Club Benefits
This week’s selection of new movies across the best streaming services has been set, and while it’s far from the most packed slate of arrivals in 2026 so far, there’s still plenty to add to your watchlist.
My personal top pick of the week is “Hallow Road” on Hulu. This dark thriller was so effective that I was tempted to sleep with a nightlight on for a few days after watching. Meanwhile, fans of body-swapping comedies are spoilt for choice, with both Pixar’s “Hoppers” and Netflix’s “Swapped” streaming this week. Oh, and the divisive "Wuthering Heights” comes to HBO Max.
I’ve looked through all the new movies hitting streaming this week and picked out what I believe to be the five most noteworthy newcomers over the coming days. Meanwhile, if you’re more of a binge-watcher, check out our companion guide to top new TV shows this week.
Article continues belowTitle | Genre | Streaming location | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
"Hoppers" | Animated comedy | PVOD | April 28 |
"Exit 8" | Psychological horror | PVOD | April 28 |
"Swapped" | Animated comedy | Netflix | May 1 |
"Wuthering Heights" | Romantic drama | HBO Max | May 1 |
"Hallow Road" | Dark thriller | Hulu | May 1 |
‘Hoppers’ (PVOD)
Pixar’s latest animated adventure sticks pretty closely to the Disney-owned studio’s well-established script, but it’s enjoyable nevertheless. It also boasts some of Pixar’s highest-quality animation to date, with a cast of furry characters who seem intentionally designed to sell plush toys (naturally, plushes are available on Amazon). As you would expect from Pixar, “Hoppers” is a great pick if you're planning a family movie night this week.
Mabel Tanaka (Pipe Curda) is a strong-willed, environmentally conscious student, battling to keep a nearby forest glade protected after the town’s mayor (Jon Hamm) announces a plan to convert the green space into a highway. When she learns local scientists have found a way for human consciousness to “hop” into the body of a robotic animal, she transfers her mind into a beaver and leads an animal revolution to save the glade.
Watch on Prime Video (buy/rent) starting April 28
‘Exit 8’ (PVOD)
I might be a highly opinionated film fan, but I’m able to put my personal feelings aside when it's clear I'm in the minority. Take “Exit 8,” this new psychological horror-thriller is a critical darling, scoring 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, and most viewers agree, also rating it highly at 87% on the review aggregate site. So, while I personally found it quite unsatisfying in theaters, there are clearly plenty of people out there who disagree. So, I’d be remiss to exclude it here just because of my less-than-favorable opinion.
Based on the indie video game of the same name, “Exit 8” takes the foundation of its source material — being trapped in a looping series of subway tunnels — and expands on it, giving a video game without a story a full-fleshed narrative and proper characters. The movie follows a nameless protagonist (Kazunari Ninomiya) who becomes stuck in a looping nightmare and must identify a series of anomalies to escape purgatory.
Watch on Prime Video (buy/rent) starting April 28
‘Swapped’ (Netflix)
If “Hoppers” wasn’t enough animal-themed body-swapping hijinks for you in a single week, then Netflix has the perfect movie for a double-feature: “Swapped.” Produced in collaboration with Skydance Animation, this Netflix original boasts a solid voice cast including recent Oscar-winner Michael B. Jordan, “Ted Lasso” star Juno Temple, and “30 Rock’s” own Tracy Morgan. I’m not convinced that it’ll hit the same emotional highs as “Hoppers’”, but it could be just the colorful distraction you need to keep little ones happy.
Set in a lush valley, it centers on two sworn enemies: a small woodland mammal named Ollie (B. Jordan) and a majestic bird named Ivy (Temple). After encountering a magical planet, these two creatures swap bodies and must learn to see things from a very different perspective. What follows is described as “the adventure of a lifetime” as they find some common ground, attempt to help their woodland friends, and try to switch back.
Watch on Netflix starting May 1
‘Wuthering Heights’ (HBO Max)
Emerald Fennell’s spin on Emily Brontë’s legendary “Wuthering Heights” is one of the more controversial movies of 2026 so far. Accused in some corners of turning the tragic novel into an imitation of “50 Shades of Grey,” it’s not a movie for book purists. However, it does boast stunning, highly atmospheric cinematography and a pair of impossibly attractive leads in A-listers Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. It might just get you swooning.
Set against the backdrop of the Yorkshire moors, Cathy (Robbie) and Heathcliff (Elordi) meet as children and become inseparable companions. Their relationship flips between tender and toxic, and as they reach adulthood, they might just be torn apart once and for all. Opting for a style-over-substance approach, Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” is all heartache all of the time. However, in its melodramatic effort to capture intense yearning, much of the story’s nuance and impact is stripped away.
Watch on HBO Max starting May 1
‘Hallow Road’ (Hulu)
“Hallow Road” ranked in my top 10 favorite movies of 2025, and considering I saw more than 110 movies on the big screen last year, that speaks to just how much this psychological thriller had me on edge. It’s a truly chilling trip, and one of those movies that will spooked but unable to look away. If you can handle the intensity, “Hallow Road” is a must-watch thrill ride.
Starring Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys, “Hallow Road” is eerie and unsettling. It centers on a husband and wife driving along dark country roads to find their daughter after she’s involved in a car accident. Set almost entirely within the confines of a claustrophobic car, the twisting narrative is terrifying, and the tension is cranked up to anxiety-inducing levels. It all comes to a head in a chilling finale that will stay with you.
Watch on Hulu starting May 1
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