We’re deep into <a href="https://myappsplus.com/if-the-november-windows-update-fails-to-install-on-your-pc-heres-what-to-do/” title=”If the November Windows update fails to install on your PC, here's what to do”>November, and the sofa is just screaming for some quality screen time. Fortunately, the best new movies and shows to watch this weekend bring everything from Middle-earth magic to psychological horror and star-powered action to Netflix, Prime Video, Peacock and other streaming services, as well as theaters and broadcast TV.
As Tom’s Guide’s streaming editor, I’ve rounded up and ranked this week’s biggest releases to help you cut out scroll time. “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” returns for season 3, while Jessica Chastain pulls double duty with the unsettling “Other Mommy” and the country music thriller “Heartland.” Brad Pitt brings the star power to “Heart of the Beast,” and “12 12 12” and “The Good Daughter” offer even more reasons to keep the remote handy.
So grab a blanket, raid the snack stash and put those holiday shopping errands on hold for a little longer. Here’s what to watch this weekend, ranked by must-watch factor.
1. ‘12 12 12’ (Apple TV)
Genre: Heist thriller
Available now: 2 episodes (about 50 min each)
What it’s about: A bank vault buried beneath Zurich is about to have a very bad day. Anthony Mackie stars as a disgraced FBI agent hunting Jamie Dornan’s career criminal across Europe in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse. The twist? The story unfolds across three timelines: the 12 months leading up to the robbery, the 12 hours of the job itself and the 12 days that follow.
Why it’s worth your time: The show’s nonlinear structure gives this high-stakes caper more moving parts than your average smash-and-grab. With a sprawling European chase, a massive payday and a personal grudge in the mix, there’s plenty to keep the adrenaline pumping.
Where to watch:Apple TV
2. ‘The Good Daughter’ (Peacock)
Genre:Crime thriller
Availablenow: All 6 episodes (about 50 min each)
What it’s about:Two decades after a brutal attack shattered their family, sisters Charlotte (Meghann Fahy) and Samantha Quinn (Rose Byrne) are still picking up the pieces. When a similar crime rocks their Georgia hometown, the sisters reunite to help investigate. But solving the case means digging up family secrets that were never meant to see daylight.
Why it’s worth your time: Byrne and Fahy make a compelling sister act, bringing plenty of heart and prickliness to this Karin Slaughter adaptation. With Brendan Gleeson in the mix and a small-town mystery at its center, there’s plenty to keep thriller fans hooked.
Where to watch:Peacock
3. ‘Misty Green’ (Netflix)
Genre: Comedy-drama
Runtime:1 hr 43 min
What it’s about:Once an award-winning actress, Misty Green (Rosalind Eleazar) is now scrambling to revive her career, dodge a string of personal disasters and find a new place to live. With just seven days before she’s evicted, she reconnects with her former agent (Topher Grace) and crosses paths with a colorful cast of Hollywood misfits, including a troubled brother (Daniel Kaluuya) and a shady filmmaker (Adam Driver).
Why you should watch: Chris Rock writes, directs and co-stars in this sharp-edged look at Hollywood’s transactional relationships, racial and economic inequities, and the perils of letting ego get in the way of a comeback. Eleazar (“Slow Horses”) is a magnetic mess as Misty, bringing emotional depth to a character who isn’t always easy to root for.
Where to watch:Netflix
4. ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ season 3 (Prime Video)
Genre:Fantasy adventure drama
Available now:4 episodes (about 50 min each)
What it’s about:Middle-earth is in deep trouble. Five years after Sauron (Charlie Vickers) sent the Elves packing, the Dark Lord is plotting world domination, with just one thing standing between him and total victory: a very tricky piece of jewelry. As he struggles to forge the One Ring, Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and the other free peoples must unite before it’s too late.
Why it’s worth your time: The stakes are bigger, the battles bloodier and Sauron’s ego remains absolutely astronomical. Celeborn (Jamie Campbell Bower) enters the picture, giving Galadriel a rather inconvenient husband problem. Tolkien fans, your watch has begun.
Where to watch:Prime Video
5. ‘Heartland’ (Netflix)
Genre: Mystery thriller
Runtime:1 hr 52 min
What it’s about:Jessica Chastain stars as Misty Jones, a retired country music superstar who returns to Nashville after 20 years away to find her missing niece, Charlie (real-life country singer Carter Faith). But the search takes Misty into the city’s darker corners, where old secrets, shady suspects and a few familiar faces make it clear that Music City has a sinister side.
Why you should watch: Think “Country Strong” meets film noir, with a little murder-mystery twang. Chastain gets to play a deliciously prickly former queen of country who isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers (or throw punches). It features original music from Chastain and Faith, plus a supporting cast that includes Garrett Hedlund, Ross Lynch and Jennifer Nettles.
Where to watch:Netflix
6. ‘Being Heumann’ (Apple TV)
Genre: Biographical drama
Runtime:2 hrs 7 min
What it’s about:In 1977, disability rights activist Judy Heumann (Ruth Madeley) and a coalition of fed-up protesters occupy a San Francisco federal building for 28 days, demanding the government enforce their civil rights under Section 504. Mark Ruffalo plays the bureaucrat they’re up against, while Dylan O’Brien is a reporter who gets an up-close look at the fight.
Why you should watch: Siân Heder (“CODA”) directs this true story of a group of people who were told to wait their turn and decided they’d waited long enough. Turns out, sometimes the only way to get a seat at the table is to take over the whole damn building.
Where to watch:Apple TV
7. ‘Avedon’ (Netflix)
Genre: Documentary
Runtime:1 hr 44 min
What it’s about:Richard Avedon didn’t just photograph the 20th century; he helped define its look. In this documentary, director Ron Howard explores the life and legacy of the groundbreaking photographer, from his iconic fashion shoots and celebrity portraits to his unflinching images of civil rights activists and everyday Americans. With never-before-seen photos, archival footage and interviews with those closest to him, “Avedon” gets behind the lens to examine the complicated man behind the camera.
Why you should watch: Even if you know nothing about photography, Avedon’s influence is hard to miss. Interviews with the likes of Isabella Rossellini, Twiggy, Lauren Hutton and Calvin Klein offer a personal look at the artist, while his impressive archive makes this a feast for the eyes.
Where to watch:Netflix
8. ‘Heart of the Beast’ (digital)
Genre: Survival thriller
Runtime:1 hr 41 min
What it’s about:Brad Pitt stars as James Belmont, a retired Special Forces veteran whose Alaskan wilderness getaway goes wrong when his seaplane crashes, leaving him stranded 58 miles from civilization. With only his combat-trained German Shepherd, Odin, by his side, James must battle brutal terrain, dangerous wildlife and his own injuries to make it back alive.
Why you should watch: Pitt and a heroic German Shepherd battling the Alaskan wilderness? That’s an irresistible movie pitch. Director David Ayer (“Fury”) delivers some tense survival sequences, and Odin is an undeniable scene-stealer.
Where to watch:Prime Video (with purchase)
9. ‘The Empress’ season 3 (Netflix)
Genre: Historical romantic drama
Available now: 6 episodes (about 50 min each)
What it’s about: The final chapter of Elisabeth’s (Devrim Lingnau) imperial saga finds her marriage to Franz (Philip Froissant) on shaky ground after a devastating war and his infidelity. Seeking refuge abroad, she encounters Hungarian revolutionary Count Andrássy (Dejan Bućin), while Franz’s brother Maximilian (Johannes Nussbaum) sets his sights on Mexico’s throne. Between matters of the heart and affairs of state, Sisi faces her biggest choice yet.
Why it’s worth your time: If you’ve been invested in Sisi’s transformation from rebellious teenager to formidable empress, this is your last chance to see her story through. Expect lavish costumes, palace intrigue and forbidden attraction.
Where to watch:Netflix
10. ‘The Body’ (Netflix)
Genre: Coming-of-age psychological horror
Available now: All 8 episodes (about 50 min each)
What it’s about: Welcome to Catholic school, where the rules are strict, the girls are anything but, and summoning the devil is apparently an extracurricular. After a drug-fueled dance-team initiation goes horribly wrong, the Lions start experiencing prophetic visions that send their town into a full-blown panic. But first, they have to figure out what happened to their newest recruit, Grace (Sofia Wylie).
Why it’s worth your time: Imagine if “Yellowjackets” and “Carrie” had a sleepover. Creator Quinn Shephard (“Under the Bridge”) mixes teen angst, queer coming-of-age angst and Catholic angst with supernatural scares — oh, a big dose of camp.
Where to watch:Netflix
11. ‘Other Mommy’ (digital)
Genre: Psychological horror
Runtime:1 hr 33 min
What it’s about:Seven-year-old Bela (Arabella Olivia Clark) has an imaginary friend, but not the cute kind. A sinister shape-shifter called Other Mommy emerges from her closet, taking the form of Bela’s mother (Jessica Chastain) and begging to be let into her heart. When the creature’s threats escalate, Bela’s parents (Jay Duplass and Chastain) must do whatever it takes to protect their daughter.
Why you should watch: Director Rob Savage (“Host”) serves up jump scares, grotesque transformations and plenty of creepy imagery. Chastain clearly relishes playing both the picture-perfect mom and her demonic doppelgänger. Where to watch:Prime Video (with purchase)
12. ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County’ (Hulu)
Genre:Reality TV
Available now:All 10 episodes (about 45 min each)
What it’s about:MomTok is expanding to Orange County, where a fresh batch of influencer moms are navigating faith, family, and the very different rules of California Mormon life. Returning cast member Jen Affleck joins non-LDS creators Bobbi Althoff and Aspyn Ovard, as old-school beliefs collide with modern lifestyles.
Why it’s worth your time: These women make content out of their beliefs, marriages and friendships. With a new cast and familiar franchise baggage, there’s no shortage of secrets waiting to become public knowledge. The California-versus-Utah culture clash promises plenty of juicy friction.
Where to watch:Hulu
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