8 top new movies to watch on Hulu, HBO Max, Showtime and more this week (Feb. 28-Mar. 6)
Marcel, Magic Mike and Tom Hanks walk into the Triangle of Sadness
Need more new movies to watch online? Now that you've had enough time to watch Babylon (now on Paramount Plus), we've got a slew of new options, which feature some of the greatest actors of their generations.
At the top of the marquee, as you'll see, is Tom Hanks starring in A Man Called Otto. Hanks plays a widower whose life is not going so well, until his new neighbors try to save him from his own foul moods.
If I had to pick my favorite movie on this list, I'd be caught between two incredibly different films. On one hand, you've got Triangle of Sadness: a hilarious "eat the rich" satire that shakes the well-off until they combust. Then, there's the amazingly subtle and wholesome Marcel The Shell With Shoes On, who's the cutest thing this side of The Magic Kingdom.
We've even got a critically-acclaimed documentary that's just hit release online, too.
Elsewhere, HBO Max has the new House Party, and the Magic Mike trilogy ends. Here are the top 8 new movies to watch online this week:
Magic Mike's Last Dance (Digital)
We're not saying that Mike Lane (Channing Tatum) is past his prime, but when Magic Mike's Last Dance starts, he's out of the stripper game. In fact, Mike lost it all, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. Fortunately, he just so happens to meet Maxandra Mendoza (Salma Hayek Pinault), a wealthy socialite who he dances for, and sleeps with. The two travel to London for one last big dance, but their goals aren't exactly the same.
Critics awarded points for the performances from the leads, and specifically to Tatum for continuing to deliver a fun time in his third outing as Mike Lane. Other reviews complimented Magic Mike 3 in the "it's so bad it's fun" way, though there's an overall consensus that this trilogy has ended on a more-muted note than was anticipated.
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Buy digitally on Prime Video right now (released Feb. 28)
A Man Called Otto (Digital)
Adapted from Fredrik Backman's 2012 novel A Man Called Ove, Tom Hanks' latest film feels like the kind of film you don't see made anymore. Otto Anderson (Hanks) has not handled his wife Sonya's passing well in the six months since it's happened, but thankfully his neighbors Marisol (Mariana Trevino) and Tommy (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) interrupt him before he can make things worse. Of course, Otto doesn't see them as his saviors, but as annoyances that get in his way. Fortunately, this family — and a stray cat Otto takes in — may chance his path.
Critics say A Man Called Otto is, well, exactly what you probably think it is. An effective feel-good drama about how we deal with trauma, and one that doesn't reinvent the wheel, either. Sentimental, and that's the point, A Man Called Otto's bolstered not only by Hanks reliable talent, but by a fantastic performance from Trevino.
Buy digitally on Prime Video and other services right now (released Feb. 28)
Marcel The Shell With Shoes On (Showtime)
Marcel The Shell With Shoes On, a tiny seashell with a googly-eye and small shoes, was an internet micro-sensation that Jenny Slate voiced as she left Saturday Night Live. A riff that came from Slate and her then-husband Dean Fleischer-Camp, Marcel took the slow path to the big screen, with seven years (and a divorce) separating the cute character's ideation and moment in the spotlight.
In the film, Marcel and his grandmother Nana Connie (Isabella Rossellini) are discovered by a filmmaker named Dean (Fleischer-Camp) when the latter moves into an Airbnb. Dean's videos of Marcel (just like the original shorts), become famous online, and the world looks to help Marcel and Connie reunite with their lost family members.
Critically adored for its heartwarming story, and beautiful stop-motion animation, Marcel The Shell With Shoes On is the unlikeliest of films. It's also nominated for Best Animated Feature Film in the 2023 Oscars.
Watch on Showtime right now (released Wednesday, March 1)
All The Beauty and Bloodshed (Digital)
Artist and activist Nan Goldin is a personality that many know from her years of critically-acclaimed work. And then she herself became part of the story when she developed an addiction to OxyContin after getting a prescription for pain relief.
Director Laura Poitras, best known for Citizenfour (the Edward Snowden documentary) won tons of praise for this film that weaves all of Goldin's professional work in the arts and her activism together. Powerful and inspirational, All The Beauty and The Bloodshed is a film that demands attention.
Rent or buy digitally on Prime Video and other services right now (released Feb. 28)
Triangle of Sadness (Hulu)
Director Ruben Östlund's 2022 Palme d'Or-winning Triangle of Sadness is a class-warfare drama taking place on the one place the mega-rich feel safe: a luxury yacht.
Primarily, the film follows a young couple in a manipulative relationship: model Carl (Harris Dickinson) and influencer Yaya (Charlbi Dean Kriek). And what better way to test their bond than by putting them in a cruise where everything goes wrong. Not only is The Captain (Woody Harrelson) a drunk who doesn't seem bothered by failing to uphold his duties in front of his staff, but said staff live to make their rich guests' absurd requests come true.
Lauded for its layers of mess that stack high on top of each other, Triangle of Sadness proves that the chaos is the point. Mixing barbed social satire with lowbrow humor, Östlund's made a winner with a film unafraid of taking itself too seriously.
Stream on Hulu right now (released March 3)
House Party (HBO Max)
Some remakes arrive and gain attention by creating curiosity over a big name or a twist on the original. 2023's House Party chose the former, with the biggest name in basketball. So when friends Damon (Tosin Cole) and Kevin (Jacob Latimore) need a big break to stay afloat, they can just so happen to use the house they're working at — which belongs to LeBron James — as the destination for their rager.
Critics weren't huge fans of this House Party, but those in favor of the film lauded it for some good jokes, and a particularly perfect cameo. Those who didn't like it suggest that the time spent modernizing House Party to today's social media era could have been better spent on the script.
Stream on HBO Max right now (released Friday, March 3)
Close (Digital)
Lukas Dhont's Close tracks a very personal and intimate connection, as two 13-year-old boys (Eden Dambrine and Gustav De Waele) in Belgium are judged for being too close. And while their parents are accepting and non-judgmental, their new classmates in their first year of high school are not. Whispers turn into shame, and their friendship becomes fractured.
Applauded for being a tender and emotionally powerful examination of the moments where innocence is destroyed, Close is not the kind of movie you'll always be ready to watch. Critics gave Dambrine and De Waele their kudos for their strong performances, in roles that you don't see that often. Close also racked up multiple awards from independent film festivals.
Buy digitally on Prime Video and other services right now (released Friday, March 3)
Living (Digital)
Living, an adaptation of Akira Kurosawa's Ikiru (which is based on Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich), follows Bill Nighy's Rodney Williams, a senior member of the senior London County Council after he is given a terminal cancer diagnosis. Unwilling to tell his children what's happened, Williams seeks to find value in life outside of work, by helping those unable to cut through the dense layers of bureaucracy.
Critics praise Nighy's quiet performance for how much he delivers in this understated character. Living is a complex and nuanced tale of the later years of life, and one that stands out by refusing to turn a sad story into a feel-good ending.
Buy digitally on Prime Video and other services right now (released Friday, March 3)
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Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.