I don’t know about where you are, but where I am it has been too damn hot to go outside so I’m going to just spend the week on the couch watching whatever I can find on the best streaming services. Of course, going through the full list of everything new on Netflix or what’s upcoming on Hulu can still make it difficult to find what’s new, so here are a few highlights from what’s new this week to keep you busy.
Netflix sees the end of one popular series alongside the debut of another. What;s upcoming on Disney+ includes a new entry in a popular teen musical franchise. Documentary fans have several intriguing options on different streaming platforms. Here’s a look at what’s coming to streaming this week.
New TV
Vikings: Valhalla Season 3 (Netflix)
Back in 2013 the historical drama Vikings debuted to rave reviews and quickly became a hit with fans. Following six seasons of that series, those with a Netflix subscription received the follow-up, Vikings: Valhalla. The third and final season of the second series arrives this week.
The first two seasons of Vikings: Valhalla received rave reviews so fans are certainly hoping the show can stick the landing. Be sure to catch up on how Vikings: Valhalla Season 2 ended before jumping into Season 3.
Vikings:Vallhala Season 3 premieres July 11 on Netflix
Sausage Party: Foodtopia (Prime Video)
When Sausage Party was released in 2016 it became the highest-grossing R-rated animated movie ever at the domestic box office. A sequel movie was in the works for a while but now the follow-up finally arrives in the form of Sausage Party: Foodtopia. The sequel series for those with a Prime Video subscription sees food take over the planet from humans, only to discover that ruling the world isn’t so easy.
Based on the trailer the series looks to be no less raunchy than the film, which should be just what fans are looking for. Call this one a content warning if seeing animated food shoved in various human orifices isn’t your idea of a good time.
Sausage Party: Foodtopia premieres July 11 on Prime Video
Exploding Kittens (Netflix)
Inspired by the popular card game, Exploding Kittens is a new animated series that sees Tom Ellis switch sides, going from playing Lucifer to playing God. The catch is that in this series God has been kicked out of heaven, and now in habits the body of an overweight house cat until he reconnects with humanity.
While the series takes its inspiration from a strange source, the series looks like it could be quite hilarious, and the casting of Tom Ellis as God, who will go up against a feline version of Lucifer in the series, seems destined to result in more than one reference.
Exploding Kittens premieres July 12 on Netflix
Sunny (Apple TV+)
Sunny stars Rashida Jones as Suzie, a woman living in Japan whose life is changed when her husband and son die in a plane crash. Following their death Suzie is gifted with Sunny, a domestic service robot from her husband’s electronic company, something she had no idea he had been working on.
This one looks to be equal parts science fiction, mystery, and perhaps a little bit of horror as well. It seems like the series may have a little something for everyone.
Sunny premieres July 10 on Apple TV+
Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer (Hulu)
True crime fans have lots of great documentary series and films to enjoy on a variety of streaming services. This week Hulu subscribers get a new addition to the list with a look at FBI specialist Dr. Ann Burgess, a woman who interviewed numerous serial killers including Ted Bundy and Ed Kemper. The series will look at several of the cases, both the well-known as well as the more obscure, and the way Dr. Kemper changed the way we look at these crimes today.
Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer premieres July 11 on Hulu
Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken (Paramount+)
Pop Star Melisa Etheridge returns to her hometown in Topeka, Kansas for an unusual performance, at the Topeka Correctional Facility. The new docu-series for Paramount+ subscribers will see Etheridge bond with five women who are behind bars due to substance abuse charges. It’s an area Etheridge finds particularly important after having lost her son to an opioid overdose.
Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken premieres July 9 on Paramount+
Me (Apple TV+) - July 12
Me is a sci-fi coming-of-age story about a young boy who discovers he has the superhuman ability to transform himself into other people. As he comes to terms with this power and tries to learn how to control it, he also navigates everything else that a teen boy must contend with in life.
Me premieres July 12 on Apple TV+
New Movies
Bad Boys/Bad Boys II (Netflix) - July 8
Bad Boys: Ride or Die is in theaters now and if the new movie starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence has you feeling nostalgic for the early films in the franchise, then Netflix subscribers are covered. Bad Boys and Bad Boys II, both directed by Michael Bay, are hitting the streamer so fans can remember where Mike and Marcus started.
These are both great movies that any fan of Will Smith or Michael Bay has probably seen, but if you haven’t seen them, or just haven’t seen them recently, they are worth checking out.
Bad Boys and Bad Boys II arrive July 8 on Netflix.
Descendants: The Rise of Red (Disney+) - July 12
Ever since the success of the original High School Musical, Disney Channel (and now Disney+) have continued to churn out teen musicals. The newest installment, Descendants: The Rise of Red, continues the adventures of the children of famous Disney heroes and villains. As the title suggests, the new movie introduces Red, the daughter of the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland.
Fans of the Descendants franchise will certainly be excited for this one. In addition to the new film, Disney+ subscribers will also gain sing-along versions of the previous Descendants movies.
Descendants: The Rise of Red premieres July 12 on Disney+
These are just some of the highlights on streaming platforms this week. Next week will also have more than a few shows and movies worth paying attention to. Disney+’s newest Star Wars series The Acolyte has its season finale next week and Netflix will release a new documentary on American gymnast Simone Biles just a few days before she once again competes for a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
