What’s new to streaming this week? (Aug. 22, 2025)

Looking for something great to watch at home? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that’s before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each streamer!

Don’t be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services to determine what to watch. We’ve got your back, whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, and animation, among others. But if you’re seeking something brand-new (or just new to streaming), we’ve got you covered there, too.

Mashable’s entertainment team has scoured the streaming services to highlight the most buzzed-about releases of this week and ranked them from worst to best — or least worth your time to most watchable. Whether you’re in hankering for intense drama, feel-good comedy, adventurous animation, or bonkers action, we’ve got something just for you.

10. Eenie Meanie

Ready or Not’s Samara Weaving stars as the eponymous protagonist of Eenie Meanie. Edie Meanie earned this cutesy moniker by becoming the youngest getaway driver of underground crime. But now she’s in her twenties, trying to pull her life together with a legit job and by cutting ties from her screw-up boyfriend, John (Karl Glusman). Then he goes and nearly gets himself killed.

The only way to save his neck is to do one last job. Along the way these on-again-off-again lovers will cross paths with criminals kooky and dangerous, engage in wild car chases, and battle with their demons. Written and directed by Shawn Simmons, Eenie Meanie packs a lot into its runtime, including a complicated backstory involving several failed father figures. It feels at times as if Simmons intended this as a mini-series and chopped it down to make a movie work, which… it doesn’t really. But if you crave crime thrillers, Weaving shoulders this one ably. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

Starring: Samara Weaving, Karl Glusman, Jermaine Fowler, Marshawn Lynch, Randall Park, Steve Zahn, and Andy Garcia

How to watch: Eenie Meanie debuts on Hulu Aug. 22.

9. Hostage

The impossible choice between family or country lies at the heart of Hostage, Netflix’s five-part political thriller from Bridge of Spies writer Matt Charman. Newly elected and settling into 10 Downing Street with her family, British prime minister Abigail Dalton (Suranne Jones) must make unimaginable decisions when her husband Alex (Ashley Thomas) is suddenly kidnapped in French Guiana. With the bar for political thriller series so high — Homeland, The Americans, Netflix’s own The Diplomat, House of Cards — Hostage feels somewhat less meticulous than its predecessors. However, what Hostage does deliver is a strong character study through compelling performances from Doctor Foster star Jones and screen icon Julie Delpy as French president Vivienne Toussaint, who has buried a few damning secrets on her way to power. — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor

Starring: Suranne Jones, Julie Delpy, Corey Mylchreest, Ashley Thomas, and Martin McCann

How to watch: Hostage is now playing on Netflix.

8. The Bad Guys 2

In a playful sequel to The Bad Guys, the animated crew has gone good. But a fresh start is hard to get going when you’re better known for your heists than your heroics.

Wolf, Shark, Piranha, Snake, and Tarantula are committed to proving their on the right path now. But that becomes harder when an intimidating trio of criminals — Kitty Kat, Pigtail Petrova, and Doom — tempt them back into being Bad Guys. Hilarious hijinks, high-flying action, and plenty of kooky animals tumble together in The Bad Guys 2. — K.P.

Starring: Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Zazie Beetz, Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonne, Maria Bakalova, Alex Borstein, Richard Ayoade, and Lilly Singh

How to watch: The Bad Guys 2 is now available for rental or purchase on Prime Video.

7. Night of The Zoopocalypse

Want something scary and kid-friendly? Then you should check out Night of the Zoopocalypse. The title seems to allude to George A. Romero’s landmark zombie movie Night of the Living Dead. But the plot here is more alien invasion — at a zoo.

Quirky young wolf Gracie (Gabbi Kosmidis) is tired of the safety and routine of living at the zoo. She hungers for thrills and adventure. And she’ll get plenty when a crashed meteor turns her cuddly neighbors into drooling zombies, determined to spread their contagion one bite at a time. To make it through the night, Gracie will have to make some unlikely allies, like a grumpy mountain lion named Dan (voiced by Stranger Things’ David Harbour). Spookiness and silliness abound! — K.P.

Starring: Gabbi Kosmidis, Scott Thompson, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, and David Harbour

How to watch: Night of The Zoopocalypse debuts on Peacock on Aug. 22.

6. The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox

Amanda Knox’s story is one of a media gone wild, condemning an American student for a heinous crime ahead of her day in court. In Italy 2007, Knox was convicted of the murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher. In 2015, she was acquitted by Italy’s highest court, but it’d take years more for her to clear her name.

Now, the story of murder, false conviction, and fighting for exoneration takes shape in a new limited series, starring Grace Van Patten as the eponymous accused. While the real Knox shared her story in the Netflix doc Amanda Knox, this dramatized version comes from K.J. Steinberg, writer of such TV dramas as This Is Us, Mistresses, and Gossip Girl. — K.P.

Starring: Grace Van Patten, John Hoogenakker, Giuseppe De Domenico, Francesco Acquaroli, Roberta Mattei, Sharon Horgan, Anna Van Patten, Rebecca Wisocky, and Josh Burdett

How to watch: The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox debuts on Hulu on Aug. 20.

5. Abbott Elementary, Season 4

If you didn’t catch Abbott Elementary Season 4 as it aired or streamed on Hulu, now you’ve got another viewing option. The latest season of Quinta Brunson’s Emmy–winning series hits HBO Max this week.

Season 4 of Abbott Elementary continued exploring the lives of Abbott’s teachers, diving deeper into Janine (Brunson) and Gregory’s (Tyler James Williams) relationship and providing major shakeups when it came to Ava’s (Janelle James) tenure as principal. And of course, Season 4 featured the Abbott Elementary/It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover, which brought the Gang into Abbott, with bizarro consequences. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

Starring: Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and William Stanford Davis

How to watch: Abbott Elementary Season 4 debuts on Max on Aug. 23.

4. Elio

Pixar’s Elio may have bombed at the box office, but don’t let that stop you from checking out this sweet, original sci-fi film. Protagonist Elio (voiced by Yonas Asuncion Kibreab) is a lonely misfit with a passion for space and aliens. After spending ages desperately trying to get aliens to abduct him, he finally gets his wish and is whisked away to the Communiverse, where great minds from across the galaxy co-mingle. There’s just one catch: The members of the Communiverse think Elio is Earth’s leader.

As Elio tries to cement his spot among his new alien companions, he forges an unlikely bond with alien Glordon (voiced by Remy Edgerly), the son of a warlord hellbent on destroying the Communiverse. That relationship becomes the film’s heart, and as I wrote in my review, “What follows is a sweet, empathetic look at how to find connection in the unlikeliest of places. That idea isn’t exactly new to Pixar — see: Up, WALL-E, and many more — but Elio‘s inventive setting and lovable main character help cast these eternal themes in a weird and wonderful new light.” — B.E.

Starring: Yonas Asuncion Kibreab, Zoe Saldaña, Remy Edgerly, Brandon Moon, Brad Garrett, and Jameela Jamil

How to watch: Elio is now available for rental or purchase on Prime Video.

3. Peacemaker, Season 2

Can’t get enough of James Gunn and DC after watching Superman? Then you’re in luck, because Peacemaker Season 2 kicks off this week.

Season 1 was a refreshing standout in a sea of same-y superhero shows, and critical buzz around Season 2 suggests that it’s even better. John Cena returns as Chris Smith/Peacemaker, and this time around, he wants to be taken more seriously as a hero. Of course, he’s got many obstacles in his way, including multidimensional portals and the arrival of Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo), who’s hunting him down for killing Rick Flag Jr. (Joel Kinnaman) in The Suicide Squad. That all sounds daunting, but don’t worry: We’re getting a new opening sequence with a new dance, so at least you can rock out every episode. — B.E.

Starring: John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, Chukwudi Iwuji, Jennifer Holland, Steve Agee, and Robert Patrick

How to watch: Peacemaker Season 2 premieres on HBO Max on Aug 21.

2. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

Tom Cruise saddles up as super spy Ethan Hunt one last time in the (presumable) climax Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Picking up where  Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One left off, Ethan and his crew of play-by-their-own-rules agents are facing off against a malevolent AI known as “The Entity.” Naturally, that leads to more scenic globe-trekking, more jaw-dropping action, more star-studded supporting roles, and more missions not so impossible. 

While this movie is very messy plotwise, Final Reckoning offers undeniable thrills, not only in the form of Tom Cruise’s unparalleled dedication to stunts that seem not just dangerous but downright illegal, but also with brief but dazzling appearances from scene-stealers like Love Lies Bleeding‘s Katy O’Brian and Severance star Tramell Tillman. Oh, mister. Just you wait. — K.P.

Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Pom Klementieff, Esai Morales, Katy O’Brian, and Tramell Tillman

How to watch: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is now available for rental or purchase on Prime Video.

1. Long Story Short

BoJack Horseman creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg returns to Netflix with Long Story Short, an animated family sitcom that, just like BoJack Horseman, is hilarious and downright devastating in equal measure. 

At the center of the series is the Schwoopers, a Jewish family from Northern California. Siblings Avi (voiced by Ben Feldman), Shira (voiced by Abbi Jacobson), and Yoshi (voiced by Max Greenfield) are the show’s main focus, with Long Story Short flitting around in time to examine each of their triumphs and setbacks, along with all the ways their childhoods impacted their adulthoods. Thanks to its time-hopping structure, the show becomes a moving examination of all the little ways our family can hinder or help us over the years. The effect is magnificent and melancholy, boasting enough clever wordplay and pop culture jokes that, along with a whimsical storybook animation style, help balance the show’s heavier topics. Thank goodness the show has already been renewed for a Season 2, because I want more of the Schwoopers, stat. — B.E.

Starring: Ben Feldman, Abbi Jacobson, Max Greenfield, Lisa Edelstein, and Paul Reiser

How to watch: Long Story Short premieres on Netflix on Aug. 22.