The 7 best new movies and shows to stream this weekend

By Ash Parrish, a reporter who has covered the business, culture, and communities of video games for seven years. Previously, she worked at Kotaku.

As a teenage comic book fan coming of age as superheroes were breaking into the mainstream, I always approached any conversation about Batman with a hipster’s sense of ownership. Like any comics nerd with a punk-rock attitude toward superhero comics (possibly the least punk-rock thing in the world), I knew, without a doubt, that the best Batman movie was the one the normies hadn’t heard of — the 1993 animated feature Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.

Greetings, Polygon readers!

The festive period is finally upon us, and what better time is there to kick back on the sofa and work through your watch list? As usual, too, this Christmas is jam-packed full of great new releases on streaming, meaning that there will be plenty to keep you occupied after stuffing yourself with turkey. Among the highlights are a festive Doctor Who special to kick off Ncuti Gatwa's season as the Time Lord as well as Zack Snyder's hugely-anticipated new sci-fi adventure, Rebel Moon Part One. 

In what looks like its last Starfield post for the year, Bethesda's committed to big changes for the RPG in 2024, revisiting promised quality-of-life features and doubling down on new gameplay options ahead of the RPG's first confirmed expansion, Shattered Space. 

The holidays are here and people -perhaps you- are finally able to buy consoles without jumping through huge hoops. But now the question arises: what games are you going to gift?

The January leak of Wizards of the Coast’s plans to amend the Open Gaming License rocked the tabletop role-playing game industry in ways that have been felt throughout 2023. Wizards’ misstep was good for the hobby overall, turbocharging the sales of other games and exposing players to a wide variety of different systems, settings, and styles of gaming. But Dungeons & Dragons continues to dominate the market, riding the success of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thievesand Baldur’s Gate 3 to introduce new players to the game and reassure existing ones, many of whom were happy to go back to business as usual once Wizards backed down.

It is undeniable that Ncuti Gatwa is the perfect choice for The Fifteenth Doctor, and it seems like he thought so too as the star has revealed that securing his Doctor Who role was actually a product of his own manifestation. 

The holiday season has begun in earnest, and the clock is ticking on your gift-giving obligations. While I'm sure the list for what you want rolls out the door and down the street, coming up with ideas for others is tough. That's where I come in, with my personal picks and a rock-solid who's-who of the hardware, peripherals, and games that every gamer worth their thumbs wants.

10 best games of 2023: It's been a terrific year for video games. Developers hit their stride on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox X/S consoles, unleashing massive adventures big enough to satisfy gamers for weeks. The Switch is at the end of its lifespan, but Nintendo debuted two spectacular games on its way out. And indie studios held up their end, delivering distinctive takes on classic genres.

You’re probably covered when it comes to holiday cheer. Everyone’s trying to do that. How about some holiday chills? Something to make you wrap that blanket around you tighter, or maybe spill a bit of eggnog?

Welcome to the busiest moviegoing season of the year, when films in theaters are actually worth trekking out to see and everything hitting VOD and streaming is… the movies that came out a few months ago that are also super worth checking out. Ack!