The beginning of fall brings another batch of new movies streaming this week on Netflix, Max and other services. You just need a subscription for some titles, while others you can buy or rent.
Several late summer theatrical releases are making their streaming debuts, including Gran Turismo, The Meg 2: The Trench, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 and Blue Beetle. They're joined by streaming exclusives like Netflix's ominous Reptile and Wes Anderson's whimsical The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.
Here are the top new movies streaming this week.
Blue Beetle (digital)
Aspiring lawyer Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) returns to his hometown of Palmera City to find his family facing eviction. After meeting with a contact about a potential job, he soon finds himself in possession of an ancient alien artifact tucked away inside a fast food box: the mysterious Scarab.
After the sentient Scarab fuses with Jaime and outfits him with a powerful exoskeleton, he gains superpowers that turn his life upside down. He must then take on a series of high-tech assassins and other baddies set on recovering the Scarab. As the newly-crowned Blue Beetle, Jaime must uncover the secrets of company Kord Industries as well as its co-founder and CEO. - Brittany Vincent
Buy on Amazon or Apple starting Sept. 26
Gran Turismo (digital)
Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe), a young gamer from Cardiff, dreams of trading his virtual race tracks for the real thing. When Nissan's GT Academy offers him a shot at real-world racing, Jann grabs it. Under the guidance of retired racer Jack Salter (David Harbour), Jann works to prove he's got what it takes to bring his racing skills to the real world.
The fledgling racer dives headfirst into the cutthroat world of professional racing, only to find that it's not exactly the way it seems in his games. And when he finds there are consequences to real-world crashes, it shakes his love for the sport in a big way. The live-action adaptation is a lot more serious than the game series is, but that's what makes it work so well. - BV
Buy on Amazon or Apple starting Sept. 26
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (digital)
Set a year after My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, Toula (Nia Vardalos) and Ian (John Corbett) grapple with the grief of losing their fathers. Whisked away to Greece for a family reunion, the Portokalos clan encounters village mayor, Victory (Melina Kotselou), who dreams of restoring the village to its former glory.
The trip quickly spirals into a chaotic adventure as Toula searches for connections to her past, Aunt Voula (Andrea Martin) seeks romance in Paris, and Ian just wants a real, honest-to-goodness getaway from it all. If you liked the first two movies, there's no doubt the Portokalos family will put a smile on your face again. - BV
Buy on Amazon or Apple starting Sept. 26
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Netflix)
In this adaptation of Roald Dahl's short story of the same name, Henry Sugar (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a gambler searching for his next big break. Through intense meditation, he gains the skill to see through a deck of cards and eventually to see the future. He heads to a casino and uses his newfound powers to rack up some serious cash. But as his winnings pile up, so do the consequences.
Struggling with his own greed, Henry sets off on a quest to use his gift for good, even if that means tricking the casino owners of Las Vegas and going up against the mafia to open the world's best orphanages. Nothing too crazy, natch. - BV
Watch on Netflix starting Sept. 27
Flora and Son (Apple TV Plus)
John Carney has made another charming Irish film revolving around music, following Once and Sing Street. Bad Sisters star Eve Hewson (aka Bono’s daughter) plays single mom Flora, who struggles to connect with her rebellious teen son Max (Orén Kinlan). Encouraged to help Max find a hobby, she gets him a beat-up acoustic guitar. With the help of a washed-up California musician (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Flora and Max discover that one person’s trash can be another’s transformation. - Kelly Woo
Watch on Apple TV Plus starting Sept. 29
Meg 2: The Trench (Max)
The first Meg was a big, dumb, fun monster movie, with the monster in question being a 75-foot-long megalodon shark. Since it was a hit, naturally a sequel had to follow.
This time around, rescue diver Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) has been helping scientists explore the deepest part of the Mariana Trench where the megalodon lives. One voyage goes terribly wrong due to the malevolent actions of an illegal mining operation. An explosion forces Jonas and his team to don exosuits to walk the trench, where they encounter fearsome creatures. And with their habitat endangered, the megalodons seek safety … toward the surface. - KW
Watch on Max starting Sept. 29
Reptile (Netflix)
Netflix’s newest film gives TG’s Malcolm McMillan “serious True Detective” vibes, which bodes well for the crime thriller. Benicio del Toro stars as Detective Tom Nichols, who has been forced to relocate to a small town in Maine with his wife (Alicia Silverstone) after his reputation was tarnished.
When Nichols is assigned to investigate the murder of a realtor, he confronts the main suspects: her boyfriend Will (Justin Timberlake), her ex-husband (Karl Glusman) or a recluse (Michael Pitt) with a grudge against Will. As the detective digs deeper into the case, he uncovers a web of conspiracies and corruption that he didn’t expect. - KW
Watch on Netflix starting Sept. 29
Sisu (Starz)
Sisu is set during the last days of World War II and follows a silent prospector (Jorma Tommila) who crosses paths with German soldiers on a scorched-earth retreat in northern Finland. When these antagonists decide to steal his gold, they quickly discover they’ve tangled with no ordinary miner, and have in fact fallen foul of a one-man death squad who will go to any lengths to get revenge and reclaim what is rightfully his.
Praised by critics for its bold style and unrelenting action, Sisu is deliriously entertaining from beginning to end. And at a lean 91 minutes, there’s no time for viewers to get bored of its pulp carnage or crave a story deeper than the paper-thin plot presented. Writer/director Jalmari Helander cites Rambo: First Blood as an inspiration for this gloriously over-the-top action thriller. - Rory Mellon
Watch on Starz starting Sept. 29
Dreamin’ Wild (digital)
If you want to watch something a little more thoughtful, and with fewer killer sharks and speeding racecars, then Dreamin’ Wild could be exactly what you've been searching for. Based on a true story, this biographical drama sees Casey Affleck play Donnie Emerson, a softspoken singer/songwriter. Donnie’s world is turned upside down when an album he recorded with his brother Joe (Walton Goggins) when the two were teenagers is discovered by music critics and hailed as a masterpiece after thirty years of obscurity. While the album’s surprise success brings fame and opportunity, it also stirs up long-buried emotions that impact Donnie and his wife (Zooey Deschanel), as well as the entire family unit. - RM
Buy on Amazon or Apple starting Sept. 26
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