This week’s slate of top new movies has been set, and it’s pretty thin for new arrivals on the best streaming services. However, Netflix is picking up the slack with two offerings for subscribers, and there are several strong picks on premium platforms.
The biggest newcomer of the week is “The End of Oak Street,” a sci-fi dinosaur-centric adventure that pays tribute to classic Spielberg movies that dominated the 80s and 90s. But if you don’t want to fork out a rental fee, Netflix has a coming-of-age comedy set in the world of college dance competition, and a new disaster flick that stars the one and only RuPaul.
If you want to add some new movies to your watchlist this week, I’ve picked out the most noteworthy arrivals across platforms. And we have a guide to the top new TV shows, too.
‘The End of Oak Street’ (PVOD)
Finding a great dinosaur movie that isn’t part of the “Jurassic Park” franchise (and that isn’t an animated family flick) is surprisingly tough, but “The End of Oak Street” was heralded by some critics as the best dino-centric film since Steven Spielberg's ‘90s classic. It holds a strong 86% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and while it underwhelmed at the box office, this prehistoric adventure will surely hope to receive a warmer reception on digital streaming.
Set in the 1980s, it sees an unexplained cosmic event transport a Michigan suburb back millions of years to a time when dinosaurs roamed the land. Caught up in the chaos are the Platt family, led by a husband and wife (Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway) heading for divorce. To survive in this hostile environment, the family needs to pull together. A clear tribute to the movies of the 80s/90s, particularly Spielberg's own beloved works, “The End of Oak Street” is exciting and nostalgic in equal measure.
Watch on Prime Video (buy/rent) from September 15
‘Finding Emily’ (PVOD)
“Finding Emily” is my favorite new romantic comedy of the year (so far), and the perfect watch this week if you need a charming film that will make you smile by the end. Its story is very predictable, but with likeable characters, good-natured comedy and a great soundtrack, the lack of narrative subversion isn’t a problem. This is a lovely feel-good watch.
Owen (Spike Fearn) works at a student bar in Manchester, England; here he meets Emily and becomes convinced he’s just experienced love at first sight. However, when the number she gave him turns out to be missing a digit, he goes on a city-wide quest to find her. Along for the ride is an American psychology student (Angourie Rice), also named Emily, who is planning to use Owen’s plight as part of her final college assignment.
Watch on Prime Video (buy/rent) from September 15
‘Tony’ (PVOD)
I went into “Tony” knowing almost nothing about Anthony Bourdain. As a Brit, my cooking show diet was dominated by Gordon Rasmey and Jamie Oliver. However, it speaks to “Tony’s” quality that I found myself warming to this coming-of-age comedy-drama set over a transformative summer that Bourdain spent working in the touristy Provincetown. Its smaller scope, focusing on a small portion of his life, makes this movie cozy.
Opening in 1975, a young Anthony Bourdain (Dominic Sessa) travels to Massachusetts in pursuit of his high school love interest, Nancy (Emilia Jones). Taking a job as a dishwasher at a quaint eatery owned by a former renowned chef (Antonio Banderas), Tony spends the summer learning a lot about working in a restaurant and picking up plenty of life lessons along the way. Sessa is great as Bourdian, with Banderas and Leo Woodall serving up complementary support.
Watch on Prime Video (buy/rent) from September 15
‘It Ends’ (PVOD)
Perhaps 2026 is the year of the road horror movies; we already got “Passengers” in the spring, which saw a couple tormented by a sinister entity while on the open road, and now “It Ends” is heading to premium streaming this week, which similarly charts spooky events on a highway. This Alexander Ullom movie was briefly available to rent last December, but now it’s returning to streaming platforms in time for Halloween.
“It Ends” opens with a group of recent college graduates taking a late-night drive. This turns into a never-ending odyssey as the road ahead stretches on forever. There’s no way to turn off, and they never reach a junction; all that’s in front of them is a road that appears to go on infinitely. If this mysterious tarmac purgatory wasn’t bad enough, things get even more disturbing when unsettling cosmic horrors emerge.
Watch on Prime Video (buy/rent) from September 15
‘Best of the Best’ (Netflix)
Netflix’s new original movie “Best of the Best” is about competing in a high-stakes collegiate tournament, but it’s not rooted in college football or basketball; instead, it centers on a Bollywood-fusion dance team. This rarely explored space could help the movie stand out in the crowded sports genre, and it’s described as a film about sisterhood, friendship, and self-acceptance,” by Hasan Minhaj, who plays a professor in the movie.
“Never Have I Ever’s” Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Priyanka Kedia star as two childhood best friends who join the UCLA Bollywood-fusion dance team. As they head for the US championships, they discover the competition is a lot fiercer than expected. It looks like a celebration of Bollywood and finding your culture and community. Hopefully it can break Netflix’s current original movie cold streak, as many of the streamer’s recent film efforts have been very poor.
Watch on Netflix starting September 18
‘Goody Goody’ (Shudder)
Halloween is on the horizon, and no streaming service loves this time of year more than Shudder, a platform dedicated to horror movies. It always prepares a packed seasonal slate, and for 2026 that includes “Goody Goody,” which takes something already pretty scary (childbirth) and twists it even further into a sinister nightmare full of shocking moments.
The movie centers on a home birth that goes seriously wrong when complications arise, and a raging blizzard outside prevents further help from arriving. Written and directed by Raymond Creamer, and starring Samantha Robinson, Colleen Foy, Zoe Renee and Colby Hollman. It’s a low-budget horror, like many Shudder Originals, but if you’re already feeling the Halloween spirit, check it out on Shudder on Friday (Sept. 18).
Watch on Shudder starting September 18
‘Stop! That! Train!’ (Netflix)
“Stop! That! Train!” was another movie that failed to spark much interest in theaters. Even with its relatively modest $12M budget, it was unable to recoup production costs. However, don’t make the same mistake twice and skip it again. This action-comedy received rave reviews and features RuPaul! It deserves a second chance to find a larger audience, and its arrival on Netflix gives it the perfect platform to get a second wind.
Tess (Ginger Minj) and DeeDee (Jujubee) are best friends working as train stewardesses for failing business Stank Rail. When they sneak onto the swanky Glamazonian Express, a catastrophic storm threatens to derail the train and see it crash into Los Angeles. Joining forces with the snobby first-class attendants and with the president aboard (RuPaul), these underdogs must save the day in a movie that blends camp and comedy.
Watch on Netflix starting September 20
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