July kicks off with a streaming fireworks display of spectacular new movies and shows to watch this weekend on NetflixMax and other top streaming services.
The weekend’s schedule includes two new comedy films. The first is the sequel to a beloved franchise, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” which brings back Eddie Murphy to solve more crimes on 90210. The other is “Space Cadet,” a zany comedy in which Emma Roberts attempts to go to space.
On the TV front, Discovery’s annual Shark Week kicks off, while NatGeo’s Shark Fest brings even more action from the ocean’s predators. Here’s our guide to what to watch this weekend.
New television
Shark Week (Discovery and Max)
To watch
July might as well be called National Shark Month. It’s always marked by Discovery’s annual Shark Week event, hosted this year by John Cena. And that’s not all: NatGeo’s SharkFest has even more shark-related content (see below).
The shark show begins with “Belly of the Beast: Bigger and Bloodier” and continues throughout the week with specials like “Shark Frenzy: Mating Games,” “Jaws vs. Leviathan,” “Expedition Unknown: Sharks vs. Nazis in Paradise” and “Great White Danger Zone.”
First airing Sunday, July 7 at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery (via Sling) And Max
Sharkfest (NatGeo, Disney Plus and Hulu)
To watch
One week of sharks isn’t enough, National Geographic has decided. Sharkfest runs all month with more than 22 hours of original programming and 60 hours of enhanced content across National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo, ESPN2, Disney Plus and Hulu. Highlights include “Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie: Gulf Coast,” “Baby Sharks in the City” and “Shark Attack 360.”
Streaming now on Disney Plus And Hulu
“Sprint” (Netflix)
To watch
With the Paris 2024 Olympics just weeks away, more and more eyes are turning to the athletes who will compete. This docuseries explores the world of elite competitors who train to become the fastest person alive. This behind-the-scenes docuseries follows the sprinters as they face enormous physical and mental challenges, all in an effort to cross the finish line in record time. Episodes chronicle the journeys of Sha’Carri Richardson, Noah Lyles, Shericka Jackson and more as they prepare for the 2023 World Championships.
Streaming now on Netflix
“The Man with a Thousand Children” (Netflix)
To watch
A terrible fraud can be as horrific as murder, as this true crime documentary proves. A charismatic man turns out to be the sperm donor for hundreds, if not thousands, of children around the world. Jonathan Meijer is a charming Dutch conman accused of tricking mothers into having his children on a grand scale. This three-part documentary series investigates the murky world of the fertility industry and the lack of global regulation. Outraged parents tell their side of the twisty story as they seek to change the laws to prevent future fraud.
Streaming now on Netflix
Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 (Netflix)
To watch
The animated children’s series continues to follow the six young misfits who make up the crew of the Prodigy. They are given a new mission aboard the USS Voyager-A to save Captain Chakotay (voiced by “Voyager” star Robert Beltran) and bring peace to Gwyn’s (voiced by Ella Purnell) home planet. But when their plan fails, it creates a temporal paradox that puts both the future and the past in jeopardy.
Streaming now on Netflix
New Movies
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (Netflix)
To watch
Eddie Murphy is back in 90210! Thirty years after he last played the Detroit cop, he reprises his role in this Netflix sequel. When his lawyer daughter Jane (Taylour Paige) is threatened with death, Axel Foley returns to Beverly Hills. They team up with a new partner, Jane’s former detective Sam Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and old friends Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to uncover a conspiracy and defuse the threats.
Streaming now on Netflix
“Space Cadet” (Prime Video)
To watch
In this star-studded comedy, Tiffany “Rex” Simpson has always dreamed of going to space, but she’s just a waitress with a high school diploma. One day, she decides to apply for NASA’s astronaut training program by sending a passionate letter. Unbeknownst to Rex, her best friend Nadine (Poppy Liu) fakes the rest of her application, and Rex is accepted! Once there, she’s forced to rely on her wits, courage and determination to complete the training before her secret is revealed.
Streaming now on Prime Video
“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” (Max)
To watch
The latest installment in the Monsterverse follows the events of 2021’s “Godzilla vs. Kong,” which saw the two fearsome beasts face off. Now, Kong roams his new home of Hollow Earth in search of other great apes like himself, while Godzilla scours the Earth for a new type of energy. When a massive, undiscovered threat emerges, the old enemies must team up to save their existence and that of humanity.
Streaming now on Max
“Back to Black” (Peacock)
To watch
Any film about Amy Winehouse will have the extremely difficult task of being as good as Amy, the Oscar-winning 2015 documentary. Back to Black falls short of that level of greatness, even though Marisa Abela delivers a transcendent performance as the late singer. The flaws lie in the melodramatic mythology of Winehouse’s life, which everyone knows was marked by a troubled relationship, addiction, and the pressures of fame. Still, Abela’s uncanny physical and vocal resemblance to Winehouse is something to behold.
Streaming now on Peacock