What To Watch This Weekend: 'Ella McCay,' 'Dust Bunny,' 'Goodbye June,' 'Percy Jackson Season 2,' And More

HOLLYWOOD, CA — From political corridors to mythical quests, this weekend’s watchlist spans satire, debut features, holiday horror and family drama — streaming now or arriving in select theaters.

“Ella McCay” marks James L. Brooks’ return after 15 years, with Emma Mackey and Jamie Lee Curtis navigating ambition and mentorship in Rhode Island’s political corridors.

“Dust Bunny” unveils Bryan Fuller’s feature debut, where Sophie Sloan’s childlike terror collides with Mads Mikkelsen’s weary menace in a fairy‑tale nightmare.

“Silent Night, Deadly Night” reimagines the notorious 1984 slasher, with Rohan Campbell and Ruby Modine caught in a blood‑red Christmas descent under Mike P. Nelson’s lens.

“Goodbye June” introduces Kate Winslet as director and star, opposite Helen Mirren, in a family drama steeped in grief and reconciliation.

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” Season 2 expands Disney+’s mythical saga, with Walker Scobell and Leah Sava Jeffries leading the quest for the Golden Fleece.

Ready to dive in? Scroll down for the full lineup — and step into the shimmering world of storytelling, where every frame is an escape, with deeper explorations of each film below that unpack performances, themes and craft in greater detail.

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What To Watch This Weekend

“Ella McCay”

Emma Mackey, Jamie Lee Curtis; directed by James L. Brooks

James L. Brooks returns after a 15‑year hiatus with “Ella McCay,” a political dramedy that bears the auteur's signature warmth, even as the execution falters. Emma Mackey plays the titular Ella, an idealistic lieutenant governor suddenly thrust into leadership when her boss departs for Washington. Mackey, hailed as a rising star, delivers a spirited performance that channels both vulnerability and resolve. Opposite her, Jamie Lee Curtis grounds the ensemble with seasoned gravitas, portraying Helen, a mentor figure whose sharp wit and weary pragmatism highlight the generational divide in politics.

Brooks, known for “Terms of Endearment” and “Broadcast News,” crafts a film that feels unmistakably his: dialogue‑driven, character‑focused, and tinged with humor. Yet “Ella McCay” struggles to balance sincerity with satire. The Rhode Island setting adds texture, but the narrative often slips into contrivance, with political commentary that feels trite rather than incisive. Still, moments of human connection — Mackey’s quiet resilience, Curtis’s wry authority — remind viewers of Brooks’ gift for character.

At 115 minutes, “Ella McCay” is both a nostalgic return and a cautionary tale. It may not reach the heights of Brooks’ classics, but it offers a showcase for Mackey’s emerging talent and Curtis’s warm presence.

“Dust Bunny”

Mads Mikkelsen, Sophie Sloan; directed by Bryan Fuller

Bryan Fuller makes his feature directorial debut with “Dust Bunny,” a horror thriller that blends fairy‑tale dread with pulpy violence. The film follows Aurora (Sophie Sloan), an eight‑year‑old girl who believes a monster under her bed devoured her family. Seeking help, she turns to her neighbor (Mads Mikkelsen), a hitman whose own past is steeped in blood. What begins as a child’s plea spirals into a grim alliance, where assassins and imagined creatures blur into one relentless nightmare.

Fuller, best known for his television work on “Hannibal,” brings a stylized eye to the genre. His use of shadow, silence, and sudden bursts of brutality creates a mood that is both eerie and operatic. Mikkelsen embodies menace with weary gravitas, while Sloan delivers a breakout performance, balancing innocence with terror. Supporting turns from Sheila Atim, David Dastmalchian and Sigourney Weaver add texture to the ensemble.

“Dust Bunny” is taut and unsettling, a film that toys with the boundary between childhood imagination and adult violence. It may not reinvent horror, but it confirms Fuller’s cinematic voice and offers a showcase for Sloan’s emerging talent alongside Mikkelsen’s chilling presence.

“Silent Night, Deadly Night”

Rohan Campbell, Ruby Modine; directed by Mike P. Nelson

Mike P. Nelson reimagines the notorious 1984 slasher with “Silent Night, Deadly Night,” a blood‑red Christmas tale that blends psychological dread with seasonal carnage. Rohan Campbell stars as Billy Chapman, a man scarred by childhood trauma after witnessing his parents’ murder at the hands of a Santa‑suited killer. Years later, he dons the red suit himself, unleashing a spree of violence that collides with his fractured sense of justice. Ruby Modine plays Pam, a co‑worker who becomes entangled in Billy’s descent, offering a counterpoint of empathy amid the brutality.

Nelson, who previously helmed the “Wrong Turn” reboot, crafts a film that is both homage and reinvention. The cinematography leans into shadow and neon, evoking a moodier, more psychological vision than the campy excess of the original. Campbell delivers a twitchy, haunted performance, while Modine grounds the chaos with sharp vulnerability. The kills are inventive, the finale striking, though pacing issues and a lack of the original’s lurid charm impede the film from fully soaring.

The 2025 “Silent Night, Deadly Night” is a polished yet imperfect revival — a holiday horror that trades controversy for catharsis, confirming Nelson’s voice as a satirist of indie genre cinema.

“Goodbye June”

Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren; directed by Kate Winslet

Kate Winslet makes her directorial debut with “Goodbye June,” a Christmas family drama written by her son Joe Anders. Winslet also stars as Julia, a mother navigating fractured relationships as her family gathers around its dying matriarch, June, played with stoic warmth by Helen Mirren. The ensemble includes Toni Collette, Andrea Riseborough, Johnny Flynn and Timothy Spall, each adding texture to a story steeped in grief and reconciliation.

The film unfolds in hospital corridors and candlelit living rooms, where estranged siblings confront old wounds while preparing for inevitable loss. Winslet’s direction favors intimacy and restraint, capturing the rhythms of family life with close‑ups and hushed exchanges. While the script leans toward sentimentality, the performances elevate the material, grounding it in authenticity. Mirren embodies resilience, while Winslet channels exhaustion and tenderness in equal measure.

“Goodbye June” is both a tearjerker and a showcase of ensemble craft. It may not escape formula, but it reveals Winslet’s eye for human connection and confirms her transition from actor to filmmaker with a project that is deeply personal yet broadly resonant.

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” Season 2

Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries; created by Rick Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg

Two years after its debut, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” returns to Disney+ with a second season that expands the saga’s scale and deepens its mythological reach. Adapted from Rick Riordan’s “The Sea of Monsters,” the new chapter follows Percy (Walker Scobell), Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), Grover (Aryan Simhadri) and Clarisse (Dior Goodjohn) on a perilous voyage to retrieve the Golden Fleece and save Camp Half-Blood. Their journey brings encounters with Cyclops Polyphemus, the deadly straits of Scylla and Charybdis and revelations that reshape Percy’s family ties.

Season 2 promises to heighten both scope and emotion. Scobell steps further into Percy’s role, balancing wit and vulnerability, while Jeffries’ Annabeth embodies resilience and intelligence. Simhadri’s Grover continues to provide warmth and comic relief, and Daniel Diemer joins as Tyson, adding fresh dynamics to the ensemble.

The new season is set to embrace darker tones and heightened spectacle, with practical sets and effects designed to anchor the fantasy in tangible detail. The episodic structure promises the rhythm of epic quests — fragmented trials, sudden peril and moments of reflection — sustaining momentum while allowing space for character growth.

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” Season 2 arrives as both faithful adaptation and bold reinvention, promising adventure, spectacle and a showcase for its rising young cast.