The 7 best new movies and shows to stream this weekend

As another week draws to a close, we're back with some new streaming recommendations to keep you occupied from Friday night through to Sunday evening. If you're looking for a new TV show to binge, you're in luck, as it's a bumper week for new series releases.

First up, there's psychological thriller Eric on Netflix, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch as a rapidly unraveling father looking for his missing son (and, for an extra helping of Cumberbatch, US subscribers can also catch his 2018 drama series Patrick Melrose). Elsewhere, Stephen Merchant's The Outlaws is back on Prime Video in the US and BBC iPlayer in the UK, while Polite Society director Nida Manzoor's comedy We Are Lady Parts returns for season 2.

UK viewers can also catch up on some long-awaited shows that premiered in the US earlier this year: The Walking Dead spin-off The Ones Who Live and Park Chan-wook's The Sympathizer, starring Robert Downey Jr., which are both on NOW. And, finally, US Netflix viewers can revisit Tangerine, an earlier offering from Sean Baker, the director of this year's Palme d'Or-winning Anora.

Eric

Available: Worldwide
Watch now: Netflix

Benedict Cumberbatch stars in Eric, a new psychological thriller from Netflix. Set in '80s New York, he plays Vincent, a puppeteer and the creator of a popular kids' TV show, whose nine-year-old son Edgar goes missing on his way to school. Full of guilt and self-loathing, Vincent begins to alienate his family and colleagues and becomes convinced that getting Eric, a puppet monster drawn by Edgar, on TV is the only way to get his son home. As Eric becomes more and more real, he's Vincent's only ally in the hunt for Edgar. The series was created by The Hour showrunner Abi Morgan, who also co-wrote Shame with Steve McQueen.

The Outlaws season 3

Available: Worldwide
Watch now: Prime Video in the US, BBC iPlayer in the UK

Comedy thriller The Outlaws is back for season 3. The show follows a group of strangers who meet after being sentenced to do community service together in Bristol, whose lives are turned upside down when they discover a bag full of money from a very dangerous source. With a crime boss now behind bars, it seems like life might be on the up for the group, but a dark secret uncovered in the new season risks complicating things. The cast includes Christopher Walken, Stephen Merchant, and Baby Reindeer's Jessica Gunning. You can stream all five episodes now.

We Are Lady Parts season 2

Available: Worldwide
Watch now: Peacock in the US, Channel 4 in the UK

Three years after season 1 first aired, comedy series We Are Lady Parts, created by Polite Society director Nida Manzoor, finally returns for a second season. Set in London, the show follows an all-female, all-Muslim punk band, and the new batch of eps picks up after the group's first UK tour. Riding high on their newfound success and about to record their first album, a rival band and some personal struggles threaten to throw a spanner in the works… All six episodes are available to stream now.

Patrick Melrose

Available: US
Watch now: Netflix

On a Cumberbatch kick after bingeing Eric? Try Patrick Melrose, the 2018 series based on Edward St Aubyn's semi-autobiographical novels. Cumberbatch plays the title character, a man from an aristocratic family attempting to process his troubled childhood and substance abuse issues as old wounds are reopened after his mother's death. Directed by All Quiet on the Western Front helmer Edward Berger and written by One Day author David Nicholls, the cast also includes Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hugo Weaving, Harriet Walter, Morfydd Clark, and Allison Williams.

The Sympathizer

Available: UK
Watch now: NOW

Park Chan-wook may be best known for directing movies like Oldboy and Stoker, but he's also behind the critically acclaimed TV show Little Drummer Girl, starring Florence Pugh. He's turned to the small screen again with The Sympathizer, a dark historical comedy about a North Vietnam plant in the South Vietnam army, played by Hoa Xuande, who's forced to flee to the US at the end of the Vietnam War. Robert Downey Jr. also stars in the series – playing multiple antagonistic roles. The series premiered in April on Max in the US.

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live

Available: UK
Watch now: NOW

Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira return as Rick and Michonne for new The Walking Dead spin-off The Ones Who Live. The pair have been separated since Rick disappeared, presumed dead, in season 9 and the new series will see the pair's attempts to reunite. Another familiar face making a return is Pollyanna McIntosh's Jadis, who was in the helicopter with Rick when he disappeared, while Lost's Terry O'Quinn and Lucifer's Lesely-Anne Brandt have also joined the cast. The series was released on AMC Plus in the US earlier this year.

Tangerine

Available: US
Watch now: Netflix

Sean Baker's comedy drama Anora recently won the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival and now the director's 2015 feature Tangerine, which explores similar themes, is streaming on Netflix. Set over the course of one day and filmed entirely on an iPhone, the movie follows a trans sex worker (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) who, after being released from jail on Christmas Eve, discovers that her boyfriend and pimp (The Wire's James Ransone) has been cheating on her. Angry and heartbroken, she sets out on a mission through Hollywood to find him.

If there's nothing here that tickles your fancy, then you might have to start looking into each streaming service's back catalogue, which can be a daunting task given how many titles they each host. Fear not, though... if you're a TV fan, then we've got you covered with our lists of the best Netflix shows, best Disney Plus shows, and the best Amazon Prime Video shows.