Farewell summer: What to watch and stream on Labor Day 2024
The last weekend of the summer is here.
For many, Labor Day means trips to the beach, short vacations, barbecues or other “last hurrah” activities to mark the end of summer.
But if you’d rather stay home and just relax on your couch, we’ve got you covered.
From hot summer movies that you may not know are now streaming, to TV shows you may have missed, to marathons and even a few offerings thematically tied to the holiday, there’s something for everyone.
Here’s what to watch.
“Yellowstone” marathon
All of Labor Day weekend, starting Friday (10 p.m.), there’s a marathon of “Yellowstone” on Paramount Network. The marathon will show the entire series, from Season 1 up through the first part of Season 5 (the second half of Season 5 premieres Nov. 10).
Starring Kevin Costner, who left the show in Season 5 amid rumors of a feud with showrunner Taylor Sheridan, the drama follows the Dutton family, who control the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States.
Where to watch: Paramount Network, starting at 10 p.m. on Friday and continuing all weekend through Monday.
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”
The fifth installment of the “Mad Max” franchise follows the hit game-changing 2015 action movie “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, “Furiosa” is a brutal and action-packed origin story about the title character, played by Taylor-Joy in this prequel, and Charlize Theron in “Mad Max: Fury Road.” In case you missed it in theaters, it’s now streaming.
Where to watch: Max.
“Kaos”
This show got lost in the shuffle of the dog days of August — not to mention all the bigger summer TV fare like “House of the Dragon,” “Bridgerton” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” But this newly released fantasy series stars Jeff Goldblum, and involves the Greek gods. Naturally, he plays Zeus. David Thewlis (“Harry Potter”) plays Hades.
Where to watch: Netflix.
“Trap”
This recent buzzy summer movie hails from M. Night Shyamalan, and is part of Josh Hartnett’s career resurgence (he also appeared in Season 3 of “The Bear”). The story follows Cooper Adams (Hartnett), a caring father who takes his daughter to a Taylor Swift-esque concert. He also happens to be a serial killer, and the concert soon turns into an elaborate plot that only Shyamalan could have come up with.
Where to watch: Rent it on Prime Video or Apple.
“After Baywatch: Moments in the Sun”
Nothing says “end of summer” vibes like a docuseries retrospective on “Baywatch,” the hottest summer show of the ‘90s. This four-part show examines the “Baywatch” cultural phenomenon and features interviews with cast members such as David Hasselhoff, Jeremy Jackson, Nicole Eggert and David Chokachi. Pamela Anderson didn’t sit down for an interview in the series, but there’s footage of her talking about her experience from a previously unaired interview.
Where to watch: Hulu.
“The Wolf of Wall Street”
Nothing says “Labor Day” like a movie about wild excesses and corruption at work. The modern classic 2013 Scorsese film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as former stockbroker and criminal Jordan Belfort. A pre-fame, pre-“Barbie” Margot Robbie also appears in the movie.
Where to watch: Paramount+.
“Friends” marathon
If you just want to kick back with a comfort watch, there’s a “Friends” marathon all day on Labor Day. The show is bittersweet in the wake of Matthew Perry’s real-life death in the fall of 2023, but it’s still charming to watch Chandler (Perry), Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and the rest of the gang on-screen. Episodes include “The One with Phoebe’s Uterus,” “The One-Hundredth,” “The One After I Do,” “The One With Ross’s Inappropriate Song” and the two-part series finale.
Where to watch: TBS on Monday, Sept. 2 from to 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“My Lady Jane”
Gone too soon. Unfortunately, this zany show got canceled after just one season — but, it has a complete ending with no cliffhanger, so it’s still worth a watch. If you missed it when it came out in June, the show is a historical fiction fantasy about Lady Jane Grey (Emily Bader), who gets involved with Lord Guildford Dudley (Edward Bluemel), who happens to be a man that turns into a horse at night. It’s just as bonkers as it sounds, but surprisingly fun.
Where to watch: Prime Video.
“Office Space”
If you want to lean into the themes of Labor Day, why not revisit this modern classic about disillusioned office workers? This 1999 movie follows Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston), a frustrated computer programmer at a software company who has quirky colleagues like Milton (Stephen Root) and boorish boss Bill Lumbergh (Gary Cole).
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+.
“The Shallows”
Blake Lively has been in the news a lot lately, thanks to all the rumors and behind-the-scenes cast drama for her latest movie, “It Ends With Us.” So, why not revisit one of her forgotten movies that has an “end of summer” vibe for Labor Day? This 2016 film follows medical student Nancy (Lively), who goes surfing and encounters a great white shark. Soon, her beach day turns sinister, and it becomes a survival battle of “woman versus nature.”
Where to watch: Starz.
