Television's biggest night is back this weekend with the 77th Emmy Awards, but movie fans can still find plenty of great new releases across the best streaming services to enjoy. This week's highlights come on popular platforms like Netflix, HBO Max, Prime Video, and more — and there's bound to be something that'll answer what to watch next.
My most anticipated release this week is "Weapons," Zach Cregger's twisty new horror movie that just landed on paid video-on-demand platforms. If you're in the mood for something a little lighter, Netflix has a new cheesy rom-com starring Miranda Cosgrove, "The Wrong Paris" and Jack Quaid's wince-inducing thriller "Novocaine" is new to Prime Video.
‘Weapons’ (PVOD)
One of the most anticipated releases of the summer, Zach Cregger’s horror-thriller "Weapons," has arrived on PVOD just in time for spooky season. This genre-bending wild ride unfolds in a small Pennsylvania community where 17 children from the same third-grade class all mysteriously disappear at once, save one student: Alex Lilly (Cary Christopher).
Naturally, suspicion initially falls on the children's teacher, Justine Gandy (Julia Garner), who seems just as mystified as everyone else. Meanwhile, a grieving father (Josh Brolin) sets out to find answers, only to uncover some unsettling truths about the town. The twists and turns unfold in a non-linear narrative split into several chapters, with each following a different character, that'll keep you on the edge of your seat until the credits roll.
Buy or rent now on Amazon or Apple
‘The Wrong Paris’ (Netflix)
After helming Lindsay Lohan's return to acting in "Irish Wish," director Janeen Damian teams up with "iCarly's" Miranda Cosgrove for a cheesy romcom that hits all the right notes. "The Wrong Paris" stars Cosgrove as Dawn, a small-town Texas artist who lands a spot at a prestigious Parisian art school. It's the opportunity of a lifetime, except she has no clue how she's going to afford it.
As luck would have it, she learns her favorite dating show, "The Honeypot," is casting for a new season set in Paris. She applies with the intention to get herself eliminated ASAP, stay in France for school, and pocket the hefty appearance fee. That all goes out the window when she realizes they're actually staying in Paris, Texas, and the show's cowboy heartthrob she'll be competing to swoon, Trey (Pierson Fodé), is 1,000% her type.
Watch it now on Netflix
'Novocaine' (Prime Video)
For a breezy weekend watch, "Novocaine" delivers a pulpy, high-energy action ride that never takes itself too seriously. Directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, it stars Jack Quaid of "The Boys" fame as Nathan Caine, a mild-mannered bank executive with a rare condition that makes him completely immune to pain. It's the kind of uber-hooky setup that works better the less you think about it.
For most of his life, it’s been more of a medical curiosity than a useful advantage. But that changes when his co-worker and secret crush, Sherry Margrave (Amber Midthunder), is taken hostage during a violent bank heist. Nathan channels his condition into an unlikely superpower, diving headfirst into a dangerous rescue mission fueled by sheer determination.
While Nathan feels like a blend of some of Quaid's past characters, he remains immensely likable as one of those rare protagonists you can lose yourself in rooting for. Matching him beat for beat is Ray Nicholson, magnetic and menacing as Simon Greenly, the unhinged mastermind behind the heist.
Watch it now on Prime Video
‘I Don’t Understand You’ (Hulu)
Imagine mashing "Lost in Translation" and "Knives Out" together, and you’ve got something close to "I Don’t Understand You," a dark comedy where cultural faux pas take a bloody turn. American couple Dom (Nick Kroll) and Cole (Andrew Rannells) head to Italy to celebrate their 10th anniversary abroad, but chaos breaks loose after they accidentally knock a beloved restaurant owner down a flight of stairs, killing her.
As they scramble to cover up their crime, their body count keeps ticking higher in increasingly ridiculous ways. Logic isn’t the film’s strong suit, but laughs certainly are. Rannells and Kroll play the hapless couple with a perfect mix of guilt and entitlement as they fret less about taking a life than about losing the comforts they’ve grown accustomed to back home. Early reviews suggest "I Don't Understand You" doesn't quite live up to its potential, but fans of Kroll's absurdist brand of comedy may still get a kick out of it.
Watch it now on Hulu
‘Warfare’ (HBO Max)
Everyone knows war is hell, but "Warfare" makes damn sure you believe it. Co-written and co-directed by military veteran Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland (fresh off last year’s criminally overlooked "Civil War"), "Warfare" is an unflinching chronicle of a single devastating day for a team of U.S. Navy SEALs during the Iraq War. Set amid the Battle of Ramadi, it follows a unit holed up in a cramped house for a routine surveillance mission that spirals into a nightmare situation as enemy forces close in from all sides.
With a cast that includes rising stars like Charles Melton, Joseph Quinn, and Kit Connor, "Warfare" stands apart from most war films. Its visceral boost-on-the-ground perspective doesn't put any one soldier in the spotlight for audiences to root for. Instead, every soldier is more or less the same: terrified, determined, and desperate to live to see another day. As the opening title card notes, every moment is drawn directly from the memories of those who lived it on the frontlines — and on the battlefield, there are no main characters.
Watch it now on HBO Max
'aka Charlie Sheen' (Netflix)
Netflix has been on a roll with documentaries all summer, so it’s no surprise to see one about Hollywood’s most notorious star immediately crash the Netflix top 10. "aka Charlie Sheen" shares all the hallmarks of your garden-variety celebrity tell-all, but still manages to stand out from the crowd with a few jaw-dropping revelations, including secrets Sheen vowed “never to tell outside of his therapist.”
This documentary traces Sheen's turbulent career from his breakout roles in classics like "Platoon" and "Wall Street" to his sitcom mega-hit "Two and a Half Men" — and the following drug-fueled spiral that haunted tabloid headlines for months. Candid interviews with his ex-wives, longtime collaborators and friends, and even his former drug dealer come together to paint a raw portrait of addiction, fame, and the struggle toward recovery.
Watch it now on Netflix
'The Shallows' (Hulu)
One of the most intense shark thrillers in years just arrived on Hulu, and while it's no "Jaws," it's worth adding to your watchlist for one last taste of summer. It'll get your adrenaline pumping, that's for sure. "The Shallows" zeroes in on one woman’s desperate fight to survive against overwhelming odds. And while I'm usually not the biggest Blake Lively fan, her surprisingly strong performance really sells every moment of terror, making you wince with each bite, scratch, and blow.
Lively stars as Nancy Adams, a medical student grappling with an identity crisis after her mother’s death. She retreats to a remote Mexican beach once visited by her mother for some surfing and self-reflection. But her peaceful escape turns deadly when she discovers a whale carcass freshly torn apart by a shark while swimming. In a flash, the 23-foot predator sets its sights on her next. Injured and alone, Nancy must rely on her wits and every ounce of strength to outsmart the shark and make it back to shore.
Watch it now on Hulu
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