This week's slate of top new movies across the biggest streaming services has been confirmed, and after taking last week off, the most popular players, Netflix and Prime Video, return with fresh flicks for subscribers.
The headliner this week looks to be Netflix's new original thriller, "The Whisper Man," which combines a strong cast with a gripping plot. Other notable new movies include a sun-soaked romantic drama on Prime Video and a historical epic on Hulu, which made (unwanted) history of its own after the $150 million movie became a record-setting box office flop.
To save you from scrolling through endless streaming service libraries, I've rounded up the most noteworthy new arrivals across platforms. And if you fancy some binge-watching, here are the top new TV shows this week.
‘Her Private Hell’ (PVOD)
“Her Private Hell” is the first feature from “Drive” director Nicolas Winding Refn in a decade. Its critical reception was pretty much exactly what you’d expect from a new Winding Refn movie. In short, some critics thought it was a bold surreal trip, and others labeled it a tacky, pretentious disaster. A decade may have passed, but clearly some things never change!
Starring Sophie Thatcher and Charles Melton, it centers on a troubled young woman (Thatcher) searching for her absentee father in a neon-drenched futuristic metropolis. Her search leads her to an American G.I. (Melton), who is on his own quest to rescue his daughter from hell. Expect stunning visuals and bizarre narrative quirks. This one won't convert those not already attuned to NWR’s frequency, but dedicated fans will love it.
Watch on Prime Video (buy/rent) starting August 25
‘Motor City’ (PVOD)
It’s a strong week for experimental movies, because “Motor City” may be an action-thriller, but it attempts to do something a little different in the genre. The hook here is that director Potsy Ponciroli's new picture has very minimal dialogue. Instead, the pulpy action and rock-heavy soundtrack does the talking. The movie stars “Reacher” lead Alan Ritchson, alongside Ben Foster, Pablo Schreiber, Lionel Boyce and Shailene Woodley.
Set in 1970s Detroit, Vietnam War veteran John Miller (Ritchson) is on the warpath after a local gangster, Reynolds (Foster), frames him for a crime he didn’t commit and steals his girlfriend, Sophia (Woodley). Sentenced to 25 years in prison, Miller breaks out of incarceration and, with nothing left to lose, embarks on an epic odyssey for revenge.
Watch on Prime Video (buy/rent) starting August 25
‘The Last Sunrise’ (Prime Video)
Summer is drawing to a close, but there’s still time for one last sun-soaked escape in Prime Video’s new romantic drama “The Last Sunrise.” Adapted from Anna Todd’s novel of the same name (which only hit bookshelves last spring), it stars Maia Reficco and Fernando Lindez as two extremely attractive people who fall in love in an equally beautiful location.
Ry (Maia Reficco) is an American student dealing with a chronic illness. Heading to Mallorca for the summer with her overprotective mother (Eva Longoria), she finds an unexpected romance with a local, Julián (Fernando Lindez). The pair promise to live in the moment, but as Ry’s condition worsens and family secrets surface, this passionate summer of love could come to an early end. It all sounds like predictable fodder for the genre.
Watch on Prime Video starting August 26
‘Desert Warrior’ (Hulu)
“Desert Warrior” is one for the morbidly curious. This $150 million historical epic starring Anthony Mackie was made in hopes of revitalizing the Saudi Arabian film industry. After a tough production and a post-production period that reportedly saw director Rupert Wyatt temporarily step back before returning, it was released on the big screen in April and grossed less than $1 million, making it one of the biggest box office bombs in history.
Curious to know if it deserved to bomb? Then its arrival on Hulu is your chance. Set in 7th-century Arabia, a princess (Aiysha Hart) defies the wishes of the ruthless Emperor Kisra (Ben Kingsley) and, with the help of a legendary bandit, Hanzala (Mackie), unites the region's warring tribes to take a stand against the ruler, culminating in the Battle of Ze Qar.
Watch on Hulu starting August 28
‘The Whisper Man’ (Netflix)
Netflix is capping off its summer original slate with one of my most anticipated streaming movies of the year, “The Whisper Man.” Based on Alex North’s novel, it’s a crime thriller with a strong cast. It features Adam Scott, Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan and Michael Keaton, and while the jury is still out on its quality, the premise sounds very promising.
Tom Kennedy (Scott) is a widowed crime author whose real life starts to mirror one of the stories from his books when his 8-year-old son is abducted. Desperate for help, he turns to his estranged father, a retired police detective (De Niro). The already bleak situation gets even darker when a connection to a decades-old convicted serial killer, dubbed The Whisper Man, is unearthed.
Watch on Netflix starting August 28
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