7 new movies and TV shows to watch on Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max and more this weekend (January 2)
SOURCE:TechRadar|BY: Lucy Buglass
The first week of 2026 is packed with new releases to watch, from the streaming debut of new movies to the Stranger Things season 5 finale.
Stranger Things season 5 took its final bow this week. (Image credit: Netflix)
A brand new year is here, which means there's a host of new movies and TV shows to look forward to. To kick-start your 2026, the world’s best streaming services are rolling out a medley of new releases that should help you cling on to that holiday bubble for just a little longer.
From the epic conclusion of one of the most-watched TV shows of all time to the streaming debut of two recent films from 2025, there’s plenty to peruse in the list below, which are all but guaranteed to keep you entertained over the weekend. Now, go get your first watchlist of the year ready! – Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment ed
Stranger Things season 5 finale (Netflix)
Stranger Things 5 | Finale Trailer | Netflix - YouTube
One of TV’s biggest showdowns is finally here! The eighth and final episode of Stranger Things season 5 landed on Netflix at the end of 2025. If you didn’t catch the two-hour finale, titled ‘The Rightside Up’, during its limited theatrical run in the US and Canada this week, there’s no better time to stream it, especially now that Netflix’s servers are a little less overloaded.
The Duffer Brothers have rolled the dice on their ’80s monster fever dream for one last time, bringing an emotional 10-year journey to a close for one of Netflix’s most-watched and most talked about shows. There’s plenty to wrap up in the finale, too. From stopping Vecna to confronting the Mind Flayer once and for all, the Hawkins heroes have everything riding on the final fight. – AS
We're only a few days into 2026 and Harlan Coben's Run Away has unleashed a storyline so unhinged, it could be an all-time for Netflix crime dramas. Simon (James Nesbitt) is desperately searching for his runaway daughter Paige (Ellie de Lange) after she leaves home for her abusive, drug-addicted boyfriend, Aaron (Thomas Flynn).
When Aaron turns up dead, Simon is the number one suspect. Going against the police, his family and his better conscience to find Paige, he discovers far more than he ever bargained for. You'll have to suspend any ounce of belief you have in your body, but it'll be worth it.
I was giddy the entire way through watching it, and it's safe to say that I've never enjoyed following a grisly murder more. Ruth Jones needs to be cast in more serious dramas, but the star of the show is the series ending, which I might never forget. – Jasmine Valentine, entertainment reporter
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Severance fans, do you need more Tramell Tillman in your life? Of course you do, which is why you should watch Barron's Cove this weekend. He joins a great cast in this thriller movie, alongside Garrett Hedlund, Hamish Linklater and Brittany Snow.
The Paramount+ thriller movie follows a man who kidnaps a young boy after his son’s death is ruled a suicide and no justice is done. The boy, a classmate of his late son, is taken to a remote lake house, where the man interrogates him about his son’s disappearance.
It's real bleak, edge of your seat stuff and while the critics are divided, the premise is intriguing, which means you might get a kick out of this nail-biting thriller. – Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer
Real life couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco lead the cast of this unmissable body horror movie, which explores codependency in a chilling way. They play Tim and Millie, a couple who move to the countryside where they begin to experience disturbing events as their bodies start to become stuck together.
There’s some seriously cringe-inducing moments here and I mean that in the best possible way. While it doesn’t go quite as hard on the gore as it could’ve, there’s plenty of excellent special effects and moments that are very uncomfortable to sit through.
Together is widely regarded as one of 2025’s best horror movies, with a glowing 90% Rotten Tomatoes rating. It’s well worth your time this weekend. - LB
TLC’S new investigative docuseries investigates The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Mary Cosby and her Faith Temple Pentecostal Church. With allegations of spiritual and financial misconduct surrounding both Cosby and the church itself, there’s plenty to uncover in this three-part series that's now streaming on HBO Max.
Throughout the episodes, the series documents the church’s history thanks to investigative journalists and bloggers who have been tracking the story from the beginning. It also features a leading cult expert to offer insight into mind-control cults, and it sounds like it’s going to be a binge worthy one this weekend.
I’ve been gripped by TLC programs for years and I’m sure this one will be no exception. – LB
Clearly, Cheetahs Up Close with Bertie Gregory is a documentary I need to watch on Disney+, seeing as I took one look at the above trailer thumbnail and proudly told my colleagues that this is a leopard. Filmmaker Bertie Gregory's new documentary special "captures the extreme challenges facing the world's fastest land animal", according to National Geographic.
Gregory follows the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti first-hand, resulting in the heart-stopping survival of the fittest standoff as the special continues. Don't worry, it's not all violent... the baby cubs are incredibly cute. – JV
Rather brilliantly, Netflix is trying to one-up Hulu's true crime documentary game. In 2025, Devil in the Family: the Fall of Ruby Franke hit Disney+ to international acclaim, and now we're revisiting the horrifying story again, but focused on Utah therapist Jodi Hildebrandt.
In 2023, her child abuse arrest alongside parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke shocked the world, and according to Netflix, "exposed a twisted tale of manipulation". It's the story we seemingly can't get enough of, and we're about to revisit it from an entirely new angle.
If anything, this documentary might prove to be even more shocking than anything that was already public knowledge. Hildebrandt is the biggest enigma and the one we know the least about... well, up until now. – JV
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Lucy is a long-time movie and television lover who is an approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes. She has written several reviews in her time, starting with a small self-ran blog called Lucy Goes to Hollywood before moving onto bigger websites such as What's on TV and What to Watch, with TechRadar being her most recent venture. Her interests primarily lie within horror and thriller, loving nothing more than a chilling story that keeps her thinking moments after the credits have rolled. Many of these creepy tales can be found on the streaming services she covers regularly.
When she’s not scaring herself half to death with the various shows and movies she watches, she likes to unwind by playing video games on Easy Mode and has no shame in admitting she’s terrible at them. She also quotes The Simpsons religiously and has a Blinky the Fish tattoo, solidifying her position as a complete nerd.
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