Independence Day & Other Movies & TV Shows to Watch on Hulu/Prime Video This Weekend

July is finally here, and with it, Prime Video and Hulu have both unveiled their own respective waves of new arrivals on their streaming libraries for the month. And amidst all of the summertime favorites, there are plenty of action classics that, while never big award season contenders, have been thrilling fans for decades. And CBR is here to help you sort out which shows and movies are perfect this weekend in between block parties and cookouts.

Here are the biggest and best television series and films to watch on Independence Day weekend 2022, with a particularly strong focus on enough explosive action to give neighborhood fireworks a run for their money.

RELATED: Goldeneye & Other Movies & TV Shows to Watch on Hulu/Prime Video This Weekend

The Terminal List Has Chris Pratt Deliver Sweet Revenge

The biggest original series debut on Prime Video this week is The Terminal List, adapting the novel of the same name by Jack Carr. Starring Chris Pratt as Navy SEAL James Reece, the television adaptation has Reece’s squad ambushed overseas, with a haunted Reece returning home to his family. However, as Reece discovers what happens to his friends, he quickly learns that he is far from safe as shadowy forces continue to target him.

While not setting out to reinvent the action thriller wheel, Pratt proves that he can more than deliver the gunslinging goods in The Terminal List. Backed by an all-star ensemble cast, the adaptation is a solid enough watch that compensates for its pacing with big set pieces in every episode. Running for eight episodes, The Terminal List is just the right length for a weekend binge.

RELATED: Chris Pratt Wants Everyone to Stop Calling Him ‘Chris’

Independence Day Is the Perfect Way to Start July

Heading into Independence Day weekend, there really is one movie that looms above the rest to kick off the holiday weekend — Independence Day. Starring Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum while both actors were at the forefront of their popularity, the 1996 film is available to stream on Hulu. Following the lives of several disparate individuals, the characters suddenly get brought together when extraterrestrials arrive and annihilate Earth’s major cities simultaneously.

While not Smith’s first starring movie role, Independence Day’s blockbuster success made him an overnight action hero and one of the most bankable actors in Hollywood. Full of aerial battles and shameless one-liners, the movie represents ‘90s summer blockbusters at their best. If there’s one movie to best mark this weekend, make sure that Independence Day is at the top of that list.

RELATED: Jeff Goldblum Gives a Very Goldblum Answer About Grandmaster’s Return in Thor 4

More Jack Ryan Classics Come to Prime Video

Prime Video has become the go-to digital platform for all things Tom Clancy, including its popular original series Jack Ryan. While the fourth and final season of Jack Ryan is currently in production, Prime Video has added classic movies featuring the literary character to its streaming library. These include 1995’s Patriot Games, Harrison Ford’s debut in the role, and 2002’s The Sum of All Fears, starring Ben Affleck in his lone appearance as the intelligence analyst.

Patriot Games has Ryan thwart an assassination attempt while visiting London, leading an Irish terrorist organization to target him and his family in retribution. The Sum of All Fears has an Austrian extremist orchestrate a devastating terrorist attack on Baltimore in an effort to cause a war between the United States and Russia, with Ryan scrambling to uncover the truth. The two movies showcase very different approaches to Clancy’s novels but are each entertaining in their own right as audiences wait for the continuing adventures of the character.

RELATED: Harrison Ford Reportedly Plans to Retire After Indiana Jones 5

The Expendables Trilogy Explodes on Hulu

While fans may have to wait a little longer for a sequel, the original Expendables trilogy has arrived in full on Hulu. Headed by Sylvester Stallone, the trilogy brings together the action heroes of the genre’s peak in the ‘80s and ‘90s for a set of high-octane adventures. And while not high cinema, all three Expendables movies are unabashed celebrations of what made the action movie genre so great.

The 2010 original film introduces Barney Ross and his hardened crew of mercenaries as they set out to overthrow a brutal dictator in a nondescript Latin American country while facing a traitor in their midst. 2012’s The Expendables 2 goes even bigger, with Barney and his men out for revenge after losing one of their own to a merciless villain. Meanwhile, 2014’s The Expendables 3 brings together the veterans with fresh-faced recruits as they face a mutual foe in Eastern Europe.


RELATED: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Son Originally Auditioned to Play The Boys’ Homelander

Big Trouble in Little China Is the Perfect Summer Blockbuster

One John Carpenter film that seems to only get better with age is 1986’s Big Trouble in Little China, blending Chinese mysticism and martial arts with grindhouse action. Starring Kurt Russell as boisterous truck driver Jack Burton, the movie has Jack stumble into an ancient conflict in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Deciding to help his friend rescue his girlfriend kidnapped by the villainous Lo Pan, Jack learns that some streets in Chinatown defy conventional reason.

With Big Trouble in Little China added to Hulu’s library at the beginning of the month, there is perhaps no movie that’s more straightforwardly entertaining in Carpenter’s celebrated filmography. Powered by a memorable performance from Russell and set design harkening back to ‘70s Hong Kong cinema, Big Trouble in Little China is a fun thrill ride. For those that missed it the first time around or are looking for some cinematic comfort food, this is a movie that fires on all cylinders.

You May Also Like

Gen. Bolduc Rips Dem Hassan at Debate for Acting Like Career Politician

Republican Gen. Don Bolduc slammed Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) during Wednesday night’s…

Spirit Airlines Employee Suspended After Physical Altercation With Female Passenger Goes Viral [VIDEO]

A Spirit Airlines employee at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) has been…

Kanye West hints at Lagos and Nairobi tour

Kanye West has revealed a list of countries he will be touring…

Fulton County DA — Decision is ‘imminent’ on charging Trump…

Posted by Kane on January 24, 2023 10:26 pm NEWS JUNKIES —…