A bouquet of blockbuster movies fresh from the theaters has landed on Netflix, Prime Video and more of the best streaming services this week. With that many new movies on offer, narrowing down what to watch can turn into a headache in and of itself.
So let Tom's Guide cut through that decision paralysis with a round-up of the best new movies to land on streaming. We've rounded up all of the good (and, in one case, the "so bad it's good") and none of the duds to ensure your next movie night is one to remember. Leading the pack is the Zendaya-led tennis drama "Challengers" with a love triangle so messy you can't help but get glued to it.
The latest kaiju throwdown, "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire," also landed on video-on-demand services this week. Meanwhile, Prime Video saw the arrival of “American Fiction”, a 2023 drama starring Jeffrey Wright that was a major player during awards season and took home an Oscar. Hulu got the haunting Frankenstein-inspired horror movie "Birth/Rebirth." And last and most certainly least, Sony's widely-panned entry in the Spider-Man universe "Madame Webb" is now on Netflix. Did it really deserve all the ridicule it got online? Now you can be the judge.
Let's dive into the best new movies on streaming this week. If you're looking for even more streaming recommendations, be sure to check out the best new TV shows to watch, as well as the top 3 movies we’d watch in the Netflix top 10.
'Challengers' (PVOD)
Director Luca Guadagnino’s sexually charged tennis drama “Challengers” has been one of the filmmaker's most successful projects to date. And don't worry, you can still enjoy this masterful movie even if you've never swung a racket in your life.
"Challengers" opens on a neck-and-neck match between tennis champions Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and his former best friend and failed professional Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor). In the stands sits Tashi (Zendaya), Art’s coach and wife and also a former prodigy herself before her promising career was cut short by an injury. Sparks fly when the three first meet at a tennis tournament in high school, but Tashi promises to only give her phone number to whoever wins the junior singles final the next day. Though Patrick prevails, his relationship with Tashi takes a nosedive when he skips the match she's injured in due to a fight. Art and Tashi reconnect years later, and so you can get a sense of the drama brewing behind Art and Patrick's big showdown.
Buy or rent now on Amazon
'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' (PVOD)
I was a huge fan of "Godzilla Minus One," but the kaiju's latest venture, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire," takes the series back to its roots: larger-than-life set pieces and a blockbuster showcase of impressive special effects that spackle over the cracks of its paper-thin plot.
The sequel to 2021’s “Godzilla vs. Kong” brings the laser-blasting lizard and the gigantic ape together as they set aside their past rivalry to confront a new hidden enemy that threatens their existence. To stop a frost-breathing titan from breaking out of Hollow Earth and wreaking havoc on the surface, these former adversaries will need all their might and a little teamwork. While the human side of the story is particularly dry this time around, if you're looking for two hours of skyscraper-sized creatures clashing in epic battles, you’ll have a whale of a time with "'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire." Just don’t expect anything deeper than popcorn thrills.
Buy or rent now on Amazon
'American Fiction' (Prime Video)
"American Fiction" is a biting social commentary and comedy that exposes the double standards of contemporary culture in its treatment of Black art. Jeffrey Wright stars as struggling author Thelonious "Monk" Ellison who is disenchanted by his lack of commercial success despite critical acclaim. After his latest manuscript is rejected for not being "black enough," he pens an intentionally hackneyed book that panders to cliches expected of black literature.
To his chagrin, the white liberal elite hails it as a work of genius, and the novel skyrockets to fame overnight. That leaves Monk wrestling with a moral dilemma as the book's sales help him afford much-needed care for his Alzheimer’s-stricken mother. Amid themes of loss and creative frustration, the story sparkles with comedic flair and incisive satire, delivering a poignant exploration of identity, integrity, and being stuck in your work.
Watch it now on Prime Video
'Birth/Rebirth' (Hulu)
This psychological horror from writer-director Laura Moss is a chilling take on Frankenstein, using a familiar framework to tease at some of our most fundamental fears."Birth/Rebirth" follows two women with contrasting perspectives on life and death whose worlds collide when tragedy strikes.
Dr. Rose Caspser (Marin Ireland) is a hospital pathologist who prefers the company of cadavers to people and conducts gruesome experiments with biological material she smuggles home from work. When that biological material includes the recently deceased five-year-old daughter of her co-worker, maternity nurse Celie Morales (Judy Reyes), Rose has to confront the kind of family relationships she’s spent her life keeping at arm's length. When Celie uncovers Rose's latest experiment — her own daughter reanimated — the two polar opposite women unite to keep her alive, going to brutal lengths to further their obsessions, both scientific and maternal.
Watch it now on Hulu
'Madame Web' (Netflix)
Is "Madame Web" really as bad as everyone said? You be the judge, as Sony's misguided attempt to build an inter-connected universe of Spider-Man villains and supporting characters just landed on Netflix. From its first trailer, this comic book movie got people talking — though not necessarily for the right reasons. Its hammy dialogue and Dakota Johnson's deadpan performance quickly became fodder for online mockery before it even hit theaters, and the final product did little to change that perception.
Billed as a “suspense-driven thriller,” the film tells the origin story of the titular heroine. After discovering her spidey powers, EMT Cassandra Web AKA Madame Web (Johnson) struggles to learn how to control her new abilities while shielding a trio of teenage girls (Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O’Connor) from the villainous Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim) who happens to have similar spider-like powers. It's one of those movies that could fall into the "so bad, it's good" category depending on your taste, but you'll have to see for yourself.
Watch it now on Netflix
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