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Looking to settle in with a good movie? Me too. That’s why I’ve pored over the release schedules of major streaming services to bring you the best original and new-to-streaming movies you can watch right now.
The choices are a bit thin this week; maybe everyone else is clearing the decks for the release of Zack Snyder’s space opera Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver. If space opera’s not your speed, I’ve rounded up a diverse selection of not-exactly-new movies you’ll (probably) like, including Migration, a perfectly adequate kid-flick, the elevated horror and searing social commentary of Men, and Cruising, a critically panned Al Pacino vehicle from 1980 that deserves a second look.
Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver
The climax of Zack Snyder’s epic science fiction story promises a breakneck pace, larger-than-a-galaxy action sequences, and heroic characters battling impossible odds with everything on the line. Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver continues the story of Kora and her surviving allies as they face off against Admiral Atticus Noble and the Imperium legion. With the collective force of the Realm gathered to destroy them, this rag-tag band of rebels mounts a last stand to free the villagers of Veldt. In other words, it’s rip-roaring space adventure.
Where to stream: Netflix
An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th
This HBO original documentary digs into the story of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, detailing not just the tragic explosion on April 19, but the massive FBI investigation that followed, and the seething underground of anti-government conspiracy theorists and hate-mongers who inspired Timothy McVeigh to commit mass murder.
Where to stream: Max
Men (2022)
The monster in this “elevated horror” film is men—not a particular group of men, but men in general. From this provocative premise, director Alex Garland builds a creepy, disturbing narrative that explores the cultural and historical roots of misogyny through the victimization of the film’s main character, Harper Marlowe (played by Jessie Buckley). In a stroke of genius, all the men in the movie (but one) are played by the incredibly talented Rory Kinnear, because men are all basically the same.
Where to stream: Max
Lisa Frankenstein (2024)
Mixing multiple genres is a notoriously difficult cinematic feat, but Lisa Frankenstein blends horror, dark comedy, gore, romance, and a coming-of-age story, sets it in the 1980s, and doesn’t seem to break a sweat. Written by Diablo Cody and directed by Zelda Williams, Lisa Frankenstein stars Kathryn Newton in the title role, a golden-age goth chick who falls in love with a corpse payed by Cole Sprouse. In keeping with the “Frankenstein” name, Lisa’s dead crush doesn’t remain in the grave for long, setting up an unlikely romance that’s funny, weird, gross, and surprisingly touching.
Where to stream: Peacock
Migration (2023)
Migration is a colorful kid-flick from Illumination that tells the story of a family of ducks migrating from New England to Jamaica for the winter. Kumail Nanjiani and Elizabeth Banks voice the parents of the Mallard family, who just want to guide their two children south safely, but, like a duck version of National Lampoon’s Vacation, everything on the journey goes comically wrong, especially when they end up in New York City. Migration is perfectly produced, mildly amusing, and fast-paced without being exhausting. The cast is excellent, with Awkwafina, Danny DeVito, Keegan-Michael Key, and Carol Kane all voicing various wildlife. Plus, it’s over in less than 90 minutes. What more can you ask from a kids’ movie?
Where to stream: Peacock
Cruising (1980)
If you’re a classic cinema fan, check out William Friedkin’s Cruising, a hidden treasure on the Criteria Channel (while you’re there, check out literally any movie on the Criterion Channel). A thriller set in New York’s gay S&M scene in the 1970s, Cruising was notorious when it was released, and was rejected by audiences and critics alike. But the passage of time has revealed a gritty, intense, psychological thriller featuring a nuanced and enigmatic performance from Al Pacino as a cop who goes undercover to catch a serial killer and discovers things about himself instead.
Where to stream: Criterion Channel
Last week’s picks
What Jennifer Did
In this true-crime doc, a Vietnamese immigrant couple is brutally slain in their home, leaving investigators baffled. The sole survivor of the crime, the couple’s daughter Jennifer, lays the blame on masked intruders on a rampage, but there’s something suspicious about her account. What Jennifer Did digs deeply into this shocking crime through interrogation footage of Jennifer and interviews with the people involved, revealing a story with unexpected twists, baffling motives, and a most unlikely perpetrator.
Where to stream: Netflix
The Greatest Hits
The Greatest Hits is a different kind of time travel movie. It doesn’t concern itself with the paradoxes of temporal dislocation or the science behind time machines. Instead, it’s a magical realist take on the genre, in which time travel is used to explore memory, grief, and redemption. Lucy Boynton plays Harriet, who is able to travel backwards in time when she hears music that played when her boyfriend was alive, but she can only stay in the past for the length of the song. Romantic time travel movies are always amazing and Greatest Hits is a worthy addition to the tiny cinematic sub-genre.
Where to stream: Hulu
Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion
I don’t know if you’re aware, but there is a dark side to the fashion industry. Brandy Hellville & The Cult of Fast Fashion tells the story of a fun, flashy fashion brand that was once extremely popular with teen and tween girls, taking viewers behind-the-scenes at the Brandy Mellville company, which turns out to be a scummy cesspit of racism and sexual exploitation. The doc then goes deeper and broader with commentary on the environmental and societal devastation that fast fashion factories can bring to the places where they’re located.
Where to stream: Apple TV
Unlocked: A Jail Experiment
This documentary tells the fascinating story of a radical experiment conducted in an Arkansas jail. Faced with deteriorating conditions, mistreatment of prisoners, and a high recidivism rate, Sheriff Eric Higgins ordered all the cell doors opened and gave the prisoners the authority to make decisions about how the jail should be run. The goal was to see whether autonomy would result in a greater sense of community, a more humane lock-up, and fewer accused criminals returning to the clink. Check out Unlocked: A Jail Experiment to see how well it worked.
Where to stream: Netflix
Blind Date Book Club
The Hallmark Channel might churn out made-for-TV movies on a production line schedule that rivals Henry Ford’s, but with Blind Date Book Club, standardization and repetition results in a romantic comedy as reliable as a Model T. Erin Krakow and Robert Buckley aren’t likely to blow anyone’s doors off as the leads in this story about love in a Nantucket book shop, but they’re nice people who are good for each other (even if they don’t realize when they first meet). If you’re looking for a genial, well-made, smart-but-not-challenging romance flick, baby, you have found the source.
Streaming on: Peacock