New on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and theaters: Your Memorial Day weekend viewing guide
May 23, 2025, 5:31 PM

Promotional images for "Duster," "Mission: Impossible 鈥 The Final Reckoning," and "The Handmaid's Tale." (Photos courtesy of HBO Max, Paramount Pictures, MGM Television)
(Photos courtesy of HBO Max, Paramount Pictures, MGM Television)
The Cannes Film Festival is wrapping up this Memorial Day weekend, the same weekend that also boasts some fantastic weather across the Puget Sound. But for those staying in and not traveling, here鈥檚 what to look out for in terms of the best new shows and movies to watch this weekend.
What and how to watch
In theaters: Mission: Impossible 鈥 The Final Reckoning
Tom Cruise, the self-proclaimed savior of Hollywood, delivers his latest death-defying achievement yet, the potentially final “Mission: Impossible” film. Allegedly becoming the fourth movie in history to demand a budget of $400 million or more, it is filled with everything you love (and expect) from this series: unbelievable stunts, exhilarating set pieces, and some regularly scheduled Tom Cruise running.
You鈥檝e seen the plane stunt advertised throughout its promotional run, but just wait for the submarine sequence if you believe this franchise is well past its peak.
It’s too long and sometimes clumsily written in its attempts to connect its multi-decade adventure into something a little more cohesive. It鈥檚 a movie so big that it forgets to go small, but 鈥淭he Final Reckoning鈥 is still quite a ride, and a worthy addition to the series.
On Hulu: The Handmaid鈥檚 Tale (Season 6)
Speaking of reckoning, it鈥檚 the end of the road for the Republic of Gilead, whether June Osborne (Elizabeth Moss) can radicalize the dystopian regime or not. Now a full-fledged outlaw and vigilante, June鈥檚 plans for revolution and retribution are in full swing this season, and the show鈥檚 series finale is finally upon us, airing this Tuesday. So use this holiday weekend to catch up on series before it bids farewell.
This season, the handmaid鈥檚 resistance against its corrupt rulers is fully visualized. Consequences from past actions, jaw-dropping twists, and some dramatic performances are just the start of what the final season has to offer.
Sixty-five episodes across six seasons over the last eight years, Moss鈥 turn into becoming both myth and legend has been intoxicating. Each episode delivers 12 ferocious rounds of punches, with so much happening in one sitting, you鈥檒l have no idea where the series will take you next.
Winner of 15 Emmys, Season 6 is the highest-reviewed season of The Handmaid鈥檚 Tale since its debut season in 2017.
On HBO Max: Duster (Season 1)
Want something a little lighter? 鈥淒uster鈥 is delivering weekly episodes on HBO Max each Thursday, with two already in the can as we speak.
鈥淒uster鈥 is 1970s cop pulp at its finest, following Nina Hayes, the first Black woman FBI agent, in her attempts to dismantle a powerful crime syndicate in the American Southwest with the help of some downtrodden, reluctant companions.
This show is J.J. Abrams鈥 (鈥淟ost,鈥 鈥淪tar Wars: Episode VII鈥) triumphant return to TV, and also Josh Holloway鈥檚, who is pretty incredible as Jim. It鈥檚 the perfect summer show with that specific 70s aesthetic spilling out from the screen every chance it gets.
On Netflix: Turning Point: The Vietnam War
The “Turning Point” docuseries documented America鈥檚 conflict in Vietnam, starting with American troops landing on foreign soil to the fall of Saigon, and how history has since repeated itself, identifying parallels between this war and future conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Examining the most consequential and horrifying moments during that time from a myriad of perspectives, including hearing from American veterans and those from both North and South Vietnam, its five episodes are more than thorough in its coverage.
While the military aspect of the Vietnam War is certainly at the forefront of the documentary, the cultural and political influence in America is also at the core of this retelling, specifically how this country is still dealing with the ramifications of that war to this day.
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