Now available to stream on Prime Video.

Jackass 4.5 (Netflix) 

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We’ll confess: we didn’t know Jackass 4.5 was a thing (although given the release of Jackass 2.5 and 3.5 in previous years, perhaps we should’ve expected it). 

This Netflix-exclusive follow-up to Jackass Forever (now streaming on Paramount Plus) features material shot for the movie that was ultimately omitted from the final cut. Along with more of the group’s hazardous hijinks, though, fans can also expect cast interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and plenty of typically hilarious outtakes.

There’s no trailer for this one, so we’ve attached a snippet of preview footage (shared to the Netflix Twitter account) above. But let’s be honest: you know exactly what to expect from Jackass 4.5.

Now available to stream on Netflix.

The Ipcress File (AMC Plus) 

First broadcast on ITV in the UK last month, Cold War-set spy thriller series The Ipcress File comes to AMC Plus in the US this weekend. 

A serialized adaptation of the 1962 novel (and 1965 film) of the same name, the show follows the exploits of secret agent Harry Palmer (Joe Cole), an ex-smuggler who finds himself embroiled in an undercover mission to prevent nuclear secrets falling into the wrong hands.

That synopsis may sound like standard Cold War fare, but The Ipcress File – which also stars Lucy Boynton and Tom Hollander – earned rave reviews ahead of its UK release in April. Kingsman fans, take note.

Now available to stream on AMC Plus in the US and BritBox in the UK.

Now and Then (Apple TV Plus) 

Apple TV Plus continues its critically-acclaimed content march with Now and Then, a bilingual thriller charting the fallout of a murder among a group of college graduates.

Like Showtime’s Yellowjackets, this eight-episode series flips back and forth between the past and present (hence the title), exploring, according to Apple, “the differences between youthful aspirations and the reality of adulthood” in light of the murder in question. 

That all sounds like exceptionally heavy stuff, but Now and Then has been near-universally lauded by critics for being a mature, polished mystery in the vein of a Harlan Coben novel. Given Apple’s recent successes, too, this one is an easy recommendation. 

Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus.

George Carlin’s American Dream (HBO Max) 

This week’s documentary pick is a two-part look at the life and career of comedy legend George Carlin.

Regarded as one of the most important and influential stand-up comics of all time, Carlin was dubbed “the dean of counterculture comedians” and even hosted the first-ever episode of Saturday Night Live in 1975. This typically in-depth feature comes from directors Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, both of whom credit Carlin with influencing their work. 

Both parts of George Carlin’s American Dream are available to stream now on HBO Max, while UK viewers will likely have to wait a few weeks for this one to arrive on Sky and Now TV.

Now available to stream on HBO Max.