After last week saw Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and the Mario movie hit streaming, this week's got another big new movie to watch online — and a better one at that. Yes, Spider-friends among us, Across the Spider-Verse can (finally) be watched at home legally.
Elsewhere, Wes Anderson's excellent new film arrives on Peacock, and romance is in the air at Prime Video and Hulu. And to round out the week, we've also got an important new documentary on digital on-demand, as well as Netflix's big new movie starring Gal Gadot. Here's all the best new movies to stream this week.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Digital)
After making his feature film debut in the ultimately rewatchable 'Into the Spider-Verse,' Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is back in this chapter that swings from theaters to digital this week.
This second chapter of the series asks "what happens after you learn that your reality is just one small fraction of the world?" And, yes: you can do the multiverse right, provided you've got Christopher Miller and Phil Lord running the shop.
In this edition, Miles learns that there are many more Spider-Man variants out there, led by Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac). Unfortunately, fledgling villain The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) wants to gain power by destroying the multi-verse. And Miles and the other Spider-Men differ on how to best solve the problem.
Just be warned this is the first of a two-part series, with Beyond the Spider-Verse due out ... some day hopefully soon. It was originally scheduled for March 2024, but it was taken off the calendar recently.
Buy digitally and watch on Amazon and other services right now (released today, August 8)
The YouTube Effect (Digital)
Documentary director Alex Winter may be best known as Bill S. Preston Esq. of the Bill & Ted films, but his latest film should change that — at least for some. The YouTube Effect tackles how the titular platform is abused in some of the worst ways, including its recent history as a hub for disinformation.
Winrter also talks to several experts about how YouTube throws people down rabbit-holes of increasingly divisive content. You might have heard about this, as some believe exposure to YouTube's algorithm risks radicalization.
The one knock on The YouTube Effect is that it's arguably missing some focus, as the largeness of the video platform makes for something that's impossible to truly cover in a single film.
Buy digitally and watch on Amazon and other services right now (released today, August 8)
Squaring the Circle (Digital)
You may not know the name Hipgnosis (hypnosis, crossed with gnosis, the knowledge of spiritual nature), but I bet you've seen its work. The art studio behind some of the most iconic album covers of all time — Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon in particular — came out of Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey "Po" Powell, and is finally getting attention in this documentary.
Squaring the Circle interviews everyone from Paul McCartney to Roger Waters and from Jimmy Page to Robert Plant, to talk about the history of the 'squares' (album art) that highlighted their 'circles' (the vinyl albums). Critics were impressed by the application of a ton of care and detail to a subject many overlook.
Rent or buy digitally on Amazon and others right now (released Aug. 8)
The Last Rider (Digital)
Now that the iconic Tour de France race is over, it's a perfect time to look at the remarkable life of cyclist Greg LeMond. The only American to ever win the aforementioned epic race, LeMond dealt with adversity through a massive injury that rocked his world.
Critics rave that this documentary is as exciting and compelling as any sports movie ever, and its success is built around excellent archival footage and interviews with LeMond and his wife Kathy.
Rent or buy digitally on Amazon and others right now (released Aug. 8)
Enys Men (Hulu)
British filmmaker Mark Jenkin wrote, shot and directed Enys Men, a folk horror film made during the Covid-19 lockdown. Watch it now to watch its protagonist (Mary Woodvine) wonder what's real and what's not.
She's a wildlife volunteer working on an island off the British coast, and she begins to lose her grip on reality. Her story seems unreliably told at best, but lichen growing on the flowers of the deserted island she's on give you some grip on what happened when.
Praised for its experimental nature, Enys Men provokes with its weirdness, delivering a truly unique project.
Watch on Hulu starting Wednesday (August 9)
Asteroid City (Peacock)
Asteroid City, a desert town that feels decidedly retro, is playing home to a celebration of young scientists. Or at least it was until those kids saw something bigger than their little projects. All the while, both the aspiring laureates and the adults around them process their own massive life moments.
The last time I wrote about Wes Anderson's Asteroid City, I regarded it as one of his best films. Some wrote to me on social media to challenge this critique, and to them, I say "maybe watch it again." While Asteroid City's less traditional or linear than Rushmore or The Royal Tenenbaums, its exploration of the creative process and grief — don't overlook those flashes out of Asteroid City — make it even better.
Watch on Peacock starting Friday (August 11)
Heart of Stone (Netflix)
Rachel Stone (Gal Gadot) is an intelligence operative with a double life, having infiltrated Britain's MI6 to learn more for a global organization dubbed The Charter. Unfortunately, things go a bit haywire when a McGuffin known as The Heart is taken. And this sends her into the worst situation, where she needs to rebuild trust.
What if, say, you're like me, and don't really bring much optimism to a movie led by Gadot? Well, the good news here is that Jamie Dornan (The Fall), Alia Bhatt (RRR) and Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda) co-star.
Watch on Netflix starting Friday (Aug. 11)
Red, White & Royal Blue (Prime Video)
Unfortunately, Uma Thurman sightings have been very few and far between lately. Here, she stars as the President of the United States, whose son Alex (Taylor Zakhar Perez) falls into SNAFU at a party.
Alex and Britain's Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine) may have argued enough to start an international incident, but once they get to know each other, an unexpected romance blooms. Based on a romance novel of the same name, Red, White and Royal Blue looks like a feel-good romance movie.
Watch on Prime Video starting Friday (August 11)
Beautiful Disaster (Hulu)
We've got more romance here as college freshman Abby (Virginia Gardner) crosses ways with bad-boy Travis (Dylan Sprouse). She's aware that he's exactly the kind of flame she wants — and knows will burn her — as Travis is living a double life as a student during the day and an underground boxer by night.
A wager between the two, however, makes things much more complex. Travis manages to win his next match without his foe landing a single touch on him, so Abby's spending a whole month at his place. Oh, and she's got her own secrets, too.
Watch on Hulu starting Friday (August 11)
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