Easter weekend is upon us – and, if you were hoping to have something substantial to stream while you gorge yourself silly on chocolate, we’re here to disappoint you.
Sure, a fair few new movies and TV shows have launched on the world’s best streaming services this week. Compared to recent weekly streaming lists, though, there’s a significant lack of heavy hitters or projects that we’d consider to be unmissable.
Still, you might find something to enjoy from the seven options below, especially if you’re a documentary aficionado. So, without further ado, here are the best seven new shows and movies to catch before you head back to work or school.
The Beautiful Game (Netflix)
The last of March’s new Netflix movies isn’t as extravagant or starry as, say, Spaceman or Damsel. But, considering those Netflix originals flattered to deceive, the streaming giant might find better success with The Beautiful Game.
Acclaimed British actor Bill Nighy (Love Actually) plays the manager of England’s homeless football team, which heads to the Italian capital Rome to take part in the Homeless World Cup. Micheal Ward (Top Boy, Empire of Light) plays Vinny, the team’s best player, whose past continues to haunt him during the street soccer tournament.
We don’t expect The Beautiful Game to score a place on our best Netflix movies list, but it might be the heart-warming tale you’re looking for this weekend.
The Beautiful Game is out now on Netflix.
Renegade Nell (Disney Plus)
Created by Sally Wainwright – the screenwriter behind massive UK crime drama hit Happy Valley – this Disney Plus offering hopes to follow in Percy Jackson‘s footsteps and deliver fantasy thrills aplenty.
Louisa Harland (Derry Girls) stars as Nell Jackson, a quippy, brave young woman framed for murder in 18th-century England. When she joins forces with a mysterious, magical spirit called Billy Blind (voiced by Ted Lasso‘s Nick Mohammad), though, she sets out to clear her name – and become a famous outlaw for all the right reasons.
Renegade Nell will need to be epic in scope and scale if it hopes to sneak into our best Disney Plus shows guide. But, hey, we thought Percy Jackson‘s TV remake wouldn’t do that, and look at how popular it was.
Renegade Nell’s first installment is out now on Disney Plus. New episodes air weekly.
The Baxters (Prime Video)
Schlocky familial drama comes to Prime Video this weekend in the form of The Baxters, a TV adaptation of Karen Kingsbury’s best-selling Redemption book series.
Roma Downey (Son of God) and Ted McGinley (Shrinking) lead the show’s cast as married couple Elizabeth and John Baxter, who individually and collectively – alongside their five adult children – navigate numerous family obstacles and shocking moments in Bloomington, Indiana.
We can’t see this Amazon TV Original finding a home on our best Prime Video shows list – indeed, it looks extremely generic and full of genre tropes. We’re sure there’s a niche market for this kind of content, though.
The Baxters is out now on Prime Video.
Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in 2 Pieces (Apple TV Plus)
Back in the public eye off the back of his award-nominated performance in Hulu‘s Only Murders in the Building, beloved comedian-actor Steve Martin is the latest star to get the Apple TV Plus docufilm treatment.
With never-before-seen footage and raw insights into his personal life, STEVE! tells the story of Martin’s meteoric rise as he revolutionized stand-up comedy in the 1970s, before shockingly bowing out of the industry at just 35 years old. The first part of the documentary – titled Then – charts how he exploded onto the scene and struggled to cope with the adulation he received. Part 2, titled Now, catches up with the entertainer in the present, with Martin revealing how he’s found happiness in his latter years. Expect to see it grace our best Apple TV Plus movies guide if STEVE! proves popular among viewers.
STEVE! is out now on Apple TV Plus.
The Truth vs Alex Jones (Max)
This week’s list contains not one, but two documentary options. This one is arguably more harrowing, less entertaining, and, particularly amid the rise of disinformation, more important than STEVE!.
Filmed across a four-year period with unprecedented access to the courtroom, The Truth Vs Alex Jones follows the two lengthy defamation lawsuits that were brought against controversial US radio host and Infowars owner Alex Jones, whose claims that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax added to the victims’ families trauma. Rather than shine a spotlight on Jones, The Truth… puts those families front and center as they sought not only monetary compensation from the now-bankrupt conspiracy theorist but also to disprove his wild accusations and tarnish his reputation for good.
Considering the subject matter, this’ll be a tough watch for Max viewers, but we suspect it’ll be powerful enough to land a spot on our best Max documentaries guide.
The Truth Vs Alex Jones is out now on HBO and Max in the US.
Is It Cake? season 3 (Netflix)
You know we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel – or should that be the mixing bowl? – when we’re including reality TV shows like Is It Cake? in our weekly streaming watchlist.
Given the lack of alternatives, though, that’s what it’s come to. Is It Cake? season 3 has risen to make its return on Netflix. A new group of contestants will battle it out for a big cash prize by determining, well, whether something is a cake or not. Yep, that’s all there is to it.
A slice of easy-to-watch TV if you’re nursing an Easter weekend hangover, but not something we’d otherwise recommend feasting your eyes on.
Is It Cake? season 3 is out now in full on Netflix.
Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show (Max)
Its title says otherwise, but this is the third (!) documentary you can check out this week.
Billed as a dark comedy docuseries, the Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show follows the titular comedian as he embarks on a journey to find love, sex, truth, and connection. It’ll feature some of Carmichael’s friends and family, too, further adding to its docuseries make-up. One to look out for on our best Max shows list? Even though it’s documentary-centric, it’ll certainly be a contender if it’s any good.
Episode 1 of the Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show is out now on Max. New episodes release weekly.
For more streaming coverage, read our guides on the best Hulu shows, best Paramount Plus movies, best Apple TV Plus shows, and new Disney Plus movies.