The festive week is the quietest week of the year for new streaming releases. In fact, none of the major streaming services are offering new movies this week (although Netflix is offering “Squid Game” Season 2 for TV binge-watching). But that's not to say there aren't fresh movies to watch from the comfort of your own home during the holidays.

Leading the list of new releases this week is “Gladiator 2” on Premium Video on Demand. This sword-and-sandal sequel is more than 20 years in the making, and while it won't have the same cultural impact as its predecessor, it remains a historical epic with plenty of action spectacle and character-driven melodrama. Other new releases for PVOD include “Y2K” and “The Order.”

While this week's selection is not historic, there are several new films worth streaming. So let's dive into the top new films available to watch now.

Gladiator 2, which began development as early as 2001, took a long time to make its way to the big screen. While this Ridley Scott-directed sequel doesn't quite live up to the legacy of the original (an impossible hurdle, to be honest), it packs in all the historical action fans of the first film could hope for. Denzel Washington gives his best performance as a former slave who plays political gamesmith with plans to take control of Rome, but Paul Mescall struggles to match the overwhelming magic of Russell Crowe in the lead role.

“Gladiator 2” has also been criticized for following the same storyline as its predecessor, but if you want a big-budget sword-and-sandal epic, there are few films on a scale to match it. Gladiator 2 opens with Hanno (Mescal), a prisoner whose home has been destroyed by the Roman army and his wife murdered, entering the Colosseum more than 15 years after the last film. In order to find the strength to face the future, he reflects on his past and the bloody path of the gladiatorial ring to lead the people of Rome into a new era.

Buy or rent on Amazon starting December 24

A24 dives into the disaster comedy genre with “Y2K,” a high-concept film bursting with 90s nostalgia. It is the directorial debut of Kyle Mooney and features a number of young talents, including Jaden Martel, Rachel Zegler, and Julian Dennison. But while the premise sounds like a lot of fun on paper and the trailer is enticing, the film's reception has been underwhelming, with critics uninterested in the film and audiences rejecting it outright at the box office. Perhaps it will find new life in PVOD.

As one might expect from a film called “Y2K,” the film opens on New Year's Eve 1999, when two high school losers, Eli and Danny (Martel and Denison), crash a party where the former was not cool enough to be invited to kiss his girlfriend, Laura (Zegler) . However, the night becomes more intense than they could have imagined when a huge ruckus erupts in the middle of the night.

Buy or rent on Amazon starting December 24

You would think that an action thriller pairing Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult would get a little more attention. However, “The Order” did not make any waves during its brief theatrical run at the beginning of the month. Inspired by a true story, the film will be released on the PVOD platform (and later on Prime Video).

Set in the 1980s, Terry Husk (Law) is an FBI agent investigating a series of bank robberies in the Pacific Northwest. While his colleagues and superiors believe that these robberies are the work of a typical criminal organization, Husk is convinced that they are part of a larger plot by a radical white supremacist group to overthrow the federal government. The group's leader is the charismatic Bob Mattress (Holt), and Husk becomes obsessed with his capture.

Available for purchase or rental on PVOD beginning in December. 24

I don't know if the debut of “Borderlands” on Starz will win you a Christmas present, but if you want to know why this film got so much summer buzz, now is your chance. For those of you who don't know, “Borderlands” got a lot of attention, but for all the wrong reasons. Some people on the Internet labeled it one of the worst films ever made, and while I think that's an exaggeration, there's no denying that it's a pretty bad film.

Based on the popular loot shooter video game, Borderlands is a sci-fi action epic set on the hostile planet Pandora. Lilith (Cate Blanchett) is a skilled bounty hunter who is charged with finding the missing daughter of a financial tycoon. But the mission turns out to be more complicated than she expected, and she unwillingly has to team up with a gang of thieves to find a safe filled with a mysterious treasure and save the whole world.

Watch on Starz starting December 25

If you've had enough of sweet Christmas movies by December 30, “The Wasp” is perfect for you. This psycho thriller certainly won't fill you with the spirit of the season, but it will keep you glued to the screen and make you second-guess every dramatic turn. Starring Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer, the film has received warm reviews from critics and looks to be an overlooked gem (and well deserved).

Heather (Harris) and Carla (Dormer) are former schoolmates who have not spoken in years. When they reunite, Heather makes Carla a shocking proposal that will change their lives forever. I won't go any further for fear of spoilers, but “The Wasp” is an effective little thriller that transcends genre clichés thanks to the solid performances of the two core characters.

Available on MGM Plus December 30