Best New Movies to Watch on Streaming Right Now

We’re at a point now in the streaming world where just about every service has a multitude of quality titles available. But while we’d like to waste numerous days watching multiple shows at a time, sometimes we get in the mood to see a quality film. With upcoming exclusives and newly licensed films, it’s admittedly a little difficult to keep track of everything worth seeing on streaming nowadays.

Therefore, we’ve found it helpful to highlight 50 movies from a variety of genres across all the major players in the streaming world, guaranteeing that there will be something for everyone to watch this weekend, or next week, or any other time. There’s a plethora of fascinating stories from all corners of the globe, meaning you’re sure to find something to enjoy here. We’ll also update this list regularly to make sure we’re reflecting the best new movies to watch on streaming.

Best Movies Streaming on AMC+ & Shudder

Night of the Reaper

Like many horror movies, Night of the Reaper begins in a small, quiet town in America. In the first scene, audiences witness a serial killer murdering a young babysitter named Emily. Deena (Jessica Clement) has just returned home from college, and her friend needs her to fill in for a babysitting job. Unaware of what’s about to come, Deena agrees. At the same time, a sheriff receives a mysterious box with a VHS tape labeled “Night of the Reaper,” which could help him discover who the Reaper is.

A New Slasher Horror Hit for Shudder

Night of the Reaper has all the makings of a classic slasher. A young woman trapped inside a house with a serial killer alongside a sheriff trying to find the killer just screams “pre-2000s horror movie.” Although Night of the Reaper generally follows a basic slasher formula for the beginning, there are actually few murders in the film. The film is filled with subtle details and twists, creating a chilling atmosphere. That shouldn’t be a surprise for anyone who watched director Brandon Christensen’s last film, Z, which was about a child’s horrific imaginary friend. With a 77% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, it should be a hit for fans of the slasher genre.

Dangerous Animals

In Dangerous Animals, Jai Courtney plays Tucker, a boat captain who takes tourists to view sharks. Tucker became obsessed with sharks when he survived a shark attack at a young age. One day, he brings a couple named Greg and Heather on his shark experience, but he kills Greg before the couple can view any sharks. With Heather now in his captivity, Tucker also captures a surfer named Zephyr. Zephyr and Heather soon learn Tucker’s obsession with sharks is dark, and they must find a way to escape in this new horror film.

Jai Courtney Finally Gets a Good Role

It feels strange that Jai Courtney hasn’t gained a huge following yet. He’s the best part of almost every movie in which he appears. Unfortunately, he’s just not in that many good movies. Take Suicide Squad, for example. That movie is hard to watch because it’s so bad, but Jai Courtney is excellent as Captain Boomerang. With Dangerous Animals, it seems like the actor’s luck might be turning around. He gets to take center stage in the film, and he plays his character almost like a horror version of Richard Dreyfuss’ character in Jaws. It’s an exciting performance from one of the most underrated actors working today.

The Luckiest Man in America

In 1984, a man named Michael Larson appeared on the game show Press Your Luck and astounded audiences with his $110,237 win. Larson had realized that the show followed specific patterns and used that knowledge to maximize his winnings. The Luckiest Man in America is the somewhat true retelling of this story. The film begins with Larson (played by Paul Walter Hauser) auditioning for the game show and wowing the producers when he miraculously beats two other contestants. As Larson keeps playing the game and keeps earning more money, the show’s producers suspect him of cheating and try to find evidence while also trying to break his concentration.

An Incredible Performance From Paul Walter Hauser

Paul Walter Hauser, who just won an Emmy last year for his supporting role in Black Bird, is on a major hot streak this year. He’s in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, The Naked Gun, and Americana, which are all in theaters right now. He’ll also appear in Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere later this year. The Luckiest Man in America is the film that started the actor’s streak, having been released in theaters earlier this year, with praise for the actor. It’s a rare opportunity for Paul Walter Hauser, as it’s one of his only leading roles in a film, besides the fantastic Richard Jewell movie. He’s surrounded by a fantastic cast, which includes Johnny Knoxville, David Strathairn, Maisie Williams, Patti Harrison, and Walton Goggins.

Tornado

Tornado, the titular character of the film Tornado, is a silent samurai who works as a puppeteer in Britain in the late 18th century. One day, a group of criminals robs Tornado’s troupe and murders Tornado’s father in the process. Tornado goes from being a quiet performer to a powerful fighter with a thirst for vengeance. Tornado tracks the bandits, leading to some intense and bloody fights. The action scenes are interwoven with flashbacks to Tornado’s past as well, giving insight as to why she cares so much about her father. Tornado stars Kōki, Rory McCann, Jack Lowden, and Tim Roth.

Like ‘John Wick’ With a Samurai

It feels like it’s been a while since a good samurai film has come out, and Tornado arrives just in time to cure the drought. Kōki does an excellent job portraying Tornado as a masterful swordfighter, making the battles fun to watch. The film is kind of like a John Wick movie in a way, as the main character works alone while taking out giant groups of skilled fighters. Tornado is also another vengeance-filled film, giving it one more similarity to John Wick. Despite the similarities, Tornado is an original project, and the creativity in its originality stands out.

Best Movies Streaming on Apple TV+

Highest 2 Lowest

In Highest 2 Lowest, Denzel Washington plays David King, a music producer trying to regain majority ownership of his company to save it from an upcoming purchase. King raises the money by selling some of his personal possessions, but by the time he’s ready to buy shares, life gets in the way. A man calls him, saying that his son has been kidnapped and won’t be released until King pays a $17.5 million ransom. When it turns out that the kidnappers didn’t actually take King’s son, King has to decide between sacrificing his money to save another child or saving his company. Although some would consider themselves defeated at this point, King decides to spring into action, taking matters into his own hands in this exciting thriller.

An Unexpected But Welcome Remake

It may sound surprising, but Highest 2 Lowest is actually a remake of a Japanese film called High and Low. The original film is directed by Akira Kurosawa, who was a legendary artist, inspiring films like Star Wars and A Fistful of Dollars. It was only a matter of time — a whopping 35 years of production — until another legendary artist like Spike Lee decided to update High and Low. Some remakes just tread the same path, but Highest 2 Lowest is exciting because it updates so much of High and Low‘s material. It also reunites one of the greatest duos, Spike Lee and Denzel Washington, as they haven’t worked together since 2006. The film’s cast also includes Jeffrey Wright, ASAP Rocky, Ice Spice, Dean Winters, Wendell Pierce, and Anthony Ramos.

Echo Valley

Echo Valley is a new thriller about a moral dilemma. When Kate’s daughter, Claire, shows up to Kate’s farm with blood on her clothes, Kate starts to unravel secrets about Claire’s life. In doing so, Kate learns there’s a darkness in Claire’s life. As a mother, Kate naturally wants to help Claire, but she also must decide how far she’s willing to go. The movie is produced by Ridley Scott and stars Julianne Moore, Sydney Sweeney, Kyle MacLachlan, and Domhnall Gleeson.

Not Your Typical Thriller

Echo Valley isn’t the kind of thriller that gets a lot of attention these days. It’s not an action thriller, and it’s not a thriller based on a book either, though it easily could have been. In many ways, it feels like it could have been a perfect TV movie if it were based on a true story. However, Echo Valley isn’t trying to pose as something it’s not. The film is a completely original, mysterious thriller with an excellent cast and a beautiful setting. At an hour and 43 minutes, Echo Valley doesn’t overstay its welcome either. It’s the perfect film for a dark night or quiet afternoon this weekend.

Fountain of Youth

In Fountain of Youth, adventurer Luke Purdue has to reconnect with his sister, Charlotte, as he searches for the fountain of youth. Luke and Charlotte’s father had made it his goal in life to find the fountain of youth, but he never reached it before he died. Now, Luke has received funding from a rich man named Owen Carver to continue his father’s quest. The siblings’ journey takes them across the United Kingdom, Austria, and Egypt. The film is filled with mystery, conspiracy, action, car chases, and more, as the Purdue family dodges authorities as well as a secret organization trying to stop them from finding the fountain of youth.

Like Indiana Jones With a Bigger Cast

As an adventure film, Fountain of Youth is beside great companions, like Raiders of the Lost Ark and National Treasure. The main draw separating Fountain of Youth from these other films is the massive cast. Fountain of Youth has some fan-favorite actors, including John Krasinski, Natalie Portman, Domhnall Gleeson, Eiza González, and Stanley Tucci. Real talent lies behind the scenes, too. Guy Ritchie, who’s worked with Jason Statham on many projects, directs Fountain of Youth. He directs around a screenplay concocted by James Vanderbilt, writer behind hits that include Murder Mystery and The Amazing Spider-Man.

Best Movies Streaming on Paramount+

The Wedding Banquet

Many of the best romantic comedies have been centered on weddings: The Wedding Singer, Wedding Crashers, and Bridesmaids (to name a few). The Wedding Banquet throws itself into the mix with a plot that has two same-sex couples teaming up to get what they want. In the movie, Angela and her partner Lee are living together, while Angela’s friend Chris lives with his partner Min in their garage. Both couples have big problems. Angela and Lee want to have a baby, but can’t afford IVF treatments. Chris and Min won’t get married at the risk of Min’s grandfather disowning him, but Min’s visa has also expired. The couples hatch a plan for Min to marry Angela in exchange for Min and Chris paying for Lee’s treatments.

A Remake That Actually Expands on the Original

The Wedding Banquet is actually a remake of a 1993 film of the same name, which was directed by Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee. The original film focused on one same-sex couple with a similar problem to Min and Chris. In the 1993 version, Gao Wai-Tung is hiding a relationship with Simon from his parents. He decides to marry a woman living in his apartment complex to help her get a visa and to appease his parents. The new remake actually adds another couple to the mix, showcasing another layer of problems for couples in modern America. With actors like Lily Gladstone, Bowen Yang, and Kelly Marie Tran in the film, the 2025 version is worth a watch.

Winter Spring Summer or Fall

In Winter Spring Summer or Fall (ever heard of commas?), Jenna Ortega plays Remi, a young adult with big aspirations. She’s about to graduate high school, with plans to study law at Harvard. She meets Percy Hynes White’s character Barnes, who isn’t so prepared for the rest of his life. Over the course of a year, Remi and Barnes continuously run into each other and start to develop a relationship. Winter Spring Summer or Fall shows how their relationship and personalities change with each passing season.

What an Unrealistic Couple

What makes Winter Spring Summer or Fall different than other romance dramas is how bad the two main characters are for each other. When Remi and Barnes first meet, Remi is leaving an interview with Google, and Barnes is smoking with his friend. They realize immediately that they’re not meant for each other, but their many encounters lead them to fall for each other. In a way, it’s good, as their personalities rub off on each other in the best ways. Barnes convinces Remi to relax more, while Remi helps Barnes find more purpose in his life. It’s the kind of relationship that really only exists in movies, as Remi and Barnes probably would have struggled to keep even a friendly relationship in real life.

Stans

Stans is a new documentary about Eminem, focused primarily on his fans. The film includes interviews with some of the rapper’s biggest fans as they talk about how Eminem has impacted their lives. The documentary combines new talking head segments with old footage to show just how popular the musician has grown since his early days. Stans includes segments with Eminem, Adam Sandler, Ed Sheeran, Carson Daly, LL Cool J, and more.

Learn What It Means To Stan

The title Stans is based on Eminem’s hit song “Stan,” which was about an obsessive fan who did terrible things to try to get Eminem’s attention. The song inspired the real-life term “stan,” which was eventually accepted by dictionaries to denote overenthusiastic fans. Stan is more than just a documentary about Eminem’s music, as it also covers how devoted his fans have become in ways that are both good and bad. The film ends up playing out as a sort of cautionary tale while still recognizing one of the greatest rappers.

The Friend

Most humans, knowing that death is a natural end to life, can prepare themselves to deal with the loss of a loved one. Dogs don’t think the same as humans, though, so there’s no way to prepare them for the death of their owners. In The Friend, Bill Murray plays author Walter Meredith, who knows he’s about to die. He decides that when he dies, his giant, beloved Great Dane should go to Iris (Naomi Watts), who studied as an author under Walter. At first, Iris struggles to adjust to life with a Great Dane, especially in a big city like New York, but she soon learns to love the dog.

Bill Murray in Another Emotional Tale

Bill Murray is known for starring in some pretty emotional films about life, such as Broken Flowers, Groundhog Day, Lost in Translation, and most of Wes Anderson’s films. Even though he’s not at the center of the film, he continues the trend with The Friend. He’s the catalyst for the movie’s lessons, as his character’s death sparks Iris on a journey to change her heart. Although she’s puzzled by the gift of the dog, she soon learns to treat it as a companion, with the dog almost filling in for Walter following his death.

The Infernal Machine

Guy Pearce is having a bit of a comeback after his Oscar-nominated role in The Brutalist, and Paramount+ seems to be celebrating that. The streaming service is bringing his underseen 2022 thriller The Infernal Machine to streaming for the first time ever. In the movie, Pearce plays author Bruce Cogburn, author of The Infernal Machine. He has lived a reclusive life after a man killed 13 students and blamed his actions on Cogburn’s book. The thrills start to heat up when Cogburn starts receiving letters from a mysterious fan, which starts to make Cogburn paranoid.

Strange and Familiar Inspirations

A reader growing obsessed over an author and his book isn’t that new of an idea. The Stephen King story and film Misery has a similar plot, with a reader kidnapping her favorite author. Real-life events have also started from readers’ obsessions with books, with Catcher in the Rye most notably sparking multiple assassinations and assassination attempts. However, there’s a big twist in The Infernal Machine that sets the film apart from Misery and other stories. The movie also has an interesting origin, as it’s based on “The Hilly Earth Society,” which was an episode written for the fiction anthology podcast series The Truth.

Best Movies Streaming on Peacock

Screamboat

For years, Disney has fought to protect its characters from entering the public domain. Unfortunately for the studio, it couldn’t stop the 1928 cartoon Steamboat Willie from falling into the public’s hands. In Screamboat, Steamboat Willie is a murder-loving mouse on the Staten Island Ferry. One night, he decides to terrorize the boat’s passengers, killing them one by one. The passengers must try to survive, but when they’re trapped in the confines of the boat, the tiny mouse just might win.

Perfect for Your Horror Night

Peacock is quickly establishing itself as a streaming service for horror movies, which is perfect with Halloween coming right around the corner. Just a few weeks ago, the streamer brought Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare to the service (see below), which falls in the same category of public domain horror films as Screamboat. However, Screamboat twists an even more popular character for this concept with Steamboat Willie, who would later evolve into Mickey Mouse. The cartoon character is brought to life by horror icon David Howard Thornton, who plays Art the Clown in the Terrifier franchise.

Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare

The concept of Peter Pan luring children to his island sounds pretty horrific without the context of the original story. No wonder someone decided to turn this character into the villain of a horror movie. In Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare, the character is a former circus performer who is now living in an abandoned house. In this film, Peter Pan still tries to take children Wendy and Michael away from their parents, but this time with darker intentions. It’s a twisted take on a classic story.

Welcome to the Public Domain Horror Universe

As characters have been entering the public domain, filmmakers have started using them for horror movies. One of the most notable examples is Steamboat Willie, the prototype for Mickey Mouse, who was used for two separate horror films, Screamboat and The Mouse Trap. The idea was popularized by Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, which spawned The Twisted Childhood Universe. Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare is the third film in the franchise, and it sets up many more. Expect Avengers: Endgame-style movies for this cinematic universe, as public domain characters will team up for future horror movies.

Night of the Zoopocalypse

Night of the Zoopocalypse follows in a long tradition of zombie movies, including Night of the Living Dead and Shaun of the Dead. The big twist for this film is that the zombies are zoo animals. The movie follows a wolf named Gracie, who lives with her pack in an enclosure at the zoo. One night, a meteor lands in the zoo and infects a rabbit with a virus. The rabbit runs around the zoo, causing havoc and infecting other animals. Gracie must work with other animals to survive the night and try to reverse the infection. The cast includes Gabbi Kosmidis, David Harbour, Scott Thompson, and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee.

For the Adventurous Kids

As an animated film with talking animals, Night of the Zoopocalypse seems like a perfect film for families. However, it’s best for families that are most adventurous with their movie tastes. Night of the Zoopocalypse can get a little bit dark with the apocalyptic part of its plot, especially when showing some of the zombified creatures. It’s almost like a horror movie was put through a filter that gave it cartoonish animation and bright colors. The film is based on a book called Zoombies, which was written by Hellraiser creator Clive Barker.

Audrey’s Children

Audrey’s Children is the incredible true story of Dr. Audrey Evans, who changed medicine in revolutionary ways. Evans was the Chief of Pediatric Oncology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and her research helped save many Neuroblastoma patients. She also became a co-founder of the Ronald McDonald House Charities. The film shows viewers how she discovered treatment and started this charity, while also showing the pushback she received as a woman in power. Natalie Dormer plays Evans alongside a cast that includes Clancy Brown, Jimmi Simpson, and Brandon Micheal Hall.

You’re Going To Love It

Audrey’s Children is such a heartwarming story that it’s difficult not to love. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a fresh critics’ score with 83% liking the film and a legendary audience score with 98% liking the film. MovieWeb critic Julian Roman also gave the film a glowing review with a 9/10 score. In his review, Roman writes, “Audrey’s Children tackles overwhelming sorrow and grief with aural brilliance … Medical dramas aren’t usually my cup of tea, but Audrey’s Children is an absolute gem.”

The Phoenician Scheme

The Phoenician Scheme is like a strange child between an indie film and an Indiana Jones movie. It’s a Wes Anderson film, so of course it’s filled with symmetry, practical sets, and pastel colors. However, the plot is a little different from most Wes Anderson films, sending the characters on a classic adventure, but in the director’s beloved style. The main character, Zsa-Zsa Korda, has had his life threatened by assassination attempts and realizes he must prepare his legacy. He starts by reconnecting with his daughter, Liesl, and involves her in a scheme to control slave labor in Phoenicia. Governments are conspiring to raise the prices of building materials in order to stop Korda, so he must travel across the world to meet with his investors, while also avoiding his many enemies.

One of Wes Anderson’s Best

The Phoenician Scheme is one of Wes Anderson’s best films, taking him to new territory while also keeping what fans love about him. The movie includes many of his frequent collaborators, including old ones like Bill Murray and Willem Dafoe, as well as newer ones like Benicio del Toro, Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright, Richard Ayoade, and more. It’s also the Wes Anderson debut for Michael Cera, who feels like he should have been in one of the director’s movies a long time ago. Wes Anderson brings his typical satire as well as themes about relationships with family, redemption, and more to The Phoenician Scheme, which he also combines with staples of the espionage and thriller genres. It’s a great film for audiences who love Wes Anderson, as well as those who think all his movies are the same.

Drop

It seems that 2025 is the year for horror movies with one-word titles. Drop is one of the latest of these films, and that one-word title doesn’t begin to explain how wild the movie gets. The film follows a widowed therapist, Violet, as she gets back into the dating scene. While she’s on a date in a restaurant at the top of a tower, she starts receiving threatening “drops” to her phone. The images Violet receives put herself and her family in danger, and she must find out who in the restaurant is dropping them before it’s too late. The movie is directed by Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day) and produced by Michael Bay.

The Best Horror-Mystery This Year

Although Drop follows the lead of many other horror movies, it’s actually more focused on the mystery aspect of the plot. The movie relies heavily on suspense, with the scariest parts being brief and scarce. Each character is perfectly crafted to seem like a plausible suspect, making it harder for both Violet and the audience to find the mysterious dropper. With Christopher Landon having dropped out of Scream 7 right before directing this film, Drop is a glimpse into the horror and mystery that could have unfolded in the next Scream movie.

Best Movies Streaming on Netflix

The Wrong Paris

Audiences were first treated to a film set in Paris, Texas, with the 1984 Wim Wenders film Paris, Texas. Netflix’s new romance film, The Wrong Paris, brings audiences back to the confusingly-named location. In the film, Miranda Cosgrove plays Dawn, who’s excited that she got into a prestigious art school in Paris, France. However, Dawn doesn’t have enough money to pay for the school, so her sister suggests auditioning for a reality dating show called “The Honeypot,” which is supposed to have its next season set in Paris. “The Honeypot” accepts Dawn for the season, but she’s surprised to learn the show is set in Paris, Texas. She’s even more surprised when she starts to fall for the show’s lead, a cowboy named Trey.

One of the Best Romances This Year

There are so many reality shows about dating that the market is arguably oversaturated. That doesn’t matter for The Wrong Paris, though, as “The Honeypot” is just a way to spark a romance between the two main characters. It’s a clever concept for a romance, which should certainly stand out against all the other romance films on Netflix. The Texas setting is a plus as well, giving the romantic plot a nice, Western feeling.

The Thursday Murder Club

The Thursday Murder Club takes place in a retirement home, where a group of four residents meet once a week to talk about mysterious old murders. The residents include former MI6 agent Elizabeth (Helen Mirren), former psychiatrist Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley), former union leader Ron (Pierce Brosnan), and former nurse Joyce (Celia Imrie). People in the retirement home are blindsided when one of the home’s owners, Tony, is murdered. Tony and his partner had been planning to turn the retirement home into flats, which makes Tony’s murder look suspicious. The club, along with police officer Donna De Freitas (Naomi Ackie), agrees to solve the case.

From America’s Most Charming Director

The Thursday Murder Club is directed by Chris Columbus, who’s become one of America’s coziest filmmakers. In the 1980s, he wrote classics including The Goonies and Gremlins. He went on to direct some untraditional Christmas films like Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. He also directed Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Mrs. Doubtfire. Most of his films can be quite comforting, whisking viewers back to their childhoods. The Thursday Murder Club is a bit different, as the main characters are much older, but Columbus captures the same sense of adventure that made films like The Goonies work so well.

Unknown Number: The High School Catfish

Unknown Number: The High School Catfish details the story of two high schoolers who start receiving mysterious text messages. They don’t know who’s sending the messages, but as the texts become more shocking, everyone wants to find a suspect. The documentary chronicles the extent of these messages, as well as the deep investigation into who was sending them. The film also dives into the emotional impact this experience left on the two teenagers.

Another Documentary Success for Netflix

Netflix is quickly becoming the go-to streaming service for documentaries, especially dark and shocking ones. The streamer had a successful run with the series Trainwreck, which documented some of the biggest disasters throughout recent history. With Unknown Number: The High School Catfish reaching the top 10 in its first week on the streaming service, it’s safe to say Netflix has tapped into an audience. Unknown Number: The High School Catfish is one of the most thrilling and chilling documentaries the service has to offer.

Night Always Comes

In Night Always Comes, Vanessa Kirby plays a woman named Lynette, who’s struggling to support her mother and brother. She works multiple jobs and gets enough money for a down payment to buy her childhood home. Unfortunately, her mother uses the money to buy a new car instead. Lynette decides to earn the money in one night, which she does by going to meet with various people she knows from her jobs. The night takes her to many dangerous parts of town as she meets with drug dealers, sex workers, and exes, just trying to earn enough money to save her house. In Night Always Comes, Vanessa Kirby is joined by Jennifer Jason Leigh, Randall Park, Julia Fox, and Eli Roth.

Vanessa Kirby Proves She’s a Legend

Vanessa Kirby has three major movies out right now between The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Eden, and Night Always Comes. Her performance in Night Always Comes blows away the other two. With a plot that’s so focused on her character, it would make sense for her to at least have a few great moments, but the actress goes above and beyond. In her review of the film for MovieWeb, Amanda Rozenboom writes, “Kirby is the kind of actress whose thoughts come through in the subtle expressions on her face … We’re able to see her thought process the entire night without the need for a voice-over.” It’s a refreshing performance, especially after she was underutilized by her other big films this year.

Fixed

Most male dogs come to a point in their lives where they have to get neutered. The animated movie Fixed satirizes this process through the viewpoints of dogs with raunchy senses of humor. In the film, a dog named Bull learns he’s about to get neutered when his owners start giving him extra treats and attention. The other dogs in the neighborhood have warned Bull that neutering is scary, so they decide to have a wild night before his big surgery. Fixed is filled with memorable comedic moments delivered by some of the most hilarious voices, with a cast that includes Adam DeVine, Idris Elba, Kathryn Hahn, Bobby Moynihan, Beck Bennett, and Fred Armisen.

The Most Unlikely Passion Project

Genndy Tartakovsky has made some of the best animated projects of the last few decades. He created shows like Dexter’s Laboratory and Samurai Jack and directed films like Hotel Transylvania. Despite his credits, Tartakovsky struggled to get Fixed off the ground. He pitched the project to Sony around the same time he was working on Hotel Transylvania, but it didn’t get approved until 2019. Although the premise of Fixed seems a little silly, it’s also a passion project many years in the making, and it’s cool to see the idea come to life.

On Swift Horses

Lee Walker has just returned from the Korean War when he’s caught between two budding romances in On Swift Horses. Lee’s return is greeted by his wife, Muriel, as well as his younger brother, Julius. The three plan to move to California together, but the plan goes awry when Julius stops in Las Vegas instead. Julius starts working at a casino and quickly falls in love with a co-worker named Henry. They start a secret relationship, while Muriel deals with her own love life in California. Muriel falls in love with the fast-paced gambling at horse racetracks, while also growing closer to her neighbor, Sandra.

One of the Best Casts This Year

On Swift Horses has some incredible cast members who deliver terrific performances. Will Poulter, known for The Maze Runner and We’re the Millers, plays Lee Walker. Poulter’s humor is typically his greatest strength as an actor, but he plays a much different role in On Swift Horses. It’s a role that requires him to be more dramatic and reserved, and he nails it. Daisy Edgar-Jones, coming off a starring role in the hit blockbuster Twisters last summer, does a great job switching her character from a supportive wife to a curious woman in the film. Jacob Elordi, who stunned audiences with Euphoria and Saltburn, plays Julius, and Diego Calva, who wowed viewers in Babylon, plays Henry.

Happy Gilmore 2

So many classic films from last century have been getting legacy sequels in the past few years. Top Gun got Top Gun: Maverick, Beetlejuice got Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and now Happy Gilmore gets Happy Gilmore 2. When audiences are reintroduced to Happy Gilmore, he’s not golfing anymore. He has a daughter, who’s hoping to go to dance school, but Happy doesn’t have the money for it. He decides to pick up golfing once again to win the money for his daughter, but it’s a bit harder than he realizes. Happy has to conquer his temper again and remember his old golfing skills, even if that means getting help from his old enemy, Shooter McGavin.

Sandler’s Best Comedy Is Better Than Ever

Adam Sandler’s films are very divisive. Although some people find all of his films funny, others think his style of humor is cheap. Happy Gilmore 2 lives on the safer side of Sandler’s comedies, giving one of Sandler’s most beloved movies a proper sequel. The movie brings back some of the actors who made the original so great, including Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, Kevin Nealon, and even Ben Stiller. Unfortunately, some of the original Happy Gilmore actors died before this film came out, including Carl Weathers, Bob Barker, Richard Kiel, and Joe Flaherty, but the sequel honors their legacy in various ways. The film is also packed with new actors and celebrities, such as Margaret Qualley, Eric André, Bad Bunny, Eminem, Travis Kelce, and many more.

KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters is one of the biggest hits on streaming right now, charting at number one on Netflix’s charts. Open almost any social media app, and you’re bound to see videos using songs or clips from the film. The film’s plot is pretty much described by the title. The film focuses on a fictional K-pop group called Huntr/x, which is made up of three demon-fighting women. The group balances going on world tours and producing albums with keeping demons away from humans. However, the demons grow tired of fighting Huntr/x and decide to try to beat the group in a new way — by making their own K-pop group.

A Great Soundtrack and Great Animation

It wouldn’t make sense for KPop Demon Hunters to be so focused on K-pop if it didn’t have an awesome soundtrack, and thankfully, it does. Songs like “Soda Pop” and “Takedown” are extremely catchy and are partially why the film has remained so popular since its release. The other factor that’s helped KPop Demon Hunters gain so many fans is the stunning animation. The film is produced by Sony Pictures Animation, the same studio that created visually-stunning films like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Mitchells vs. the Machines. The movie also features the vocal talents of comedians like Ken Jeong (The Masked Singer) and Joel Kim Booster (Big Mouth), as well as Daniel Dae Kim and Yunjin Kim, both of Lost fame.

Best Movies Streaming on Hulu

Swiped

Developers seem to love making dating apps, and Hollywood seems to love biopics, so of course, there’s a biopic about a dating app. As negative as that sounds, Swiped is the best possible version of a biopic about a dating app. The movie follows Lily James as the real-life founder of Bumble, Whitney Wolfe Herd. It’s an inspiring story, as Bumble was founded in response to toxic dating apps. In addition to Lily James, Swiped stars Dan Stevens, Dermot Mulroney, Clea DuVall, and Myha’la.

An Inspiring and Disheartening True Story

Not everyone knows the story of how Bumble was born, which is why Swiped is so important. Before starting Bumble, Whitney Wolfe Herd worked for Tinder before she resigned. After she left, Wolfe Herd filed a sexual harassment lawsuit, which Tinder settled out of court. Swiped helps show why Wolfe Herd decided to file this lawsuit, as the movie portrays Tinder as a place that had a toxic work culture. The movie also shows how, after leaving, Wolfe Herd started the app Bumble, which allows women to make the first move to help prevent toxicity with online dating.

The Man in My Basement

The Man in My Basement sounds like a creepy title, which is intentional, even though the movie starts off rather innocently. The main character, Charles Blakey, lives in a house that has been owned by his family for generations. Charles is struggling to find money to keep the house when a man named Anniston Bennet knocks at Charles’ door. Anniston Bennet wants to live in Charles’s basement and offers to pay Charles a hefty amount. It’s a peculiar request, and Charles declines at first, before realizing he needs the money. The situation gets creepier when Anniston reveals that he wants to stay trapped in the basement.

A Film About Racism That’s Only Half There

The Man in My Basement, which is based on the book of the same name by Walter Mosley, is centered around ideas about racism. Anniston, who’s played by Willem Dafoe, is a rich, white man, and he believes he needs to be punished for his privilege, which is why he wants Charles to trap him in the basement. On the other hand, Charles, who’s played by Corey Hawkins, is grappling with his heritage as he tries to decide if it’s worth it to sell his family’s African artifacts in order to save the house. However, MovieWeb critic Julian Roman writes in his review of the film that the discourse presented in The Man in My Basement doesn’t always work, writing, “What we get are N-bombs dropped for shock value and declarative prejudice that’s casually dismissed.”

I Don’t Understand You

In I Don’t Understand You, Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells play a couple, Dom and Cole, expecting to adopt a baby from Candace (Amanda Seyfried). Before Candace’s baby is born, Dom and Cole decide to take an anniversary trip to Italy. Their trip is met with confusion, as Dom and Cole don’t speak Italian and struggle to understand directions from Italians. The movie takes a dark turn when the couple’s confusion leads to the death of a woman, and with Candace’s water breaking, Dom and Cole have to find their way out of the predicament.

Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells Carry This Comedy

Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells are extremely talented comedic actors, and they help carry the movie. Although the film has some horror elements, it’s really more of a comedy. The premise itself, using a language barrier to put Dom and Cole in these situations, is already quite a funny concept. Kroll and Rannells add plenty of jokes to the plot to keep audiences laughing, even when characters are dying onscreen.

Eenie Meanie

Eenie Meanie is a new, high-octane heist film, focused on a getaway driver. In the film, Samara Weaving plays Edie, who also goes by the nickname of the titular “Eenie Meanie.” As a teenager, she was a legendary getaway driver, but she’s left that life behind. She’s just learned that she’s pregnant, and goes to meet her ex, John (Karl Glusman), who she believes is the father. However, John is in debt to a powerful mob boss named Nico (Andy Garcia), and he wants John to steal from a casino to pay off his debts. Edie must use her getaway driver skills to help John pull off this heist, while also deciding whether she truly loves him. The movie also stars Steve Zahn, Jermaine Fowler, Marshawn Lynch, and Randall Park.

The Spiritual Successor to ‘Baby Driver’

Eenie Meanie is a lot like Baby Driver, in a good way. Both films are heist films, allowing for some incredible twists and thrills. They’re both focused on a young and legendary getaway driver. The two films aren’t just focused on the heist either, as they both include subplots about romance. They share the same comedic tone as well. The main difference between the two is that Eenie Meanie is a little darker. The film is produced by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who wrote all three Deadpool films. Still, the similarities between the two run deep, making Eenie Meanie the perfect film for those who enjoyed Baby Driver.

Locked

Eddie Barrish, the protagonist of Locked, doesn’t have a job but needs to support his daughter. He spends his time looking for cars to rob in order to make ends meet. One day, he finds an unattended SUV, and when he enters, the vehicle locks itself, trapping Eddie inside. After trying to break out, he answers a call on the SUV’s video screen. The caller is William, and he’s tired of having his vehicles robbed. He built the SUV to trap robbers and equipped it with devices that can torture his victims. The film follows Eddie as he looks for a way to escape the SUV before William’s traps get too dangerous. Locked is produced by Sam Raimi and stars Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins.

A Creative Thriller That’s Actually a Remake

Locked has one of the most creative premises for a thriller. The way William traps Eddie in his car and tortures him can actually be scary at times. He finds unique ways to punish Eddie with Eddie’s locked car. It’s all great, but it’s actually inspired by an Argentinian film titled 4×4. The American version of 4×4 doesn’t do much to distinguish its plot from the original. What makes Locked more interesting than 4×4 is the two lead performances. Anthony Hopkins is an all-time great, and he plays the villainous William with almost the same intensity as Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs. Bill Skarsgård, who’s used to playing villains in films like It and Nosferatu, does a great job with his role reversal as the helpless protagonist Eddie. For those who want to watch the original after finishing Locked, 4×4 is streaming for free on Tubi and the Roku Channel.

The Assessment

The Assessment presents a terrifying, dystopian reality where resources have been drained and parents have to undergo an assessment before they’re allowed to have a child. Mia (Elizabeth Olsen) and Aaryan (Himesh Patel) are desperate to have a child. They agree to take the assessment, which begins a process where Virginia (Alicia Vikander) lives with them for seven days to determine if they’re ready to have a child. The assessment already seems unconventional, but it gets stranger when Virginia begins acting like a child to test their readiness. Over the seven days, Virginia becomes even more unhinged as she dprives a wedge between the couple in this bleak sci-fi.

A Legendary Acting Trio

The Assessment received extremely high ratings following its release. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a certified fresh critics’ score of 83% and an incredible audience score of 92%. The Assessment only works so well because it’s carried by a trio of great performances. Elizabeth Olsen might be known best for playing Wanda Maximoff in the MCU, but she’s the star of the show here and blows her superhero performance out of the water. Himesh Patel, who’s a largely underrated actor, does a fantastic job playing her husband. Alicia Vikander plays the antagonist, and she perfectly hides her character’s dark secret while providing opposition to the couple.

The Monkey

Horror movies have had some great entries in 2025, and The Monkey is one of the best. The movie is based on a short story by Stephen King, and it’s adapted by Longlegs director Osgood Perkins. In the movie, a pair of twins discover their father’s wind-up monkey toy. The brothers soon learn that activating the toy causes people around them to die in extreme ways, so they hide the monkey in a well. When the twins are grown up, the toy monkey reappears in their lives, and the twins must figure out how to stop it before everyone they know dies.

Horror Royalty Brings ‘The Monkey’ to Life

The Monkey has a lot of big names attached to it. Osgood Perkins, son of Psycho star Anthony Perkins, is a rising name in the world of horror directors. Stephen King has also had a lot of successful movies in the past few years, so it’s no surprise that Perkins turned to one of his lesser-known stories for a movie idea. The film is also produced by horror movie legend James Wan, who directed horror films like Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring. Theo James, known for his role in the Divergent series, plays a dual role in The Monkey, portraying both of the twin brothers. Adam Scott and Elijah Wood appear in small roles, and Tatiana Maslany, who also appears in Perkins’ film Keeper later this year, plays the twins’ mother.

Bob Trevino Likes It

Bob Trevino Likes It knows how to do many things well. The comedy-drama has a very silly premise, which starts with a heartbreaking moment. In the film, Lily Trevino (played by Barbie Ferreira) takes care of her retired, womanizing father, Robert Trevino (played by French Stewart), who demands too much and often gets upset with her. Early in the movie, he’s ignoring her calls, so she tries to connect with him on Facebook, but sends a request to Bob Trevino (played by John Leguizamo) instead. Bob Trevino is wary of the friend request, but soon realizes just how much Lily needs someone to support her and care for her. Bob helps Lily as she learns basic life skills, and Lily also helps Bob with his grief over the death of a loved one.

Based on Emotional, But True Events

With the number of social media platforms available, it’s never been easier to connect with random people, especially those with common qualities. That helps make Bob Trevino Likes It plausible, although it didn’t need to be, considering it’s based on a real-life experience from the film’s director, Tracie Laymon. The film can be heartwarming, but it also gets sad at moments, and the truth behind the movie makes these moments even more emotional. The drama behind the film works well, carrying the film to high critical success with a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.

A Nice Indian Boy

In A Nice Indian Boy, Karan Soni plays Naveen, who’s a timid, awkward doctor. One day, Naveen meets a man named Jay (Jonathan Groff) at a temple and immediately falls for him. Jay invites Naveen to go see a Bollywood movie with him, which surprises Naveen. Jay explains that, although he’s white, he was adopted by Indian parents and grew up with Indian traditions. Jay and Naveen grow close, but Naveen fears what his traditional parents will think of his same-sex relationship. However, he and Jay both want a big wedding, surrounded by friends and family. Naveen must get over his own fears to save his relationship in this film, based on a play of the same name.

A Rare Kind of Movie

Romantic comedies feel like a dying breed, especially ones that introduce relationships that differ from the norm. A Nice Indian Boy feels particularly rare, focusing on the same-sex relationship between a Southern-Asian man and an adoptee, which is quite a unique combination. If that’s not already rare enough, A Nice Indian Boy also has extremely positive critical reviews, with a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. In his glowing review of the film for MovieWeb, critic Greg Archer writes, “What’s most refreshing about A Nice Indian Boy is that it feels wonderfully organic. There’s nothing forced about the writing or the acting, making this rom-com a glorious surprise and altogether touching, heartwarming, and poignant.”

The Amateur

The Amateur is a new film with a classic espionage thriller plot. The film focuses on Charlie Heller, who works for the CIA. He’s soon told by the CIA’s director that his wife has been killed by terrorists. When he receives this news, Charlie begins to investigate the people who killed his wife, while also training to kill them in a few clever ways. During his journey to avenge his wife, Charlie also uncovers a deeper conspiracy that could land CIA operatives in jeopardy. The Amateur stars Rami Malek, Laurence Fishburne, Jon Bernthal, and Rachel Brosnahan.

A Classic Story Told Decades Later

At times, The Amateur seems to rely too heavily on overused tropes that can be found in many espionage thrillers. Conspiracies, memories of dead lovers, and more are pretty typical for these kinds of films, but there’s a good reason they’re included in The Amateur. The film is actually based on a 1981 novel of the same name, which also had its own film adaptation the same year. The story came out at an integral time for espionage thrillers, when the genre was expanding beyond Alfred Hitchcock and James Bond films. Unfortunately, the 2025 version of The Amateur took nearly two decades to actually come to fruition, leaving plenty of time for espionage thrillers to gain some extremely common tropes. Both the 2025 and 1981 versions of The Amateur are now streaming on Hulu.

Best Movies Streaming on Prime Video

A Working Man

In A Working Man, Jason Statham goes blue collar before he gets the chance to fight more bad guys. Statham plays Levon Cade, a former Royal Marine who now works in construction. Levon is friends with the owners of the construction company where he works, and when their daughter is kidnapped, he springs into action. He consults with one of his military friends, Gunny Lefferty (David Harbour), before he tracks down the kidnappers. Although fighting isn’t a problem for Statham’s character, he soon realizes there’s a lot more to the kidnapping as he uncovers a conspiracy.

Essential Viewing for Jason Statham Fans

Sure, A Working Man just came out, but it already feels like classic Statham. His role feels similar to one of his most iconic roles, Frank Martin from The Transporter, as Frank and Levon are both former soldiers. With Levon taking revenge against kidnappers, it’s sort of like Jason Statham’s version of Taken. The film also has the action star working with some of his greatest collaborators. Sylvester Stallone, who starred with Statham in The Expendables franchise, wrote the screenplay for A Working Man. David Ayer, who directs Statham in The Beekeeper, serves as the director for A Working Man.

The Map That Leads to You

Romantic novels make for some great films, and that’s exactly what happened with The Map That Leads to You. The movie is based on the novel of the same name, which was written by JP Monninger. The story follows Heather, who’s on a trip through Europe with her best friends. The trip is supposed to be a chance for Heather to have fun before settling into the life that she’s planned for herself. However, she soon meets Jack, who’s trying to visit every location listed in his great-grandfather’s journal. Despite Jack having such different plans for his life from Heather, she instantly feels a connection and follows him on a journey.

Two Great Young Actors Pair Up

The Map That Leads to You showcases two powerhouse young actors as the romantic leads. KJ Apa plays Jack, and Madelyn Cline plays Heather. Their chemistry is almost unmatched, and it’s a testament to their acting skills. Viewers might recognize Cline from her role as Sarah Cameron in Outer Banks, or for her film roles in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Apa is better known for leading Riverdale as Archie for six years. The Map That Leads to You catches both actors at an intersection, before they hit new highs in their careers. Apa is about to play the legendary Jimmy Stewart in a biopic titled Jimmy, and Cline will soon appear alongside Johnny Depp in the Marc Webb film Day Drinker.

The Pickup

Prime Video has gone all-in on action-comedies. This summer, the streaming service has released multiple new films in the genre, including Deep Cover, Heads of State, and now The Pickup. In the film, Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson play armored truck drivers Russell and Travis. On the day that the movie takes place, Russell is supposed to have his 25th anniversary dinner with his wife (played by Eva Longoria), but he has to deliver a payment with Travis first. Unfortunately for Russell, the car is hijacked by Zoe (Keke Palmer) and her criminal crew. Zoe forces Russell and Travis to work with her in this film directed by Tim Story (Ride Along).

A Unique Heist Comedy

Action-comedies are popular right now, but it won’t be long until audiences get tired and move on to the next big genre of movies. The Pickup at least has a few unique qualities that help the film stand out in a saturated market. The movie features a heist, which is a great focus for an action movie, as it allows for many twists and thrills. The fact that a heist movie is also combined with such a strong focus on comedy makes it much different from other heist films like Ocean’s Eleven and Heat. The Pickup also flips the script on typical heist movies by following the two people who are about to be robbed rather than the people planning the heist.

War of the Worlds

The War of the Worlds is an essential story in the history of science fiction. The original book was published in 1898 by the prolific science-fiction author H. G. Wells. The novel has been adapted many times, most notably into a realistic radio program by Orson Welles and a Steven Spielberg movie starring Tom Cruise. The newest adaptation, War of the Worlds, follows the same basic premise as the others, but it takes a much different approach. The film still focuses on an alien invasion, but it’s all portrayed through one man’s computer.

For the So-Bad-It’s-Bad Fans

War of the Worlds demonstrates an experimental genre of filmmaking called Screenlife, which uses videos, digital communication, websites, and more to tell a story. The genre has worked for some films, like the 2018 movie Searching, but it didn’t seem to work for War of the Worlds. When the movie was first released, it had a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, although it’s since climbed up to a 4% critics’ score. The size of an alien invasion story just didn’t work well with the limitations of Screenlife, and audiences didn’t like the blatant Amazon product placements either. While the film has a few stars like Ice Cube and Eva Longoria, it’s no surprise that War of the Worlds was dumped on streaming.

Best Movies Streaming on Disney+

Elio

Pixar’s Elio follows an 11-year-old boy of the same name, who lives with his aunt, Olga, after his parents died. Elio is obsessed with aliens to the point that he wants to get abducted by them. Olga works for the Air Force, and one day, Elio sneaks into one of Olga’s meetings. He overhears rumors that aliens might be requesting a message from Earth, so Elio finds a device to send a message to space. Aliens receive the message and abduct Elio, thinking that he serves Earth as a space ambassador. Although this mix-up allows Elio to achieve his dream of meeting aliens, it also causes some problems with an alien warlord.

Pixar’s Newest Attempt at Science Fiction

Pixar is known for bringing animals, cars, and toys to life, but every so often, the animation studio ventures into the realm of science fiction. WALL-E broke ground by showing just how much characterization can be expressed by a character who doesn’t speak. Even though Lightyear didn’t perform well in theaters, it was still an interesting concept for Pixar, showing a fictional movie that’s supposed to be the inspiration for one of the studio’s most popular characters. Elio is the newest of Pixar’s sci-fi films, and the movie’s standout perk is that it’s filled with creative designs for aliens. Elio also includes the vocal talents of Zoe Saldaña, who’s famous for box office sci-fi hits like Avatar and Avengers: Infinity War.

Thunderbolts*

When Julia Louis-Dreyfus first showed up as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it wasn’t clear what purpose she’d serve in the MCU. Her introduction finally pays off in Thunderbolts* when she assembles a team of ragtag superhumans to stop the world’s next big threat. Some of the characters include Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), and John Walker (Wyatt Russell). In the film, the superhumans must put aside their differences to stop a new character from destroying humanity. The film is essential viewing for Marvel fans, as it sets up the future of the MCU.

One of the MCU’s Most Emotional Movies

Marvel isn’t exactly known for producing the most emotionally relatable films. Audiences can struggle to connect to superheroes because their lives are so fantastical and action-packed. Thunderbolts* is a change of pace for the MCU, presenting a more emotionally grounded story. The film is focused on characters who don’t really have powers and feel more human. The movie also deals heavily with themes of depression and self-doubt. Characters try to come to terms with their past failures, and in the end, they learn to support each other.

Lilo & Stitch

With the amount of Stitch merchandise Disney sells, it almost feels like he’s a bigger brand ambassador than Mickey Mouse. It was only a matter of time before Disney tried to find a way to get the alien back in theaters. Lilo & Stitch is a remake of the 2002 animated film of the same name. The movie follows two parentless sisters living in Hawaii, just trying to navigate life. The younger sister, Lilo, finds what she believes is a dog and adopts him under the name Stitch. Stitch is actually an alien, trying to escape other aliens who want to capture him, and he quickly causes chaos for Lilo and her older sister. The movie stars Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, and Hannah Waddingham.

A Classic Gets an Update

Most Disney remakes feel pointless, as they simply adapt the original stories to live-action. Lilo & Stitch tries hard to stand out, and while that might sound promising, it also might make devoted fans of the original angry. The movie makes some pretty big changes. Characters — mainly Jumba and Pleakley — look or sound different from their animated counterparts, and characters such as Captain Gantu aren’t even in the film. The ending has also been changed, which may shock some viewers. Even with these changes, Lilo & Stitch is one of Disney’s best remakes as it respects the original while creating something new. Director Dean Fleischer Camp does a great job capturing the characters’ emotions, resulting in a film that will have the family laughing and crying.

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story

What do you watch when you’ve already seen one of the best summer movies multiple times? You watch the documentary behind the film. Jaws has had a huge impact on the moviemaking business, starting a trend of summer blockbusters and boosting the career of one of the greatest directors of all time. Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story shares how Jaws has impacted culture in the five decades since it came out, while also giving an exclusive look behind the scenes of the original blockbuster.

‘Jaws @ 50’ Includes a Wide Range of Interviews

Of course, Jaws @ 50 includes interviews with people who worked on the film, such as director Steven Spielberg, screenwriter Carl Gottlieb, and composer John Williams. The documentary also explores the legacy Jaws left on Hollywood by interviewing filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, George Lucas, Guillermo del Toro, Jordan Peele, and many more. However, Jaws @ 50 is not all focused on the filmmaking side of Jaws. The documentary also examines how the movie impacted real-life sharks, for better or for worse. Jaws @ 50 tackles this side of the movie’s legacy with interviews from shark experts, ocean restorationists, and even ocean explorers like James Cameron.

Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires

If you have kids, there’s a good chance you already knew Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires was coming out. The fourth installment in the musical series finds the characters in the summer before college, where they discover new kinds of monsters. In the film, the main characters Zed, Addison, Willa, and Eliza have to help two competing vampire factions, the daywalkers and the vampires, as they fight over food supplies. The movie will directly set up new installments with the main characters paving the way for a new generation of musical monsters.

Nobody Puts ‘Zombies’ in a Corner

It’s hard to believe that a made-for-TV musical series could have gone on this long, but it’s actually one of Disney’s bigger franchises. In the seven years since the first film came out, the series has received three sequel movies as well as an animated series. The franchise is equal parts Twilight and High School Musical, sprinkled with themes about accepting different people. The movies also embrace the same teenage rebellion as other classic films like Footloose and Dirty Dancing, but made with Disney audiences in mind. The films aren’t close to winning any Oscars, but they know what they do best and embrace that.

Best Movies Streaming on HBO Max

Warfare

There are plenty of great war films, but few feel as real and emotional as Warfare. The film shows an incident happening during the Iraq War in 2006, and the events unfold in real time. The event finds two Navy SEAL platoons fighting to defend themselves when they’re attacked following the Battle of Ramadi. The film is directed by Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza, with a cast that includes Will Poulter, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Kit Connor, Joseph Quinn, Charles Melton, and more. Warfare received glowing reviews with a 93% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8/10 review from Julian Roman for MovieWeb.

‘Warfare’ Deals with Real-Life War Stories

The reason why Warfare feels so real is that it’s written and co-directed by Ray Mendoza, who actually served as a US Navy SEAL in Iraq. Mendoza based the film on his experiences and what he saw while fighting in the war, even interviewing other people he met during the war. Warfare comes off as a film that’s highly interested in portraying soldiers correctly, and part of that stems from Mendoza’s experience with other war films. When asked by The Guardian what he thinks about war movies, Mendoza responded, “I feel not seen. It’s actually embarrassing to watch them — they don’t get our culture right, we don’t speak that way.” Warfare is the perfect response to Mendoza’s problems with past war movies.

Friendship

So many of Friendship‘s qualities make it seem like it should be a simple movie about two friends: the title, the classification as a comedy, and Paul Rudd. However, Friendship ends up being much darker than expected. The film focuses on Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson), a boring man living in suburbia, who tries to make apps more addicting for a living. Craig and his wife are also growing emotionally distant. One day, Craig’s new neighbor, weatherman Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd), invites Craig over for a drink. Craig quickly becomes emotionally attached to Austin, but the situation takes a turn for the worse when Austin says they should stop being friends.

From the Twisted Mind of Tim Robinson

Anyone who already knows Tim Robinson shouldn’t be surprised that Friendship is filled with awkward comedy. Robinson created some of the most awkward comedic situations with his Netflix sketch show, I Think You Should Leave. Friendship is essentially an I Think You Should Leave sketch extended to the length of a movie. Audiences can expect to laugh, but they should be prepared to be deeply uncomfortable. Craig Waterman, as boring as he seems, is not a normal person, and proves he will go to extremes to find Friendship. It’s one of the best comedies of the year, but only for those who are willing to accept the film’s bizarre premise.

Ghost Cat Anzu

In Ghost Cat Anzu, a young girl named Karin moves with her poor father to a temple inhabited by her grandfather. While there, Karin finds Anzu, a ghost cat who acts like a human. Anzu spends his time interacting with spirits or riding around on his bike. Karin soon befriends Anzu, and they journey to a nearby city. The situation turns dangerous when Anzu learns that Karin is haunted by a spirit that could ruin Karin’s life. Ghost Cat Anzu is animated, using a more untraditional style of animation called rotoscoping, where pictures are traced over physically recorded scenes.

GKIDS Brings Japanese Animation to HBO Max

Ghost Cat Anzu is distributed by GKIDS, a company famous for releasing animated movies from Japan. The distributor has strong ties to HBO Max and has regularly released films on the streaming service for North American audiences. Ghost Cat Anzu is just one of the newest of these releases, and its HBO Max debut marks the film’s first time on streaming for North America. GKIDS is the reason HBO Max has classics like the Studio Ghibli films, including Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. The distributor brought quite a few films to the service this month, so be sure to check them all out after watching Ghost Cat Anzu.

The Legend of Ochi

A jungle-ridden mountain of an island is a bit of an unusual spot to start a family. However, that’s where Maxim (Willem Dafoe) decided to settle in The Legend of Ochi. He lives with his son, Petro (Finn Wolfhard), and daughter, Yuri (Helena Zengel). As he raised the children, Maxim told them tales of the Ochi, which he described as mysterious and dangerous creatures. Maxim, Yuri, and Petro live near a village, and Maxim is tasked with gathering the boys to go hunt for the Ochi. Yuri doesn’t believe Maxim’s tales, and while he’s leading his hunting party, she finds a baby Ochi. Yuri comes to learn about how peaceful the creatures are as she protects the Ochi from the villagers and tries to return them to their home.

Not Like Other A24 Films

A24 has earned a bit of a reputation in its 13 years of distributing movies. The brand is mostly associated with artsy, dramatic films that won’t necessarily appeal to a wide-ranging audience. However, the company has taken great steps to widen its library in the past few years, and The Legend of Ochi demonstrates that growth. A24 has distributed a few adventure movies, like The Green Knight and Beau Is Afraid, but both of those appeal to very specific viewers. The Legend of Ochi is more of a traditional adventure film, with plots and themes that can be understood by most audiences. Not all A24 films can bring young families together to share the enjoyment of a movie, but The Legend of Ochi has that rare, magical power.

Final Destination Bloodlines

Final Destination Bloodlines begins with a haunting nightmare. Kaitlyn Santa Juana’s character Stefani has recurring dreams of her grandma dying in a chain reaction at a young age. However, Stefani’s grandma had a vision before she would have died, which allowed her to warn the people in the tower, saving everyone. Unfortunately, Death felt robbed and began to kill the survivors as well as their offspring. Now, Death has caught up to Stefani’s family, and she must try to warn her family members before they suffer their cruel fates.

A Perfect Blend of Terrifying and Camp

Sometimes, the best horror movies are the ones that feel a little campy, and the Final Destination series certainly knows how to get campy. The deaths in the films are chaotically orchestrated, like a Rube Goldberg machine. They’re so over the top that they couldn’t happen in real life, but that’s what makes them entertaining. Final Destination Bloodlines has some of the wildest deaths in the franchise. The deaths happen in extreme ways, and they can get pretty terrifying, as most are filmed with practical effects. It makes for an actually frightening horror movie as well as some fun behind-the-scenes features.

Freaky Tales

Visual anthologies usually work best as a TV series because the episodes already separate the different stories. It’s rare to see an anthology film, which makes new ones worth watching even more. Freaky Tales is a new anthology horror film focused on four stories set in Oakland, California, in 1987. Even though the segments have different stories, they’re connected by similar characters and themes. The stories explore Oakland’s history of rap and punk music, Nazi groups, and criminal connections. Freaky Tales is directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who also directed Captain Marvel together. The film’s stars include Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis, Tom Hanks, and more.

Dive Into Oakland History

Freaky Tales is a horror film, but it’s also a celebration of culture. The film is centered around real-life events that happened in Oakland in the 1980s. For example, the last story in the film begins with Golden State Warriors player Sleepy Floyd setting an NBA record, which actually happened. Freaky Tales‘ focus on ’80s Oakland is inspired by co-director Ryan Fleck’s experience growing up in the city at the same time. The film also includes cameos from famous Oakland residents such as football player Marshawn Lynch and rapper Too Short.

Death of a Unicorn

Most people think of unicorns as gentle and elegant creatures. That’s not the case in Death of a Unicorn. In the film, Elliott and his daughter, Ridley, are driving to a weekend getaway with Elliott’s boss. As they’re driving to the retreat, Elliott hits a unicorn with his car and puts it in the back of his car. Elliott’s rich boss finds out about it and wants to sell the unicorn’s magical healing properties. Unfortunately for the group, the unicorn’s parents also find out about their injured child and show up to ruin the characters’ vacation.

A Mythical Horror Comedy

Death of a Unicorn falls into the always-growing genre of horror-comedy movies. What sets this one apart is the stacked cast filled with both old and new talent. Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega, who seem to be two of the industry’s most beloved actors, take the lead as Elliot and Ridley. Richard E. Grant plays the boss, and Téa Leoni and Will Poulter play his family members. The cast also includes Anthony Carrigan (Superman), Sunita Mani (Everything Everywhere All at Once), and Stephen Park (Mickey 17). Although the actors spend a large amount of screen time getting chased by the monstrous CGI unicorns, their comedic acting chops help make the film one of the better horror-comedies this year.

Sinners

Sinners has everything: Michael B. Jordan playing twins, vampires, time-traveling music scenes, and more. The film is Black Panther director Ryan Coogler’s latest, and it’s a big one. Sinners is set in 1932 as twin brothers Smoke and Stack return to their hometown in Mississippi, prepared to start a juke joint for their community. They assemble bartenders, blues players, bouncers, and a crowd as they prepare for a wild and gigantic opening night. However, the fun is soon threatened by some neighbors who are more monstrous than they appear.

An Early Contender for Best of the Year

The year is only halfway over, and it’s hard to deny that Sinners will rightly end 2025 on many people’s top 10 lists. It’s one of the most creative examples of a vampire movie, hiding the main monster antagonists until the perfect time. The film is richly layered with themes of self-truth and assimilation. What’s most impressive, though, is that Sinners never gets boring to watch because it’s filled with stunning cinematography. It really deserves to be seen on the big screen, but HBO Max is a fine alternative. The rich visuals are also accompanied by both a moving score (composed by Ryan Coogler’s frequent collaborator, Ludwig Göransson) and an energetic blues soundtrack.