5 things to watch this weekend

From Viola Davis’ self-proclaimed magnum opus “The Woman King” to ”Vampire Academy” on Peacock, theGrio is back with your top five things to watch this weekend in theaters and on streaming.

The Woman King

Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch, Thuso Mbeda and John Boyega star in this epic tale directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and it’s not one to be missed. Based on true events, the film tells the story of the Agojie, real women warriors of West Africa who would stop at nothing to protect their people. Incredible performances, fierce fighting scenes and emotive drama will have viewers holding their breaths and cheering from their seats.

Vampire Academy

Spooky season is here, and Peacock has a brand new series that’s perfect for all of the horror and fantasy fans out there: “Vampire Academy.” Based on the best-selling young adult novels of the same name by Richelle Mead, the new series scratches the teen horror itch. It’s brought by the creators of the hit CW show “The Vampire Diaries.”

“In a world of privilege and glamour, two young women’s friendship transcends their strikingly different classes as they prepare to complete their education and enter vampire society,” the show’s official description says.

What follows is a series that explores race, class, sexuality, politics and more as the vampire society fights against the “savage” Strogi, who threaten to completely derail their world.

The first four episodes of “Vampire Academy” are available to binge now on Peacock.

The Handmaid’s Tale

“The Handmaid’s Tale” is back. Hulu’s popular dystopian series has officially launched its fifth and penultimate season. The new episodes of the series reunite viewers with the people of Gilead, including Elisabeth Moss’ June, Samira Wiley’s Moira and O-T Fagbenle’s Luke.

As in seasons past, “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which involves a near-future where women are forced into child-bearing slavery, continues to touch on social issues that are now more relevant than ever, especially in the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on abortion in America.

Check out the trailer for the fifth season below, which critics are already hailing as “refreshing” and “bravely acted” by its cast.

The Silent Twins

Based on the true and tragic story of Jennifer and June Gibbons, “The Silent Twins” shows the beauty and brilliance of two sisters from Barbados who shut the world out and created their own. After enduring relentless racism and torture at the hands of their classmates in the UK, they formed their own language and communicated with only each other while letting their imaginations loose through their writings, poetry and art.

Breathtaking performances from Letitia Wright and Tamara Lawrance humanize these two figures who have been regarded as freaks and relegated to folklore for far too long.

Love is Blind: After the Altar

“Love is Blind” fans, rejoice! The popular reality TV dating series from Netflix is back with another “After the Altar” season. Reacquainting viewers with “Love is Blind” season 2 standouts like Jarrette, Iyanna and Deepti, these episodes take contestants outside of the “pod experiment” and back into the real world.

The season takes a deep dive into Jarrette and Iyanna, who announced their separation from each other back in August of this year, as theGrio previously reported. Iyanna asks in the teaser for the season, “Is this a mistake that we made or is this something that should be fought for?”

“Love is Blind: After the Altar” is available to stream now on Netflix.

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