New on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and theaters: Your Memorial Day weekend viewing guide

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’s 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 — 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’ve 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’s a movie so big that it forgets to go small, but “The Final Reckoning” is still quite a ride, and a worthy addition to the series.

On Hulu: The Handmaid’s Tale (Season 6)

Speaking of reckoning, it’s 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’s plans for revolution and retribution are in full swing this season, and the show’s 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’s 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’ 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’ll have no idea where the series will take you next.

Winner of 15 Emmys, Season 6 is the highest-reviewed season of The Handmaid’s Tale since its debut season in 2017.

On HBO Max: Duster (Season 1)

Want something a little lighter? “Duster” is delivering weekly episodes on HBO Max each Thursday, with two already in the can as we speak.

“Duster” 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’ (“Lost,” “Star Wars: Episode VII”) triumphant return to TV, and also Josh Holloway’s, who is pretty incredible as Jim. It’s 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’s 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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