Club Benefits
This week's slate of top new movies on the best streaming services is all about thrillers. There's not one, not two, but three thrillers arriving across platforms, alongside a sci-fi horror taking a different approach to PVOD.
Thriller fans can pick from "Fuze" on premium streaming, "Shelter" on Starz and "Dead Man's Wire" on Netflix. Or, if you want something very different, HBO Max has Charli XCX's mockumentary, "The Moment." Plus, Markiplier's popular sci-fi horror "Iron Lung" makes its at-home premiere on YouTube.
I've combed through the latest streaming releases and picked out the most noteworthy new movies you can watch this week. And if you're not in the mood for a movie, check out our weekly guide to the top new TV shows.
Title | Genre | Streaming location | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
"Fuze' | Crime thriller | PVOD | May 26 |
"Dead Man's Wire" | Thriller | Netflix | May 26 |
"The Moment" | Mockumentary | HBO Max | May 29 |
"Shelter" | Action thriller | Starz | May 30 |
"Iron Lung" | Sci-fi horror | YouTube | May 31 |
‘Fuze’ (PVOD)
One of my favorite movies last year, “Relay,” came from director David Mackenzie, and barely six months later, the Scottish filmmaker is already back with another crime thriller in the form of “Fuze.” Unfortunately, this one doesn’t quite reach the same intense highs, but it’s still got its merits. It also centers on an audacious heist, which is always fertile ground for a thriller, and while I won’t reveal spoilers, I can confirm there’s a neat twist towards the end.
Set in London, a portion of the city is forced to evacuate when an unexploded World War II bomb is discovered on a construction site. Among the military squad called in to defuse the bomb is Major Will Tranter (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). However, in the chaos, a group of criminals led by a man named Karalis (Theo James) uses the evacuation as a distraction to pull off a bank heist. But as the authorities circle, alliances are questioned and morals tested.
Watch on Prime Video (buy/rent) from May 26
‘Dead Man’s Wire’ (Netflix)
Fans of the thriller genre are spoilt for choice this week. However, if you don’t want to cough up a rental fee to watch “Fuze,” why not consider “Dead Man’s Wire,” which is dropping on Netflix this Wednesday. This crime thriller is particularly interesting because it’s based on a true story. And with its “little guy vs. big business” themes, it feels more than a little relevant for our current climate, even despite the movie actually being set in the ‘70s.
Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgård) is a desperate and dangerous man who feels wronged by his mortgage broker. After being given the runaround one too many times, he resorts to extreme measures. He takes the CEO’s son hostage and places a homemade “dead man’s switch” around his neck. This leads to an intense standoff. The police quickly surround Kiritsis’ apartment, but are unable to act because if Kiritsis is harmed or apprehended, the device will go off and deliver a lethal shotgun blast to his hostage.
Watch on Netflix from May 26
‘The Moment’ (HBO Max)
Pop documentaries and concert movies are back in vogue recently, post the juggernaut success of Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour. However, “The Moment” is a little different. It’s a mockumentary starring Charli XCX that serves as a warped epilogue to the “Brat Summer” phenomenon, which saw the popstar's global fame skyrocket. Rather than just filming a night of her tour, Charli XCX has created an experimental mockumentary.
Charli XCX, real name Charlotte Aitchison, plays a distorted version of herself. “The Moment” picks up at the tail end of the “Brat Summer,” with Charli’s fame at its apex. Forced to comply with label demands, mounting pressure and fan expectations, while starting rehearsals for the biggest tour to date, this fictional version of the popular artist considers whether staying on top of the cutthroat pop game is worth losing yourself in the process.
Watch on HBO Max from May 29
‘Shelter’ (Starz)
“Shelter” is yet another thriller (see what I mean about genre fans eating good this week?). This one hit theaters back in January and is now heading to Starz. It stars Jason Statham and falls comfortably with the British actor's usual routine. It’s not exactly the most memorable entry in his filmography and lacks the cheesy charms of say “The Beekeeper.” However, it delivers exactly what it promises: Statham kicking plenty of butt and acting tough.
Statham plays a former MI6 assassin who has left behind his old life to live a peaceful existence off the grid on a remote Scottish island. His solitude is disrupted when he takes in a young girl (Bodhi Rae Breathnach) after her uncle is killed at sea in a violent storm. When his former employers learn of his location, they mount a mission to eliminate him, and so Statham’s Michael Mason is forced to go on the run and slip back into his old habits.
Watch on Starz from May 30
‘Iron Lung’ (YouTube)
“Iron Lung” marks the directorial debut of Mark “Markiplier” Fischbach, and the popular YouTuber has opted to stick to his roots, initially rolling out his sci-fi horror exclusively on YouTube. However, it’s hitting the video sharing platform as a premium product, so you’ll have to pay a rental/purchase fee. Still, it’s a unique way of debuting a new release on streaming, and I expect Markiplier’s army of subscribers (his channel boasts 38.6 million of them) will flock to support this film, much like they did when it was in theaters.
Based on the indie video game of the same name, “Iron Lung” is set in a distant future where all stars, planets, and most of the human population have vanished. Only those on space stations survived. When a remaining moon, covered in an ocean of blood, is discovered, the remnants of humanity send convicts to the depths in a claustrophobic submarine. Simon (played by Fischbach) is the latest survivor forced to pilot a craft to discover exactly what horrors lurk within the vast ocean of human blood.
Watch on YouTube from May 31
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