At a Glance
- Ben Affleck and Matt Damon star as Boston cops who find $20 million in drug money in Netflix’s The Rip.
- Horror threequel 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple opens Jan. 16 with Ralph Fiennes fighting a mutated Rage Virus.
- Tell Me Lies returns to Hulu with three new episodes of Grace Van Patten and Jackson White’s toxic campus romance.
- Why it matters: Viewers get a star-driven action thriller, a long-awaited zombie sequel, and buzzy streaming dramas in one weekend.
Netflix, theaters, and premium streamers unload a fresh wave of movies and series this weekend, Jan. 17-18, headlined by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon reuniting for the Boston-set crime thriller The Rip while Ralph Fiennes faces a deadlier outbreak in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.
The Rip – Netflix
The Rip lands Friday on Netflix with Affleck and Damon playing veteran Boston detectives Lane and JD. After their police captain is murdered, an anonymous tip points them toward a warehouse stuffed with $20 million in cartel cash-money no one officially knows exists. The partners grab what they think is a victimless “rip,” but the cash comes with strings: whoever made the tip wants a cut and will kill to keep the secret. The film marks the duo’s first full co-lead project since The Last Duel and was shot in their hometown over 2023.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple – Theaters
Sony releases 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple nationwide on Thursday, Jan. 16, reviving the franchise that began with 2002’s 28 Days Later. Director Danny Boyle returns as producer, handing the reins to Still director David Moreau for a story set 28 years after the original outbreak. Ralph Fiennes plays Dr. Ian Kelson, a humanitarian doctor who enters a quarantined English city to treat survivors only to learn the Rage Virus has mutated, allowing some carriers to appear normal while remaining deadly. The film shot across Yorkshire and London last year with a reported production budget of $55 million.
Tell Me Lies – Hulu
Hulu drops the first three episodes of Tell Me Lies season 3 on Friday, continuing the obsessive relationship between Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White). The new run picks up after Lucy’s assault allegation against a professor fractured her friend group. Showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer adapted the drama from Carola Lovering’s 2018 novel and has promised the eight-episode season will end with “a body and a decision that can’t be undone.”
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms – HBO / Max
HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres Sunday, Jan. 18 at 10 p.m. ET and streams immediately on Max. Set 100 years before the original series, the six-episode limited show follows hedge knight Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), future king Aegon V Targaryen. George R.R. Martin executive-produces alongside Ira Parker, adapting three novellas that chronicle Duncan’s knightly adventures across Westeros.
The Hillside Strangler – MGM+ / Prime Video
Docuseries The Hillside Strangler recounts the 1977-78 killing spree that left 10 women dead in Los Angeles. Kenneth Bianchi and cousin Angelo Buono posed as undercover cops to abduct victims, later strangling and dumping them on hillsides. The three-part series relies on archival news footage and taped confessions Bianchi gave under hypnosis-evidence that helped secure Buono’s conviction.
Ponies – Peacock
Cold-War comedy Ponies debuts on Peacock starring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson as CIA widows who go from “ponies” (agency slang for low-clearance spouses) to full-fledged operatives. Set in 1977 Washington, the duo infiltrates the State Department as secretaries to investigate their husbands’ suspicious deaths and uncover a mole funneling secrets to Moscow.
Hijack Season 2 – Apple TV+
Idris Elba returns as corporate negotiator Sam Nelson in Hijack season 2, premiering Friday on Apple TV+. The new storyline swaps last season’s hijacked Dubai-London flight for a Berlin commuter train seized by armed militants. Creators George Kay and Jim Field Smith shot across Germany and promise a real-time structure with a twist revealed in episode 2 that reframes Sam’s motivations.
Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials – Netflix
Netflix unveils three-part mystery Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials starring Mia McKenna-Bruce as 1920s socialite Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent. After her suitor is murdered, Bundle follows a trail of seven ticking clocks to uncover a secret society operating inside London’s government corridors. The adaptation adds a younger female perspective to Christie’s 1929 novel and co-stars Martin Freeman as Bundle’s skeptical father.
Where to Stream This Weekend
| Title | Platform | Release Day | Episodes/Runtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Rip | Netflix | Friday | 2 hr 3 min |
| 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple | Theaters | Thursday | 1 hr 55 min |
| Tell Me Lies S3 | Hulu | Friday | 3 eps (hour-long) |
| A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms | HBO/Max | Sunday | series premiere |
| The Hillside Strangler | MGM+/Prime Video | Friday | 3 parts |
| Ponies | Peacock | Friday | 8 eps (half-hour) |
| Hijack S2 | Apple TV+ | Friday | season premiere |
| Seven Dials | Netflix | Friday | 3 eps |
Key Takeaways
- Viewers seeking blockbuster thrills can choose between Affleck-Damon’s heist caper on Netflix or Fiennes’ zombie sequel on the big screen.
- Romance addicts get fresh episodes of Tell Me Lies, while fantasy fans have a new Westeros adventure on HBO.
- True-crime buffs can dive into 1970s serial-killer history on MGM+, and espionage comedy arrives via Peacock’s Ponies.
Streaming windows remain fluid; check individual platforms for exact drop times in your region.
