The best streaming services have confirmed their slate of new movies arriving this week and popular platforms including Netflix and Max have announced new flicks you won’t want to miss.
While Netflix is offering a new romantic drama ("Lonely Planet") and Max has a mystery-thriller that looks overflowing with twists ("Caddo Lake"), the biggest new arrival is the premium streaming debut of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice." This eccentric Tim Burton sequel is well-timed with the Halloween season underway, and it was warmly received by audiences when it landed in theaters last month.
However, these are just some of the top new movies you can watch this week, read on below for a full rundown of all the new additions you can stream over the next few days. Plus, also check out our sister guide to the top new TV shows you can watch this week.
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ (PVOD)
You can bring the tricky poltergeist Betelgeuse home this Halloween as the long-anticipated comedy-horror sequel “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” arrives on premium streaming this week. Reuniting stars of the ‘80s original Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton and Catherine O’Hara with newcomer Jenna Ortega — who was practically tailormade for a role in this movie — this Tim Burton-directed flick is just as delightfully oddball as its predecessor and equally good fun.
Set several decades after the first “Beetlejuice”, Lydia Deetz (Ryder) has become a successful TV show host with her own supernatural ghost-hunting show. Returning to her old home in Winter River following a family tragedy, she’s forced to tolerate her eccentric stepmother (O’Hara) and build bridges with her estranged daughter (Ortega). However, the sinister spirit Betelgeuse (Keaton) is lurking in the shadows with a new dastardly plan that adds a huge scoop of mayhem to the mix. This is the perfect spooky adventure for the whole family, with plenty of slapstick comedy and spooky scares that are more fun than frightening.
Buy or rent on Amazon from October 8
‘Caddo Lake’ (Max)
It's perhaps rather appropriate that many of the details about “Caddo Lake” are being kept under wraps. This upcoming thriller movie lands on Max this week, and it centers a several disappearances that appear to be linked to a family’s dark history. Things really come to a head when an 8-year-old girl vanishes on the eponymous lake, and the investigation turns up shocking revelations and long-buried secrets.
Produced by M. Night Shyamalan, and starring Dylan O’Brien, Eliza Scanlen, Lauren Ambrose, Eric Lange and Sam Hennings, “Caddo Lake” could be an engaging mystery thriller that has viewers piece together the clues alongside its cast of characters. However, this one hasn’t been screened in advance at any film festivals, so there’s always the chance its quality might be a little bit suspect. I advise keeping a cautiously optimistic eye on this one for now.
Watch on Max from October 10
‘Lonely Planet’ (Netflix)
If you’re more interested in swooning than being scared this month then “Lonely Planet” should be on your Netflix watchlist. This romance drama pairs together Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth, and if the two uber-attractive leads aren’t enough to catch your eyes, the stunning set of Morocco should do it. “Lonely Planet” sees a reclusive novelist (Dern) travel to a writer’s retreat hoping that the change in scenery and remote setting will unlock her writer’s block.
Once there she meets a young man (Hemsworth) who’s come to the retreat with his girlfriend, and the two instantly hit it off despite their age difference. They start as friends exploring various exotic locations together, but as they grow closer romantic sparks fly, and a life-altering love affair begins. It’s likely that “Lonely Planet” won’t throw up too many narrative surprises (I feel pretty confident I can guess the ending already), but it looks like a tender drama that will have the tears flowing.
Watch on Netflix from October 11
‘Mr. Crocket’ (Hulu)
Based on the 2022 short story of the same name, director Brandon Espy has converted his three-minute short into a full feature. “Mr. Crocket” opens in 1993, and sees the titular children’s show host magically step out of the television into the real world. But he’s entered our world with sinister intentions, kidnapping the entraced children watching and brutally murdering their parents in the process. That’s certainly a pretty creative pitch for a horror movie.
To develop the idea beyond a short movie, this full version of “Mr. Crocket” sees a determined mother fight back against the all-smiling demonic entertainment after her son is kidnapped. Stepping into a twisted nightmare, she must square off against a demon that is always smiling. “Mr. Crocket” looks like it could be one of the horror gems of the season. The Hulu movie has already been praised for its use of practical effects, which is becoming a new trend in horror with CGI shunned in favor of doing things old-school, and I’m very on board with this switch.
Watch on Hulu from October 11
‘Never Let Go’ (PVOD)
Halle Berry stars in this horror-thriller that is a lot more interesting in concept than it is in final execution. Nevertheless, if you want a nerve-jangling thrill ride that will keep you guessing until the final moments, “Never Let Go” will fit the bill nicely. It’s also a great showcase of Berry’s acting talents and features two solid performances from young actors, Percy Daggs IV and Anthony B. Jenkins. This dark thriller failed to find much of an audience in theaters (it was a box office flop barely making back its budget), but its arrival on streaming might give it a second wind.
Set in a remote woods infected with a shape-shifting evil, Berry plays a protective mother guarding over her two sons from within a secluded log cabin. The rules of survival are simple, so long as they remain tethered to the house, even if just by a rope, they are protected, but should they let go, the evil will be able to corrupt them. This life of daily survival isn’t easy, and things get even more challenging when one of the boys begins to question if the unseen evil is real. Soon events spiral out of control as the mother's attempts to keep her family safe become increasingly desperate.
Buy or rent on Amazon from October 11
More from Tom's Guide
