Club Benefits
After a stellar crop of top new movies landed across the best streaming services last week, this week's offering might look a little slimmer, but there's still plenty of great watches in the lineup. Hulu subscribers can look forward to a sweet watch featuring Brendan Fraser and Harris Dickinson's feature directorial debut, while HBO Max is due to board an icy thriller with Emma Thompson.
Plus, there's a strong selection of movies due to hit Premium Video On-Demand storefronts this week, too, including Park Chan-wook's hilarious thriller, "No Other Choice." I've rounded up all the best films that need to be on your radar this week below.
Article continues belowTitle | Genre | Streaming location | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
"28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" | Horror | PVOD | Out now |
"Dead of Winter" | Thriller | HBO Max | Feb. 20 |
"Firebreak" | Drama | Netflix | Feb. 20 |
"No Other Choice" | Black comedy/thriller | PVOD | Out now |
"Rental Family" | Comedy/drama | Hulu | Out now |
"The Choral" | Drama | PVOD | Out now |
"The Dreadful" | Medieval horror | PVOD | Feb. 20 |
"The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants" | Family adventure | Paramount+ | Out now |
"Urchin" | Comedy/drama | Hulu | Out now |
'28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' (PVOD)
One of the best picks this week would be "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple," which had its digital premiere on Feb. 17. Nia DaCosta's follow-up to last year's "28 Years Later" brings us back into the action for a brutal follow-up that finds Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) striking up a new relationship with potentially world-changing consequences.
Meanwhile, young Spike (Alfie Williams) finds himself trapped in a whole other waking nightmare after his chance encounter with Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell) and his sadistic, tracksuit-clad followers in the closing moments of the previous film. "The Bone Temple" serves as a visceral reminder that, while the Infected still roam the land, the depravity of some of the remaining human survivors is altogether more terrifying...
Watch "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" on PVOD now
'Dead of Winter' (HBO Max)
Brian Kirk's stark psychological thriller takes us to northern Minnesota for a tense, taut watch that puts Emma Thompson's grieving widow, Barb, through the wringer.
Barb sets out to fulfill her husband's last request — to have his ashes scattered in Lake Hilda, where the pair had their first date — but she's forced to detour when a snowstorm hits while she's en route. There, Barb makes a shocking discovery: a desperate couple (Judy Greer and Marc Menchaca) has imprisoned a terrified young woman (Laurel Marsden). That discovery pushes our unlikely hero into the limelight in a desperate fight to ensure the girl's (and her own) survival.
Watch "Dead of Winter" on HBO Max from Feb. 20
'Firebreak' (Netflix)
While "The Night Agent" season 3 is Netflix's big new release of the week, "Firebreak" could well be another worthy addition to your radar. This is a new Spanish-language original helmed by David Victori that the streamer bills as a "high-tension psychological thriller," and it deals with secrets, family drama, and a raging inferno out in the woods.
"Firebreak" introduces us to Mara (Belén Cuesta), who heads on one last trip to the family summer home with her daughter, Lide (Candela Martínez), her brother-in-law and his wife, and their son, following the death of Mara's husband. The trip should have been a simple goodbye to the property, but it's turned on its head when Lide vanishes, just before a wildfire breaks out in the forest.
Watch "Firebreak" on Netflix from Feb. 20
'No Other Choice' (PVOD)
I still can't comprehend how Park Chan-wook's black comedy/thriller "No Other Choice" got zero nods from The Academy; It feels like a real injustice that such a brilliantly entertaining romp got snubbed so hard. The least I can do is recommend that you all stream it this week now that it's available on PVOD storefronts.
"No Other Choice" introduces us to a hard-working, middle-class family man called Man-su (Lee Byung-hun). After spending decades of his life as a loyal employee of a paper company, he's abruptly laid off amid a corporate takeover. While struggling to make his next career move, he hatches a desperate plan to land the perfect gig: find and eliminate his top competition. It's possibly the best choice on this list.
Watch "No Other Choice" on PVOD now
'Rental Family' (Hulu)
Hikari's "Rental Family" is a feel-good story about human connection set in modern-day Tokyo, and it's coming to Hulu this week. In it, we meet Phil (Brendan Fraser), an American actor who is struggling to find purpose until he lands an unusual new gig as part of a Japanese "rental family" agency, playing stand-in roles for lonely strangers.
As he commits to his new roles and immerses himself in his clients' worlds, Fraser's actor starts to form some genuine bonds, ones that blur the lines between the professional and personal realm. "Rental Family" is a sweet, warm-hearted watch that should fit the bill if you're in the mood for a fuzzy feeling this week.
Watch "Rental Family" on Hulu from Feb. 18
'The Choral' (PVOD)
Nicholas Hytner's historical drama "The Choral" takes us back in time to Britain in 1916. While war rages on the Western Front, the Choral Society committee of Ramsden, Yorkshire, decides to recruit local men to bolster its ranks (after losing most of its men to the military).
They're also searching for a new choirmaster, and settle on engaging Dr. Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes). Driven and demanding, Guthrie seems to be their best bet... even if the committee suspects he has something to hide. Boasting a strong central turn from Fiennes and a screenplay from the celebrated English playwright and screenwriter, Alan Bennett, "The Choral" could be perfect for anyone looking for a period piece this week.
Watch "The Choral" on PVOD now
'The Dreadful' (PVOD)
In the mood for more horror this week? Natasha Kermani's "The Dreadful" is pitched as a "chilling Gothic tale" that could fit the bill. This new arrival (which hits theaters and PVOD storefronts this week) reunites "Game of Thrones" stars Sophie Turner and Kit Harington for a new tale that takes us back in time to medieval England.
There, we meet Anne and her domineering mother-in-law, Morwen, who are struggling to survive on the outskirts of society. When a man from Anne's past returns from the war, a curse begins to take shape through a mysterious knight and threatens to destroy them all.
Watch "The Dreadful" on PVOD from Feb. 20
'The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants' (Paramount+)
Need something to entertain the whole family this week? SpongeBob's latest big-screen adventure is splashing down on Paramount+ this week, and it should fit the bill.
"Search for SquarePants" sees everyone's favorite sponge heading off on a quest to prove his "Big Guy" bravery to Mr. Krabs. How? By following the mysterious swashbuckling ghost pirate, The Flying Dutchman, on a seafaring adventure that takes him on an adventure way down to the deepest depths of the ocean.
Watch "The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants" on Paramount+ now
'Urchin' (Hulu)
"Babygirl" star (and soon-to-be John Lennon in Sam Mendes four-part Beatles biopic project) Harris Dickinson made his feature directorial debut with the drama "Urchin" last year, and this acclaimed, empathic British drama is set to land on Hulu later this week.
"Urchin" introduces us to Mike (Frank Dillane), a man who has spent five years sleeping rough on the streets of London and trapped in a cycle of self-destruction while trying to turn his life around. He's juggling the rush of a fresh start with his past.
Watch "Urchin" on Hulu from Feb. 17
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