What To Watch This Weekend: Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO & Hulu Round-Up

The weekend is about to commence, and so is that daunting question we always ask each other on Fridays: What should I watch this weekend? With streaming services being more oversaturated than ever before, choosing what to watch has become a burden; no one wants to spend their weekend endlessly surfing through menus.

HBO, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Netflix, are all releasing new content continuously, leaving you with great films and TV shows ready to stream this weekend. There are new episodes of your favorites such as Barry or Game of Thrones (perhaps we will find another Starbucks cup in Westeros) as well as unseen series premiering, not to mention, the usual addition of older TV series or movies freshly added to the respective platforms. Whatever it is, this list has you covered. 

Here are the most salient needles in an otherwise never-ending haystack of options.   

Netflix kicks off with perhaps the most extensive list of content worthy of your attention.

You have likely seen the poster for Dead to Me with Linda Cardellini and Christina Applegate falling into a pool because Netflix is marketing this series strongly. This new dark comedy dives into the lighter side of trauma as two unlikely friends meet in a support group. The series uses offbeat humor and wit to pull viewers in.

Also garnering attention this weekend is Zac Efron’s newest Film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. The once High School Musical teenage heartthrob has now moved on to a far more serious role: one of America’s most infamous killers, Ted Bundy. The film gives viewers a look into the criminal history of Ted Bundy through the eyes of his longtime girlfriend, Liz (Lily Collins).

Knock Down the House is a great option as well. The documentary chronicles the beginnings of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s political career and victory over Joe Crowley. It’s a (rare) inspiring look at modern American politics.

New seasons of Lucifer and Easy as well as classics like Dumb and Dumber and The Matrix are also available to stream, so you'll see suggestions below that cover all types of ground.

As usual, HBO has your premium cable needs covered this weekend. The last episode before the finale of Game of Thrones, the biggest show in the world right now, will be made available to stream at 9:00 pm on Sunday night. If you are not caught up, this weekend could be a perfect opportunity to do so in time for the series finale. 

The award-winning documentary on west coast legend Tupac, Tupac: Resurrection, is also available to stream on HBO this weekend. The film utilizes rare interviews, photographs, and home movies to give you a unique, behind the curtain look into the artist’s life. 

The second episode of the new miniseries, Chernobyl, drops this weekend and already has critics talking. The series recreates the nuclear catastrophe that led to the death of an estimated 93,000 members of the Soviet Union. If world history interests you, be sure to check it out.

Also, is there ever a bad time to revisit some HBO staples? We're referring to The Sopranos and/or The Wire of course. Or else something more recent, that lives on drama and a star-studded cast (Reese Witherspoon, Zoe Kravitz, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley and soon,  Meryl Streep)-- Big Little Lies-- now would be the time, ahead of a new season.

Movies such as Night School and Deadpool 2 are both free to stream this weekend as well as a new episode of Barry on Sunday night.

Hulu is also providing viewers with a surplus of content for this weekend. Keep an eye out for Ramy. Ramy Hassan’s eponymous new show focuses on balancing life as a millennial in 2019 and adhering to the Muslim community that raised him. It is a comedic and thought-provoking season of television that is certainly worth bingeing this weekend.

In 2006, the Academy made the polarizing decision to award Crash with the Best Picture award over Brokeback Mountain. Crash takes the stories of various ostensibly unrelated characters, played by a star-studded cast, in Los Angeles and brings them together. The movie has made its move to streaming services and is available on Hulu this weekend. If you want to revisit the classic or see what all the fuss was about, make sure to check it out.

With a sequel having been announced last year, it is definitely worth checking out the cult-classic Zombieland. The film has been added to Hulu’s catalog this month in anticipation of Zombieland: Double-Tap, releasing in October.

If you're looking for some light binge-worthy content, the TV series Happy Endings will do the trick (and it's available on more than one platform, so check even if you don't have Hulu). If you want something a bit harder on the laughs, then cult favorite Futurama should hit the spot.

That being said, if you're up for something darker that gives us a bleak look at what the no-longer-distant future might hold, you should check out the 1995 film 12 Monkeys which was added to Hulu at the beginning of the month, starring Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt.

For any Marvel fans still craving more content after Avengers: Endgame, the sixth season of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D is set to premiere on May 10th.

Finally, on Sunday, the second season of Claws with Karrueche Tran will hit Hulu.

If you happen to be an Amazon Prime member, there is ample content accessible for you too. If you did not get the chance to see Mid-90’s last year, now is your chance. Jonah Hill’s directorial debut created a buzz in 2018 by paying homage to the 1990’s zeitgeist Hill was raised in. The coming-of-age film also incorporates memorable performances from modern renaissance man Nakel Smith, Lucas Hedges, and newcomer Sunny Suljic. Definitely check this one out if you haven’t already

The third season of Sneaky Pete premieres today, May 10, on Amazon Prime. The show revolves around a case of stolen identity as Marius (Giovanni Ribisi) takes the identity of his prison cell-mate, Pete. Bryan Cranston has a recurring role in the series as well. Set aside some time to take a look at this one.

While Prime is lighter on the new additions thus far in May, they do have still have a good selection of older additions worth a watch.

You can catch the always-classic Flavor of Love on Amazon Prime this weekend. The reality show invites female contestants to join Flavor Flav in his mansion and compete for the artist’s love. As expected, it’s a wild ride and makes for a lot of laughs, reality TV at it's best.

If you're feeling more like a movie, there's the rom-com The Big Sick starring comedian, Kumail Nanjiani, tackling the issues that arise when dating a different race/culture. The platform also holds the 1996 Coen brothers' classic which has recently received a second life as a TV series, that is, Fargo.