We're only a couple of weeks into 2024, but it’s too cold outside to actually do anything. So let’s all stay in and watch TV, shall we? This week features a lot of new material to enjoy. Not just the exclusive content that every streaming services uses to try and build subscribers, but there are a number of great and not-so-great, but perhaps noteworthy, theatrical releases dropping on platforms this week that are worth checking out.
From murder mysteries to documentaries to…well…cats, there’s something for everybody as well as a streaming service ready to provide it. Here’s a look at the streaming highlights coming this week.
What's On Netflix
Cats - January 16
Cats is not a great movie. It isn't even a mediocre movie. The flick is, however, an insane film, with wild CGI and some deep political commentary. It’s something that really does need to be experienced to be truly understood. Assuming any of it even can be truly understood. If you wondered why so many people reacted so strongly to the musical when it was released in theaters, but you didn’t want to spend any money to find out, then there’s good news. Cats is coming to Netflix! You have a Netflix subscription. You probably have alcohol. Bring the two together, invite some friends, and go nuts.
Love on the Spectrum (U.S.) - Season 2 - January 19
Love on the Spectrum is a documentary series that follows people at various points on the autism spectrum and their attempts to find love. The first season of LotS was praised by advocates for the honest way that it handled autism and the people who live with it. Season 2 will pick up with stories of some of the same people, while also introducing viewers to some new experiences. Season 1, as well as both seasons of the original Australian series that inspired the American take, are also available if you want to binge it all.
Dumb Money - January 21
Dumb Money was a movie that seemed to go largely under the radar, but it was an entertaining tale about a topic that could have easily been less than thrilling. It tells the story of how, for a brief time, GameStop was the hottest company in America, all thanks to Reddit, is one of those things that seems like fiction, but it really did happen. Paul Dano stars as the “regular guy” who started the tidal wave, while Seth Rogen plays a hedge fund guy who gets taken for a ride. Critics were fans of Dumb Money, for the most part, so it's worth checking out to see if you will be, too.
What's On Disney+
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Episode 6 - January 16
If nothing else, Percy Jackson and the Olympians should win an award for creative episode titles. The sixth of eight episodes of the Disney+ series is called “We Take A Zebra to Vegas” and how can you not want to watch that? The coming-of-age series has been rock solid as an adaptation of the popular book series up to this point. So there’s no reason to expect that’s going to change anytime soon.
Siempre Fui Yo - January 17
One of the things that the world of streaming has done, which is a benefit to us all, is the way it has made content from other nations, and largely for other nations, more easily accessible. If you’re willing to deal with subtitles and/or dubbing, there’s a nearly endless amount of TV shows and movies you can watch. Fans from anywhere who enjoyed the first season of Siemere Fui Yo (It Was Always Me) will get Season 2 on Disney+ this week.
What's On Paramount+
June - January 16
Johnny Cash is one of the all-time greats of country music, and he could overshadow almost anybody, except the woman he was married to. Paramount+ subscribers will get the documentary film June this week, which will tell the story of the other half of the country music power couple. Reese Witherspoon, who played June Carter Cash in Walk the Line, is among the stars who will tell the story of the woman who wrote “Ring of Fire.”
What's On Peacock
Nope January 18
While we wait and look forward to Jordan Peele’s mysterious fourth movie, his third movie, Nope, arrives for Peacock subscribers. This is a movie that deserves a rewatch if you’ve seen it, as the messages of its bizarre alien story aren’t necessarily crystal clear after just a single watch. And, if you haven’t seen it at all, it’s absolutely a movie worth watching for the first time -- and then maybe watching again right after.
What's On Max
Sort Of, Season 3 - January 18
After two seasons, the Canadian comedy Sort Of, which is about a non-binary millennial trying to navigate their world, has won comedy awards, a Peabody, and has a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The third and final season has already aired in Canada but, for those of us on the other side of that border, the third season drops for those with a Max subscription on January 18.
What's On Hulu
Death and Other Details - January 16
Who doesn’t love a good locked-room murder mystery? Who doesn’t love Mandy Patinkin? The answer is nobody and, therefore, the new mystery series Death and Other Details from Hulu may be the perfect show. Violet Beane stars as a woman who is the prime suspect in a murder on board a cruise ship. Pantinkin is the world-famous detective asked to solve the case, who isn’t so sure she’s guilty. With a cast of interesting suspects, this one looks like a lot of fun.
But, of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what’s arriving on streaming this week. Be sure to check out everything new on Netflix for a complete list of what’s dropping there. We also have the full list of what’s coming to Disney+ in January as well as what’s new on Hulu. Check those out to be sure you don’t miss anything that might be a highlight for you.
