What to Watch This Week: The Great, Book Club, and More

We may not be as impressive as the ruler of a kingdom or anything, but this week’s recs still qualify as pretty… great. Along with the return of a popular anti-historical series, we’ve got a movie about your favorite smartphone not made by Apple, the return of a star-studded book club, an inspiring story from an all-time great, and an extra rec for Asian-American Pacific Islander month.

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100% The Great: Season 3 (2023)

Ascending into its third season is the hit Hulu series The Great. This satire, described by Hulu as “anti-historical,” has two Certified Fresh seasons under its corset, and its second season is Fresh at 100% on the Tomatometer. That’s reason No. 1 to get in on season 3.

Reason No. 2 would have to be the show’s two Emmy-nominated stars: Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult, who play married couple Catherine the Great and Emperor Peter III. And speaking of Fanning, she teased at a Deadline event earlier this year that season 3 will see their characters working on their marriage with counseling, and perhaps even a marriage witch. Yes, a marriage witch.

Where to Watch: Hulu

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97% BlackBerry (2023)

Dialing up a spot in theaters this week is the historical comedy BlackBerry. As the title indicates, yes this cheeky dramedy tells the unbelievable story of the BlackBerry, considered the world’s first smartphone — you know, the thing everybody had before they got an iPhone.

And if you haven’t already gotten up to check a forgotten drawer for your own old BlackBerry, it’s worth noting that this film was adapted from a popular book — so there were plenty of juicy details to choose from — and it stars the always entertaining Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton, with Cary Elwes in a supporting role. On top of all that berry goodness, this film festival darling is already Certified Fresh on the Tomatometer.

Where to Watch: In theaters

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46% Book Club: The Next Chapter (2023)

Getting together in theaters once again is Book Club: The Next Chapter, and the first reason to check out this sequel to 2018’s Book Club is that it once again features the same loaded cast with Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candince Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen. This time, though, we get to enjoy them in a different environment, as they take their little book club on the road to Italy, where plenty of drama is uncorked. While the first Book Club only impressed critics to the tune of 54% on the Tomatometer, it still ended up being a box office success, so if you were a fan of the first, then you’re probably going to enjoy this one for all of the same reasons.

Where to Watch: In theaters

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99% Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023)

Streaming on Apple TV+ is the bio-doc Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie. Now, beside the fact that Michael J. Fox is just flat-out awesome and inspiring, this film takes the unique approach of pulling in archival, documentary, and scripted elements to tell his story, and that includes giving us major access to his family and personal life. On top of that, it’s currently Certified Fresh at a whopping 99% on the Tomatometer, so it clearly resonated with critics, and it’s probably worth checking out yourself, too.

Where to Watch: Apple TV+

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75% Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)

And finally, how about chilling at home and pulling up the classic comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle on Vudu?

You may be wondering why we picked this movie, especially since 4/20 has already come and gone, but there’s actually two great reasons: one is that it’s currently Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, so if you’re going to celebrate it, why not have some fun with it, right? Plus, this Fresh gem turns 19 this year — yep, you’re definitely getting old — which means it falls under our RT25 celebration, as we look back fondly on 25 years of Rotten Tomatoes. So grab your best pal and some munchies and fire this one up for the weekend.

Where to Watch: Vudu

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Hopefully our recommendations helped you fill up your entertainment calendar this weekend. Be sure to let us know in the comments what you watched, whether it was on this list or not!

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Thumbnail image by Marvel Studios

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