movies

Weekend Watch: Taylor Swift's new documentary is finally here.

This week? Oh, the algorithm has served up a perfect list of pure, unadulterated vibes. Forget the endless scrolling — your couch is calling.

We're talking a legendary comedian fighting a tiny, unpredictable human in a battle of high-stakes domestic slapstick. Then, you can recover with a deep dive into the raw, emotional world of a global pop Queen, peeling back the curtain on fame, resilience, and all the feelings. Not to mention, a brand new, darker, more twisty murder mystery that will have you guessing until the last moment.

No more doom-scrolling. Your precious downtime is safe with us.

Here's every new release you should watch this weekend, as recommended by Mamamia's entertainment team.

What to watch this weekend, according to Mamamia's entertainment experts.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.

Recommended by Tina Burke, Head of Entertainment and co-host of The Spill.

Wake up dead man knives out Image: Netflix.

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Our boy Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is back with his southern drawl, fashion-forward bob and three-piece suits.

This time, it's to solve the spine-tingling murder of a formidable priest in a story that puts facts and faith to the test.

Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin) is a problematic Church leader, spouting volatile sermons aimed to belittle and embarrass parishioners who don't align with his flock of loyal followers. He can be brutal and cruel and his parish is losing followers each week. He stands in stark contrast to newcomer Reverend Jud Dupenticy (an impeccable Josh O'Connor).

As Jud tried to help his small community connect to God and their faith, he struggles to find his place in this almost cult-like setting. Then, one day, Wicks is murdered mid-mass, and Jud - and the seven people in the Church pews - are the only suspects.

From a failed Trumpian politician to a woman suffering from chronic pain, Wicks' followers all had their reasons for sticking by the Monsignor despite his ill-favour in town. In equal measure, they have their motives to murder him.

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The film reads like a love letter to the genre, with a book club sub-plot handily lending itself to the mention of many "locked door mysteries" like The Hollow Man and The Murders in the Rue Morgue. It's not a twist-filled extravaganza but a complex puzzle that allows for some truly excellent Benoit Blanc monologuing (including in-jokes about the monologues themselves).

This third film returns us to darker themes after the events of Glass Onion. But it's not without its whimsy. Benoit isn't as quippy this time around as he reckons with the mystery and the miracle. But that doesn't mean it's all gloom – there's one particular scene with a Church organ that will have you cackling at an inconvenient time.

While Daniel Craig, Kerry Washington and Josh Brolin are each superb in this film, there's no denying all the praise belongs to Josh O'Connor.

If you love a whodunnit mystery, this one is definitely for you

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is streaming on Netflix.

For more new TV and film recommendations, listen to The Spill

Taylor Swift: The End of an Era.

Recommended by Laura Brodnik, Head Of Entertainment.

Jay KellyImage: Netflix

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At long last, the documentary Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour: The Final Show is about to land on our screens.

The documentary was filmed during the years of Swift's Eras Tour, her biggest ever stadium tour, which included songs from her entire back catalogue of music.

The documentary is set to give Swifties unprecedented access to her life on tour, with footage of her preparing to take to the stage, moments with her family and backup dancers, a look into her relatiosnhip with fiancee Travis Kelce (which began while she was on the Eras Tour) and she even allows thwe cameras to follow her back to her hotel rom after performing for hours on stage for thosuands of people. Covering everything from how she winds down after a show to the beauty products she always keeps by the bath.

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The documentary will also feature footage of the special guests Swift had on stage throughout the tour, such as Gracie Abrams, Sabrina Carpenter, and Ed Sheeran.

There are six episodes in the docuseries, and two episodes will come out each week following the premiere. The first two episodes premiere on Frida,y 12 December at 7pm.

Taylor Swift: The End of an Era is streaming on Disney+.

Man vs Baby.

Recommended by Chelsea Hui, Entertainment Writer.

Man vs babyImage: Netflix

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Rowan Atkinson returns as the spectacularly inept Trevor Bingley in Man vs Baby, a four-episode shot of pure, chaotic Christmas slapstick from Netflix.

Trevor takes on a high-paying gig house-sitting a pristine London penthouse, only for a literal Baby Jesus from the school nativity to be accidentally left in his care. Suddenly, he's in charge of a tiny, anarchic human in a fragile, luxury environment — and the results are gloriously messy.

Yes, it's incredibly silly, sometimes bordering on the deliberately irritating (that's the point!), but the fun lies in watching the master of physical comedy pit his iconic, obsessive style against the most unpredictable nemesis on earth.

It's tight, fast-paced festive mayhem, and the perfect, brainless watch to get you through the holiday season.

Man vs Baby is streaming on Netflix.

Goodbye June.

Recommended by Tara Watson, Senior Entertainment Writer.

Goodbye JuneImage: Netflix

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Kate Winslet's directorial debut, Goodbye June follows four adult siblings, Julia (Kate Winslet), Molly (Andrea Riseborough), Connor (Johnny Flynn) and Helen (Toni Collette) who gather together around Christmas when their mother, June (Helen Mirren), is hospitalised with rapidly progressing cancer.

As their father Bernie (Timothy Spall), struggles to cope, the fractured family is forced to confront and mend lingering feuds and old resentments.

June faces her declining health with biting humour, as she seeks to orchestrate her own goodbye on her terms, providing the family a chance for healing and reconciliation in the face of loss.

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The movie is written by Winslet's son Joe Anders and is partly inspired by the death of her mother, Sally Bridges-Winslet, who passed away from cancer in 2017. Winslet made the movie to highlight and honour the National Health Service (NHS) in Britain, particularly palliative care workers.

Firstly, don't watch this expecting a fluffy Christmas movie you can chuck on while you're baking or wrapping presents. Despite its December release, it's very much not that kind of movie. It takes place at Christmas, but that's about all the seasonal spirit in this film. But what makes it worth the watch is this sensational cast of British stars (and umm, Toni Collette).

They all bring refined, authentic performances to this grounded drama which delicately tackles family grief and the fallout that follows.

That said, the stellar performances aside, this film exactly doesn't break new ground in the way it tackles a pretty formulaic dysfunctional family drama.

At times, it comes across quite predictable and overly sentimental, but if any film can get away with this, it's Goodbye June. You won't regret watching it this Christmas, but keep a tissue box at the ready. Goodbye June is streaming on Netflix.

Feature Image: Getty.

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