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For the Oct. 17–18, 2026 weekend, the clearest new-film choices are Practical Magic 2 (paid rental or purchase), Love of Your Life (Prime Video), Tenzing (Apple TV), Sacrifice (Netflix) and the deliberately campy R.I.P.D. (Prime Video). Together they cover witchy nostalgia, grief, historical survival, dark satire and supernatural comedy.
At a glance: choose by mood and access
| Movie | Where to watch | Best for | Access model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practical Magic 2 | Amazon or Apple storefronts | Witchy nostalgia and fantasy romance | Paid video on demand: rent or buy |
| Love of Your Life | Prime Video | Grief-focused romantic drama | Streaming availability reported for the weekend |
| Tenzing | Apple TV | Historical adventure and mountaineering | Streaming availability reported for the weekend |
| Sacrifice | Netflix | Dark satire, celebrity pressure and cult danger | Streaming availability reported for the weekend |
| R.I.P.D. | Prime Video | Supernatural popcorn entertainment | Streaming availability reported for the weekend |
Catalogs and storefront rights can differ by country, so confirm the title and price shown on your local service before pressing play. The first four selections come from Tom’s Guide’s weekend roundup; its fifth is a “hear-me-out” choice rather than a conventional new release.
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The five movies worth your time
Practical Magic 2: a return to the Owens family
Practical Magic 2 brings Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman back as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens. Set 28 years after the original, the sequel shifts attention to Sally’s daughter Kylie as the family faces the inherited curse that kills men who fall in love with Owens women. That premise keeps the gothic family mythology intact while giving the next generation a central role.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchThis is the only pick in the group that requires a separate transaction rather than a regular streaming subscription. Tom’s Guide reports that it is available to rent or buy through Amazon or Apple. Choose it if you want a recognizable franchise, supernatural romance and seasonal atmosphere, and do not mind paying a one-time rental or purchase fee.
#1 Best Overall
- As he takes on the mantle of Captain America, Sam Wilson soon finds himself in the middle of an international incident. In a race against time, Sam must unravel a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red. Warning: Some flashing-lights scenes in this film may affect photosensitive viewers.
Love of Your Life: a romance built around grief
Love of Your Life follows Maya, a nurse whose husband dies. She travels and works abroad, meets new people and gradually confronts what it means to continue living after profound loss. The story is therefore less a conventional meet-cute than a relationship drama about mourning, movement and emotional recovery.
Margaret Qualley leads a cast that includes Gabriel Basso, Aaron Pierre, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Catherine Keener. Rachel Morrison directs. Prime Video subscribers looking for a serious, character-led film should start here, particularly if a romance shaped by grief sounds more appealing than a high-concept thriller.
Rank #2
- As he takes on the mantle of Captain America, Sam Wilson soon finds himself in the middle of an international incident. In a race against time, Sam must unravel a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red. Warning: Some flashing-lights scenes in this film may affect photosensitive viewers.
Tenzing: Everest history on an expansive scale
Tenzing dramatizes Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary’s first successful ascent of Mount Everest in 1953. Genden Phuntsok plays Tenzing and Tom Hiddleston plays Hillary. The production was filmed in Nepal and the Everest region, giving the expedition setting unusual geographic authenticity even though the film is a dramatization rather than documentary footage.
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Rank #3
- The Help (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy)
Sacrifice: a comeback collides with a doomsday group
In Sacrifice, Chris Evans plays movie star Mike Tyler, whose attempted career comeback is disrupted by a hostage-taking group with doomsday-cult characteristics. Anya Taylor-Joy plays the group’s leader, Joan; Vincent Cassel, John Malkovich and Salma Hayek also appear.
The setup combines entertainment-industry satire with a high-stakes siege. Netflix viewers who prefer tense, adult-oriented stories with celebrity culture at the center should choose this one. Its appeal is the collision between a public comeback narrative and a threat that is far more dangerous than an ordinary publicity crisis.
Rank #4
- Side-splitting laughs abound when the selfish Emperor Kuzco is turned into a llama by his devious advisor and her hunky henchman. Now the ruler who once had it all must form an unlikely alliance with a peasant to regain his throne.
R.I.P.D.: the intentionally campy “hear-me-out”
R.I.P.D. is Tom’s Guide’s unconventional fifth recommendation. Ryan Reynolds plays Boston police officer Nick, who dies in the line of duty and is recruited into the Rest In Peace Department, a supernatural agency that tracks spirits refusing to move on. Jeff Bridges co-stars as veteran agent Roy.
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The film is best approached as campy supernatural popcorn entertainment, not as a solemn afterlife drama. Its buddy dynamic, comic premise and spirit-hunting setup make it a useful Prime Video fallback when you want fast, uncomplicated genre fun rather than emotional realism.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is actually new this weekend?
Us Magazine’s Oct. 16 roundup independently highlighted Tenzing and Love of Your Life, supporting their timing on Apple TV and Prime Video for this weekend. It also listed The Birthday Party on Lionsgate+ through Prime Video and The Death of Robin Hood on HBO, but those titles are outside this five-film selection.
Disney+’s live-action Moana begins Wednesday, Oct. 21, according to the Associated Press, so it belongs in a guide for the following week—not the Oct. 17–18 window.
Quick Recap
Fast decision guide
- Want familiar witches and a paid new release? Rent or buy Practical Magic 2.
- Want an intimate emotional drama? Start Love of Your Life.
- Want real-world history and mountain danger? Choose Tenzing.
- Want a darker, star-filled thriller? Try Sacrifice.
- Want comic supernatural action? Take the R.I.P.D. “hear-me-out.”
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
