George A. Romero used zombie horror to comment on American consumerism and racism, and his daughter, Tina Romero, gets equally political with her directorial debut, Queens of the Dead, which is about the queer community eating itself. The horror comedy shambles onto VOD this weekend. You can also visit a creepy abandoned amusement park from the safety of your living room in Shelby Oaks, the directorial debut of YouTube critic Chris Stuckmann.
Paul Thomas Anderson returns to the work of Thomas Pynchon with One Battle After Another, a wild film where Leonardo DiCaprio plays a washed up activist on the run, which is now available to rent for the first time. Things also get political in Eddington, a Neo-Western set during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, that you can now catch on HBO Max. Or if you’re on a Pluribus high and want to see other Better Call Saul alums navigating physical challenges, try Nobody 2?
Here’s a rundown of the most notable new releases on streaming and VOD, including the biggest, best, and most popular new movies you can watch at home right now.
New on Netflix
In Your Dreams
Genre: Animated adventure comedy
Run time: 1h 31m
Director: Alex Woo
Cast: Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Elias Janssen, Craig Robinson, Omid Djalili
Worried that their parents might be getting divorced, Stevie (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and Elliot (Elias Janssen) use a magic book to travel to the realm of dreams in the hopes that the Sandman (Omid Djalili) will grant their wish. With the help of a lost toy (Craig Robinson), they must travel through a surreal world and confront their nightmares.
New on Disney Plus
Freakier Friday
Genre: Fantasy comedy
Run time: 1h 51m
Director: Nisha Ganatra
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Julia Butters, Manny Jacinto, Sophia Hammons
The sequel to 2003’s Freaky Friday features an even more complicated intergenerational body swap. Anna (Lindsay Lohan) is about to get married to Eric (Manny Jacinto), but winds up trading bodies with her daughter Harper (Julia Butters) while Anna’s mom (Jamie Lee Curtis) swaps with Eric’s daughter Lily (Sophia Hammons). Hijinks ensue as everyone has to learn about each other before the big day.
New on HBO Max
Eddington
Genre: Neo-Western
Run time: 2h 29m
Director: Ari Aster
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Luke Grimes
Hereditary and Midsommar writer and director Ari Aster delves into the tensions of the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests in the town of Eddington, New Mexico where the anti-mask sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) decides to run for mayor against the incumbent (Pedro Pascal). Conspiracies run wild as Eddington erupts in violence.
New on Hulu
Sovereign
Genre: Crime thriller
Run time: 1h 40
Director: Christian Swegal
Cast: Nick Offerman, Jacob Tremblay, Dennis Quaid, Joe Kane
Inspired by real events, Sovereign follows Jerry Kane (Nick Offerman), who travels around the country with his son (Joe Kane) teaching people who feel they’ve been left behind by institutions about the Sovereign Citizen movement. As his anti-government rhetoric gets increasingly violent, Jerry finds himself in a standoff with police and a manhunt led by Dennis Quaid.
New on Peacock
Nobody 2
Genre: Action thriller
Run time: 1h 29m
Director: Timo Tjahjanto
Cast: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, John Ortiz
The sequel to 2021’s revenge fantasy Nobody follows assassin Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) as he tries to take a break from his bloody work to go on a family vacation. But a trip to an amusement park gets Hutch tangled with a bootlegging route and a corrupt sheriff, who Hutch has to fight to protect his family.
New on Prime Video
Play Date
Genre: Action comedy
Run time: 1h 34m
Director: Luke Greenfield
Cast: Kevin James, Alan Ritchson, Benjamin Pajak, Banks Pierce
Brian Jennings (Kevin James) is looking to connect with his stepson (Benjamin Pajak), and is excited when a trip to the park leads to an invitation for a playdate with Jeff (Reacher star Alan Ritchson) and his kid CJ (Banks Pierce). But when armed men attack the group, Brian learns his new friend isn’t who he seems to be.
New to rent
Deathstalker
Genre: Sword and sorcery
Run time: 1h 43m
Director: Steven Kostanski
Cast: Daniel Bernhardt, Patton Oswalt, Christina Orjalo
A remake of James Sbardellati’s 1983 film of the same name follows the former knight Deathstalker (Daniel Bernhardt) as he tries to rid himself of a cursed amulet pursued by an ancient necromancer. With original music from Slash, the film is packed with monsters and bloody swordfighting.
Mr. K
Genre: Surrealist mystery
Run time: 1h 34m
Director: Tallulah H. Schwab
Cast: Crispin Glover, Sunnyi Melles, Fionnula Flanagan
Mr. K (Crispin Glover), a traveling magician, checks into a hotel and discovers he can’t find a way out the next morning. Entangled in a world of strange characters who don’t seem especially concerned about never leaving the building, Mr. K realizes the hotel is shrinking and tries to map the place so he can escape.
Murder at the Embassy
Genre: Murder mystery
Run time: 1h 30m
Director: Stephen Shimek
Cast: Mischa Barton, Mido Hamada, Kojo Attah
The sequel to Stephen Shimek’s 2023 film Invitation to Murder follows private detective Miranda Green (Mischa Barton) as she leaves England for Cairo and winds up having to solve a murder at the British Embassy. She has to figure out who she can trust as she discovers that the embassy has been infiltrated by Nazis and the killing is tied to the theft of a top secret document.
One Battle After Another
Genre: Action thriller
Run time: 2h 42m
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Chase Infiniti
When his past as part of a radical group known as the French 75 catches up to him, Pat Calhoun (Leonardo DiCaprio) has to try to evade capture and rescue his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti) from colonel Steven J. Lockjaw, who wants to kill her to earn admission into an elite group of white supremacists. The wild film combines absurd humor with tense action sequences.
Queens of the Dead
Genre: Horror comedy
Run time: 1h 41m
Director: Tina Romero
Cast: Katy O’Brian, Jaquel Spivey, Riki Lindhome
Tina Romero, daughter of George A. Romero, puts her own stamp on the zombie genre with her directorial debut. When a zombie outbreak hits Manhattan and everyone is told to shelter in place, the performers and attendees at a warehouse party have to figure out how to survive the night.
Roofman
Genre: Crime comedy
Run time: 2h 6m
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Cast: Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, LaKeith Stanfield
Based on a true story, Roofman follows Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum), a robber with keen powers of observation. He uses his ability to exploit routines to escape from prison and hide out at a Toys “R” Us, but puts his freedom at jeopardy when he falls for one of the store’s employees and decides to steal toys to help a local toy drive.
Shelby Oaks
Genre: Supernatural horror
Run time: 1h 31m
Director: Chris Stuckmann
Cast: Camille Sullivan, Brendan Sexton III, Keith David, Sarah Durn
Mia (Camille Sullivan) is determined to find out what happened to her younger sister Riley (Sarah Durn), a YouTuber who disappeared when filming at an abandoned amusement park near Shelby Oaks, Ohio. Combining found footage with conventional camera work, the film provides a tour of creepy locations as Mia discovers something demonic at work.
From our review:
Stuckmann’s directorial debut is a sturdy horror movie from a lover of film who clearly understands the genre. While the involvement of indie distributor Neon and producer Mike Flanagan must have gone a long way (For a sense of what the original version of Shelby Oaks was like, you can read the mostly positive reviews from its initial premiere at 2024’s Fantasia International Film Festival), there’s strong evidence of talent — and cinematic depravity — to be seen.
