11 new movies and TV shows to watch this weekend: Ted Lasso finale, Muppets Haunted Mansion and more
A big batch of new movies and TV shows are coming this weekend, and not to say they’re welcome, but at least one entry disappoints us. The Ted Lasso Season 2 finale is here and we’re all sad about it. Fortunately, once we’re done, there are plenty of other options for you to watch on Netflix, Disney Plus, and other streaming services.
Two concert films headline this weekend’s lineup: Madonna’s Madame X and Halsey’s If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power. Two new pastry shows are also paired, Engineering Baking Impossible and the Amateur Showdown against Pro Baker’s Dozen.
To fill the mysterious teenage murder void in your life, try One of Us Is Lying. For lighter fare, check out the ’80s comedy Acapulco.
And that’s not all: there are a ton of new tv shows and specials available on broadcast and cable. If you cut the cord, just sign up for one of the best cable tv alternatives to access your favorite channels.
Here are our picks of new movies and TV shows to watch this weekend.
Ted Lasso (Apple TV Plus)
Season 2 Finale | Episode 12 (TV-MA) | Look now
We cannot BELIEVE that the second season of Ted Lasso is already over. Looks like it started last week. So much has happened since the premiere! Ted revealed his past trauma (dad’s suicide) and finally opened up to Doctor Sharon. Roy joined AFC Richmond as an assistant coach. Rebecca met Sam. Coach Beard has embarked on a late night trippy adventure in London. Santa Claus is very real (let’s forget that one, will you?). But two big conflicts loom over the finale: Nate’s heel turns into an asshole and the Roy / Keeley / Jamie love triangle. The latter seems a little silly – Keeley and Roy’s relationship seems solid and she never expressed regret for Jamie. But Nate’s transformation into villain has grown throughout the season and we can’t wait to see the result.
Haunted Mansion of the Muppets (Disney Plus)
Special | 49 min (TV-PG) | Look now
The Muppets have performed in several Christmas outings, but this is their first Halloween special. And that’s exactly what it sounds like: the popular theme park attraction but with the Muppets. Big Gonzo has seen and done it all, but now he’s taking on the biggest challenge of his life – spending the night in the Haunted Mansion. He and his friend Pepe the Prawn visit the spooky mansion of magician The Great MacGuffin. Miss Piggy appears as herself and Madame Pigota from the crystal ball. The special features three new original songs, “Rest In Peace”, “Life Hereafter” and “Tie The Knot Tango”.
One of us is lying (peacock)
Series premiere | Episodes 1-3 (TV-MA) | Look now
Fans of teen murder mysteries like 13 Reasons Why Not will flock to Peacock’s adaptation of Karen M. McManus’ novel. The story follows five children who are held up on the first day of school at Bayview High. But it’s not a Breakfast Club, as they learn when one of them mysteriously dies. Everyone is suspicious and everyone has something to hide. The four surviving students must work together to find out who killed Simon and why – and if they might be next.
Acapulco (Apple TV Plus)
Series premiere | Episode 1 (TV-14) | Look now
The famous Mexican comedian Eugenio Derbez loosely based this series in English and Spanish on his film How to be a Latin lover. Derbez is reprising his role as Máximo Gallardo, a wealthy resident of Malibu today. He recounts flashbacks to 1984, when he was 20 (played by Enrique Arrison) who got a job as a shed boy in Acapulco’s fanciest resort. But he discovers that upward mobility is more difficult than it looks. Máximo must juggle a demanding clientele and a mercurial mentor with a family life complicated by an ultra-religious mother (Vanessa Bauche) and a left-wing sister (Regina Reynoso).
Fauci (Disney Plus)
Documentary | 1 h 44 min (PG-13) | Look now
A global pandemic has made Dr Anthony Fauci a highly respected infectious disease specialist into a cultural icon. The documentary, directed by John Hoffman (The Antidote) and Janet Tobias (No Play on Earth), chronicles Fauci’s life from his childhood to his professional career which saw him serve under seven presidents during HIV epidemics / AIDS, SARS and Ebola. Naturally, the focus is on Fauci’s role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film features interviews with family, friends and former patients of Fauci, as well as big names like former President George W. Bush, Bono and Bill Gates.
Madame X (Paramount Plus)
Special | Length and dimension unknown | Look now
Madonna has never had a hard time expressing herself and she certainly isn’t holding back in the concert film which shares a title with her 14th studio album. The documentary was filmed in January 2020 in Lisbon, before the pandemic closed the world. Directed by Ricardo Gomes and SKNX, Madame X presents a dramatic and theatrical setting – a rococo cabaret for the ages. She sings several of her greatest hits, including “Express Yourself” with her three daughters. And of course, she performs songs from the Madame X album, in the role of the sexy and deadly secret agent.
Cannot cook (Netflix)
Series premiere | Episodes 1-6 (TV-PG) | Look now
The success of the Great British Baking Show has led to a bunch of imitators. Baking Impossible is perhaps one of the most unique, as it teams up with bakers and engineers. You’ve heard that baking involves a lot of math; now there are even more, plus physics to boot. In each episode, teams are faced with a mission to create a mostly edible structure that can withstand a stress test. For example, in the first challenge, teams build a boat that can float on a tank without sinking. One group chose the Rice Krispie treats for their shell, while another tried the chocolate. The losing team goes home, while the winners get an advantage in the next round. The ultimate winning team receives a prize of $ 100,000.
Baker’s Dozen (Hulu)
Series premiere | Episodes 1-8 (TV-14) | Look now
And here is yet another cooking. Baker’s Dozen is hosted by Tamera Mowry-Housley (yes, star Sister, Sister) and former White House pastry chef Bill Yosses. Thirteen amateur bakers take on professional pastry chefs in a series of baking challenges – all while making pie pie cakes. The surprise is that the amateurs really find themselves facing the pros. The lucky winner receives a cash prize and a golden rolling pin.
Sexy Beasts (Netflix)
Season 2 premiere | Episodes 1-6 (TV-14) | Look now
When Sexy Beasts debuted, it looked like a dating show imagined by someone who was high. Removing appearances from dating is certainly not a new idea (Netflix has already done this with Love Is Blind). To have people on animal heads is wild. The first season was definitely a trip, but also a little sweet. Season 2 increases the weirdness of the costumes, with this tour featuring an armadillo, a hairy pig, a buckskin-toothed bunny, and a goblin-like creature. As Armadillo says in the trailer, “This could be the start of an epic love story. – or it could be a disaster.” Hey, that doesn’t sound much different from Tinder!
Halsey: If I Can’t Have Love I Want Power (HBO Max)
Special | 50 min (TV-MA) | Look now
The art film described as an “evocative, horror-tinged fairy tale” accompanies Halsey’s fourth album, released in August. The singer plays the pregnant Queen Lila, who unleashes a paranormal power after a shocking event. Halsey collaborated on the album with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails. The result is a mix of alternative rock, shoegaze, punk and pop grunge with lyrics that meditate on feminist themes. The film debuted in IMAX theaters earlier this year and is now airing, coinciding with Halsey as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live alongside host Kim Kardashian West on October 9.
The Billion Dollar Code (Netflix)
Series premiere | Episodes 1-4 (TV-MA) | Look now
What if The Social Network had been told from the point of view of the Winklevoss brothers? This is basically the premise of The Billion Dollar Code, but instead of Facebook, the tech subject is Google. Based on real facts, this limited series tells the story of two German developers who sue Google 25 years after claiming to have invented a precursor to Google Earth called Terravision. In real life, in 2014, Berlin-based ART + COM sued Google for patent infringement, alleging that Google Earth was remarkably similar to its system. But like The Social Network, Billion Dollar Code is less about technological achievement and more about friendship and loyalty.