The festive week is one of the quietest of the year for new streaming releases. In fact, none of the major streaming services are offering new movies this week (though Netflix is debuting “Squid Game” season 2 for TV binge-watching). However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any fresh flicks for you to watch from the comfort of your home over the holidays.
The headline new addition this week is “Gladiator 2” on premium video-on-demand. The swords-and-sandals sequel was more than 20 years in the making and while it’s unlikely to leave the same cultural impact as its predecessor, it’s still a historical epic that packs plenty of action spectacle and character-driven melodrama. Other newcomers to PVOD include “Y2K” and “The Order”.
While this week’s selection isn’t one for the history books, there's a handful of new movies worth streaming. So, let’s dive into all the top new movies you can watch now…
'Gladiator 2' (PVOD)
Entering development as early as 2001, it took a long time for “Gladiator 2” to make its way to the big screen. And while this Ridley Scott sequel can't match the legacy of the original (a frankly impossible bar to meet), it’s still packing all the historical action fans of the first movie could want. Where it falls apart a little is on the character, Denzel Washington is on top font as a former slave playing the political game with his eyes on controlling Rome, but Paul Mescal struggles to match the sheer maganism of Russell Crowe in the lead role.
“Gladiator 2” has also been criticized by some for covering the same narrative beats as its predecessor, but if you want a big-budget swords-and-sandals epic, it offers a scale that very few movies can match. “Gladiator 2” opens more than 15 years after the first, and sees a prisoner named Hanno (Mescal) enter the Colosseum after the Roman army destroys his home and murders his wife. Looking to his past to find the strength to face the future, he carves a bloody path through the gladiator ring to lead the Roman people into a new era.
Buy or rent on Amazon from Dec. 24
'Y2K' (PVOD)
A24 dips into the disaster-comedy genre with “Y2K”, a high-concept flick bursting with ‘90s nostalgia. This is the directorial debut of Kyle Mooney and stars plenty of young talent including Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler and Julian Dennison. However, while the premise sounds pretty fun on paper, and the trailer makes an appealing pitch, the movie’s reception has been underwhelming with critics not warming to it and audiences outright rejecting it at the box office. Perhaps it’ll find a new lease of life via PVOD.
As you’d expect from a movie called “Y2K”, this movie opens on New Year’s Eve 1999 and sees two high school losers, Eli and Danny (Martell and Dennison), crash a party they weren’t cool enough to be invited to so the former can kiss his crush, Laura (Zegler). However, the evening gets significantly more intense than either could have imagined because all hell breaks loose at midnight.
Buy or rent on Amazon from Dec. 24
'The Order' (PVOD)
You’d have thought an action-thriller pairing together Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult would have garnered a little more attention. However, “The Order” failed to make any waves during its short theatrical run at the start of the month. Now heading to PVOD platforms (before landing on Prime Video at an unspecified later date), this movie inspired by a true story could become a streaming hit as its reviews are strong with an 89% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Set in the 1980s, Terry Husk (Law) is an FBI agent investigating a series of bank robberies across the Pacific Northwest. While his colleagues and superiors believe these heists are the work of a typical criminal gang, Husk is convinced they are part of a larger scheme to overthrow the federal government by a radical white supremacist group. The group’s leader is the charismatic Bob Matthres (Hoult), and Husk becomes obsessed with his capture.
Buy or rent on PVOD from Dec. 24
'Borderlands' (Starz)
I’m not sure the debut of “Borderlands” on Starz counts as a Christmas present, but if you’re really curious to see why this flick earned headlines over the summer, now is your chance. For those out of the loop, “Borderlands” earned plenty of attention, but for all the wrong reasons. Some online commentators went as far as to label this one of the worst movies ever made, and while I think that’s an exaggeration, there’s no denying that it’s pretty bad.
Based on the popular looter-shooter video game, “Borderlands” is a sci-fi action romp set on the hostile planet of Pandora. Lilith (Cate Blanchett) is a skilled bounty hunter tasked with finding the missing daughter of a powerful business tycoon. But the mission proves to be much more complicated than expected and she must reluctantly team up with a ragtag group of oddballs to find a mysterious treasure-filled vault and then save the entire world.
Watch on Starz from Dec. 25
'The Wasp' (MGM Plus)
If you’ve had enough of slickly sweet Christmas movies by Dec. 30, then “The Wasp” will offer the perfect alternative pick. This psychological thriller certainly isn’t going to fill you with seasonal spirit, but it will have you glued to the screen, and second-guessing every dramatic narrative twist. Starring Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer, it enjoyed a warm reception from critics and looks set to be a movie that earns (and deserves) overlooked gem status.
Heather (Harris) and Carla (Dormer) are former school friends who haven’t spoken in years. When they are reunited, Heather puts forward a shocking proposition to Carla that will change both their lives forever. I’ll say no more for fear of spoilers, but “The Wasp” is an effective little thriller that elevates itself beyond genre cliches thanks to the two solid performances at its core.
Watch on MGM Plus from Dec. 30
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