9 New Movies and Shows to Watch This Week
Good things come to those who wait, as the old saying goes, which is especially true this week in terms of new movies and shows to watch, which sees the return (after more than two years) of the excellent thriller “The Old Man,” plus the completion (after a month) of the fifth season of “Emily in Paris.” Plus the debut of two shows (“Universal Basic Guys” on Fox and “Three Women” on Starz) that were announced long ago and have had prolonged journeys to your TV screen. But that’s not all! We’ve got a new LEGO “Star Wars” series on Disney+ (“Rebuild the Galaxy”), a new YA sci-fi movie on Netflix (“Uglies”) and the streaming premiere of “Civil War,” one of the year’s most controversial movies!
“The Old Man”
Thursday, Sept. 12 at 10 p.m., FX
More than two years after the original season wrapped up (in July 2022), FX’s “The Old Man” finally makes its return. If you never saw the series, created by Jonathan E. Steinberg (who returns for season 2) and Robert Levine (who does not) and based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Thomas Perry, it follows Dan Chase (Jeff Bridges), the titular old man. He’s a former CIA operative who is living off the grid and, after killing an intruder at his Vermont home, finds himself on the run from various operatives, including an old friend and work colleague (John Lithgow) and various assassins hired to take him down. What built a lot of tension in the first season (and delayed some of the satisfaction) was that Lithgow and Bridges were largely kept apart. This time they seem to be together, with the marketing materials suggesting that this is a big, old-fashioned adventure. Exciting, isn’t it? We certainly think so.
“Emily in Paris” Season 4 Part 2
Thursday, Sept. 12, Netflix
The second half of season 4 finally arrives! The initial batch of five episodes first premiered on August 15, 2024, but Netflix held back the rest of the season. Now you can watch the other five episodes, including a season finale written by creator Darren Star. But what hats will adorable Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) be wearing in these last few episodes? You know the only way to find out is to tune in.
“Civil War”
Friday, Sept. 13, Max
Now is your chance to weigh in on one of the most controversial films of the year. Alex Garland, the sci-fi provocateur behind “Ex Machina,” “Annihilation” and the screenplay for “28 Days Later,” imagines a United States in the midst of a contentious civil war. States have banded together to form tenuous alliances and the President of the United States (Nick Offerman) is hiding in Washington, D.C. while making blustery public proclamations. A small group of press members – a pair of photojournalists (Kirsten Dunst and Wagner Moura), a print journalist (Stephen McKinley Henderson) and a young protégé (Cailee Spaeny) make a treacherous journey from New York City to Washington. Their goal? To get to the president before the opposing factions do. Garland purposely leaves the politics fuzzy, instead focusing on those hell-bent on documenting the carnage. (It also helps that all the performances are so good.) Boasting one of the biggest budgets in the history of indie studio A24, “Civil War” eventually explodes into a truly terrifying battle, with our protagonists right in the middle. With shades of John Carpenter, “Civil War” feels like a movie that shouldn’t have taken the heat that it did. This one is the real deal. Watch at home and grip the armrest of your sofa until your knuckles turn white.
“Wise Guy David Chase and ‘The Sopranos'”
Saturday, Sept. 7 at 8 p.m., HBO
“The Sopranos” remains one of the best television series ever made, and now there’s a new documentary delving deep into the life and mind of the guy who created it, David Chase. In a recreation of the therapist office set from the show, Chase sits down to answer questions about the deeply personal nature of the series (it was based on his relationship with his mother) and his life. He’ll most certainly be talking about that series finale (you know, the one with the dramatic cut to black and Journey song that is still stuck in your head), but will he offer any additional insight?
“Universal Basic Guys”
Sunday, Sept. 8 at 8 p.m., Fox
Originally announced back in 2022, “Universal Basic Guys” hails from creators and executive producers Adam and Craig Malamut, along with showrunners Dan Lagana and Rob Rossell. The central conceit of the series, which stars Fred Armisen and Ally Maki, is that it follows a group of New Jersey factory workers who are enrolled in a Universal Basic Income pilot program after their jobs are taken away by robots. Let the good times roll! [TRAILER]
“How to Die Alone”
Friday, Sept. 13, Hulu
According to the official synopsis, the new Hulu series follows “Mel (Natasha Rothwell), a broke, fat, Black JFK airport employee who’s never been in love and forgotten how to dream, until an accidental brush with death catapults her on a journey to finally take flight and start living by any means necessary.” The series co-stars Conrad Ricamora and Jocko Sims. It was co-created by Rothwell and Vera Santamaria. Should be inspiring and fun. [TRAILER]
“LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy”
Friday, Sept. 13, Disney+
The entire “Star Wars” universe gets mixed up in this four-part animated miniseries from Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit. After a young boy (Gaten Matarazzo from “Stranger Things”) finds a relic that can rewrite reality, he teams up with a Jedi (Bobby Moynihan) to make things right. What’s fun is who they got to return for the series – everybody from Ahmed Best (this time as Darth Jar Jar), Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Kelly Marie Tran, Naomi Ackie and Billy Dee Williams. Sounds like a blast. [TRAILER]
“Three Women”
Friday, Sept. 13 at 10 p.m., Starz
Based on the 2019 book by Lisa Taddeo, “Three Women” was originally set to appear on Showtime. In 2023, Showtime dropped the series, which stars Shailene Woodley, DeWanda Wise, Betty Gilpin and Blair Underwood. Starz eventually came to the series’ rescue. And now you are finally seeing it! Woodley plays a writer who convinces three women to share stories about their lives and how they changed them in different ways. Could be a new prestige TV heavyweight.
“Uglies”
Friday, Sept. 13, Netflix
The YA revolution continues (on Netflix). The latest is “Uglies,” based on the 2005 novel by Scott Westerfeld. It takes place in a dystopian future where cosmetic surgery is required when you turn 16. Joey King, Keith Powers, Chase Stokes, Brianne Tju and Laverne Cox, in the fifth movie McG has made for Netflix. Hey, it’s a living.
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