‘Hacks,’ ‘Handmaid’s,’ ‘Mickey 17,’ Coachella, and the best of what to stream this weekend
Welcome to the Gold Ticket, your VIP guide to the best in prestige pop culture for the weekend ahead, curated by the Gold Derby team of experts. (April 11 - April 13)
The main stream
It's a week of highly anticipated returns.
Coming off a deserving win for Best Comedy Series at last fall's Emmy Awards, Hacks is back for its fourth season with a two-part premiere (now streaming on Max). The 10-episode season picks up in the aftermath of Ava's (Emmy nominee Hannah Einbinder) shocking decision to blackmail Deborah (six-time Emmy winner Jean Smart) into giving her the head writer gig on the latter's new late-night show. As the former friends are forced to navigate a working relationship so fraught it's an HR nightmare, Jimmy (Emmy winner and series co-creator Paul W. Downs) and Kayla (Megan Stalter) attempt to placate them both while also expanding their talent roster. As is the case with each season, the critically acclaimed comedy series charts a new path with its latest chapter, revealing surprising depths to the Deborah and Ava dynamic while never missing a comedic beat, ultimately making Hacks the awards contender to watch this weekend.
The best of the rest, TV edition
Of course, if you're in the mood for something completely different, here are our other prestige picks for the weekend:
The Handmaid's Tale: Hulu’s Emmy-winning adaptation of Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel returns for its sixth and final season this week, bringing June's (Emmy winner Elisabeth Moss) emotional story to a close as she fights to take down Gilead once and for all. The 10-episode season is said to highlight the importance of "hope, courage, solidarity, and resilience in the pursuit of justice and freedom," so while it might seem like it took us forever to get here, the show’s swan song might be arriving exactly when it should. The first three episodes are now streaming on Hulu.
Black Mirror: Another series no one expected to live this long but has proven to be fairly prescient over the years is making its return as well. Netflix’s acclaimed sci-fi anthology is embarking on its seventh season, and among the six new episodes is a sequel to one of the franchise's most beloved installments, the Emmy-winning "USS Callister." Stars appearing throughout the season include Peter Capaldi, Paul Giamatti, Issa Rae, Rashida Jones, Harriet Walter, Emma Corrin, and Will Poulter, among others. All six episodes are now streaming on Netflix.
North of North: The lone entry that is not a returning series, North of North is a Canadian production that follows Siaja (True Detective: Night Country's Anna Lambe), a 26-year-old Inuk mother who publicly blows up her marriage in the name of finding herself in her tiny Arctic community. With its optimistic heroine, a strong focus on community, and a cast of oddball characters, the heartfelt comedy has shades of Parks and Recreation. All eight 30-minute episodes are now streaming on Netflix.
Home movies
If you're feeling like some feature-length entertainment, we have a wide selection for your consideration, including an under-appreciated classic, a EGOT ass-kicking actioner, and the little-seen latest from an Oscar-winning auteur.
The Abyss: James Cameron’s most underrated film is primed for rediscovery with this 4K restoration that’s now streaming on Disney+. Ed Harris stars in the sci-fi epic as a deep-sea driller leading an expedition to recover a nuclear submarine that sank after an encounter with an alien presence in the Caribbean. It was a miserable production, even by Cameron’s notoriously demanding standards, but it paid off in a Best Visual Effects Oscar win in 1990 and an enduring reputation as a classic where Cameron first explored on film his fascination with water, which fully flowered in Titanic and Avatar.
G20: EGOT achiever Viola Davis is entering the Liam Neeson phase of her career. She stars in this entertainingly preposterous action thriller as President Danielle Sutton, whose military service during the Iraq War eventually led to a political career. When terrorists led by Rutledge (The Boys’ Antony Starr), a soldier she used to know, take over the G20 summit in South Africa, Sutton has to become an army of one to save her family (which includes black-ish stars Anthony Anderson and Marsai Martin playing father and daughter once again) and other world leaders. “I don’t think every movie you do has to be considered for an Academy Award,” Davis said of the film, which is now streaming on Prime Video. “I wanted to do something that families could watch together, something popular.” It’s OK for Viola Davis to have some fun!
Not Just a Goof: A Goofy Movie was not a hit when it was released in 1995, but has become a cult classic in the years since, beloved by fans of its unique contemporary setting, infectious music, and heartfelt relationship between Goofy (voice of Bill Farmer) and his teenage son Max (voice of Jason Marsden). In an effort to connect, Goofy takes Max on a road trip. At first, they don’t see “I 2 I,” but eventually they see each other clearly. This documentary tells the story of the making of the movie, which was plagued by problems, but the people making it never stopped believing in it. If you feel like you’ve already watched a documentary about the making of “A Goofy Movie,” you might be thinking of the 2022 Atlanta episode “The Goof Who Sat by the Door,” which takes the form of a fictitious documentary. Not Just a Goof is the real story, and is now streaming on Disney+.
Magpie: Short-haired Daisy Ridley stars in this twisty, critically well-received adultery thriller that premiered at SXSW last year. She plays Anette, who suspects her husband Ben (Shazad Latif) is cheating on her with Alicia (Matilda Lutz), an actress with whom their child actress daughter Matilda (Hiba Ahmed) is appearing in a film. While Ben is on set with Matilda and Alicia, Anette is at home with their newborn, mentally spiraling, which leads to shocks and surprises. Ridley produced the film and devised the story, with her husband Tom Bateman writing the screenplay and acclaimed theater director Sam Yates directing. Magpie is now streaming on Hulu in its first time available on subscription streaming.
Mickey 17 : The latest from Academy Award-winning Parasite director Bong Joon Ho is now on VOD platforms including Amazon and Apple after an unsuccessful theatrical run. Set in a dystopian future, this sci-fi dark comedy stars Robert Pattinson as an “expendable” who does dangerous work, repeatedly dies, and gets his consciousness uploaded to a new body that gets printed out of a machine. When the 18th copy of Mickey inadvertently gets created before Mickey 17 is dead, the Mickeys have to work together to ensure both of their survival. The film’s biggest problem is that it has too much going on, but it has its moments, and Pattinson’s dual performance is admirable.
A little background music
The opening weekend of the 2025 Coachella music festival kicks off Friday and runs through Sunday in the Southern California desert. You can just play the YouTube live stream of the main stage or pick and choose your venue, depending on your musical tastes. Friday sets will include headliner Lady Gaga along with Missy Elliot, GloRilla, Benson Boone, and the Go-Go's. Saturday highlights include top-billed Green Day, along with Charlie XCX, Tink, T-Pain, Jimmy Eat World, and Japanese Breakfast. Sunday will wrap up with Post Malone, as well as Shaboozey, Megan Thee Stallion, Amaarae, Odd Mob, Ty Dolla $ign, and Zedd.