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.
10. (tie) On the Count of Three (VOD)
Jerrod Carmichael is having a moment, garnering all the praise for his revealing and powerful HBO special (Rothaniel, watch it again!), a great turn as SNL host, and now, for the release of his festival fave narrative directorial debut, On The Count Of Three. But, of course, you knew Carmichael was a force from his previous specials and The Carmichael Show. You’re just happy to see everyone else catch up and, with this film, get the chance to see Carmichael flex his dramatic muscles opposite Christopher Abbott as two friends trying to get the most out of the last moments before they execute each other as a part of a suicide pact. Track it down on your VOD service of choice.
10. (tie) Ambulance (Peacock)
Ambulance has everything you could want in an action movie: frenetic pacing, adrenaline-soaked chase scenes, Michael Bay doing everything at once, hot explosive nonsense, Jake Gyllenhaal as a villainous psychopath with crazy eyes, an ambulance, etc. It’s basically perfect, if this is the type of thing you’re looking for, which you probably are on a Friday or Saturday night. Make some popcorn or order a pizza and get in there. Watch it on Peacock.
10. (tie) Cha Cha Real Smooth (Apple TV Plus)
Everybody clap your hands for Cha Cha Real Smooth, the second feature from writer and director Cooper Raiff. He also stars in the comedy-drama as a recent college graduate with an aimless life until he finds a job (bar/bat mitzvah “party starter”) and friends (a suburban mom played by Dakota Johnson and her autistic teenage daughter). It sounds like Indie Movie Trope Overload, but Cha Cha Real Smooth is a real charmer, with a heartfelt performance from Johnson. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.
10. (tie) Fire Island (Hulu)
Bowen Yang may be the best talent to emerge from Saturday Night Live in years – a fact underscored by the recent departure of comedy greats like Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant – but he’s not the only reason this sweet and silly gay romcom works. A BIG reason, sure, but not the only one. There’s also Margaret Cho playing a loopy lesbian house mom, a setting that allows a group of Queer misfits to find a sense of belonging amidst MDMA hazes and pulse-pounding raves, and a central love story that borrows from the period romance wellspring of one Jane Austen. It’s a booze-infused Pride & Prejudice in short swim trunks for the gays and the theys, but the fact that it works so damn well is also proof that the romcom genre should be welcoming more Queer and minority romantic leads into its ranks. Watch it on Hulu.
9. The Sea Beast (Netflix)
“A little girl boards a boat captained by a legendary hunter of sea monsters” is a plot that could work for almost any genre of movie, from action to horror to, apparently, in this case, a cute animated movie for kids. Netflix doesn’t have the track record of, say, a Disney/Pixar operation when it comes to these things, but they sure do appear to be trying. Sea monsters are a decent place to start. Watch it on Netflix.
8. Hustle (Netflix)
Adam Sandler plays a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers who discovers a raw but promising player in Spain. Hijinks ensue. Kind of. It’s more of a dramedy than, say, Jack & Jill, but it’s still Sandler doing his thing. Basketball fans will no doubt be just as interested in the action as they will be picking out all the cameos by NBA stars. It looks like a good time. Watch it on Netflix.
7. Jerry and Marge Go Large (Paramount Plus)
Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening play a married couple who discover a loophole in the state lottery and use it to win millions and millions of dollars. There should be more movies like this. Hundreds of them, probably. But this is a good start. Watch it on Paramount Plus.
6. The Man From Toronto (Netflix)
Kevin Hart, Woody Harrelson, and Kaley Cuoco team up for a comedy about mistaken identity and assassins and probably a few other things, but mostly those. The fuller description looks like this: A loser from Pennsylvania wakes up on vacation and is somehow assumed to be a world-famous contract killer. Hijinks, presumably, ensue. Watch it on Netflix.
5. Don’t Make Me Go (Amazon Prime)
Though we get distracted by countless other pursuits, true connection with the ones we love stands as our ultimate pursuit, weighted by its impact and the clock that ticks loudly, making it impossible for us to ignore. Don’t Make Me Go is the kind of movie that takes those truths head on, blessing us with the always delightful John Cho as a father faced with his own mortality and the incomplete task of connecting with raising his teenage daughter; something he tries to do with the tried and true diversion of a long road trip. Watch it on Amazon Prime.
4. Beavis and Butt-Head Do The Universe (Paramount Plus)
Beavis and Butt-head debuted on MTV something like 30 years ago and is still, somehow, against truly staggering odds, still going strong, with this movie sending them to the cosmos and other projects in the works down the line, too. It’s good news, to be sure, but please do imagine telling someone from like 1997 that these two would still be around in 2022 and would be going to space. It would be almost as shocking as the thing where time travel was apparently invented. Watch it on Paramount Plus.
3. Anything’s Possible (Amazon Prime)
Billy Porter directs a sweet coming-of-age story centered around a trans high school senior named Kelsa who is attempting to navigate… well, all of that. It’s all very sweet and very heartfelt and very Gen Z and it could make for some nice weekend movie if you’re feeling up for a little cry. Who isn’t, sometimes, you know? Watch it on Amazon Prime.
2. The Bob’s Burgers Movie (Hulu)
Bob’s Burgers creator Loren Bouchard insisted on The Bob’s Burgers Movie getting a theatrical release instead of being plopped directly on streaming. He was right to do so: The Bob’s Burgers Movie is, like the show itself, an absolute delight with lovely animation, fun fan service, and catchy songs (it’s also Disney’s first hand-drawn 2D animated movie in over a decade). If you didn’t catch it in theaters, however, you can now enjoy “Sunny Side Up Summer” at home. Might I suggest pairing it with an Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Yellow Polka-Dot Zucchini Burger. Watch it on Hulu.
1. The Gray Man (Netflix)
The Gray Man is: Trash-staches. Ryan Gosling as a himbo assassin. Psychotic Chris Evans. A spy thriller. An on-the-run adventure. Trains. Butt-shots. Ana de Armas with a bob cut. And action courtesy of the Russo brothers. In other words, The Gray Man is a hell of a good time and a worthy blockbuster movie night for those wanting to stay on the couch. Watch it on Netflix.