Summer is all but here, and Netflix, Prime Video, and the best streaming services are already packed with blockbusters. But with so much available, figuring out what to watch can be a chore.
That’s why we’ve rounded up the best movies that just landed on streaming. Leading the pack this week is a breezy rom-com starring Glen Powell as a professor who moonlights as a fake assassin in Netflix’s “Hit Man.” Over on Hulu you’ll find the award-winning slice-of-life drama “Perfect Days,” while the musical movie treatment of “Mean Girls” lands on Prime Video. Or for something a little more hair-raising, the slasher reboot “The Strangers: Chapter 1” made its debut on video-on-demand platforms this week.
So without further ado, here are the top movies new to streaming. For even more recommendations on what to watch, head on over to our list of the best new TV shows to check out this weekend and check out our roundup of 5 new to Netflix movies that are 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes.
‘Hit Man’ (Netflix)
Director Richard Linklater’s sexy, nihilistic comedy “Hit Man” is shaping up to be one of Netflix’s strongest original movies in years. It currently holds an impressive 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes with critics calling it a genre-bending roller coaster ride that further cements Glen Powell as one of Hollywood’s biggest rising stars.
A mix between a breezy crime caper and a rom-com, “Hit Man” stars Powell as Gary Johnson, a strait-laced professor who moonlights as a fake hitman working for the cops. He dons an array of elaborate costumes to convince would-be clients he’s a cold-blooded assassin before police swoop in to arrest them. However, when a femme fatale (Adria Arjona) asks him to take out her abusive husband, Gary breaks protocol. Desperate to hide his true identity from her, he sets off a chain reaction of play-acting, deception, and escalating stakes that could have deadly consequences.
‘Perfect Days’ (Hulu)
Japan’s pick for Best International Film at the 2024 Oscars, “Perfect Days” is a slice-of-life drama that piqued my interest from the first trailer. The film showcases Tokyo’s beauty and the joy in life’s simple pleasures through the almost ritual-like routine of Hirayama (Kōji Yakusho), a toilet cleaner in the city. He is a creature of habit, performing the same actions — working, watering his plants, photographing trees, reading himself to sleep — day in and day out.
Through a series of unexpected encounters, Hirayama’s past becomes clear, and so does the reason behind his humble life. “Perfect Days” has been a critical darling since its debut in May 2023 at the Cannes Film Festival, and it’s currently sitting at a 96% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics have particularly hailed Yakusho’s poignant performance, which won him the award for best actor at Cannes.
‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’ (PVOD)
The latest horror franchise to get the reboot treatment, “The Strangers: Chapter 1” revisits the home-invasion-turned-slasher formula that made the 2008 original a success. The first installment in a planned trilogy, the movie ignores the original (and its less-successful 2018 sequel) in favor of a new cast of characters, led by “Riverdale”’s Madelaine Petsch and “Teen Wolf” alumni Froy Gutierrez.
“The Strangers: Chapter 1” centers on a young couple (Petsch and Gutierrez) whose road trip turns into a nightmare. After car troubles leave them stranded at a remote cabin, they’re stalked by three masked assailants who have no apparent motive for terrorizing the couple and are relentless in their bloodlust. If you’re looking for cheap horror thrills, you’ll find plenty here, just be prepared to buckle in for some very wooden acting from the leads.
‘Mean Girls’ (Prime Video)
It’s a story you’ve heard before, just never quite like this. “Mean Girls” is an adaptation of the 2017 musical of the same name, which itself was based on the 2004 teen comedy that remains endlessly quotable to this day.
Angourie Rice stars as Cady Heron, a recent transfer student trying to navigate the jungle of American high school, while Reneé Rapp takes on the role of Regina George, the head of a clique of mean-spirited popular girls known as “The Plastics.” Cady infiltrates the group to take Regina down a peg, shenanigans ensue, and the rest of the story unfolds just as it did in the beloved teen comedy it’s based on — except with all the toe-tapping musical numbers and pizzazz of its Broadway adaptation.
‘Crazy Rich Asians’ (Netflix)
Who doesn’t love a little escapsim into the lives of the super-rich from time to time? “Crazy Rich Asians” is an adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s novel of the same name that sees Constance Wu star as Rachel Chu, an NYU professor whose boyfriend Nick (Henry Goulding) turns out to be (you guessed it) crazy rich.
She discovers this only after the couple is en route to Singapore for Nick’s friend’s wedding. What was meant to be a simple trip turns into a whole situation where everyone — including Nick’s mother, Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh) — is judging Rachel. Both hilarious and gorgeous, “Crazy Rich Asians” is one of the easiest movies to watch on this list. The supporting cast is also perfect, particularly Awkwafina as Rachel’s high-society instructor Peik Lin and Nico Santos as the self-proclaimed rainbow sheep of the family Oliver.
‘Am I OK?’ (Max)
After the trainwreck that was “Madame Web,” Dakota Johnson looks set to bounce back into the public’s good graces with “Am I OK?” — a self-discovery comedy-drama that made waves after its debut at the Sundance Film Festival. She stars as Lucy, a 32-year-old woman living in Los Angeles who, after a lifetime of crappy relationships with men, realizes she’s a lesbian.
While her best friend Jane (Sonoya Mizuno) is supportive, she’s also getting ready to move halfway around the world. So Lucy must learn to stand on her own and navigate the trials and tribulations of coming out later in life without the support system she’s come to rely upon. Directed by comedians Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne, “Am I OK?” is written by Lauren Pomerantz and based on her own life story, and that authenticity and vulnerability shine throughout.
Watch it now on Max
‘Under Paris’ (Netflix)
Shark movies are the hot trend right now as this week sees the premiere of both “No Way Up” on AMC Plus and “Under Paris” on Netflix. (Plus, “Something in the Water” swam into theaters last month.) Both new to streaming shark movies should delight anybody looking for a thriller that pits man against the ocean’s most deadly predator, but our pick is “Under Paris” because of its well-timed story, and the fact it’s on the more popular streaming service.
“Under Paris” is set in, you’ve guessed it, the French capital of Paris as the city prepares to host the World Triathlon Championships for the first time (perhaps a nod to Paris hosting the 2024 Olympic Games). But the international competition threatens to be ruined when Sophia (Bérénice Bejo), a brilliant scientist, discovers a large shark lurking in the Seine River. Joining forces with the police, Sophia must race against time to prevent a bloodbath and along the way also face her tragic past.
Watch it now on Netflix
