5 best new movies to stream this weekend on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and more
We’re in the thick of summer, and I don’t know about you, but I’d rather stay in and enjoy some movies than get cooked by this heat outside. The best streaming services are making that decision even easier with tons of new films to keep you entertained. So say goodbye to sunblock and hello to that glorious, glorious AC!
Netflix is back with a double feature of original movies this week: the crime thriller “Night Always Comes,” which seems a surefire hit for fans of Tyler Perry’s “Straw,” and the raunchy R-rated animated comedy “Fixed.” Meanwhile, HBO Max has a more family-friendly adventure with “The Legend of Ochi,” and you can check out Ari Aster’s polarizing new Western comedy “Eddington” on paid video on-demand platforms. What’s caught my eye the most, though, is “It Feeds” on Hulu, a horror movie in the same vein as “It Follows” and “Insidious” that’ll probably haunt my nightmares for weeks.
So without further ado, let’s dive into the best new moves on streaming to add to your watchlist. If none of these strike your fancy, be sure to check out our guide to the top new TV shows this week, too.
‘Eddington’ (PVOD)
I wasn’t a fan of director Ari Aster’s last movie, “Beau is Afraid,” but his latest “Eddington” had a promising enough premise — a neo-Western dark comedy set within the early days of COVID-19 — to pique my interest. Plus it has Pedro Pascal, and who doesn’t love Pedro Pascal? While “Eddington” doesn’t reach the same heights as Aster’s early horror hits like “Hereditary” and “Midsommar,” I still enjoyed it well enough.
It’s a hilarious and unflinching reflection of the divisiveness tearing America apart that takes surprising care to humanize both sides. Either Joaquin Phoenix’s anti-mask sheriff Joe Cross or Pascal’s liberal mayor Ted Garcia could have easily devolved into caricature, but instead are painted as good-meaning though flawed people doing their best. Without getting into spoiler territory, my biggest gripe is how the third act takes a hard pivot toward horror, which it doesn’t really land, and ends things on a confusing note.
Buy or rent now on Prime Video or Apple
‘Fixed’ (Netflix)
Genndy Tartakovsky is the visionary animator behind shows like “Samurai Jack,” “Star Wars: Clone Wars,” and “Primal.” Netflix’s new animated comedy “Fixed” is his decades-long passion project realized.
But don’t mistake this for family-friendly entertainment just because it has cartoon dogs — “Fixed” earns its R rating with plenty of crude humor, sexual innuendo, and horny canine shenanigans. Think more “Fritz the Cat” than “All Dogs Go to Heaven.”
The story follows a mutt named Bull (Adam DeVine), who has a midlife crisis when he learns he’s scheduled to be neutered the next morning. Determined to go out with a bang instead of a whimper, he sets off with his friends, a boxer named Rocco (Idris Elba) and dachshund Fetch (Fred Armisen), on one last wild romp to sow his oats before he gets the snip.
It’s a doggie road trip film in the vein of “The Hangover” with the expressive animation of classic Looney Tunes, especially the work of Tex Avery.
Watch it now on Netflix
‘The Legend of Ochi’ (HBO Max)
For an actually family-friendly movie this weekend, Isaiah Saxon’s “The Legend of Ochi” is worth checking out instead. This A24 adventure whisks us away to a quiet village on the island of Carpathia, where Yuri (Helena Zengel), a young girl taught to fear the mysterious creatures known as Ochi, stumbles upon an injured baby that’s been left behind by his own kind. Determined to return him to his home, she sets off on a journey that changes her life forever.
Don’t be fooled by its cute critters, though. While it packs plenty of whimsy and wonder, “The Legend of Ochi” also goes to pretty dark places with some emotionally weighty moments, making it more suitable for older kiddos.
A middling 76% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes suggests it hasn’t won over everyone, though there’s been plenty of praise for the design of its titular creatures. The Ochis are brought to life through old-school puppetry rather than CGI, giving the film a retro charm that’ll take parents back to the (also weirdly dark) children’s movie staples of the ’80s and ’90s.
Watch it now on HBO Max
‘Night Always Comes’ (Netflix)
Netflix has been knocking it out of the park with its original movie lineup this summer, and its latest crime thriller “Night Always Comes” has all the makings of another standout hit. It’s giving me big “Straw” vibes.
Oscar nominee and “Fantastic Four” star Vanessa Kirby plays a woman in a race against time in a last-ditch effort to save her family’s home. The catch? She has just one night to come up with $25,000.
As the hours tick down, she hunts down old debts, clinging to the hope it’ll be enough to keep a roof over her family’s heads. New threats, old ghosts, and risky schemes threaten to break her in a compelling tale about the cost of security and the desperate extremes we’ll go to grasp it.
“Night Always Comes” also boasts a star-studded ensemble cast that includes Jennifer Jason Leigh, Julia Fox, and Michael Kelly.
Watch it now on Netflix
‘It Feeds’ (Hulu)
Horror movies so rarely get their due from critics that anytime one manages a solid score on Rotten Tomatoes, I tend to add it to my watchlist. That’s how “It Feeds” landed on my radar after earning an impressive 88%, and it looks like another winner in what’s already been a stellar year for horror movies.
The story follows Cynthia (Ashley Greene), a psychic psychiatrist struggling to raise her young daughter, Jordan (Ellie O’Brien) as she wrestles with her own demons. When a young girl (Shayelin Martin) bursts into their home, claiming a malevolent entity is feeding on her, it’s up to the mother-daughter duo to find a way to banish the entity before it completely consumes her.
“It Feeds” seems like a cross between “It Follows” and “Insidious,” which are two of my favorite horror movies, so this is definitely one worth checking out if that’s your taste.
Watch it now on Hulu
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