Avatar 2, Fast X, and every new movie to watch at home this weekend
Oel ngati kameie, Polygon readers!
Each week, we round up the most notable releases new to streaming and VOD, highlighting the biggest and best new movies for you to watch at home. This week sees the highly anticipated streaming premiere of Avatar: The Way of Water, as well as plenty of other new releases on VOD and streaming.
This week, Living, a modern adaptation of Akira Kurosawa’s Ikiru starring Bill Nighy, is available to stream on Netflix. Flamin’ Hot, the Eva Longoria-directed comedy drama about the origin of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, is available to stream on Hulu and Disney Plus, while Creed III, starring director-actor (and bona fide anime aficionado) Michael B. Jordan, is now available to stream on Prime Video. That’s not all: There’s tons of new movies available on VOD this week as well, including the latest installment in the Fast and Furious franchise, Fast X, and Paul Schrader’s crime thriller-drama Master Gardener starring Joel Edgerton (The Underground Railroad) and Sigourney Weaver (Alien).
Let’s get into it.
New on Netflix
Living
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Genre: Drama
Run time: 1h 42m
Director: Oliver Hermanus
Cast: Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood, Alex Sharp
Nominated for two Oscars (Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor), Living is an adaptation of Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece drama Ikiru. Bill Nighy stars as an office worker who receives a harsh medical diagnosis and sets out to make the most of his time left.
New on Disney Plus
Avatar: The Way of Water
Where to watch: Available to stream on Disney Plus
Genre: Epic sci-fi action
Run time: 3h 12m
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver
James Cameron’s long-awaited follow-up to his 2009 smash hit was the biggest box-office success of 2022, and finally makes its streaming service debut this week on both Disney Plus and Max. It was not only the most financially lucrative movie of the year — it was also one of the best, bringing digital filmmaking technologies into a new era once again in a feast for the senses.
From our review:
Avatar: The Way of Water tells a simple but engaging story in an imaginative, beautiful environment. It’s more than three hours long, and it unfortunately takes close to a full third of that time to get rolling. But once it does — once former human Marine turned Pandoran native Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), his Na’vi mate Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and their brood of four half-Na’vi, half-Avatar children take refuge from the forest in a watery part of the world — the sense of wonder hits like a tidal wave.
New on Hulu
Flamin’ Hot
Where to watch: Available to stream on Hulu and Disney Plus
Genre: Biographical comedy drama
Run time: 1h 38m
Director: Eva Longoria
Cast: Jesse Garcia, Annie Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert
Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives fame makes her directorial debut with this biographical comedy drama based on the life of Richard Montañez, a former Frito-Lay janitor who claims to be responsible for the origin of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
The Amazing Maurice
Where to watch: Available to stream on Hulu
Genre: Family fantasy comedy
Run time: 1h 33m
Director: Toby Genkel
Cast: Hugh Laurie, Emilia Clarke, David Thewlis
An animated adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s children’s novel, The Amazing Maurice stars Hugh Laurie as a talking cat who pulls scams (with the cooperation of a group of rats) on nearby towns. Emilia Clarke is Malicia, the mayor’s daughter, who joins up with Maurice and his ragtag crew. The sprawling voice cast also includes Himesh Patel, David Tennant, and Gemma Arterton.
New on Max
Avatar: The Way of Water
Where to watch: Available to stream on Max
Genre: Epic sci-fi action
Run time: 3h 12m
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver
Hey, it’s here too! Thanks to an old agreement between 20th Century Fox (now owned by Disney) and Warner Bros., the Avatar sequel will also be making its streaming debut on the Max platform.
New on Prime Video
Creed III
Where to watch: Available to stream on Prime Video
Genre: Sports drama
Run time: 1h 56m
Director: Michael B. Jordan
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors
Michael B. Jordan makes his directorial debut in the third installment of the Rocky spinoff series centered on Apollo Creed’s son Adonis. Having defeated his longtime rival Ricky Conlan and retired at the height of his career as the heavyweight boxing champ of the world, Adonis’ next challenge comes in the form his childhood best friend Damian “Diamond Dame” Anderson (Jonathan Majors), who returns home from a stint in prison with a plan to disrupt Adonis’ life and become the champ himself.
From our review:
Jordan taking over for Stallone as director feels like a real-life Rocky trajectory for the series, but at the same time, Jordan works to sever Creed III from the Rocky franchise. Rocky Balboa only warrants a quick mention here, but mostly, this movie’s tale of fame and money, of dealing with retirement, of bottled-up emotions, and of confronting open wounds is all completely distinct from the way Rocky’s sequels approached similar stories. Creed III instead roots these themes in the specifics of Black Americans and their experiences within unforgiving systems. It explores the conflicted perspectives on Black wealth and celebrity as marks of individual success and as acts of assimilation, even betrayal of the Black community.
New on Peacock
Renfield
Where to watch: Available to stream on Peacock
Genre: Comedy horror
Run time: 1h 33m
Director: Chris McKay
Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina
Nicolas Cage stars as Dracula in this comedic take on the legendary vampire, which sees his servant, Robert Montague Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), attempting to reckon with the toxic relationship he has with his immortal boss.
From our review:
Hoult is appropriately doe-eyed and self-effacing as Renfield — he’s probably the most sincere part of an otherwise cynical project — but he’s the only actor who seems to have been allowed to tap into anything resembling a comedic or dramatic soul. He’s also the only one not saddled with dialogue that plays like amateur improv. He isn’t grating to watch. That’s the bare minimum for an actor on screen, yet it’s a prerequisite that nearly every other facet of Renfield fails to meet, from its mind-numbing action that refuses to luxuriate in thrills or gross hilarity to its scattered tale of a man finding ways to tell off his asshole boss. In that vein, it ought to be the most relatable comedy in the world. Instead, it’s just a series of disconnected images, strung together by half-baked quips that you could place in the mouth of practically any other character. The result would feel just as defeating.
New on Shudder
Brooklyn 45
Where to watch: Available to stream on Shudder
Genre: Supernatural thriller
Run time: 1h 32m
Director: Ted Geoghegan
Cast: Anne Ramsay, Ron E. Rains, Jeremy Holm
Five childhood best friends gather to conduct a seance in order to resurrect the spirit of one of their recently deceased wives. Things take an unexpected and horrifying turn when the ritual performs too well, unearthing secrets the group who prefer to have kept buried.
New on VOD
Fast X
Where to watch: Available to rent for $19.99 on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Genre: Action
Run time: 2h 21m
Director: Louis Leterrier
Cast: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson
Just a few weeks after its theatrical release, the latest adventure in the Fast and Furious franchise speeds its way to home viewing. This time, the ever-growing crew is joined by Jason Momoa in the antagonist role.
From our review:
Fast X suffers from the same condition as latter-day MCU movies, where it’s so laden with internal mythology that it feels more like homework than popcorn entertainment. “The days when one man behind the wheel of a car can make a difference are done,” Aimes soberly informs Dom in the buildup to the film’s fiery, physics-defying action climax, which naturally involves one man behind the wheel of a car. Aimes is meant to be wrong in his prediction, and wrong-headed for even thinking it. But the days when a goofy, overstated line like that is enough to keep audiences coming back to this franchise may be waning, too.
Master Gardener
Where to watch: Available to rent for $6.99 on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Genre: Crime thriller
Run time: 1h 51m
Director: Paul Schrader
Cast: Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver, Quintessa Swindell
The third film in Paul Schrader’s ongoing tetralogy of thematically connected films stars Joel Edgerton (The Underground Railroad) as Narvel Roth, a horticulturist with a dark past who is tasked with taking on the wayward grand-niece (Quintessa Swindell) of his wealthy benefactor (Sigourney Weaver). As the two grow closer, Narvel’s history slowly but surely comes to light, threatening the simple life he has worked so meticulously to grow.
Showing Up
Where to watch: Available to purchase for $19.99 on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Genre: Dramedy
Run time: 1h 47m
Director: Kelly Reichardt
Cast: Michelle Williams, Hong Chau, André 3000
Kelly Reichardt (First Cow) is a special filmmaker, the kind whose newest work is always appointment viewing. Her latest is Showing Up, about a sculptor (Michelle Williams) balancing her professional life with her personal one as she gets ready to open up a new how.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
Where to watch: Available to purchase for $19.99 on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Genre: Coming-of-age dramedy
Run time: 1h 46m
Director: Kelly Fremon Craig
Cast: Abby Ryder Fortson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates
Judy Blume’s iconic coming-of-age story gets this adaptation from Kelly Fremon Craig (The Edge of Seventeen), starring Abby Ryder Fortson (the original Cassie from the Ant-Man movies) as Margaret and Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, and Benny Safdie as her family.
Source: Polygon
