At the top of the new movies to watch online this week, Avatar: The Way of Water is finally streaming. And since we had to wait 172 days after it hit theaters, it's only right that it's on two of the best streaming services. Also, for those who can't wait, Fast X arrives on digital this week.
But what about those looking for something more artful, with less CGI? Netflix offers a critically-adored take on a classic and one of the best quiet films of the last year or so is finally available for digital purchase.
Meanwhile, Peacock offers streaming audience the first bite at Nicolas Cage's recent vampire comedy. Oh, and snackers rejoice: Hulu and Disney Plus rip open the cinematic origin story of Flamin' Hot Cheetos.
Fast X (Digital)
Dominic Toretto and his family are back in the chaos in Fast X, which adds Jason Momoa and Brie Larson to the cast. Momoa plays Dante, the son of Fast Five's villain, who wants revenge for the safe heist incident. Larson? She's connected to Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell), who's missing.
And while the Fast cast all deliver the good you'll expect from past chapters, Fast X is all about Momoa. His Dante is definitely inspired by Heath Ledger's Joker, and makes the movie feel all the more alive for it.
Buy digitally online on Amazon and other retailers starting Friday, June 9
Living (Netflix)
Oliver Hermanus' Living, a Russian nesting doll of a movie, dates all the way back to Leo Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich, and is itself an adaptation of Akira Kurosawa's Ikiru. And the fact that this new film comes from both a 1952 movie and a 1886 novella proves that its message is eternal. Rodney Williams (Bill Nighy) lived a life consumed by work, and is given a terminal cancer diagnosis as reward for his labor.
Now, unable to tell his family about his limited time left on Earth, Mr. Williams seeks to find the meaning he is missing. Nighy received an Academy Award nomination for his efforts, and critics applaud Hermanus for successfully remaking a work that was already considered a classic.
Watch on Netflix (released Monday, June 5th)
Avatar: The Way of Water (Disney Plus, Max)
James Cameron's first (of apparently many) Avatar sequels brings us back to Pandora as Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his wife Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) now have a family.
Unfortunately, they also have a familiar nightmare, as the mind of the late Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) is implanted into a Na'vi avatar — and he's out for vengeance. Forced to leave their forest home, the Sullys seek refuge with the Metkayina clan, who live on the water.
The Way of Water features a stronger story than the original Avatar, and a new technological advancement. This time, Cameron's trying to make CGI look more realistic, with high frame-rate footage. This works well for the underwater scenes, but you may find the on-land moments a difficult watch.
Watch on Max and Disney Plus starting tomorrow (Wednesday, June 7)
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (Digital)
11-year-old Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) is going through all of it in this adaptation of Judy Blume's classic book. Not only has she been ripped out of her life in New York City to life in suburban New Jersey, but puberty is here as well. Fortunately, her mother Barbara (Rachel McAdams) and her grandmother Sylvia (Kathy Bates) are here for her.
Critics raved about this wholesome and sweet adaptation, and applauded Fortson for her performance. It also still manages to feel relevant despite keeping its 1970s setting.
Buy digitally online on Amazon and other retailers right now (released today, June 6)
Creed III (Prime Video)
The third and most visually dazzling chapter of the Creed movie series is all about the ghosts we can't escape. Adonis Creed (star and director Michael B. Jordan) thought he went out on top of the boxing world, but childhood friend Damian (Jonathan Majors) is out of jail, and wants the life Adonis lived. Or at least his championship gold.
Packed with big moments, and culminating in a fight scene unlike anything boxing movies have ever seen, Creed III is designed to feel epic. And Jordan leads a strong cast with a confident performance that will have you rooting for him — while also yelling at him to be more honest with his wife Bianca (Tessa Thompson).
Majors, we must note, is still in the middle of domestic violence charges, which have yet to be settled in or out of court.
Buy or rent digitally on Amazon and other digital retailers right now (released Tuesday, May 30)
Flamin' Hot (Disney Plus, Hulu)
The Flamin' Hot Cheeto's origin story is the latest corporate lore to go from the shelves to the box office, following Air, Blackberry and Tetris. In this film, we see custodian Richard Montañez's side of how the iconic neon-dusted snack got made, while he was working at the bottom of the corporate food chain, and drew inspiration from Hispanic food.
Just know that Flamin' Hot is possibly all hot air. A 2021 report from the Los Angeles Times debunked Montañez's story, and Frito-Lay's issued a statement that goes against this mythos.
Stream on Hulu and Disney Plus starting Friday (June 9)
The Amazing Maurice (Hulu)
Miss Hugh Laurie? Well, he's back as a hungry and mischievous cat named Maurice, in this adaptation of the late Terry Pratchett's work. And Maurice's hunger is only getting worse, as he's happened into a town that's all out of food.
And while some think the mystery of the missing food is attributed to rats, Maurice soon learns they're the wrong scapegoat. Laurie is joined by two of our favorites Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) and Himesh Patel (Station Eleven). Critics say it's more fun for kids than adults.
Watch it on Hulu starting Thursday (June 8th)
Renfield (Peacock)
Bad bosses are universal, and Universal Pictures is using that truth for the rebirth of its world of monster movies in Renfield. Here, we meet the titular assistant (Nicholas Hoult), who does the bidding of the egotistical Dracula (Nicolas Cage), even though he hates it.
Fortunately, Renfield is starting to see there's life outside of work. (He should check out Living, one of the other movies on this list.) And part of that includes a needed wake-up call from his new friend Rebecca (Awkwafina), a cop.
Watch on Peacock starting Friday (June 9)
Showing Up (Digital)
Showing Up, the latest film from beloved and modest filmmaker Kelly Reichardt, stars Michelle Williams as an artist whose life seems just a little too out of sorts at the moment. And she also has to deal with having a landlord (Hong Chau) who is too preoccupied with being an artist to make sure her tenants have hot water.
One of the more critically-applauded movie on this list, Showing Up has been heralded for its soulfulness. What it lacks in flair and special effects, it more than makes up for with its artful brilliance.
Buy digitally online on Amazon and other retailers right now (released today, June 6)
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