As streaming platforms continue to flood audiences with new content every week, Associated Press entertainment writers have curated a handpicked selection of the most notable new films, series, music releases, and video games hitting digital platforms between May 18 and 24. From long-awaited franchise returns to genre-bending original stories, this week’s lineup offers something for every type of viewer and gamer.
## New Films Premiering This Week
Four years after wrapping up his hit Amazon Prime Video series adaptation of Tom Clancy’s iconic spy franchise, John Krasinski is pulling the CIA analyst’s suit back on for the new standalone feature *Jack Ryan: Ghost War*, premiering Wednesday on Prime Video. Marking the sixth theatrical/streaming entry and third overall reboot of the decades-long Jack Ryan franchise, the new film also brings back fan-favorite series regulars Wendell Pierce, Michael Kelly, and Betty Gabriel to round out the core cast.
Over on Netflix, the sharp gender satire *Ladies First* debuts Friday, May 22, headlined by Sacha Baron Cohen and Rosamund Pike. Cohen steps into the role of an unapologetic chauvinist who wakes up one morning to find himself trapped in a parallel reality where women hold all the social and political power. The supporting cast is packed with acclaimed talent, including Charles Dance, Emily Mortimer, and Richard E. Grant.
Hulu is adding Oscar-nominated animated fantasy *Arco* to its lineup this Friday, May 22. A vivid, rainbow-hued French time-travel adventure, the film follows 12-year-old Arco, who lives in the distant year 2932, only to accidentally warp back to 2072. There, he befriends a young girl growing up in a world reshaped by extreme climate disaster, where robots handle most child-rearing duties. In an earlier assessment, AP film critics praised the feature as a whimsical, dreamlike parable that “directly confronts ecological apocalypse and yet still finds a thrillingly optimistic note to end on.”
Quentin Tarantino’s unified cut of his two-part revenge epic, *Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair*, makes its streaming debut Friday, May 22 on Peacock. The reworked film merges *Kill Bill Vol. 1* and *Kill Bill Vol. 2* into a single continuous narrative, adding a previously cut 7.5-minute animated sequence that was omitted from the original standalone releases after the project was split in two back in the early 2000s.
## New Music Releases to Stream
With the Grammy Awards set to move their annual broadcast to ABC starting next year, CBS and the Recording Academy are celebrating one last collaboration this week with *Forever Young: A Grammy Salute to Rod Stewart*, a two-hour television special airing Tuesday on CBS. Blending live concert performances, intimate new interviews, and never-before-seen archival and behind-the-scenes footage, the special is a must-watch for any fan of the iconic British rock star. Paramount+ Premium subscribers can stream the special live or on-demand the same day, while those on the Essential tier will be able to watch it starting Wednesday.
Acclaimed British singer-songwriter Maisie Peters expands her discography this week with the release of her new folk-pop album *Florescence*, out Friday. Peters, known for her sharp, intimate storytelling, leans into themes of new love across the album’s tracklist, creating a warm, relatable soundtrack that will appeal both to long-time fans and new listeners drawn to melodic, heartfelt pop.
Indie rock duo Lowertown — made up of Atlanta-born, New York-based collaborators Olivia Osby and Avsha Weinberg — release their most polished and compelling work to date this Friday with *Ugly Duckling Union*, out via their own Summer Shade Records. Early in their career, the pair built a following as a lo-fi bedroom pop act heavily influenced by indie cult hero Alex G, signed to Dirty Hit Records, the label behind The 1975. The new record finds the duo refining their sound: hook-driven tracks like the standout love song “I Like You A Lot” trade scrappy lo-fi edges for catchy, accessible melodies, while experimental cuts like “Big Thumb” lean into stream-of-consciousness folk-jazz arrangements featuring harmonica and 12-string guitar. Narrative tracks like “Worst Friend” play to the pair’s chemistry, with Osby and Weinberg trading verses to amp up emotional impact. The release is already being tipped as one of the best indie rock records of 2024.
## New Streaming Series to Watch
Acorn TV’s new six-episode murder mystery *You’re Killing Me* premieres Monday, starring Brooke Shields as a beloved novelist who teams up with a true crime podcaster to unravel a small-town killing.
Emmy winner Tatiana Maslany leads the new Apple TV+ original *Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed*, which drops its first two episodes Wednesday. Maslany plays a recently divorced woman down on her luck who witnesses a violent crime unfold in real time over a webcam feed, with Jake Johnson of *New Girl* fame co-starring as her ex-husband.
*Stranger Things* creators the Duffer Brothers are stepping into a new genre as executive producers for Netflix’s *The Boroughs*, debuting Thursday. Leaving behind the teen-focused supernatural drama of their hit Netflix series, the Duffer Brothers’ new project centers on a very different group of heroes: residents of a quiet, picturesque retirement community who band together when monstrous threats emerge in their small town. The star-studded cast includes Geena Davis, Bill Pullman, Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, and Denis O’Hare.
Lena Waithe’s beloved Chicago-set drama *The Chi* returns for its eighth and final season this Friday, May 22 on Paramount+. The long-running coming-of-age series has followed a group of residents on Chicago’s South Side for nearly a decade, exploring how they navigate systemic racism, community violence, and the fight to build better lives for themselves and their families.
## New Video Games to Play This Week
The most ambitious Lego Batman title ever made, *Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight*, launches Friday, May 22 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Developed by TT Games, a studio long known for balancing playful humor with heartfelt love for the DC franchise, the new release acts as a full career retrospective for the Caped Crusader, pulling inspiration from 80 years of Batman comics, films, and television shows. Players will face off against classic Batman villains including the Joker, Penguin, Two-Face, and Bane, and can even team up with a friend in co-op mode to play as Robin, Batgirl, or Catwoman. The open-world version of Gotham City built for the game is the studio’s largest and most detailed to date.
Nintendo’s iconic dinosaur hero Yoshi headlines a new family-friendly adventure for the Switch 2, *Yoshi and the Mysterious Book*, launching Thursday. The game kicks off when Yoshi stumbles upon a talking encyclopedia named Mr. E, where every two-page spread opens into a brand new explorable world for Yoshi to bounce through. Staying true to classic Yoshi gameplay, the hero can swallow enemies with his long tongue and carry friendly creatures on his back to borrow their unique abilities. While the game is designed specifically for younger players, the vibrant, lush animation style is sure to appeal to adult players as well.
Microsoft’s open-world racing franchise *Forza Horizon 6* hits Xbox Series X/S and PC this Tuesday, bringing the beloved series to Japan, one of the world’s most iconic destinations for car culture. The new entry features a diverse range of terrain, from winding mountain roads and coastal coastal trails to the neon-lit city streets of Tokyo. Beyond hundreds of on-road and off-road races, players can complete side activities including stunt challenges, food delivery missions, and collectible hunts for fast-food mascots — even a surprise giant robot encounter is hidden across the map. With 550 real-world licensed cars available to collect and upgrade, completionists will have dozens of hours of content to enjoy filling out their garages.