Another weekend brings plenty of great new movies to stream on Netflix, Hulu, and more of the best streaming services this weekend. But narrowing down what to watch isn't always easy.
Here at Tom's Guide, we've done the hard work for you by rounding up all of the hits and none of the duds to make your next movie night one to remember. Leading the pack is "Mean Girls," a big-screen adaptation of the hit 2017 musical based on the beloved 2004 teen comedy, which just landed on paid video-on-demand streaming services.
It's far from the only big movie hitting streaming services this week. You can also finally watch Best Picture nominee "The Zone of Interest" from the comfort of your own couch. Hulu gets "All of Us Strangers," considered by many to be one of the biggest snubs at this year's Academy Awards. Meanwhile, over on Netflix, the delightful and poignant "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On" and last year's Oscar powerhouse "Everything Everywhere All at Once" come to the streamer.
So without further ado, here are our top picks for movies to stream this weekend. And for more recommendations check out the 9 best shows and movies to watch.
'Mean Girls' (PVOD)
It's a story you've heard before, just never quite like this. "Mean Girls" is an adaptation of the 2017 musical of the same name, which itself was based on the 2004 teen comedy that remains endlessly quotable to this day.
Angourie Rice stars as Cady Heron, a recent transfer student trying to navigate the jungle of American high school, while Reneé Rapp takes on the role of Regina George, the head of a clique of mean-spirited popular girls known as "The Plastics." Cady infiltrates the group to take Regina down a peg, shenanigans ensue, and the rest of the story unfolds just as it did in the beloved teen comedy it's based on — except with all the toe-tapping musical numbers and pizzazz of its Broadway adaptation.
Buy or rent on Amazon now
'The Zone of Interest' (PVOD)
Moving to the exact opposite end of the fun-to-depressing spectrum, we have "The Zone of Interest," a WWII historical drama that's up for five well-deserved Oscar nominations — including the coveted Best Picture award.
Horrific yet undeniably brilliant, "The Zone of Interest" stars Christian Friedel as Rudolf Höss and Sandra Hüller as his wife Hedwig, a German couple building their perfect picket fence life in the literal shadow of the Auschwitz concentration camp, which Rudolf runs.
While this movie doesn't shy away from the atrocities committed by Nazi Germany against the Jewish people, it's more like background noise than the main focus. The real horror comes from observing the mundane normalcy the family is able to carve out amid it all, as they see their place in the Holocaust as simply a means to a better life.
Buy on Amazon now
'All of Us Strangers' (Hulu)
Prepare yourself for an emotional rollercoaster with "All of Us Strangers," a story of unlikely relationships, love, and grief (be sure to keep a box of tissues close at hand before you press play).
Adam, portrayed by Andrew Scott ("Fleabag"), is a lonely screenwriter focusing on just getting through the days when his mundane existence is interrupted by his enigmatic drunken neighbor Harry, played by Paul Mescal ("Normal People"). As their burgeoning romance unfolds, Adam visits the house where he once lived with parents, who died in a car crash when he was 12. Inexplicably, the house appears unchanged, and he finds his parents alive and well (played by Claire Foy and Jamie Bell), offering him a miraculous opportunity to reconnect with them.
Watch it now on Hulu
'Marcel the Shell with Shoes On' (Netflix)
I was a huge fan of the "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On" shorts (try saying that five times fast) posted on YouTube in the early 2010s, but I'm sad to say I missed Marcel's big-screen debut in 2022. Suffice it to say I was over the moon to find out that the film, which scored an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Picture, is headed to Netflix this weekend.
Produced by A24, "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On" is the brain child of filmmaker Dean Fleischer Camp and Jenny Slate (Mona Lisa on "Parks and Recreation"), who also provides the voice for the titular soft-spoken shell. Unlike the slice-of-life shorts, the movie has an overarching narrative: Following his divorce with Slate, Dean moves into an Airbnb and discovers Marcel, a talking shell living in the home with his grandmother, Nana Connie, and Alan, his pet ball of lint. After Dean uploads videos of Marcel to YouTube, it quickly becomes a cultural phenomenon. Marcel uses his newfound virality as an opportunity to find his long-lost family, but it's a mighty big world out there for a little shell.
Watch it now on Netflix
Everything Everywhere All at Once (Netflix)
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” dominated last year’s Oscars, taking home seven golden status (from its 11 nominations) including Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Actress, Supporting Actor and Actress. It captivated audiences and critics alike, generating plenty of word-of-mouth buzz when it exploded into theaters in spring 2022.
But does it live up to the hype? As someone who has seen it three times now (and bawled their eyes out each time), I can confidently answer that with a resounding yes. This absurdist comedy-drama follows the misadventures of a middle-aged woman (Michelle Yeoh) who finds herself embroiled in a multiverse battle with a nihilistic alternative version of her daughter (Stephaine Hsu). Joining them is her hapless but well-meaning husband (Ke Huy Quan) and an IRS inspector (Jamie Lee Curtis) who is investigating the family for potential tax fraud. It's a bizarre ride, don't get me wrong, but one that I promise is well worth the payoff if you stick with it.
Watch it now on Netflix
‘Mea Culpa’ (Netflix)
Tyler Perry doesn’t just make “Madea” comedies; he branched out into directing dramas years ago. His newest one is this legal thriller starring Destiny’s Child alum Kelly Rowland as criminal defense attorney Mea Harper, who finds herself entangled in a murder case involving enigmatic artist Zyair Malloy (Trevante Rhodes). As Mea navigates the complexities of the case and her client’s cagey charm, she is hit with the revelation that everyone is guilty of something. And where there’s desire and deceit, so is danger.
Watch it now on Netflix
‘Priscilla’ (Max)
Two years ago, Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” chronicled Elvis Presley’s extraordinary rise. With this biographical drama, Sofia Coppola gives the spotlight to his wife, Priscilla Presley. The story begins with their first meeting, when Priscilla (Cailee Spaeny) was just 14 and Elvis (Jacob Elordi) was 24 and already a world-famous singer. Several years later, they reconnect and begin their rollercoaster romance in earnest. But their relationship is tightly intertwined with drug abuse, emotional volatility, and mental health issues. Burning love can inflict the deepest wounds.
Watch it now on Max
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