The Best New Movies to Stream This Week

Credit: Netflix - YouTube

This week's crop of (mostly) new movies that have hit streaming includes Orion and the Dark, a Netflix original cartoon for the proverbial "whole family"; and Dicks: The Musical, an R-rated musical comedy that's only for cool families. There's also horror-celebration X, criminally under-seen romantic comedy Shortcomings, and a couple of classics you should either watch or re-watch, depending on your situation in life.

Orion and the Dark (2024)

This animated Netflix original was written by Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation) so don’t expect a cookie cutter kiddie flick. Based on a children’s book by Emma Yarlett, the title character of Orion and the Dark is a shy elementary school kid who is afraid of just about everything, but his biggest fear is the dark. When the embodiment of darkness shows up, Orion will have to face his greatest nightmare and come to terms with darkness.

Where to stream: Netflix

Dicks: The Musical (2024)

Dicks takes the tropes of musical theater and gives them the South Park treatment by infusing a self-aware, cheesy set-up with provocative, for-adults comedy. Craig and Trevor are the dicks of the title, a couple of alpha male salesmen who decide they’re actually "fucking identical twins" even though they don't look alike. Their logical next move is to trick “their” parents into getting back together. It's like The Parent Trap, if the dad was gay. The cast includes Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, Bowen Yang, and Megan Thee Stallion, which really should be enough to earn your click.

Where to stream: Max

Shortcomings (2023)

I’m an indie comic book nerd, and Shortcomings caught my attention because it’s based on a graphic novel by Adrian Tomine, who also wrote the screenplay. Like Tomine’s comics, Shortcomings is all about subtlety and naturalism instead of bombast. It sets the tone through contrast by opening with a parody of Crazy Rich Asians, then settles into the lives of only-a-little-crazy, not-very-rich Asians Ben and Miko, who are trying to make their messy relationship work in San Francisco. If you like quiet, arthouse rom-coms, don’t miss Shortcomings. 

Where to stream: Netflix

Rolling Along: An American Story (2024)

American icon Bill Bradley tells his own story in documentary Rolling Along. Much of Rolling Along is composed of footage from Bradley’s one-man show in which he recounts his remarkable life. He was a hall-of-fame basketball player that led the Knicks to two championships. Then he turned to politics and was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served three terms and changed American life at least as much as he changed the sport of basketball. If you want hard-won wisdom from a guy who crammed at least three lifetimes into one, check out Rolling Along.

Where to stream: Max

A Ghost Story (2017)

If you're hoping for some mindless horror movie thrills, A Ghost Story is not the right choice. If you're looking for a dreamlike film about heartbreak and the passage of time, this is your jam. A Ghost Story has earned a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes for its deliberate pace, outstanding performances, and its willingness to take cinematic risks. It's strictly arthouse, but there is a ghost in it. The ghost wears the traditional "sheet with eyeholes cut in it" garb and is more like a representation of grief and loss than a traditional spirit, but still, a ghost is a ghost.

Where to stream: Max

X (2022)

If you want horror that's far from arthouse meditations on grief, skip A Ghost Story check out X instead. Director Ti West's ferociously violent and inventive movie proves that the slasher genre wasn't really dead. It was just waiting like Jason to leap out of the bottom of the lake and drag us to our deaths. Set in the 1970s at a farm being used as the set of porn a movie called "The Farmer's Daughter," X is delightfully sleazy and unapologetically violent, but it has a 94% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, so it's also good. Take that, A Ghost Story.

Where to stream: Netflix

The Elephant Man (1980)

This is one of the best movies ever made. In The Elephant Man, David Lynch tell the true story of John Merrick, a man with facial deformities so severe he can only survive by being exhibited as a freak in a London sideshow. Given a new life by idealistic surgeon Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins), Merrick is soon the toast of 1800s British society, but that's just a different kind of freak show. Lynch reigns in the excesses of his surrealistic cinema style to portray Merrick and Treves with sensitivity, grace, and humanity, but the Lynchian madness is still evident in The Elephant Man’s dream sequences, POV montages, and in the corners of every shot. If Merrick’s passionate defense of his dignity in the famous train station scene doesn’t make you cry, we probably shouldn’t be friends. 

Where to stream: Prime

From Beyond (1986)

Streaming’s insatiable hunger for content lets you watch movies you might otherwise never knew existed; if you were unaware that 1986’s From Beyond existed, here is your wake-up call. Directed by Stuart “Re-Animator” Gordon, From Beyond mixes Lovecraftian cosmic horror with creature effects from horror's “make it gooey” period, but it really shines because Gordon has a great eye and a unique, self-aware trash-cinema sense of humor.

Where to stream: Prime

Last week's picks

King Richard (2021)

In this sports biopic, Will Smith plays Richard Williams, father of tennis phenoms Venus and Serena Williams. Smith turns in one of the best performances of his career (and earned an Academy Award for Best Actor) as his daughters’ coach in this inspirational story that examines family, dedication, and the sacrifices that come from the pursuit of excellence.

Where to stream: Hulu

The Imitation Game (2014) 

In a role he was practically born for, Benedict Cumberbatch plays pioneering computer scientist Alan Turing in this historical thriller. Turing, along with a cadre of other cryptology nerds and outcasts, legit saved the world by cracking the Enigma Code during World War 2, and was rewarded with years of post-war persecution and abuse for being gay. The Imitation Game mostly sticks to the more exciting “we’ve gotta break the code!” part of Turing’s life story as opposed to his depressing later days.

Where to stream: Hulu

Astro Kid (2019)

Astro Kid proves that great CGI films can come from places other than Pixar or Illumination. This charming film comes from France, and its quieter style is nice contrast to over-amped American animation. The titular Astro Kid is Willy, a resourceful 10-year-old who is marooned on a distant planet with only a robot to keep him company. While it’s aimed at kids, parents will be delighted (or at least entertained) as well.

Where to stream: Prime (FreeVee)

The Other Zoey (2023)

A romantic comedy doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel, and The Other Zoey doesn’t try to. Instead, it focuses on hitting beats that have worked since Shakespeare did them (a meet-cute, mistaken identity, nothing-in-common-lovers, etc.) especially well. Genuinely witty dialogue, charismatic performances, and a breezy plot add up to a better-than-average rom-com.

Where to stream: Prime Video

Train to Busan (2016)

Train to Busan sets itself apart from the horde of zombie movies through its breakneck-pace, interesting setting—it takes place almost entirely on a train—and its surprisingly heartfelt emotional core. Busan uses the dead rising to explore capitalism, class, and the price of modernity, but you can ignore that if you want to simply enjoy a rip-roaring undead explosion instead.

Where to stream: Netflix

Shoplifters (2018)

Shoplifters examines the petty-criminal underworld of Japan through a family that survives via five-finger-discount, stealing what they need to get by in a cold world. Shoplifters’ life-on-the-margin characters are portrayed with rare compassion and humanity, leading to a conclusion that will stay with you long after the credits. 

Where to stream: Hulu

The Fight (2020)

The American Civil Liberties Union was busy during the Trump years. This documentary details some of the battles the ACLU fought during that time, following four overworked, idealistic attorneys on the forefront of protecting immigrants rights, trans rights, election integrity, and even the rights of white supremacists to hold rallies (the ACLU knife cuts both ways). It’s a fascinating look at the frontline of the fight for rights that you’ll find fascinating if you can deal with reliving those tumultuous days.

Where to stream: Hulu

Hail Satan? (2019)

If you're into documentaries about civil rights, why not make it a double feature and check out Hail Satan? This film explores the activities of The Satanic Temple, who use confrontational tactics to fight assaults on freedom of speech and the separation of Church and State. They also have a good time, because protecting our rights is way more fun with Satan.

Where to stream: Max

The King of Comedy (1983)

If you haven’t seen Martin Scorsese’s 1982 masterpiece The King of Comedy in a few years, revisit it tonight; it's even better on the second or twelfth viewing. An obvious inspiration for The Joker, The King of Comedy eviscerates celebrity culture and the American myth of “making it” through ingenuity and pluck. It’s not an uplifting movie, but it's unforgettable.

Where to stream: Hulu

Baby Driver (2017)

Baby Driver features car chases and heists that are twice as exciting as anything in any Fast and Furious movie and it’s smart and stylish, too. The Baby of the title is a savant at one thing: Driving. He works as the getaway driver for a gang of thieves, but Baby wants out. All that stands behind him and freedom is one last job. Spoiler: it doesn't go smoothly.

Where to stream: Prime (FreeVee)

Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

Forget Stephen King's It; Killer Klowns from Outer Space is the best murderous clown movie ever made. This made-for-the-cult-section horror comedy still holds up after all these years thanks to its over-the-top production design, inventive effects, and nutty story. If you’re a fan of movies that don’t take themselves too seriously, check out Killer Klowns.

Where to stream: Prime

Return to Seoul (2023)

Cambodian-French director Davy Chou explores and explodes widespread myths about identity and culture through main character Frédérique Benoît’s journey to Korea. Freddie (as she’s called) was born in Korea and adopted by a French family, and now she’s a 25-year-old traveler who casually ends up in a “homeland” she has little connection to. If you’re hoping for a standard “finding cultural and personal identity” story, this isn’t it; it’s way more nuanced and complex than that. 

Where to stream: Prime