What to watch over Labor Day weekend
Get out of the hot sun with Indiana Jones and Martin Brody
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
The end of summer is nigh. Labor Day closes out a packed summer movie season, and the fall's biggest entertainment hasn't quite arrived. But a holiday weekend is the perfect time to catch up on recent titles you missed and old favorites arriving on streaming. Those interested in trekking to the theater can see Denzel Washington in "The Equalizer 3." But if you'd rather stay home, get out of the hot sun with these Labor Day streaming picks:
'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' (Video on demand)
Viewers who skipped "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" in theaters — and its box office performance suggests many did — can now catch up, as the film has hit video on demand. Harrison Ford hangs up his whip in this final Indy adventure, a solid, rousing farewell to the character, even if the action lacks Steven Spielberg's magic touch.
'Jaws' (Netflix)
You're gonna need a bigger TV. Celebrate the end of summer with the original summer blockbuster, "Jaws," which hits Netflix on Sept. 1. In fact, the whole "Jaws" franchise will be available, from the decent "Jaws 2" to "Jaws: The Revenge," which is infamously awful but did help Michael Caine buy a nice house.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
'Arrival' (Netflix)
As September arrives, this 2016 sci-fi masterpiece by "Dune" director Denis Villeneuve will also arrive on Netflix on Sept. 1. Amy Adams stars as a linguist tasked with helping the military communicate with aliens. Spend the weekend furious that Adams wasn't nominated for an Oscar — and discover why "Labor" Day is the darkly perfect time to watch it.
'One Piece' (Netflix)
Prefer to stream something brand new? While on Netflix, scroll over to the live-action adaptation of the manga "One Piece," which follows a crew of pirates and drops on Aug. 31.
'The Wheel of Time' (Prime Video)
The second season of the Prime Video fantasy series "The Wheel of Time" also premieres Sept. 1, and the entire first season is there ready for a binge.
'How To with John Wilson' (Max)
Goodbye, New York. The best show on TV that you probably aren't watching is HBO's "How to With John Wilson," the hilarious docuseries that sees creator John Wilson encounter eccentric real-life characters around New York City and narrate over bizarre footage shot in Manhattan. After a surprisingly introspective season, the series finale airs Sept. 1.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
'How to Blow Up a Pipeline' (Hulu)
Make it a "how to" double feature by also checking out the heist film "How to Blow Up a Pipeline," which follows environmental activists who plot to destroy an oil pipeline. Thanks to its strong characters and pulse-pounding action, it's one of the best-reviewed movies of 2023 — and one of the year's only films where Googling its title might get you placed on an FBI watchlist.
'Women Talking' (Prime Video)
One of 2022's most acclaimed films, Sarah Polley's "Women Talking," has hit Prime Video just in time for the weekend. The movie, which earned Polley a well-deserved screenplay Oscar, follows a group of women in an isolated religious colony who debate what to do after discovering the community's men have committed a series of sexual assaults. Rooney Mara, Jessie Buckley and Claire Foy lead the stacked cast.
'The Boogeyman' (Video on demand)
For horror fans, the end of summer also marks the start of spooky season, so "The Boogeyman" has hit video on demand with perfect timing. Sophie Thatcher ("Yellowjackets") stars in this adaptation of the Stephen King short story about a young woman haunted by a supernatural entity while grappling with the death of her mother. If you liked "The Babadook," you might like "The Boogeyman," which boasts the scariest use of a moon lamp in a recent horror film.
'The Last Voyage of the Demeter' (Video on demand)
Also hitting video on demand while still in theaters is "The Last Voyage of the Demeter," which adapts the chapter of "Dracula" where the count travels on a ship and terrorizes the crew. It comes recommended by Stephen King, who dubbed it a "throat-ripping good time." Despite its real title, the movie will always be "Dracula on a Boat" to us.
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
The problem with diagnosing profound autismThe Explainer Experts are reconsidering the idea of autism as a spectrum, which could impact diagnoses and policy making for the condition
-
What are the best investments for beginners?The Explainer Stocks and ETFs and bonds, oh my
-
What to know before filing your own taxes for the first timethe explainer Tackle this financial milestone with confidence
-
The biggest box office flops of the 21st centuryin depth Unnecessary remakes and turgid, expensive CGI-fests highlight this list of these most notorious box-office losers
-
The 8 best superhero movies of all timethe week recommends A genre that now dominates studio filmmaking once struggled to get anyone to take it seriously
-
February TV brings the debut of an adult animated series, the latest batch of ‘Bridgerton’ and the return of an aughts sitcomthe week recommends An animated lawyers show, a post-apocalyptic family reunion and a revival of a hospital comedy classic
-
Heated Rivalry, Bridgerton and why sex still sells on TVTalking Point Gen Z – often stereotyped as prudish and puritanical – are attracted to authenticity
-
Film reviews: ‘Send Help’ and ‘Private Life’Feature An office doormat is stranded alone with her awful boss and a frazzled therapist turns amateur murder investigator
-
February’s new movies include rehab facilities, 1990s Iraq and maybe an apocalypsethe week recommends Time travelers, multiverse hoppers and an Iraqi parable highlight this month’s offerings during the depths of winter
-
The 8 best hospital dramas of all timethe week recommends From wartime period pieces to of-the-moment procedurals, audiences never tire of watching doctors and nurses do their lifesaving thing
-
The 8 best animated family movies of all timethe week recomends The best kids’ movies can make anything from the apocalypse to alien invasions seem like good, wholesome fun
