Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish movies available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.
1. No Sudden Move (HBO Max)
Every few years, Steven Soderbergh pops up with a new heist movie, often starring George Clooney and/or Don Cheadle. This is one of the Cheadle ones, which is great because all Don Cheadle has ever done is make good stuff a little better. The rest of the cast ain’t bad either: Benicio del Toro, David Harbour, Jon Hamm, Amy Seimetz, Brendan Fraser, Kieran Culkin, Noah Jupe, Craig Grant, Julia Fox, Frankie Shaw, Ray Liotta, and Bill Duke. Heavy hitters straight through. Perfect for a hot summer weekend. Watch it on HBO Max.
2. Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Hulu)
Questlove’s loving documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), includes performances from Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mavis Staples, and B.B. King. To quote *another concert* from the 1960s, play it f*cking loud. Watch it on Hulu.
3. America: The Motion Picture (Netflix)
Hamilton set the American Revolution to music. Matt Thompson is setting it on fire, throwing fireworks on the pile while werewolves and founding fathers with chainsaw hands dance. Welcome to an utterly bonkers animated rewriting of American history where beer replaces tea at the Boston Tea Party and George Washington and Abe Lincoln are besties. Because to paraphrase Thompson in our recent interview, wouldn’t it be cool if that’s the way it happened? Watch it on Netflix.
4. Luca (Disney Plus)
Pixar is back with another sweet coming-of-age story, this time set in Italy and with humans turning into sea monsters. Which is actually kind of par for the course for Pixar. The difference is that this time the movie drops straight on Disney Plus, meaning you can enjoy the summer-y vibes from the comfort of your own living room if you want. A solid way to spend two hours when it’s too hot to go outside. Unless you can turn into a sea monster and cool off in the deepest parts of the ocean. Which would be cool. You have options, is our point. Watch it on Disney Plus.
5. The Tomorrow War (Amazon Prime)
The Tomorrow War is one of the few high-concept blockbusters coming out this year that’s not a sequel or based on an existing property. That — and the stacked cast, including Chris Pratt, J.K. Simmons, Yvonne Strahovski, Betty Gilpin, Sam Richardson, and Doughboys co-host Mike “Spoonman” Mitchell — makes it a potential sci-fi standout. Watch it on Amazon Prime.
6. In the Heights (HBO Max)
After months trapped indoors, we deserve In the Heights. It’s a sticky, sweaty musical filled with memorable songs from Lin Manuel-Miranda, vibrant direction from Jon M. Chu, and a reassuring message about the importance of community. Who cares if summer doesn’t officially begin until June 20 — it’s summer the day In the Heights comes out. Watch it on HBO Max.
7. The Ice Road (Netflix)
Liam Neeson is back doing his action thing once again, this time as an ice driver in a remote part of Canada who leads a rescue operation over a frozen ocean after a diamond mine collapses. It’s got almost everything you could want out of a Liam Neeson, give or take a few murdered organized crime figures. Watch it on Netflix.
8. The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It (HBO Max)
Terrific news for all of you, provided all of you want to hang out inside on a weekend in June and watch spooky stuff on one of the various screens at your disposal: The Conjuring is back and it’s coming straight to HBO Max. In this go-round, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga investigate the case of a confused and blood-soaked young man who says the devil possessed him and made him commit murder. You’d think the devil would have bigger fish to fry than forcing random guys to commit single murders but, hey, we’re not the paranormal investigators here. Watch it on HBO Max.
9. Werewolves Within (VOD)
Sam Richardson from Detroiters and Veep, Milana Vayntrub from the AT&T commercials, together at last, battling werewolves in a small town that has been paralyzed by a massive snowstorm. Yeah, that’ll do just fine. Watch it on VOD.
10. Bo Burnham: Inside (Netflix)
Epic in its emotional depth and scale (for a comedy special filmed within the space of one room during lockdown), this year-long voyeuristic musical voyage into Bo Burnham’s fraying mind seems at once deeply personal and stunningly relatable. It’s also a hilarious reclamation of satire that takes particular aim at tech and how it has impacted how we interact and live. Stunning and unlike anything you’ve seen before. Did we mention that it’s as funny as it is powerful? Watch it on Netflix.