Summer's ending with a treat for those looking for new movies to watch online. One of the year's very best movies — and it's not a film I expected to say that about — is finally on a streaming service. Yes, while the likes of Top Gun: Maverick are currently in a premium video-on-demand danger zone, The King is now on HBO Max.
By which I mean Baz Luhrman's film Elvis, which tells Mr. Presley's story through the lens of his manager Col. Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). While Hanks' performance is almost farcical, the film is unlike anything else you'll see all year. Austin Butler's performance as the titular king of rock n roll radiates the captivating and powerful energy that creates stars.
Elsewhere in the streaming world, you'll find a satirical baptist comedy and the (supposedly) final Jurassic Park or World movie. Need more? Netflix has romance in Italy, a thriller sees a graffiti artist take on a local judge and another of Bruce Willis' final movies debuts online.
And for those looking to watcher other new-to-streaming/digital movies, well, as of last Friday you can watch Nope online That said, I recommend seeking it out in the theater. It's that good. Oh, in other upcoming streaming news, check out our Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power review to see why we think it's great — and divisive.
I Came By (Netflix)
Trying to crack a creep's secrets is all well and good until that person is in a seat of power. Such is the case when graffiti artist Toby (George Mackay) is trying to reveal that local judge Sir Hector Blake (Hugh Bonneville) has dirty secrets. But after breaking into the man's house is the easy part, getting out proves just the first fright, as the unfurled secrets reveal a massive scandal. Toby's friends and family become targets, as Blake looks to protect his own world of lies.
Stream it on Netflix starting Wednesday (Aug. 31)
Love in the Villa (Netflix)
If your summer didn't deliver the romance you had your eye on, then Netflix has tickets to Verona, Italy with your name on them. Meet Julia (Kat Graham), who is in the same exact boat as you are, after being dumped by Brandon (Raymond Ablack). She has her own ticket to paradise in Verona, which she booked for herself and Brandon back when she thought they were going to get engaged there. Fortunately, the hotel has the perfect surprise upgrade waiting for her: the very buff and proper Charlie (Tom Hopper). The hotel double-booked them both into the same hotel room, and while they don't get along at first, this accidental happenstance looks like it's going to work.
Stream it on Netflix starting Thursday (Sept. 1)
Elvis (HBO Max)
I saw the trailer for Baz Luhrman's Elvis — a biopic about the rise and fall of Elvis Presley, aka The King — one too many times in theaters this year. I was even ready to write it off. Then, word of mouth mixed with morbid curiosity (David Erlich at IndieWire described Tom Hanks' portrayal of Presley's manager Col. Tom Parker as "Kentucky Fried Goldmember") sold my seat. And I'm very glad I did. Austin Butler's performance as Presley is absolutely electric. And I didn't really have much interest in Elvis, either. But at the end of Luhrman's epic film, I was completely sold on both Butler and Presley. And now it's finally coming to the best streaming service, HBO Max.
Stream it on HBO Max starting Friday (Sept. 2)
Jurassic World Dominion (Peacock)
While the previous Jurassic World movies (itself a sequel to the original Jurassic Park trilogy) got mixed reviews, Dominion looked to offer something different. At the very least, Dominion reunited the whole gang, as the already-returned Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) gets back in the swing of dino-things with Drs. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ellie Satler (Laura Dern). Why bring back the old school? Well, Malcolm and the new-trilogy duo of Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) have a bigger problem on their hands: dinosaurs are just roaming free on Earth. And it's causing (you guessed it) all kinds of chaos.
Stream it on Peacock starting Friday (Sept. 2)
Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul (Peacock)
For everyone who loves HBO's Righteous Gemstones, but wanted it to have Christopher Guest documentary vibes and be unapologetically Black? You don't need to go to the theater to see the satirical comedy Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul. All about a comeback, the film finds Pastor Lee-Curtis Childs (Sterling K. Brown) and his wife Trinitie (Regina Hall) looking to rebuild. Trinitie is the much better public face of their church, as her husband is a bit too unglued,
Stream it on Peacock starting Friday (Sept. 2)
The Festival of Troubadours
For all the wounds that time cannot heal, music is the next best thing. After visiting his wife's grave, Heves (Settar Tanriögen) reunites with his son Yusuf (Kivanç Tatlitug) after 25 years of being apart. While the two do not get along at first, once Yusuf learns his father's health is not well, he agrees to accompany him on a trip to a music festival. This Turkish film looks to be an emotionally powerful tale of learning how to forgive.
Stream it on Netflix starting Friday (Sept. 2)
Wire Room
Bruce Willis' slow retirement from acting has been taking place throughout the last year, as a series of small films come out. The latest, Wire Room, sees him teaming up with Kevin Dillon (Entourage) in a cop movie where Shane Mueller (Willis) is a cop in the field and Dillon is his eyes in the chair back at base in the Wire Room that monitors suspects. This time, they've got to keep a criminal named Eddie Flynn (Oliver Trevena) alive. And they're not getting along while they try.
Buy or rent it on Amazon and other services starting Friday (Sept. 2)
Next: Me Time with Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg is No. 1 on Netflix — but critics absolutely hate it. Get ready to get shwifty, the Rick and Morty season 6 release date is almost here, and we've also got the WWE Clash at the Castle live stream details.
