This is one of the best weeks for new movies streaming online that we’ve seen since we started tracking the top new films to watch online. And two of them take you to tropical islands, and they’re both far cheaper than the flights we’ve been looking at online.
Not only do we have an underrated and under-seen new flick starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, but Netflix is continuing to funnel all the true crime it can with a much-expected and highly-nauseating story of a frightening fertility doctor. Oh, and Senior Year is Rebel Wilson’s first new movie in years.
The most interesting film of the bunch is Operation Mincemeat, a war drama based on a true story that has a truly unique sense of humor. In it, you’ll see Colin Firth and Tom Wabsgams himself (Matthew Macfadyen) as British intelligence agents using a dead body to confuse the Nazis in World War 2. Once you’ve finished this list, check out the stack of new shows and movies to watch from this past weekend.
Without further previews, let’s break down the seven movies you should watch this week:
Lost City
Sometimes, you just want a fun, light book that’s easy on the eyes and makes you swoon more than it makes you think. And The Lost City, a film about a romance novelist, shows that sometimes an easy-watch film that’s big on laughs is just as great.
Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) has sold tons of tomes based around adventure and lust, but she’s finally burned out and ready to give it all up. Alas, she can’t leave just yet. Loretta needs to go on one last promo book tour, where she has to put up with Alan, the model who appears on all of her novels’ covers of ella as the heroic Dash.
And right when Loretta’s just about to throw it all away in a blaze of glory? Well a weird little man (Daniel Radcliffe) who believes that Loretta’s books actually contain the secrets to a true lost city filled with riches. This sparks a rescue mission where Alan’s trying to become Dash and save her, as well.
Stream it on Paramount Plus or rent it on Amazon-Prime right now
And if you have Prime Video, you can watch Kids in the Hall (2022) online when the revival arrives.
Our Father (Netflix)
Netflix dominates the world of true crime, and its latest documentary is a particularly chilling and unbelievable film. Our Father is the story of their father, Doctor Donald Cline, a fertility specialist who is linked to (at least) 94 children by his own sperm. And not only does there seem to be no crime he can be arrested for, his victims accuse him of doing this to build a widespread Aryan clan.
No, his patients had no idea what he was doing. And, yes, you will be appalled by his actions. The film shows how Cline’s actions may be tied to a conservative movement known as Quiverfull, which pushes families to produce as many children as they can. Our Father is a Blumhouse (Paranormal Activity, Get Out and The Invisible Man) film, so expect Cline’s story to be told with an expert and unnerving edge.
Stream it on Netflix on Wednesday (May 11)
Operation Mincemeat (Netflix)
Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen in the same film? No, the multiverse trend hasn’t hit the Pride and Prejudice cinematic universe. Here, the former Darcys are British intelligence officers whose goal and plan seem greatly mismatched.
All they want to do is confuse the Nazis, so the Allies can improve their chances in the war. Their strategy, though, is truly odd: weaponizing a corpse. Not by turning said dead body into an explosive device, but to fool their enemies.
This may sound unbelievable, but this story is actually true. And Operation Mincemeat doesn’t just have heavy-hitters in front of the camera, either: it’s directed by John Madden (Shakespeare In Love, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel).
Stream it on Netflix on Wednesday (May 11)
Firestarter (Peacock)
Mutant origin stories have been seen in movies and comic books for years, and Firestarter flips it to a horror bent. Charlie (newcomer Ryan Kiera Armstrong) seemingly just wants to be a normal school girl, but she has a problem keeping cool. And we mean that literally: her touch from her can get far too hot, as her schoolmates from her learn in disastrous moments.
Zac Efron co-stars as Charlie’s father Andy, who is trying to help her learn to control her pyrokinetic abilities. But as the case with any 11-year-old, Charlie’s work from her to keep her burning under control does n’t actually go well. Now, his best hope of him is that they can keep Charlie from being taken from him by a mysterious operative.
you can watch Firestarter online on peacock this Friday (May 13)
Sneakerella (Disney Plus)
One thing we always ask from Disney Plus is that it releases new content that isn’t just a spinoff or a reboot. Sneakerella is just this kind of film, though it does bear obvious connections to the Disney classic Cinderella. It focuses on El (Chosen Jacobs), a sneaker designer in Queens, NY, who is working in the back at a shoe store that used to be run by his late mother.
Not only do El’s stepbrothers bully him, but his beleaguered stepfather doesn’t have much of a chance to help him either. A hope for a better life comes from Kira King (Lexi Underwood), the “fiercely independent” daughter of Darius King, an iconic basketball star and sneaker mogul. With encouragement from hid Fairy Godfather, as well as his best friend from him Sami (Devyn Nekoda), he might actually make his sneakerhead dreams come true.
Stream it on Disney Plus starting May 13
Senior Year (Netflix)
Miss Rebel Wilson? The actress is finally back on our screens after a year off for herself, and she’s returned in a movie with a slightly similar premise. But instead of her character Ella Stephanie Conway taking a year off before her senior year, Steph’s spent the last 20 years in a coma following a freak cheerleading accident.
Now, she has to not only finish high school, but in the ultimate fish out of water situation, where she’s got no idea what’s been happening during her coma. The film looks like a charming and fun time, and it’s going to feature Alicia Silverstone, Ms. High School movie herself, in a to-be-revealed role. Fans of Apple TV Plus’ The Afterparty will note that Sam Richardson plays love interest Seth, while Zoe Chao co-stars as rival Tiffany.
Stream it on Netflix starting Friday (May 13)
Old (HBO Max)
Yes, with spring here and summer fast approaching, we bet you’d love to go to a bright, sunny beach at an all expenses-paid resort. M. Night Shyamalan has a different kind of sunny and sandy vista for you, though. Old, which I paid to see in theaters (and am excited to see again on HBO Max), takes place on the last beach I’d step foot on.
On the “Old beach,” (as my friends and I called it after having seen the movie) a group of tourists discover that they’re all starting to rapidly age. Mere hours bring a small child to his adult years, and do even worse for the elderly among them. Of course, Old has one of Shyamalan’s signature twists at the ending, so don’t believe anything you see until the credits roll. A fun horror movie that isn’t afraid to be weird or goofy, Old is a movie I can’t wait to watch again.
Stream it on hbo max starting Friday (May 13)
In other entertainment news, Netflix is rolling out ads and a password crackdown later this year. Plus, watch the Avatar 2 teaser trailer.