new streaming movie reviews

• Stranger Things Season 5
• Deadpool and Wolverine
• The Batman 2
• Spider-Man 4
• Yellowstone Season 6
• Fallout Season 2
• The Last of Us Season 2
• Entertainment

Best new movies to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Max (HBO), and more

As we get closer to the summer blockbuster season, our list of the best movies to stream on Netflix , Hulu, Prime Video , Max (HBO), and other services is getting better every week. We’re keeping tabs on all the new originals and recent theatrical releases to hit streamers so you can have an A+ movie night at home, rather than just at the theaters.

This week, our list gains four new additions, starting with Oscar snub The Iron Claw on Max. Elsewhere, Netflix adds the LaKeith Stanfield religious satire The Book of Clarence and Frank Marshall’s Dan Rather documentary, Rather , while Hulu delivers the Anne Hathaway thriller, Eileen .

We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix , the best movies on Hulu , the best movies on Amazon Prime Video , and the best movies on HBO .

Max (formerly HBO and HBO Max)

The iron claw (2023) new.

• The best kids movies on Netflix right now
• The best new shows to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Max (HBO), and more
• The best action movies on Netflix right now

Stop Making Sense (1984)

The zone of interest (2023), dream scenario (2023), wonka (2023).

A family-friendly hit of 2023, Wonka stars Timothée Chalamet as the extraordinary character at the center of Roald Dahl’s iconic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , Willy Wonka. This prequel to that story tells how Wonka rose as a young man to become the world’s greatest inventor, magician, and chocolate maker. Featuring musical performances, dancing kids, fireworks galore, and Hugh Grant as a grumpy Oompa Loompa, Wonka is a charming movie that could only come from the director who made Paddington 2 .

The Book of Clarence (2024) new

Rather (2023) new, unfrosted (2024), everything everywhere all at once (2022), anyone but you (2023), eileen (2023) new, anatomy of a fall (2023), the stones and brian jones (2023), poor things (2023), the marsh king's daughter (2023), the american society of magical negroes (2024), migration (2023), drive-away dolls (2024), amazon prime video, the idea of you (2024), música (2024), road house (2024), frida (2024), ricky stanicky (2024), humane (2024), late night with the devil (2024), bob marley: one love (2024), mean girls (2024), argylle (2024), girls state (2024), wish (2023), the marvels (2023), indiana jones and the dial of destiny (2023), editors' recommendations.

• Best streaming devices for 2024: Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, and more
• Best streaming deals: Sling TV, Hulu, Peacock, and more
• The 50 best movies on Netflix right now (May 2024)
• The best family movies on Netflix right now
• The best rom-coms on Amazon Prime Video right now
• Streaming Guides
• Streaming Services

Nick Perry is a freelance writer who bounced from Hollywood to Silicon Beach to pajama pants. His work has been featured on Digital Trends, Good Morning America, Entrepreneur, Mashable, and more media outlets.

Max is a go-to platform for streaming the best movies thanks to its accessibility and its countless hours' worth of content. Beyond quantity, the streamer's greatest strength is the diversity of the films in its catalog.

Every kind of fan will find their niches catered to, with Max's library spanning fantasy, sci-fi, comedies, dramas, and more. Still, the sheer amount of content available can intimidate new subscribers. Thankfully, this monthly-updated guide combs through the service's selection to highlight some of the best movies to watch on Max right now.

From classic sitcoms to exciting new TV shows, Max (formerly HBO Max), has quite a bit of content from which to choose. Maybe you're ready to finally watch The Sopranos or you're anxious for season two of The Last of Us and want to rewatch the first season. Perhaps you're eager to to dive into something new, like the series The Sympathizer. Well, the good news id that all of the best HBO vault content, as well as new Max originals, are available to stream on Max.

In fact, there's so much choice that you might find it difficult to narrow things down. What if you're in the mood for a comedy one night, but want to start up a thrilling drama the next? We have you covered with this carefully curated list of the best shows on Max (formerly HBO Max) right now so you can have a few shows in the hopper to watch whenever you're in the mood.

Starting a family movie night is a great way to spend more time with relatives, and the best family movies on Amazon Prime Video right now can help. Although Prime Video has some great movie options for your nearest and dearest, its clunky interface can make browsing and trying to find something to watch anything but an enjoyable experience.

So, we've done the work for you! We've scoured the Amazon Prime Video collection and compiled the best family-friendly movies available now into this roundup.

Things you buy through our links may earn  Vox Media  a commission.

The 30 Best Movies to Watch on Every Streaming Service

Jump to a streaming service

Amazon prime video, the criterion channel.

This article will be updated as movies move on and off streaming services. An asterisk indicates a new addition to the list.

Don’t we all deserve to watch something that’s actually great? Too often, the competing streaming algorithms at Netflix , Max , and Amazon Prime Video push a smattering of undifferentiated piffle. So many of the major services seemingly just want to highlight their own latest acquisition or buzzy project. But we at Vulture have no horse in the streaming race: Our job is to help you figure out what to watch by recommending the best movies each of these services has to offer at any given time. To that end, we have gone over the must-see titles on each platform and winnowed them down to the list below. It could easily be 100 movies long, but we tried to keep it manageable — a tight 30! — and if you come back every month, you can expect to see it updated with new selections. Read on to find something to watch, starting with this week’s critic’s pick.

This Week’s Critic’s Pick

The godfather.

Year:  1972 Runtime:  2h 55m Director:  Francis Ford Coppola

It’s only the film that made Al Pacino a star and kicked Francis Ford Coppola’s career into the stratosphere — maybe you’ve heard of it? In all seriousness, the entire  Godfather  trilogy is available on Paramount+, including the superior recent cut of the third film. You could then slide from some of the best filmmaking of all time into the streaming service’s original series  The Offer , about the making of Coppola’s masterpiece.

How We Pick Our Films

Critic Brian Tallerico watches and writes about movies and TV every day. To curate Vulture’s streaming lists, he dives into each service’s catalogue to surface acclaimed, surprising, or otherwise noteworthy titles — using his taste and a lifetime of cinema study as his guide, instead of whatever the algorithm happens to be pushing. After triple-checking to make sure they’re still available, he watches each, then writes his recommendation. Below we’ve collected selections from each streaming service. We highlight more than just Oscar winners or popcorn flicks: These films present interesting ideas, made an impact on cinema, and changed our culture.

Devil in a Blue Dress

Year: 1995 Runtime: 1h 41m Director: Carl Franklin

Carl Franklin wrote and directed one of the most underrated Denzel Washington performances of all time in this 1995 adaptation of the novel of the same name by Walter Mosley. Washington plays Easy Rawlins, a World War II vet in 1948 who gets drawn into a mystery that classic noir filmmakers would have adored. Charming and riveting, the only crime here is that there wasn’t a whole franchise of films with Washington playing Easy.

*Inside Man

Year:  2006 Runtime:  2h 8m Director:  Spike Lee

Yes, Spike Lee once made a great action movie. The director of  Do the Right Thing  and  Da 5 Bloods  put his spin on the heist film with this great 2006 Denzel Washington vehicle. The regular collaborator plays an NYPD hostage negotiator, called in when a bank heist goes down on Wall Street. Tight and effective, this is just further evidence that Spike Lee can nail any kind of movie he chooses to make. This might be Lee’s most underrated movie. It hums.

* Knocked Up

Year:  2007 Runtime:  2h 9m Director:  Judd Apatow

The movie’s gender politics seem shakier than when it came out, but Judd Apatow’s biggest hit still works because of the intelligence of its screenplay and commitment of its cast, especially Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl. The story of a man forced to grow up when his one-night stand gets pregnant errs a bit too much on the side of the male view, but one can’t deny the pure laughs-per-minute ratio. It’s fun to contrast this with the more recent  Long Shot  to see how much Rogen has changed (and how much he really hasn’t).

May December

Year: 2023 Runtime: 1h 57m Director: Todd Haynes

Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman star in the latest from Carol and Far from Heaven director Todd Haynes, a stunning character study of an actress who discovers that some people are impossible to figure out. Portman plays a star who tries to get under the skin of Moore’s character, a woman who raped a child when she was a teacher, and later married that young man. Charles Melton is phenomenal as the now-grown victim, stuck in perpetual adolescence.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Year:  2005 Runtime:  2h Director:  Doug Liman

The fun new  reboot series starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine  may be over on Prime, but Netflix has the one that started it all: The movie that gave the world Brangelina. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt star as a seemingly ordinary suburban couple who discover that they both have secret identities as competing assassins. As Angelica Jade Bastién  put it , it’s a straight shot of movie star charisma.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Year: 2023 Runtime: 2h 20m Director: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson

This is how you do a big-budget blockbuster sequel, developing the themes of the first movie and setting up the stake for what now appears will be one of the best trilogies in superhero history. Packed with so much detail and creativity, it’s a film you’ll want to watch over and over again.

Year: 2017 Runtime: 1h 44m Director: Jordan Peele

This is the one that really changed the current state of horror, reminding studios how acclaimed and popular it could be if treated with the right respect. It also won its creator an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, launching one of the most interesting careers of the current era. It’s held up remarkably well, and it’s hardly ever available on streaming services, so take this chance while you can to rewatch a movie whose influence is still shaking the industry.

Interstellar

Year:  2014 Runtime:  2h 49m Director:  Christopher Nolan

The most underrated film from the director of The Dark Knight and Oppenheimer remains this 2014 sci-fi epic, a film that’s better if you approach it as an emotional journey instead of a physical one. Matthew McConaughey gives one of the best performances of his career as an astronaut searching for a new home for mankind, and realizing all that he left behind to do so. It’s a technical marvel with some of the most striking visuals and best sound design of Nolan’s career.

Year: 2023 Runtime: 1h 55m Director: Greta Gerwig

One of the biggest films of 2023 has landed on Max. Greta Gerwig’s daring blockbuster is a comedy that works both as a reminder of the power imagination and the fight for equality. Anyone who thinks this movie is anti-male isn’t paying any attention. The theme of the movie is that no one — not even Barbie or Ken — should be defined by traditional roles. We should all be free to play however we want. It’s a wonderful film that will truly stand the test of time.

* Lost in Translation

Year:  2003 Runtime:  1h 42m Director:  Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola exploded onto the filmmaking scene with her second film, this dramedy about a fading movie star who meets an American girl in Tokyo and both of their lives change. Bill Murray does career-best work in the film (and should have won an Oscar), and he’s matched by Scarlett Johansson, but  Lost in Translation  really is Coppola’s film, a tender, brilliant character study with personal resonance.

The Green Knight

Year: 2021 Runtime: 2h 10m Director: David Lowery

An adaptation of the 14th century poem, The Green Knight is one of the most visually striking films of the decade so far. David Lowery directs Dev Patel as Gawain, who sets out on a journey to face the title character. More than just a mere tale of heroism, this is a surreal, gorgeous piece of work that challenges preconceptions of fantasy dramas and feels vitally fresh.

Year: 2019 Runtime: 2h 12m Director: Bong Joon-ho

Remember not that long ago before the world changed, and we could all rally around a South Korean film becoming the first foreign flick ever to win the Oscar for Best Picture ? It really was a crazy time. At one point Hulu was the only place you’ll find Bong Joon-ho’ s hysterical and thrilling study of class conflict for a long time, but the beloved thriller is now on Max, too.

Spirited Away

Year: 2001 Runtime: 2h 4m Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Almost all of the Studio Ghibli films are on Max, the exclusive home to them when it comes to streaming. The truth is that we could write thousands of words about the impact of Hayao Miyazaki and his colleagues (and we have: here’s a ranking of the entire output of the most important modern animation studio in the world), but for now we’ll recommend starting with Spirited Away , My Neighbor Totoro , and Castle in the Sky . You won’t stop.

All of Us Strangers

Year: 2023 Runtime: 1h 45m Director: Andrew Haigh

One of the best films of 2023 is exclusively available on Hulu thanks to the relationship between the company and Fox Searchlight—both owned by Disney, essentially. Andrew Scott is stunning as a man who essentially travels in time to visit the parents (Jamie Bell and Claire Foy) who died when he was young, all while starting a relationship with one of his neighbors (Paul Mescal). Imagine getting to say what you never could to those you lost and allowing them a chance to see how you’ve changed too. It’s a beautiful, moving piece of work.

Anatomy of a Fall

Year: 2023 Runtime: 2h 31m Director: Justine Triet

The latest Oscar winner for Best Original Screenplay is already exclusively on Hulu thanks to their relationship with Neon. The great Sandra Huller stars as a woman whose husband dies from a fall at their home. Was it suicide or murder? More than a mere courtroom drama, this is a dissection of a marriage that’s raw, brutal, and real.

*The Big Lebowski

Year: 1998 Runtime: 1h 57m Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Well, that’s just like your opinion, man. Joel and Ethan Coen followed up the biggest hit of their careers win Fargo with the story of Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski, unforgettably played by Jeff Bridges. In one of his most iconic roles, Bridges captures a kind of lazy L.A. style that turned this flick into a comedy classic, a movie that’s being quoted somewhere in the world on every minute of every day.

Year: 2020 Runtime: 1h 48m Director: Chloe Zhao

The Oscar winner for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress , this 2020 drama is one of the most moving films of the young decade so far, and it’s exclusively on Hulu thanks to the company’s relationship with Searchlight (they’re both owned by Disney). Frances McDormand stars as Fern, a woman displaced by the loss of her husband and job, sending her out on the road. Blending non-fiction filmmaking choices like the use of non-actors telling their own stories with a deep sense of character-building, this is a phenomenal film.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Year: 2019 Runtime: 2h 42m Director: Quentin Tarantino

It’s hard to believe it’s already been almost a half-decade since Quentin Tarantino’s last movie, one of the last greats of the 2010s. Wildly misunderstood during production (and even a bit after release), it’s way more than just a reclamation of the Sharon Tate murders, it’s a funny, scary, smart alternate version of Hollywood history with some of the career-best performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, and Oscar winner Brad Pitt.

Killers of the Flower Moon

Year: 2023 Runtime: 3h 26m Director: Martin Scorsese

One of the most acclaimed films of the 2020s is now exclusively available for subscribers of Apple TV+. Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, and Robert De Niro star in an epic drama that’s about nothing less than the violent formation of this country. When the Osage people became the richest per capita in the country, the white power figures in the region did everything they could to take it from them. As well-made as any streaming original of all time, it’s not only the best film on Apple TV+, it’s one of the best films you could watch on any streaming service, anywhere.

Wolfwalkers

Year: 2020 Runtime: 1h 43m Directors: Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart

Wolfwalkers should have won the Oscar in early 2021. It’s a lyrical and gorgeous final act to Cartoon Saloon’s “Irish Folklore Trilogy,” the story of a girl named Robyn Goodfellowe, whose father has been hired to hunt wolves. Robyn befriends a shapeshifter, a girl who is both wolf and human, in a story that incorporates modern storytelling with Irish folklore and inspired visual style.

The Holdovers

Year: 2023 Runtime: 2h 13m Director: Alexander Payne

Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph won Golden Globes, and Randolph won an Oscars, for this phenomenal holiday comedy, exclusive to Peacock. The ‘70s-set story of a boarding school over holiday break already feels like a comedy classic, a movie that people will be watching, especially around the end of the year, for generations to come.

Oppenheimer

Year: 2023 Runtime: 3h Director: Christopher Nolan

Oppenheimer is a proud biopic: a dense, big-swing condensation of a 600-page biography about one of the most important men of the 20th century and about (in the movie’s own words) “the most important fucking thing to ever happen in the history of the world.” But Oppenheimer is also the opposite of a standard-issue Great Man movie: The achievement here is monstrous, and the psychic dissolution of the main character before our very eyes is heartbreaking. —Bilge Ebiri

Year: 1989 Runtime: 2h 20m Director: James Cameron

James Cameron’s 1989 sci-fi blockbuster is one of the most prominent films never to have been released on Blu-ray in the United States — but that finally changes in March with the 4K release, and it’s finally more readily available on streaming too. People who love this movie really love this movie, and it’s great to see it finally coming to the fans who have deserved it for so long.

Year: 1974 Runtime: 2h 10m Director: Roman Polanski

Forget it Jake, it’s Chinatown. One of the best movies of the ’70s, this Best Picture nominee (and Best Screenplay winner) tells the story of Jake Gittes, played unforgettably by Jack Nicholson, as he investigates an adulterer and finds something much more insidious under the surface of Los Angeles. It’s a must-see, as important as almost any film from its era.

Year: 2023 Runtime: 1h 45m Director: Celine Song

This phenomenal Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay nominee isn’t on any of the other streamers. It stars the excellent Greta Lee and Teo Yoo as a couple who were close as children but reunite years later after she immigrated to the United States. It’s as much a story of what people leave behind when they change their entire lives as it is a traditional story of unrequited love. It’s beautiful and unforgettable.

Year: 1952 Runtime: 2h 23m Director: Akira Kurosawa

Even if Criterion had only a handful of Kurosawa films, it would still be difficult to choose between The Seven Samurai , Rashomon , and Ran , to name a few. So why Ikiru ? Well, it’s an unqualified masterpiece, about a man with stomach cancer coming to terms with the end of his life. It’s hard to believe Kurosawa made it when he was just over 40.

In the Mood for Love 

Year: 2000 Runtime: 1h 38m Director: Wong Kar-wai

Movies don’t get more hypnotic than this, a story of love and longing set in Hong Kong in 1962. Gorgeously shot by cinematographers Christopher Doyle and Mark Lee Ping-bin, In the Mood for Love also features career-defining performances by Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Maggie Cheung Man-yuk. The two play neighbors who develop an attraction to one another in a way that feels both deeply cinematic and completely human.

Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles 

Year: 1975 Runtime: 3h 21m Director: Chantal Akerman

The 2022 Sight & Sound critics poll named Chantal Akerman’s masterpiece the best film of all time, and it’s sitting on the Criterion Channel waiting for you to find out why. This 1975 examination of the gradual breakdown of the routines of an ordinary life turns everyday detail into something unforgettable, even transcendent. Critics have loved this film for decades and now it’s had an incredible resurgence almost six decades after its release.

• now streaming
• streaming recommendations
• streaming services
• amazon prime video
• the criterion channel

Most Viewed Stories

• Cinematrix No. 57: May 14, 2024
• What Was Unmasked in Spacey Unmasked ?
• John Mulaney’s Strange TV Miracle
• A Complete Track-by-Track Timeline of Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s Feud
• Planet of the Apes Movies, Ranked
• The Real Housewives of New Jersey Recap: Shore Things

Editor’s Picks

Most Popular

What is your email.

This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create your free account.

Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:

• Lower case letters (a-z)
• Upper case letters (A-Z)
• Numbers (0-9)
• Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)

As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York , which you can opt out of anytime.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Link to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• The Fall Guy Link to The Fall Guy
• The Last Stop in Yuma County Link to The Last Stop in Yuma County

New TV Tonight

• Interview With the Vampire: Season 2
• Spacey Unmasked: Season 1
• After the Flood: Season 1
• Bridgerton: Season 3
• Outer Range: Season 2
• The Big Cigar: Season 1
• Harry Wild: Season 3
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Season 11.1
• RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars: Season 9
• The Killing Kind: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• Dark Matter: Season 1
• Bodkin: Season 1
• Baby Reindeer: Season 1
• Doctor Who: Season 1
• Fallout: Season 1
• A Man in Full: Season 1
• Blood of Zeus: Season 2
• The Sympathizer: Season 1
• Thank You, Next: Season 1
• Sugar: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Interview With the Vampire: Season 2 Link to Interview With the Vampire: Season 2
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

300 Best Movies of All Time

25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming

Asian-American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

TV Premiere Dates 2024

Pixar Employees Reveal Their Secret Voice Acting Identity

• Trending on RT

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

• The Last Stop in Yuma County

TV Premiere Dates

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will debut on August 29

Most Anticipated Shows of 2024

Watch a new trailer for House of the Dragon season 2 premiering June 16

Renewed and Cancelled TV

Ahead of its upcoming premiere, The Boys has been renewed for a fifth season

Box Office: Kingdom Reigns Supreme

But it faces tough challenges in the coming weeks

Movie Re-Release Calendar

Amazing Spider-Man 2 , Nausicaa , North by Northwest back in theaters this week

RT Predicts the Emmy Noms

2024 is gonna be a weird year

Box Office: Top 10 of 2024

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes debuts with $56.6 million weekend

8 Things to Know About Doctor Who

The stars and showrunner have surprises in store for fans

Best Shows on Amazon

Fallout joins the list

'Seen on the Screen'

Podcast: A Celebration of Universal Stories

New & Upcoming Movies In Theaters

New & upcoming on streaming, popular streaming movies.

• The Last Stop in Yuma County 98%
• War for the Planet of the Apes 94%
• The Idea of You 84%
• Unfrosted 42%
• The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare 71%
• Abigail 84%
• Mother of the Bride 14%
• Late Night with the Devil 97%
• Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire 54%
• LaRoy, Texas 100%
• Dark Matter 78%
• Baby Reindeer 98%
• Doctor Who 95%
• Fallout 93%
• A Man in Full 43%
• Blood of Zeus 100%
• The Sympathizer 87%
• Thank You, Next - -

New TV This Week

• Interview With the Vampire 97%
• Spacey Unmasked 100%
• After the Flood 60%
• Bridgerton - -
• Outer Range - -
• The Big Cigar - -
• Harry Wild - -
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon - -
• RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars - -
• The Killing Kind - -

Popular In Theaters

Availability may vary, check your local showtimes for details., best asian-american movies of all time, latest certified fresh movies, essential criterion collection films, trailers & videos, house of the dragon.

Watch the new trailer for season two

Owen Teague and Wes Ball Break Down a Scene

Challengers

The cast chat about training for the film

The cast on staying true to the game

Dev Patel and Jordan Peele talk Monkey Man

Movie & TV guides

Rotten Tomatoes Podcasts

Discover What to Watch

Awards Tour

Play Daily Tomato Movie Trivia

20 Best Movies New to Streaming in December: ‘Indiana Jones 5,’ ‘Rebel Moon,’ ‘Maestro’ and More

By Zack Sharf

Digital News Director

• ‘House of the Dragon’ Star Olivia Cooke Says ‘I Did Hate’ Becoming a Meme With ‘Negroni Spagliato’ Viral Video: All Your Hard Work ‘Gets Reduced to a F—ing TikTok’ 4 hours ago
• Tom Brady Says Netflix Roast Jokes ‘Affected My Kids’ and ‘I Wouldn’t Do That Again’: ‘I’m Going to Be a Better Parent as I Go Forward Because of It’ 7 hours ago
• ‘Megalopolis’ Producer Addresses Report of Francis Ford Coppola Trying to Kiss Extras on Set: ‘I Was Never Aware of Any Complaints of Harassment’ 8 hours ago

The year is coming to end, but not without some major original films debuting on Netflix, Prime Video and more top streaming platforms. Whether it’s potential new holiday classics (Prime Video is launching the Eddie Murphy holiday comedy “Candy Cane Lane” this month) or potential new franchises (Zack Snyder returns to Netflix for the start of his space opera saga “Rebel Moon”), streaming is offering up a ton of original fare this month bolstered by star power such as Bradley Cooper, Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts and more.

Disney+ already added the first four “Indiana Jones” movies to its streaming library in May, but now comes the arrival of the fifth installment, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which marks Harrison Ford’s final outing as the iconic archeologist and adventurer. Prime Video is hoping to attract subscribers by offering “Sound of Freedom,” one of the biggest and most controversial box office hits of the year. And Netflix is aiming to keep family audiences glued to the television with the arrival of the billion dollar hit “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”

It’s also Oscar season on Netflix. Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic “Maestro” and Todd Haynes’ “May December” both launch on the streamer this month as two of its biggest Academy Award hopefuls. Animated contender “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget” is also debuting.

Check out a rundown below of the biggest films new to streaming in December 2023.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Dec. 1 on Disney+)

Despite being heavily marketed as Harrison Ford’s final outing as Indiana Jones, the fifth installment of the long-running adventure franchise, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” did not exactly set the world on fire over the summer. It opened with middling reviews and ended up making only $383 million worldwide at the box office. Perhaps more fans will stream the film with its arrival on Disney+.

“Dial of Destiny” centers on Indiana Jones’ search for a mystical artifact that has the power to turn back time. He teams up with his goddaughter, Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), to track down the device. Also on the hunt, however, is former Nazi scientist Jurgen Voller, played by Mads Mikkelsen. The cast also includes Boyd Holdbrook, Antonio Banderas, Toby Jones, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Thomas Kretschmann, Olivier Richters and more. In  his review ,  Variety  film critic Owen Gleiberman wrote: “‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ works by translating Indy’s old daredevil kick-ass fervor into the pure will with which he’s now hunting for the artifact. As the film leaps international locations, the action starts to feel more conventional and less ‘Indiana Jones’-y.”

Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire (Dec. 22 on Netflix)

Zack Snyder returns this month with the launch of his Netflix space opera franchise “Rebel Moon.” The project was originally conceived years ago as a “Star Wars” movie, but Snyder’s preference for an R-rating and original characters resulted in it becoming a standalone story. The film is being released in two parts (although the door is open for sequels and spinoffs, of course), with Part One arriving on streaming just before Christmas. Netflix execs are surely hoping it’s their holiday streaming blockbuster. Sofia Boutella, Ed Skrein, Cleopatra Coleman and Cary Elwes star in “Rebel Moon,” which centers on an enigmatic young woman living in a peaceful colony on the outskirts of the galaxy. She’s given the task of finding warriors who can fend off an impending invasion by a tyrannical despot. The second “Rebel Moon” film, titled “The Scargiver,” will arrive on April 19, 2024.

May December (Dec. 1 on Netflix) 

Todd Haynes’ acclaimed “May December” wowed the Cannes Film Festival in May and now arrives on Netflix in the heart of awards season. Natalie Portman plays an actor who heads to Savannah, Ga., to study a woman (Julianne Moore) who went to prison years earlier for having an affair with a seventh grader. Portman’s actor character is set to play the woman in a new movie.  Variety’ s Peter Debruge named “May December” a Critic’s Pick,  writing in his review:  “Todd Haynes unpacks America’s obsession with scandal and the impossibility of ever truly knowing what motivates others in this layered look at the actor’s process…As layered and infinitely open-to-interpretation as any of his films, it’s also the most generous and direct.”

Maestro (Dec. 20 on Netflix)

Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro” premiered to critical acclaim at the Venice Film Festival and is widely excepted to be a major player at the upcoming Academy Awards. Cooper’s directorial follow-up to “A Star Is Born,” “Maestro” is a biographical drama about famed composer Leonard Bernstein that mainly focuses on his marriage to Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan). From  Variety’s review:  “In his second film as a director, Cooper places himself on a high wire, working with a pointillistic intimacy that invests every moment with fascination and surprise…it’s a stunning portrait of the artist as a charismatic narcissist in thrall to a marriage he believes in yet can’t completely live up to.”

The Exorcist: Believer (Dec. 1 on Peacock) 

After bringing in a modest $107.5 million at the worldwide box office this fall, David Gordon Green’s “Exorcist” revival “The Exorcist: Believer” arrives on Peacock this month to bring the scares to streaming before Christmas. The sequel follows Victor Fielding (Leslie Odom Jr.), a photographer trying to find answers after his daughter and her friend go missing, only to return possessed by evil forces a few days later. Fielding seeks help from Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), who experienced a similar possession 50 years earlier. The movie also stars Lidya Jewett, Olivia O’Neill, Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz, Ann Dowd and others.

DC Universe Films (Dec. 1 on Netflix) 

Netflix is getting a massive superhero upgrade this month with the arrival of the DC Universe on the streaming platform. New studio heads James Gunn and Peter Safran are currently developing a new DC Universe that will kick off with the 2025 theatrical release of “Superman: Legacy.” The current DC Universe as fans know it ends with the release of “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” this month. You can catch up on the universe, which was originally shepherded by Zack Snyder, by streaming the following on Netflix: “Man of Steel” (2013), “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016), “Suicide Squad” (2016), “Wonder Woman” (2017), “Justice League” (2017), “Birds of Prey” (2020), “Wonder Woman: 1984” (2020) and “The Suicide Squad” (2021).

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Dec. 3 on Netflix)

Universal and Illumination’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was the first box office sensation of 2023, grossing $1.3 billion worldwide. The film features the voices of Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Jack Black and Anya-Taylor Joy and follows Mario as he ventures into the Mushroom Kingdom and other worlds on a mission to save his brother, Luigi. After making its streaming debut on Peacock in August, the film is now set to premiere on Netflix this month. 

Variety  critic Owen Gleiberman  named the film a Critic’s Pick , writing, “It’s the rare video game movie that gives you a prankish video-game buzz…The film takes full advantage of the sculptural liquid zap of the computer-animation medium. Yet it also has a fairy-tale story that’s good enough to get you onto its wavelength.”

Leave the World Behind (Dec. 8 on Netflix)

Netflix’s upcoming disaster movie “Leave the World Behind,” based on the 2020 novel of the same name by Rumaan Alam, marks the first fictional movie from Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions company. Barack included the novel on his 2021 summer reading list and was personally invested in perfecting the film adaptation, so much so that he  sent script notes  to writer-director Sam Esmail (best known as the creator of “Mr. Robot” and “Homecoming”). The film stars Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke as a couple vacationing in Long Island when a world-threatening disaster takes place. Mahershala Ali plays the owner of the home the couple is renting. The owner shows up seeking refuge from the disaster with his daughter (Myha’la Herrold), forcing the two families to trust each other as the world potentially comes to an end. Variety ’s Peter Debruge called the film an “intriguing use-your-imagination thriller” in  his review .

Cany Cane Lane (Dec. 1 on Prime Video)

Eddie Murphy is launching Prime Video’s Christmas movie season with the original comedy “Candy Cane Lane.” Directed by Reginald Hudlin, the film stars Murphy as a father who is determined to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest. He unintentionally strikes a deal with an elf (Jillian Bell) to improve his odds of winning, and chaos ensues as the elf casts a spell that brings to life the 12 Days of Christmas. The screenplay is written by Kelly Younger and inspired by his childhood experiences on Candy Cane Lane in El Segundo. The movie also stars Tracee Ellis Ross, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Ken Marino, Nick Offerman, Robin Thede, Chris Redd, Genneya Walton, Madison Thomas, D.C. Young Fly, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes and Nancy Lenehan.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (Dec. 15 on Netflix)

The long-awaited sequel to the 2000 stop-motion animated comedy “Chicken Run” is finally premiering this month on Netflix. Featuring an all-new voice cast, “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget” follows Ginger (Thandiwe Newton) as she sets up a peaceful sanctuary far from the human world after escaping from the evil Tweedy farm. With the hatching of Molly (Bella Ramsey), Ginger and her mate Rocky (Zachary Levi) seem to have their happily ever after, but outside their peaceful world a new and terrible threat emerges that threatens chicken-kind. Aardman Animations’ first feature, the original “Chicken Run” grossed over $225 million at the box office to become the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all time.  Variety’s  Peter Debruge  called the sequel  “a delightful, decades-later return to the English toon studio’s stop-motion roots.”

Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Dec. 8 on Peacock)

Tony Shalhoub reprises his Emmy-winning role in the long-awaited “Monk” movie, official titled “Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie.” Set in a post-COVID world, the “Monk” reunion movie follows Shalhoub’s consulting detective with obsessive-compulsive disorder and a wide range of phobias as he takes on a very personal case involving his beloved step-daughter Molly, a journalist preparing for her wedding. Original series stars Traylor Howard, Jason Gray-Stanford, Melora Hardin, Hector Elizondo and Ted Levine reprise their roles in “Mr. Monk’s Last Case” alongside Shalhoub. Acting newcomers include Caitlin McGee and James Purefoy. Randy Zisk, who served as executive producer and director for several episodes of the series, directed the reunion movie from a script written by “Monk” series creator Andy Breckman.

The Family Plan (Dec. 15 on Apple TV+)

Mark Wahlberg is back in action-comedy mode with the release of Apple’s “The Family Plan.” He plays Dan Morgan, a suburban husband and father of three whose humdrum life as a car salesman is upended when he’s forced to return to his secret job as a high-level government assassin. Michelle Monaghan, Zoe Colletti, Van Crosby, Saïd Taghmaoui, Maggie Q and Ciarán Hinds co-star. Simon Cellan Jones directed the film from a script by David Coggeshall. Jones recently told  People , “I know he’s a huge movie star and all, but Mark is amazingly easy to work with. He’s got that secret sauce, obviously, he’s natural and instinctive, super professional and really well prepared.”

Black Swan (Dec 1. on Netflix)

Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” arrives on Netflix just as Natalie Portman’s latest career achievement, the streamer’s original drama “May December,” makes its debut. Both films are home to two of Portman’s finest performances. In “Black Swan,” for which she won the Oscar for best actress, she plays a high strung ballerina spiraling into madness. From  Variety’s  review : “A wicked, sexy and ultimately devastating study of a young dancer’s all-consuming ambition, ‘Black Swan’ serves as a fascinating complement to Darren Aronofsky’s ‘The Wrestler,’ trading the grungy world of a broken-down fighter for the more upscale but no less brutal sphere of professional ballet. Centerstage stands Natalie Portman, whose courageous turn lays bare the myriad insecurities genuinely dedicated performers face when testing their limits, revealing shades of the actress never before seen on film.”

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Dec. 25 on Hulu)

Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” arrives on Hulu for Christmas Day viewing. The film unites the star power of Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie for a surprisingly elegiac look at Hollywood as it transforms in 1969. DiCaprio plays a fading Western television star struggling to keep pace with a booming film industry. Pitt, in an Oscar-winning role, is his lovable stuntman. From  Variety’s review : “It’s a heady, engrossing, kaleidoscopic, spectacularly detailed nostalgic splatter collage of a film, an epic tale of backlot Hollywood in 1969, which allows Tarantino to pile on all his obsessions, from drive-ins to donuts, from girls with guns to men with muscle cars and vendettas, from spaghetti Westerns to sexy bare feet.”

Asteroid City (Dec. 12 on Prime Video)

After making it streaming debut on Peacock in August, Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City” arrives on Prime Video this month at no extra cost to subscribers. The Focus Features release world premiered to mixed reviews at the Cannes Film Festival in May, but Anderson’s passionate fanbase turned up in droves to theaters to see the ensemble comedy-drama. The movie earned a respectable $27.7 million at the box office. “Asteroid City” is set in a desert town forced into quarantine after an alien makes contact with the townspeople. Scarlett Johansson, Jason Schwartzmann, Tom Hanks, Maya Rudolph, Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, Hope Davis, Tilda Swinton, Jeff Goldblum and Margot Robbie make up the ensemble cast, among many others.

Showing Up (Dec. 7 on Paramount+)

“In her fourth film with director Kelly Reichardt (and their best since ‘Wendy and Lucy’), Michelle Williams gives a deceptively quiet performance as a sculptor trying to let life — and the real world — in,” reads  Variety’s  review  of “Showing Up.” “Lizzy Carr (Williams), the central character, is a sculptor who is finishing up a series of ceramic figures she’ll be presenting in a gallery show…what’s the meaning of her life if she doesn’t succeed at becoming an artist, and for all her talent her sculptures turn out to be…a hobby? Part of the gentle enchantment of ‘Showing Up’ is that the film never articulates that question — at least, not in the way I just did. On the contrary, it’s a movie of feints, digressions, sidelong humor, and the randomness of life intruding on the purpose of life.”

Golda (Dec. 20 on Paramount+)

From  Variety’s  review: “In ‘Golda,’ Helen Mirren, acting with deft skill and control beneath one of those startling transformative prosthetic makeup jobs, portrays Golda Meir during the three-week cataclysm of the Yom Kippur War, which shook Israel to its bones in the fall of 1973. As the actor stands (or, more often, stoops) before us, we can believe our eyes that this is the Iron Lady of Israel. For here is that frown, those beetle brows, that coarse wavy hair tied into a bun like challah bread, that pugnacious nose, that stare of implacability designed to bore a hole in its beholder. Here, as well, is the woman who lit a thousand cigarettes, chain-smoking her way through the war-room anxiety and through the secret medical treatments she was undergoing at the time for lymphoma…Mirren makes her terse, decisive, and ferociously alive, always a step ahead of the Israeli military officers in the room.”

Beau Is Afraid (Dec. 21 on Paramount+)

A24 spent $35 million to bring “Hereditary” and “Midsommar” director Ari Aster‘s third feature, “Beau Is Afraid,” to life on the big screen. The film flopped at the box office with a global gross just over $10 million and became one of the most divisive releases of the year. “Beau Is Afraid” stars Joaquin Phoenix as an anxiety-raddled loner who sets out on a bizarre odyssey home to see his mother (Patti Lupone). In a recent  interview with Vanity Fair,  Aster spoke bluntly about the film’s disappointing reception. While he always knew he was making a polarizing movie, he is still saddened by the public’s refusal to engage with it.

“The film ends on a theater just very gradually emptying out over the credits, with a very indifferent audience. I wasn’t quite ready for just how prophetic that ending was going to be,” Aster said. The film can be a delirious and exhaustive ride at nearly three hours ( Variety’s  Peter Debruge  wrote in his review  that the film is “what happens when a technically gifted artist is given too much creative freedom”), but it’s got enough surprises and technical prowess that it’s at least worth a shot, especially as it makes it streaming debut on Paramount+ this month.

Sound of Freedom (Dec 26 on Prime Video)

Amazon Prime Video acquired streaming rights for “Sound of Freedom” after it emerged over the summer as an unlikely (and controversial) box office hit. The film was released theatrically in July and generated $184 million in North America and $242 million globally. It became the first independent release in post-pandemic times to surpass $100 million in the U.S. and Canada. Alejandro Monteverde wrote and directed “Sound of Freedom,” which is based on the story of Tim Ballard (“Passion of the Christ” star Jim Caviezel), a former government agent who embarks on a mission to rescue children from sex traffickers in Colombia.

The film stirred controversy upon its initial release, with detractors accusing the film of embellishing the reality of child exploitation and stoking political conspiracy theories. Rolling Stone called “Sound of Freedom” a “QAnon-tinged thriller,” one that is designed to “appeal to the conscience of a conspiracy-addled boomer.” Audience and some critics have responded more favorably, with  Variety  chief film critic Owen Glieberman  calling “Sound of Freedom”  a “compelling movie that shines an authentic light on one of the crucial criminal horrors of our time, one that Hollywood has mostly shied away from.”

The Retirement Plan (Dec. 15 on Hulu)

Nicolas Cage is earning rave reviews for his performance in “Dream Scenario” (now playing in theaters), but the A24 dark comedy wasn’t the only new Cage release of the fall movie season. The actor also appeared in “The Retirement Plan,” which hit theaters in September and arrives on streaming this month via Hulu. Cage stars in the film as a retired government assassin with a violent set of skills who must protect his estranged daughter and grandchild (played by Ashley Greene and Thalia Campbell) after they get tangled up with some very bad men (including Ron Perlman and Jackie Earle Haley).

Director Tim Brown  spoke to  Variety  when the film opened in theaters about working with cage: “My expectation was he was going to be a complete pro and just have everything down. The day that I have to have an ego and someone who’s trouble or really wants to push against what I’m thinking…I don’t know what would happen, I’d probably flip out [laughs]. He came in fully prepared. Whatever my expectations, he blew them away tenfold.”

More From Our Brands

Feid, yandel (and hundreds of fans) shut down miami river bridge to celebrate ‘brickell’, a bathroom vanity that looks like a turntable, disney upfront features a kelce hire, nfl chatter and a knicks nix, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, the voice semi-finals results-show recap: it’s four to the door as season 25’s final five are revealed, verify it's you, please log in.

From 'Anyone But You' to 'Rebel Moon 2,' here are 15 movies you need to stream right now

They say April showers bring May flowers. This month also unloads a deluge of movies to watch at home.

Netflix, Amazon's Prime Video, Peacock, Max, Apple TV+, Paramount+ and others have a spring fiesta of streaming options for film lovers of all tastes, from breezy romantic comedies to bone-chilling horror. There are recent theatrical releases, like an acclaimed Oscar-nominated Holocaust drama and one of the most Disney-fied Disney movies ever , but also original flicks such as Zack Snyder's latest sci-fi epic and a Sundance Film Festival documentary about politically savvy teen girls.

Here are 15 notable new movies you can stream right now:

'Anyone But You'

Like a young Tom Hanks with eight-pack abs, new king of the rom-com Glen Powell stars with Sydney Sweeney in this cheeky revamp of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" as two attractive folks who hate each other but pretend they're together to make their exes jealous at a destination wedding.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Where to watch: Netflix .

'Anyone But You': Glen Powell admits Sydney Sweeney affair rumors 'worked wonderfully'

In director Matthew Vaughn's madcap adventure , Bryce Dallas Howard plays a best-selling novelist who discovers that the fictional exploits of her secret-agent character (Henry Cavill) are coming uncannily close to things happening in real life, leading her to partner up with a shaggy actual spy (Sam Rockwell).

Where to watch: Apple TV+ .

'Bob Marley: One Love'

So good as Malcolm X in "One Night in Miami," Kingsley Ben-Adir notches another biopic highlight as reggae superstar Bob Marley . He's effective at capturing the musician even if the movie meanders with a narrative set during the 1970s, as Marley tries to use his songs to bring together a politically divided Jamaica.

Where to watch: Paramount+.

'You don't mess with Bob': How Kingsley Ben-Adir channeled Bob Marley for 'One Love' movie

'Drive-Away Dolls'

Margaret Qualley  and Geraldine Viswanathan co-star in director Ethan Coen's gonzo crime comedy as lesbian pals needing a change of pace who wind up behind the wheel of a rental car with a mysterious briefcase in the trunk. What unfurls is a noir-spattered road trip full of sex toys, decapitated heads and dimwitted goons.

Where to watch: Peacock .

'Drive-Away Dolls' review: Talented cast steers a crime comedy with sex toys and absurdity

'Girls State'

Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss' compelling follow-up to 2020's " Boys State " centers on teenage Missouri girls placed in competing political parties who create a mock state government. Abortion is a hot-button issue in the proceedings, which include a competitive gubernatorial race and an investigation into Girls State itself.

Where to watch: Apple TV+.

'The Greatest Hits'

The car accident that killed her boyfriend (David Corenswet) left Harriet (Lucy Boynton) with head trauma and the ability to time-travel to a past moment with him when she hears certain songs. But obsessively searching for the right tune to save him in the past might cost her a new chance at romance in the present of this intriguing but overly earnest drama.

Where to watch: Hulu .

'Late Night With the Devil'

David Dastmalchian has a hell of a role in this retro horror flick, starring as a 1970s late-night TV host in desperate need of ratings. For a Halloween special, he brings on a girl supposedly possessed by a demon in a gambit that brings in eyeballs but spirals supernaturally out of control for everyone involved.

Where to watch: Shudder , AMC+ .

'Lisa Frankenstein'

A horror rom-com about reanimated undead love and body-robbing shenanigans, "Lisa" is a playful and bloody teen-movie reimagining of the "Frankenstein" mythos . Kathryn Newton plays a 1980s goth girl and Cole Sprouse is a Victorian corpse resurrected amid lively characters and clever, sardonic dialogue.

'Frankenstein' forever: 'Lisa Frankenstein,' Oscar fave 'Poor Things' reclaim Mary Shelley's feminist mythos

'Migration'

In the animated comedy, Mack (voiced by Kumail Nanjiani) is the overprotective dad of a duck family who reluctantly agrees to a Jamaican getaway with his wife (Elizabeth Banks) and kids. However, they get sidetracked and wind up in New York City, where they meet a streetwise pigeon (Awkwafina) and a vicious chef.

Rudy Mancuso co-writes, directs and stars in this delightfully clever romantic comedy as a creative New Jersey man with synesthesia, experiencing melodies and rhythms around him in extraordinary fashion. It exacerbates problems with an ex (Francesca Reale) yet fascinates a new love interest (Camila Mendes).

Where to watch: Prime Video .

'Rebel Moon − Part Two: The Scargiver'

Do you live for slow-motion scenes of people harvesting grain? Then director Zack Snyder has the sci-fi sequel for you. The first "Rebel Moon" was derivative and the second one is just dull, with ex-warrior Kora (Sofia Boutella) leading a band of underdogs and farmers against the invading army of the villainous Imperium.

'The Stranger'

So, yeah, Quibi turned out to be pretty much a streaming disaster. Still, the content was pretty good and is now finding new homes as real movies, not a piecemeal experiment: Director Veena Sud's thriller ratchets up the suspense with Maika Monroe playing a rideshare driver and Dane DeHaan as the creepiest passenger ever.

'Talk to Me'

The best horror movie of last year was this haunting Australian indie chiller that introduced a new top-tier scream queen, Sophie Wilde, and a memorable scary-movie artifact: a mysterious embalmed hand that teens use to livestream freaky possessions that, of course, go terrifyingly awry.

Where to watch: Paramount+ .

A tune-filled, big-hearted storybook fantasy that's chock-full of Disney references. The animated musical features Ariana DeBose as an idealistic youngster who runs afoul of her kingdom's narcissistic ruler (Chris Pine) and befriends an energetic star to help rescue her people's wishes.

Where to watch: Disney+ .

'The Zone of Interest'

Director Jonathan Glazer 's best picture nominee centers on a German family going about their daily business. This banality, though, happens next door to Auschwitz, where gunshots, screams and the industrial sounds of ovens are the unnerving soundtrack that the characters ignore but you simply can't in this disturbing yet essential Holocaust drama.

Where to watch: Max .

Looking for reliable options to stream the latest movies? Check out USA TODAY Home Internet for  broadband service plans  in your area.

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

• Backchannel
• Newsletters
• WIRED Insider
• WIRED Consulting

Angela Watercutter

The 21 Best Movies on Apple TV+ Right Now

When it comes to originals,  Netflix and  Amazon have the deepest libraries of prestige movies. But ever since  CODA   won the Best Picture Oscar , it’s become clear that some of the best movies are on Apple TV+.

As with any streaming service, not every film on the roster is a winner, but from  Billie Eilish documentaries to Sundance darlings, Apple’s streaming service is building up a strong catalog to run alongside its growing slate of  beloved TV shows .

Below are WIRED’s picks for flicks you should prioritize in your queue. Once you’re done, hop over to our list of the  best movies on Netflix and the  best movies on Disney+ . If you’re feeling a little more episodic, our guide for the  best shows on Amazon might be just the ticket.

If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more .

Like a few things on Apple streaming services, this movie has a weird connection to Taylor Swift—but unlike many of those things, this connection has been debunked. In the film, Bryce Dallas Howard plays Elly Conway, a spy novelist whose stories end up becoming a little too real. Because her character carries a cat in a backpack, like Swift, there were rumors the singer was involved in writing the script, rumors that Howard dispelled in a late-night interview . Is Argylle worth your time despite the lack of Swift involvement? Reviews are mixed, but if you are part of the camp that wants to see Henry Cavill be a Bond-like hero, this is your shot.

The World’s a Little Blurry

By now, thousands of pop music fans know the Billie Eilish monomyth: Young, slightly punk, slightly goth teenager starts making songs in her brother’s bedroom, puts them online, and becomes one of the biggest stars in the world. It’s a great story, but that’s only about a quarter of the tale of Eilish’s ascent to superstar status.  The World’s a Little Blurry  fills in (some of) the blanks. Director R. J. Cutler got amazing access for this film, which chronicles everything from Eilish’s songwriting process with her brother Finneas to her frank talk about her Tourette’s. It’s the kind of music documentary that redefines the music documentary.

Girls State

Do you remember the 2020 documentary Boys State , about a group of young men in Texas who attend a summer program where the are challenged to form their own government? Girls State is similar—it even comes from the same filmmaking team of Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine—but it follows a group of people who have never seen someone of their gender hold the office of US president. It's also set in Missouri, not Texas. Expect all the same wild ambition and hearbreak—and more than a few life lessons learned.

Mad Max: Fury Road

When Mad Max: Fury Road came out in 2015, it was three decades late and right on time. Released 30 years after mastermind George Miller released the last Mad Max movie— Beyond Thunderdome —it was a jolt to moviegoers who were otherwise being treated to rehashes like Fantastic Four and Terminator Genisys . Easily one of the best postapocalyptic films ever, it’s all style but not devoid of substance. It also introduced Charlize Theron’s Furiosa, a crusader for the women being subjected to the tyranny of Immortan Joe. Fury Road will be on Apple TV+ until the end of April—just enough time for you to watch it again before its follow-up, Furiosa , hits theaters in May.

OK, so Napoleon didn’t exactly get critics’ pens flying , but sometimes you’re just in the mood for a big, prestige-y Ridley Scott historical drama, you know? This one stars Joaquin Phoenix as the title character, following his quest to conquer, well, as much as he possibly can. Rather than being a sprint to the Battle of Waterloo, however, this pic gives attention to the French emperor’s emotionally rocky relationship with his wife Joséphine de Beauharnais (Vanessa Kirby). What happens when a man can conquer most of Europe but not his own feelings? Watch and find out.

Killers of the Flower Moon

Martin Scorsese’s epic film is based on David Grann’s 2017 book about a member of the Osage Nation, Mollie Burkhart, who sought to get to the bottom of the deaths in her family. Set in 1920s Oklahoma, a time when many Osage were being killed for the money made from oil on their land, Scorsese’s film follows the relationship between Mollie (played by Lily Gladstone, who won a Golden Globe for her performance) and Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) and what happens when the FBI comes to investigate the Osage deaths. When WIRED named it one of 2023’s best movies , we called it “a feel-bad masterpiece,” and we stand by that.

Fingernails

Can technology determine whether you've found The One? Probably not, but in the latest from writer-director Christos Nikou, an institute run by Duncan (Luke Wilson) claims that it has found the formula for true love anyway—and Anna (Jessie Buckley) wants to figure out if it's real. The institute, you see, has determined that Anna and her boyfriend Ryan (Jeremy Allen White) are a match, but has doubts. While working at the institute, though, she meets Amir (Riz Ahmed) and finds someone who actually might be her match.

Flora and Son

Remember Sing Street , that charming indie about a kid in Dublin who starts a band as an escape from his complicated home life? What about Once , that charming indie about a pair that spends a week in Dublin writing songs about their love? If you enjoyed either of those—or if they just sound like something you might enjoy—let us suggest Flora and Son , a charming indie about a mother in Dublin trying to connect with her son through song. Like Sing Street and Once , Flora and Son comes from director John Carney and has all of his signature moves, plus something else: Eve Hewson, who plays the movie's titular mom. She's a force, and she hits all of her musician notes perfectly. Makes sense; she's Bono's daughter.

The Beanie Bubble

Here it is, the question everyone will ask when you’re writing about Apple TV+’s new original movie: Do you remember Beanie Babies? If you were born after 2000, the answer is likely no , unless you have a retro toy collector friend or a goofy aunt who has a few of them lying around. The good news is that The Beanie Bubble is for those fans and everyone else too. It’s about a toy salesman named Ty Warner (Zach Galifianakis) who stumbles into the biggest success of his life after he teams up with three women to develop the kind of plushies people just can’t get enough of. Reviews have been mixed, but thanks to performances from the likes of Galifianakis, Elizabeth Banks, and Sarah Snook (proving there’s life after Succession ), it’s the kind of sweet dramedy that’s perfect for a night in.

Stephen Curry: Underrated

Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry might be one of the most beloved players in American basketball—and he is definitely one of the best players, if not the best player, in the league. He has been named the NBA's Most Valuable Player twice and has won four championship rings. He also has more career three-pointers than anyone in the league. But in the late aughts, he was a kid at a small school, Davidson College, just trying to live up to the potential his coaches saw in him. Underrated , directed by Peter Nicks ( Homeroom ), chronicles that journey, showing how Curry bested the predictions of his own NBA draft (many said he didn't have the size necessary for the league) to become one of the greatest to ever play the game. For basketball fans, it's a must-watch.

Beastie Boys Story

One of the pioneering groups in hip-hop, the Beastie Boys have a story like no other. For this “live documentary,” filmmaker Spike Jonze filmed Mike Diamond (Mike D) and Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock) as they told a crowd at Brooklyn’s Kings Theater about their rise to stardom. Complete with old footage, photos, and stories from the group’s decades-long career, the doc captures just how influential the Beasties have been since they started playing music together as kids in New York City in the late ’70s and early ’80s. It also features some wonderful memories of their third member, Adam “MCA” Yauch, who died in 2012 following a battle with cancer.

This is the one that put Apple TV+ on the map. The movie’s title is an acronym for “child of deaf adults.” It’s the story of Ruby, the only hearing person in a family that includes two deaf parents and one deaf sibling. When Ruby discovers a love of music, she's forced to reconcile her own aspirations with those of her family, who run a small fishing business and often need her to help communicate. Warm and gripping,  CODA  is the kind of movie that will have you cheering and crying at the same time.

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie

In 1985, Michael J. Fox was one of Hollywood’s biggest names as the star of a hit TV show ( Family Ties ) and the year’s highest-grossing movie ( Back to the Future ). Just a few years later, at the age of 29, Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. In  Still , Oscar-winning documentarian Davis Guggenheim offers a poignant portrait of Fox’s personal and professional life and his journey from teen idol to advocate for a cure.

Mahershala Ali stars alongside, well, Mahershala Ali in this romantic-sci-fi-drama. Yes, it’s all of those things. Cameron (Ali) is a loving husband (to Naomie Harris) and father who, after learning he has a terminal illness, must decide just how far he’ll go to protect his family from having to know the truth, or deal with the devastating aftermath.

Sharper is one of those movies where the less you know about it going in, the better. Just know that no one is what they seem or who they say they are in this neo-noir starring Julianne Moore, Sebastian Stan, Justice Smith, and John Lithgow. This twisty little thriller flew largely under the radar when it was released in theaters for a half-second in early 2023.

Cha Cha Real Smooth

“Sundance hit starring Dakota Johnson”s are almost a dime a dozen, but this one, about a young bar/bat mitzvah party-starter is the, ahem, real deal. It also proves that Cooper Raiff—who writes, directs, and stars in the movie—is one to keep your eye on.

The Tragedy of Macbeth

Yes, most people already know the story of Macbeth—Scottish lord with an eye toward ruling his country—but not everyone has seen it through the eyes of director Joel Coen. Shot entirely in black and white and starring Denzel Washington as Macbeth and Frances McDormand as his powerful wife, the film was nominated for three Oscars and brought a very new twist onto a classic Shakespearean tale.

Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues

Above all else, Louis Armstrong is known as one of the most famous jazz musicians of all time. But he was also a figure in the struggle for equality in America—albeit a complicated one. As director Sacha Jenkins illustrates in this documentary, while Armstrong broke racial barriers in entertainment he also faced accusations that he didn’t stand up as much for civil rights as other performers of his era. Jenkins got access to scores of photographs, clippings, and even recordings Armstrong made of his own conversations for this documentary, and that access provides a much fuller picture of the legendary musician than the world has ever had.

One of the most popular video games of all time,  Tetris  was a phenomenon for Nintendo Game Boy owners in the 1980s. But  Tetris (the movie) is the story of the people who made the game and brought it from the then-Soviet Union to the rest of the world. Part historical dramedy, part espionage flick, the movie doesn’t always hit its marks, but if you’ve never heard the story of how  Tetris  got out from behind the Iron Curtain, it’s worth a watch.

Causeway  kind of came and went when it was released in 2022, but that’s also the sort of movie it is. Focused on a soldier (Jennifer Lawrence) who returns home after suffering a brain injury in Afghanistan, the film from director Lila Neugebauer is about trauma and how people lean on each other to get through it. A worthy watch for the times when you have your own stuff to work through.

Sidney Poitier died in 2022, the same year Apple TV+ released this documentary looking at the actor’s long-running career— In the Heat of the Night ,  Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner —and impact on American culture and politics. With interviews ranging from Spike Lee and Morgan Freeman to Harry Belafonte, the film goes beyond his time in Hollywood, starting with his upbringing in the Bahamas and ending with his massive impact on the civil rights movement and elsewhere.

Gabrielle Caplan

You Might Also Like …

In your inbox: Will Knight's Fast Forward explores advances in AI

He emptied a crypto exchange onto a thumb drive —then disappeared

The real-time deepfake romance scams have arrived

Boomergasms are booming

Heading outdoors? Here are the best sleeping bags for every adventure

Jennifer M. Wood

When you use links on our website, we may earn a fee.

• Best Movie Streaming Services of 2024

Streaming services are one of the best and most affordable ways to watch movies on demand. For one low monthly price, users can gain access to hundreds if not thousands of films all in one place. But with the number of services growing every day, picking the service that’s right for you can be a challenge. Read our rating of the Best Movie Streaming Services below with individual reviews of each service, including our No. 1 pick Disney+.

Popular Streaming Services

Prices Reflect Discount

DirecTV »

Sling TV »

Special Offer: Get Up to $20 OFF Your First Month

FuboTV »

Why Trust U.S. News

At U.S. News & World Report, we take an unbiased approach to our ratings. We adhere to strict editorial guidelines, maintain a separate business team, and provide transparency on our methodology.

Table of Contents

• Compare the Best Movie Streaming Services
• Rating Details

How To Find the Right Movie Streaming Service for You

Our rating of the Best Movie Streaming Services covers our top seven picks for streaming services we know movie lovers will enjoy. With large on-demand catalogs of family favorites, cult classics, and blockbuster new releases, each service on this list is bound to have something you’re interested in. We provided an overview of each service that made the rating below, with key information on plans and pricing, interface, and top streaming content, so you can confidently choose the service that’s best for you.

Our Best Movie Streaming Services Rating

• Amazon Prime Video

Compare the Best Movie Streaming Services of 2024

An in-depth look at our best movie streaming services of 2024, disney+ ».

Bundle deal: Get Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $14 a month

SEE FULL REVIEW »

Netflix »

Max »

Hulu »

Peacock »

Amazon Prime Video »

Paramount+ »

It can be hard to cut the cord from traditional TV viewing and make the switch to streaming services, but as more and more individual services pop up, it can be even harder to pick which service is right for you. Many services cater their ads and information to users looking to binge-watch their favorite TV series, so movie watchers should be extra careful when reviewing services and finding one that suits their needs.

The following tips will help you choose the right movie service to meet your needs:

• Explore each service's catalog of movies. Almost all services post the full list of movies they offer online for users to explore before committing to the purchase. 
• Look for free trials. Many services are doing away with free trials, but some, like Hulu, still offer the option. 
• Consider what else you will use the service for. If you like movies, but someone in your household wants to watch live sports or their favorite TV shows, consider which service offers the most of what you are looking for in one bundled price to avoid having to purchase many services just to cover all of your household’s needs.
• Consider your budget. Most services are individually cheaper than traditional cable TV, but costs can add up if you subscribe to several of them. Decide what you're willing to pay and eliminate services that are over budget. Bundling services or paying for a yearly subscription rather than month-to-month can help drive this cost down. You should also look for introductory offers and bundles between services you may already have and those you want to add to your subscription.

How To Cancel a Subscription to a Movie Streaming Service

Since subscription services don’t want to lose your business, it can be difficult to figure out how to cancel your service without help. Thankfully, it can be an easy process once you know where to look. Each service has a slightly different process, so go to our individual reviews of each service for step-by-step instructions.

That said, with most services, you can log into your account, navigate to settings, and find a link referring to managing your subscription or billing. It may also be titled something like “manage my account”. Once you find this link, there should be instructions or links to follow to cancel your subscription. If you are having issues, you can always go to the services customer support links and have a representative walk you through the process.

Movie Streaming Services FAQ

Streaming services of all kinds come with a range of price tags. The least expensive services that made this rating start at $5.99 per month for the basic plans, which are usually ad s. Note that lower-tier plans are usually ad supported, so you will need to subscribe to a higher plan for an ad-free experience. The most expensive plans in our rating are about $20 a month for a service that isn't ad supported. Keep in mind that paying annually instead of monthly and bundling multiple services together can help decrease this price even further.

Each service in this rating offers a different feature set. But in general, when looking for a quality movie service, keep an eye out for these features.

• A large catalog of movies
• Ad-free streaming options
• Multiple service bundle options
• Multiple streams
• Original movies
• The ability to stream on a variety of devices, like Android TVs and Roku
• Newly acquired titles
• Titles in the genres you like to watch
• Downloadable content for offline streaming

Our Technology Expert

Rob Lever is a veteran journalist based in Washington, D.C. with significant expertise in technology and tech policy. He spent nearly 10 years as the technology and media correspondent for Agence-France Presse, covering digital lifestyles, consumer electronics, Big Tech, cybersecurity, privacy, social media, and misinformation. He previously worked as a reporter and editor for economics and general news at AFP.

Need More Advice?

Our privacy and technology team has done countless hours of research on all sorts of consumer technology products and services. If you have a question that hasn't been answered in one of our guides, send an email to [email protected] , and we'll do our best to help.

• Best Streaming Services of 2024
• Best Anime Streaming Services of 2024
• Best Horror Film Streaming Services of 2024
• Best Live TV Streaming Services of 2024
• Best Sports Streaming Services of 2024
• DirecTV Stream vs. YouTube TV
• Fubo vs. YouTube TV
• Hulu + Live TV vs. Sling TV
• Netflix vs. Hulu
• YouTube TV vs. Hulu + Live TV
• Crunchyroll
• DirecTV Stream

Related 360 Reviews

Internet Service Providers

Sarah Shelton and Jeff Kinney and Onjeinika Brooks and Kathryn Core

Jeff Kinney

Identity Theft Protection

Our 360 methodology for evaluating streaming services.

• Calculating the Z-Score: The Z-Score represents a data point's relation to the mean measurement of the data set. The Z-Score is negative when the data point is below the mean and positive when it's above the mean; a Z-Score of 0 means it's equal to the mean. To determine the Z-Score for each third-party rating of a streaming service, we calculated the mean of the ratings across all streaming services evaluated by that third-party source. We then subtracted the mean from the streaming service’s rating and divided it by the standard deviation to produce the Z-Score.
• Calculating the T-Score: We used a T-Score calculation to convert the Z-Score to a 0-100 scale by multiplying the Z-Score by 10. To ensure that the mean was equal across all data points, we added our desired scoring mean (between 0 and 10) to the T-Score to create an adjusted T-Score.
• Calculating the common-scale rating: We divided the adjusted T-Score, which is on a 100-point scale, by 20 to convert the third-party rating to a common 0-5 point system.

U.S. News 360 Reviews takes an unbiased approach to our recommendations. When you use our links to buy products, we may earn a commission but that in no way affects our editorial independence.

7 top new movies to stream this week on Netflix, Shudder and more (April 23-29)

“Anyone But You”, “Monkey Man” and more are streaming this week

It’s set to be a slightly quieter week for new movies but there’s still a handful of exciting flicks arriving on the best streaming services and it’s Netflix that’s taking the spotlight with two noteworthy offerings landing on the popular streaming platform. 

This week will see “Anyone But You” arrive on Netflix. This glossy rom-com stars two of Hollywood’s biggest rising talents, Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, and is a bit of a throwback to the type of movie that dominated the cinematic landscape in the early 2000s. The big-red streamer is also offering a divisive erotic thriller that features another in-vogue actor, Jenna Ortega. Plus, the next few days will also see some big movies arrive on premium streaming including Dev Patel’s “Monkey Man”. 

If you’re looking for the freshest streaming movies this week then check out the full list below. And be sure to also browse the new TV shows to watch this week as well. 

'Anyone But You' (Netflix) 

“Anyone But You” is the type of high-profile romantic comedy that used to dominate Hollywood, but has increasingly become confined to streaming services in recent years. That’s what made this movie’s box office success at the tail end of 2023 so refreshing, but if you missed “Anyone But You” in theaters now is your chance to enjoy it at home. 

Starring two impossibly attractive leads, Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, this rom-com starts as many do, with a case of miscommunication. Bea (Sweeney) and Ben (Powell) enjoy an enchanted first date before a misunderstanding spoils their budding romance. Brought back together at a destination wedding, their constant bickering threatens to ruin the occasion and the emergence of their respective exes only complicates matters further. Naturally, Bea and Ben make the only logical decision, they decide to pretend to be a couple for the weekend. What they didn’t expect was real sparks to fly …. 

Stream on Netflix now

'Monkey Man' (PVOD) 

“Monkey Man” marks the directorial debut of Dev Patel, and the multi-talented performer not only takes charge behind the camera but also stars in this violent revenge thriller. Patel plays an unnamed protagonist, who moonlights as a combatant in an underground fighting ring. However, the kid’s nighttime activities are just a means to an end, as he’s hellbent on revenge against the city's elite leaders who are responsible for a traumatic childhood event and continue to victimize the poor and powerless. 

Sign up to get the BEST of Tom’s Guide direct to your inbox.

Upgrade your life with a daily dose of the biggest tech news, lifestyle hacks and our curated analysis. Be the first to know about cutting-edge gadgets and the hottest deals.

Much more than “John Wick in Mumbai” (as it’s been crudely described by some), “Monkey Man” is an explosive and extremely violent action thriller with a powerful performance from Patel adding emotional stakes. However, while the character drama is engaging, it’s the tightly choreographed fight scenes that steal the show. Patel proves very capable of putting together action sequences that are dynamic, memorable and, best of all, extremely creative. “Monkey Man” is a real gem.  

Buy or rent on Amazon now

'Arthur the King' (PVOD)

Movies about man’s best friend are always a winner and “Arthur the King” is the latest flick to explore the special relationship between a pooch and their owner. Based on the 2016 memoir “Arthur - The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home” by Mikael Lindnord, Mark Wahlberg plays the leader of an adventure-racing team who befriends a wounded stray dog while attempting to complete an arduous 435-mile endurance race through the Dominican Republic. The dog is in poor health, and in desperate need of medical attention, but it manages to keep pace with Wahlberg’s team and inspires them to keep pushing forward as they look to complete their lengthy endurance trek. This heartwarming adventure movie is a reminder that the closest companions you can have usually walk on four legs.   

‘Housekeeping for Beginners’ (PVOD)

An award-winning drama from writer/director Goran Stolevski, “Housekeeping for Beginners” made a significant splash at the Venice International Film Festival in September 2023. The movie focuses on an unconventional family. The matriarch, Dita (Anamaria Marinca), never wanted to be a mother but finds herself raising her girlfriend’s two daughters after she passes away. Her support system comprises a fake husband and his young lover, and while each member of the odd family unit has their own individual wants and needs, they come together to develop a tight bond that proves to be stronger than the outside forces trying to break them apart. 

Buy on Amazon now

'Miller’s Girl' (Netflix) 

“Miller’s Girl” brings together Jenna Ortega (star of Netflix’s popular “Wednesday” series) and Martin Freeman for an erotic thriller that asks some very uncomfortable questions. Ortega plays Cairo Sweet, an 18-year-old, completing her senior year of high school. Taking a creative writing class taught by Jonathan Miller (Freeman), an author struggling to write anything new, a class project becomes increasingly inappropriate as the lines between teacher and student start to blur. 

“Miller’s Girl” has courted controversy pretty much since its first trailer dropped. The large age difference between its two leads, and the subject matter of a forbidden affair, has understandably caused some fallout. The critics weren’t especially kind to this thriller either, it holds a poor 29% on Rotten Tomatoes . However, viewers were little kinder at 42%, and Ortega’s strong screen presence helps carry the weaker elements, so if you're curious to see what all the fuss is about then you just might want to give “Miller’s Girl” a chance. Just be sure to keep your expectations in check. 

Stream on Netflix from April 25

'Infested' (Shudders) 

Horror-focused streaming service Shudder is on a bit of a hot streak right now. Last week it offered “Late Night with the Devil”, a refreshing found footage horror that earned critical acclaim when it debuted in theaters last month. And the scary movie streamer is following up that excellent addition with “Infested”, which looks set to be another can't-miss chiller. Critics have been similarly enthusiastic about this creeping movie, it currently holds a very strong 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes . 

The movie centers on Kaleb (Théo Christine), a lonely guy about to turn 30 years old. He’s currently locked in a family argument with his sister over an inheritance that has also led to his best friend cutting ties. Fascinated by exotic animals, Kaleb brings home a venomous spider (as you do), and you won’t shocked to hear it soon escapes. Quickly reproducing, these creepy arachnids turn Kaleb’s apartment building into a massive spider web and a battle for survival begins.  

Stream on Shudder starting April 26

'Love Lies Bleeding' (PVOD) 

Director Rose Glass made one heck of an impression with her directorial debut, “Saint Maud," in 2019. Now, the British filmmaker returns with her eagerly-anticipated follow-up, “Love Lies Bleeding” which hit theaters in March and is now limbering up for its streaming debut. Swapping the psychological horror of her first feature, for a more pulpy thriller with a romantic heart, this over-the-top flick is no less impressive. Glass has assembled a strong cast with Kristen Stewart, Katy O'Brian, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, Dave Franco, and Ed Harris all involved.  

The movie focuses on the relationship between a reclusive gym manager named Lou (Stewart) and an up-and-coming bodybuilder, Jackie (O’Brian). On her way to Las Vegas to achieve her dreams, Jackie was supposed to be just passing through. But also feeling an attraction, she gets a little sidetracked. While Lou and Jackie grow closer, their romance brings unexpected violence, as the web of Lou’s criminal family threatens to consume them both.  

Buy or rent on Amazon from April 26

More from Tom's Guide

• 5 top new shows to stream this week on Netflix, Apple, TV and more
• The best movie you missed in theaters just arrived on streaming
• New on Netflix: 5 movies and shows to watch this week

Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team. 

Netflix just got the perfect show for binge-watching — and you’ve got 13 seasons to stream now

This fantasy action show is climbing the Netflix top 10 — and it’s 100% on Rotten Tomatoes

Beats Solo 4 just got released — and they're already 25% off at Amazon

Most Popular

• 2 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 may get this major Galaxy S24 Ultra feature — what you need to know
• 3 This fantasy action show is climbing the Netflix top 10 — and it’s 100% on Rotten Tomatoes
• 4 I ditched my TV stand for this standing desk and I’m not going back
• 5 Apple reportedly close to a deal with OpenAI — could ChatGPT be the new Siri?
• 2 God of War Ragnarök could be the next big PS5 game coming to PC
• 3 iOS 18 could allow iPhones to transcribe and summarize voice recordings — here’s what we know
• 4 Forget iPhone 16 Pro — Samsung Galaxy S25 could fight back with an overclocked chip
• 5 Netflix just got the perfect show for binge-watching — and you’ve got 13 seasons to stream now

Movies Near You find it. watch it. Buy Tickets Now

Movies In Theaters

Movies Coming Soon

Movies Streaming Now

Trending TV Shows

TV Shows Coming Soon

Top TV Shows

What to Watch on Netflix

What to Watch on Prime Video

What to Watch on Disney+

What to Watch on Max

Weekend Box Office

• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes | $56.5M
• The Fall Guy | $13.7M
• Challengers | $4.7
• Tarot | 3.5M
• Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | $2.5M

Movie Reviews

Follow Moviefone

Latest trailers.

• Tickets & Showtimes
• Trending on RT

Now Streaming

The best new movies, TV shows, and collections on streaming right now

New Movies & TV Shows Streaming in April 2024: What To Watch on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and More

April 4, 2024

New Movies & TV Shows Streaming in March 2024: What To Watch on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and More

March 4, 2024

New Movies & TV Shows Streaming in February 2024: What To Watch on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and More

February 6, 2024

New Movies & TV Shows Streaming in January 2024: What To Watch on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and More

January 2, 2024

New Movies & TV Shows Streaming in December 2023: What To Watch on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and More

December 6, 2023

New Movies & TV Shows Streaming in September 2023: What To Watch on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and More

August 30, 2023

New Movies & TV Shows Streaming in August 2023: What To Watch on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and More

August 3, 2023

New Movies & TV Shows Streaming in July 2023: What To Watch on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and More

July 9, 2023

Movies Leaving Netflix at the End of August 2021

August 25, 2021

New on Amazon Prime Video in September 2020

August 30, 2020

New on Disney+ in September 2020

New on Hulu in September 2020

August 28, 2020

New on HBO Max in September 2020

Movies Leaving Netflix at the End of August 2020

August 25, 2020

New on Netflix in September 2020

August 24, 2020

Movie & TV News

Featured on rt.

300 Best Movies of All Time

May 14, 2024

25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming

TV Premiere Dates 2024

Renewed and Cancelled TV Shows 2024

Top Headlines

• 300 Best Movies of All Time –
• 25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming –
• Best TV Shows of 2024: Best New Series to Watch Now –
• Spike Lee Movies and Series, Ranked by Tomatometer – movies
• Box Office 2024: Top 10 Movies of the Year –
• 30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming –

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Movie Reviews

• LISTEN & FOLLOW
• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Amazon Music

Your support helps make our show possible and unlocks access to our sponsor-free feed.

'Evil Does Not Exist' — or does it? — in this mysterious Japanese eco-drama

Justin Chang

Ryô Nishikawa plays Hana in Evil Does Not Exist. via Janus Films hide caption

Ryô Nishikawa plays Hana in Evil Does Not Exist.

What do you do after you've directed a talky, three-hour Japanese drama that became a critics' darling and major arthouse hit and received four Oscar nominations, winning one for best international feature?

If you're Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, the gifted 45-year-old filmmaker behind Drive My Car , you step back and go for a long walk in the woods, in search of fresh air and new ideas.

The result is a mesmerizing new movie, Evil Does Not Exist , that leaves behind the mostly urban settings of Hamaguchi's earlier films like Happy Hour and Asako I & II . It takes place in a rural village within driving distance of Tokyo, that's home to a close-knit community of about 6,000 people.

'Drive My Car' may be the most absorbing ride you take all year

The first two characters we meet are a young girl named Hana and her single dad, Takumi, a woodcutter who knows the surrounding forest better than most. The movie sets a gently pastoral rhythm, following father and daughter as they walk through the woods, identifying trees and other plants and stumbling on the occasional dead deer.

Takumi, wonderfully played by Hitoshi Omika, knows that their presence here is disruptive, but he and his fellow residents do strive to be good, responsible stewards of the land. And so they're incensed when they learn that a company is planning to build a glamping resort in the area, with potentially disastrous environmental consequences.

And so Evil Does Not Exist begins as a kind of ecological parable, pitting townsfolk against corporate developers. The centerpiece is a brilliantly written and acted sequence in which the company reps meet with the locals, promising that the campsite will bring tourists and boost their economy.

But the locals aren't fools, and one by one, they raise issues, from the risk of wildfires from BBQ pits to the septic tank that will pollute the town's water supply. The sequence has some of the texture of a Frederick Wiseman documentary , and it's similarly skilled at turning a slideshow presentation in a community center into the stuff of engrossing drama.

There's a turning point in the story when one of the company reps — Takahashi, played by the actor Ryûji Kosaka — seems to fall under the spell of this wooded region and even fantasizes about moving here. For a while it looks like the movie might be the story of a city mouse turning country mouse.

But nothing about Evil Does Not Exist turns out to be predictable. As he's done before, Hamaguchi gives us characters who are too complicated and richly drawn to be reduced to any one type. Yet that doesn't explain how hauntingly different this movie feels from his other work.

It's more sparsely written and more unsettling in tone. The musical score, composed by Eiko Ishibashi, is both lush and ominous, and it often cuts off abruptly, to disorienting effect. The outdoor scenery is shot with a crystalline beauty, but the longer you watch, the more sinister the imagery becomes. At times Hamaguchi positions the camera at ground level looking up, as if to show us the perspective of the earth itself. In these moments, the human characters suddenly look strangely alien, like the interlopers they are.

I've seen Evil Does Not Exist a few times now, and each time it's held me rapt, only to leave me feeling profoundly unnerved. Much of that has to do with the ending, which is confounding in ways that have already generated a lot of debate. I'm still wrestling with the ending myself and what it says about the human compulsion to dominate one's environment. I'm also still getting a handle on the title. It's as if Hamaguchi is trying to get us to look at the natural world, human beings included, beyond the comforting framework of good vs. evil.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the character of Takumi, whom Omika plays with an inscrutability that both frightens you and draws you in. He may be a loving father and caretaker of the land, but Takahashi misreads him at his own peril. It's the two lead actors' performances that keep you watching through the shattering final moments. Whether or not evil exists, I'm glad a movie this mysterious and powerful does.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

A young girl who goes through a difficult experience begins to see everyone's imaginary friends who have been left behind as their real-life friends have grown up. A young girl who goes through a difficult experience begins to see everyone's imaginary friends who have been left behind as their real-life friends have grown up. A young girl who goes through a difficult experience begins to see everyone's imaginary friends who have been left behind as their real-life friends have grown up.

• John Krasinski
• Ryan Reynolds
• Cailey Fleming
• 14 User reviews
• 8 Critic reviews

• Bea's Dad

• Guardian Dog

• Magician Mouse

• Art Teacher

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

The Big List of Summer Movies

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia In a recent interview with ET, Carell expressed his excitement for his upcoming reunion with his Office co-star. The actor admitted that he has yet to start filming Imaginary Friends, but is full of anticipation for the opportunity to work with Krasinski again saying, "Well, I haven't started working on the film with him yet, but I can't wait. I'm anticipating just joy and fun. I mean, he's the best, and he's a great director. I'll put him through his paces, you know? I'll make him work for it. I might be one of those persnickety actors that doesn't always agree, or won't come out of my trailer. You think you hired somebody that is a friend, but you got that wrong!"
• Connections Referenced in Amanda the Jedi Show: IMAGINARY is the Dumbest Movie of the Year | Explained (2024)

User reviews 14

• May 12, 2024

New and Upcoming Sci-fi & Fantasy

• When will IF be released? Powered by Alexa
• May 17, 2024 (United States)
• United States
• Untitled Ryan Reynolds/John Krasinski Film
• Paramount Pictures
• Maximum Effort
• Platinum Dunes
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 44 minutes
• Dolby Digital
• D-Cinema 96kHz 7.1
• Dolby Atmos
• 12-Track Digital Sound
• Dolby Surround 7.1
• 1:1.85 DCP flat

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed

Advertisement

Supported by

‘Poolman’ Review: In the Sun Too Long

Chris Pine’s shaggy debut feature has a charismatic cast that rambles along with him on a Los Angeles detective adventure.

• Share full article

By Nicolas Rapold

In “Poolman,” Chris Pine’s debut feature, he plays Darren, a distractible pool cleaner who becomes an amateur detective when he learns of a municipal conspiracy in Los Angeles. The sure-why-not plot, modeled on the California water grab in “Chinatown,” is less interesting than the charismatic cast that rambles along with Pine on his excellent adventure.

Pine’s yarn was savaged when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, but the sour response is a bit like getting mad at a golden retriever for rolling around in the grass. A shaggy civic gadfly, Darren grandstands at City Council meetings and becomes so self-absorbed that he forgets what his girlfriend (Jennifer Jason Leigh) does for a living. His Jungian psychiatrist, Diane (Annette Bening), and her story-spouting filmmaker hubby, Jack (Danny DeVito), look after him like foster parents, while apparently overseeing some kind of movie about his life.

Darren is clued into the unnecessarily confusing water scheme by June (DeWanda Wise, glamorous and gorgeously costumed), who’s an assistant to his nemesis on the City Council (Stephen Tobolowsky). But the amateur sleuthing through Los Angeles landmarks — smartly shot on film by Matthew Jensen (“Wonder Woman”) — plays second fiddle to what’s really a collection of warm character sketches and mild eccentricities punctuated by meditative visions.

Pine wisely avoids winks to the audience. But he whiffs at making the mystery especially gripping, leaving one instead to savor the moments, like a note-perfect Bening calmly talking Pine’s befuddled pool man through his latest setback.

Poolman Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes. In theaters.

Explore More in TV and Movies

Not sure what to watch next we can help..

Andy Serkis, the star of the earlier “Planet of the Apes” movies, and Owen Teague, the new lead, discuss the latest film in the franchise , “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.”

The HBO series “The Sympathizer” is not just a good story, it’s a sharp piece of criticism on Vietnam war movies, our critic writes .

In “Dark Matter,” the new Apple TV+ techno-thriller, a portal to parallel realities allows people to visit new worlds and revisit their own past decisions .

The tennis movie “Challengers” comes to an abrupt stop midmatch, so we don’t know who won. Does that matter? Our critics have thoughts .

If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings   on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime  and Hulu  to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Sign up for our Watching newsletter  to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.