When it comes to the latest batch of new movies to watch online we've got a strong field of offerings hitting streaming and digital this week. The biggest titles include Oscar nominee for Best Picture that's getting a bizarre windowed streaming release, a sequel to a since-ended series and an animated sequel that's a hit with critics.
At the top of the marquee, as you'll see above, Idris Elba is back in the role of John Luther in a Netflix movie that hopefully wraps up the loose strands from the Luther series. Missing, an under-the-radar thriller told through the screens of its characters, is finally streaming.
Elsewhere, Peacock's got the other big movie of the week, as Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is finally streaming, and this Shrek spinoff has gotten raves from many.
We've added Rotten Tomatoes scores for each movie, to help you see what the general critical consensus is as well.
Here are the top 7 new movies to watch online this week:
Luther: The Fallen Sun (Netflix)
Years after Luther's five-season run ended with Idris Elba's titular detective on the wrong side of a pair of handcuffs — having been exposed for breaking the rules to bring criminals to justice — he's back. And while we last saw Luther being led down the path to prison, he's out.
To the surprise of nobody in Luther: The Fallen Sun, Luther's on the run. Not only is he dodging the agent (Cynthia Erivo) who's trying to bring him in, but Luther also has a new target: David Robey (Andy Serkis). A serial killer who's pulling the puppet strings thanks to surveillance tech, Robey's on the wrong side of an ultimate cat and mouse game that's sent Luther to the arctic, among other places.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 68%
Watch on Netflix on Friday (March 10)
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Peacock)
11 years after the first Puss in Boots came out to mostly positive reviews (it garnered an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes), a sequel has arrived that is even more beloved (95% on RT). Yes, somehow, there's still life in the Shrek cinematic universe, as Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) is back.
The only issue? He's only got eight of his nine lives left, and he needs to get those back if he wants to stay adventuring. His only solution is to track down the Wishing Star in the Black Forest, and he'll need the help of Kitty Soft Paws (Salma Hayek) to survive. And they're not alone either, as Perro the dog (Harvey Guillén) aides them.
Oh, and expect more star power in the form of the three foes in their way: Goldilocks (Florence Pugh), "Big" Jack Horner (John Mulaney) and The Big Bad Wolf (Wagner Moura). Praised for its winning visual style and Banderas' charisma, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is the rare big-name family-friendly animated movie that works for all. Credit also go to its script, which makes the titular feline more interesting than ever, now that he's a little older and has grown up with us all.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Watch on Peacock starting Friday (March 10)
80 For Brady (Digital)
While the forces behind 80 For Brady may have released it in February hoping that the titular quarterback was going to make it deep into the playoffs, that didn't happen. Now, Mr. Brady is just like the four friends in this road trip comedy: retired.
Based off a real group of 80-something female friends who bonded over their fandom of Tom Brady and his Patriots, 80 For Brady may be light in the plot but its leading quartet — Sally Field, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Lily Tomlin — makes it an enjoyable film.
While some look at it and may be upset that such talents have to reduce themselves to something this base to get a movie that's in the public eye, the optimists out there might hope for more chances for older actresses to work against type.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 62%
Rent or buy digitally on Prime Video and other services right now (released March 7)
Women Talking (Prime Video)
You may remember when Women Talking became available to watch online last month, via paid video-on-demand rental and purchase. Now, this critically-acclaimed film is getting a streaming service run with Prime Video, but it's quite an unusual release. Prime Video members will get Women Talking as a part of their membership from March 8th through the 12th, basically one last window to get this Best Picture nominee some more oxygen for those catching up before the big awards show on Sunday (the 12th).
Sarah Polley's Women Talking (which is based on Miriam Toews' novel of the same name) highlights a tragic story of a group Mennonite women who are being abused by the men in their community. With a spare style, Women Talking allows the horrors experienced to be front and center, with nothing to obfuscate what's been done. Claire Foy and Rooney Mara have gotten raves for their strong performances
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
Watch with Prime Video March 8th through March 12th
Missing (Digital)
One wonders what Missing — which tells its story through the screens used by its characters — would have looked like were it a more straightforward film.
June (Storm Reid) starts the film as your average teen excited to have the house to herself when her mom (Nia Long) goes on vacation. But, then, mom doesn't actually come home, and the police don't seem to know how to find her and the new boyfriend she went on this trip with. June then takes it upon herself to figure out where her mother's gone off to, and unravels a series of lies and secrets that make her question her whole life.
A spiritual sequel to 2018's Searching (also told via screens), Missing is inventive if nothing else. Reid carries the film by making June seem real, which is hard to do when the film's told-on-screens format keeps reminding you that this is all fake. You'll also love the excellent work Joaquim de Almeida does as Javi, the most plucky gig economy worker ever.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
Buy digitally on Prime Video and other services right now (released March 7)
Corsage (AMC Plus)
As a historical figure, Empress Elizabeth of Austria was known for many things, and being one of the most beautiful women in Europe during the 19th century was one such claim to fame. Here, though, Elizabeth (Vicky Krieps) is falling apart, or at least feigning illness. Rebelling against the cultural norms that are increasingly making her life a pain, as her existence is based around presenting a strong and perfect public presence. So, as her corset tightens, Elizabeth hurries off to find a new way to live.
Flipping the bird and extending her tongue in mockery, all while almost drowning in her own melancholy, Elizabeth is a figure that many will understand thanks to the last decades of celebrity culture. Applauded for being a piece of historical fiction that doesn't buckle underneath its anachronistic changes, Corsage feels alive with its resistance against the patriarchy.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%
Watch on AMC Plus via Prime Video Channels starting Friday (March 10)
Marlowe (Digital)
There have been many a Liam Neeson thriller over the years since Taken came out, so Marlowe shows up as something of an inevitability. Here, Neeson plays Raymond Chandler protagonist Philip Marlowe, one of the most well known fictional gumshoes. In 1930's L.A., Marlowe gets a new case: help a famous movie star (Jessica Lange) track down her missing daughter (Diane Kruger). Of course, doing so just opens up a big sea of lies that everyone's been telling.
Not exactly critically beloved, Marlowe mostly earned praise for its beautiful cinematography, and that it's a functional noir stocked with great actors. Alan Cumming, Danny Huston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Colm Meaney help round out the cast.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 21%
Buy digitally on Prime Video and other services right now (released Tuesday, March 7)
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