Mufasa: The Lion King, Queer, Dead Talents Society on Netflix, and every movie new to streaming this week
www.polygon.com
Each week on Polygon, we round up the most notable new releases to streaming and VOD, highlighting the biggest and best new movies for you to watch at home.This week, Mufasa: The Lion King, the Barry Jenkins-directed animated prequel to 2019s The Lion King, comes to streaming on Disney Plus following its theatrical run last year and subsequent arrival on VOD. Theres plenty of other exciting new releases on streaming to choose from this week, like the Taiwanese horror comedy Dead Talents Society on Netflix, the fraternal college drama The Line starring Alex Wolff, the Nicole Kidman-starring mystery thriller Holland on Prime Video, and much more.Heres everything new thats available to watch this weekend!New on NetflixDead Talents SocietyWhere to watch: Available to stream on NetflixGenre: Horror comedyRun time: 1h 45mDirector: John HsuCast: Bolin Chen, Sandrine Pinna, Gingle WangThis Taiwanese horror comedy follows a recently deceased teenager (Gingle Wang) who must learn how to scare the living or risk vanishing forever. Taken under the wings of an opportunistic ghost talent agent (Bolin Chen) and a once-famous phantom diva (Sandrine Pinna) desperate to rekindle her reputation, the trio sets out on a quest to scare the living daylights out of the living. So, think Beetlejuice meets Monsters, Inc.From our review:There are messages at work here about how so many people these days are hungry to be seen, but can only get attention online by chasing trends and employing gimmicks, leaving any recognition and applause they get feeling a little hollow and lonely. But the movie never hits those notes hard enough to make them maudlin, any more thanBeetlejuicefeels like a serious exploration of loneliness and loss for gothy teenager Lydia. Rookies feelings of frustration and fear are authentic enough to give the movie a little sympathetic warmth.The Life ListWhere to watch: Available to stream on NetflixGenre: Rom-comRun time: 2h 3mDirector: Adam BrooksCast: Sofia Carson, Kyle Allen, Connie BrittonAfter the death of her mother, a young woman embarks on a quest to fulfill a bucket list that she wrote when she was 13. Every time she fulfills one of the items on the list, she gets a new DVD with some life wisdom from her mom. She discovers more secrets about her family, and eventually becomes smitten with a few different guys including her moms estate lawyer. Based on the book of the same name.New on HuluA Complete UnknownWhere to watch: Available to stream on HuluGenre:DocudramaRun time:2h 21mDirector:James MangoldCast:Timothe Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle FanningTimothe Chalamet stars as Bob Dylan in thisheavily Oscar-nominateddocudrama from director James Mangold (Ford v Ferrari). After arriving in New York City, the 19-year-old folk music prodigy navigates the pitfalls of fame as his meteoric rise to stardom coincides with the political and social upheaval of the 1960s.The LineWhere to watch: Available to stream on HuluGenre: DramaRun time: 1h 40mDirector: Ethan BergerCast: Alex Wolff, Lewis Pullman, Halle BaileyAlex Wolff (Midsommar) stars in this coming-of-age drama as Tom, a scholarship student desperate to break free from his working-class background to achieve success. After pledging to KNA, a prestigious fraternity touting promises of high social status and influential alumni connections, Tom finds himself torn between his devotion to the frat life and his feelings for Annabelle (Halle Bailey), a classmate with whom he strikes up a relationship. Will their love be able to withstand the barrage of hazing rituals Tom is forced to undergo, or will he succumb to his darkest impulses in order to secure his so-called future?New on MaxQueerWhere to watch: Available to stream on MaxGenre:Period romantic dramaRun time:2h 16mDirector:Luca GuadagninoCast:Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Jason SchwartzmanBased on William S. Burroughs 1985 novella,Queerstars Daniel Craig as American expatriate William Lee a pen name for Burroughs living in Mexico City. After meeting Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey), a GI turned expatriate, William becomes infatuated with his new acquaintance, sparking a relationship that proves exhilarating, beautiful, and ultimately destructive.New on Disney PlusMufasa: The Lion KingWhere to watch: Available to stream on Disney PlusGenre:Family adventureRun time:1h 58mDirector:Barry JenkinsCast:Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tiffany BooneAcademy Award-winning director Barry Jenkins dives into the surprisingly complicated origin story of Mufasa, Simbas father inThe Lion King. Turns out, instead of inheriting the lion-throne, Mufasa was an orphan who floated down a river before being discovered by a young prince and his mother, la Moses. Theres a good, toothy thread in this movie about Scar and Mufasas relationship if you can dig it out from beneath the photorealistic lions, Lin-Manuel Miranda soundtrack, and super-duper simplified plot.From ourreview:There is a glimmer of something wonderful inMufasa. Jenkins and Nathanson put a twist on Mufasa and Takas relationship that couldve given a beautifully tragic edge to the confrontation we know is coming inThe Lion King. But while their ill-fated brotherhood couldve added even more heartbreak to the original movie, it was also the thread that was doomed to never be explored thoroughly in this prequel. Theres just too much working against it, from the flat animation and subpar songs to the preordained fate that awaits both characters. Sanding the nuance off that relationship mightve worked for a DTV prequel, but on a big screen, it feels jarringly abrupt.New on Prime VideoHollandWhere to watch: Available to stream on Prime VideoGenre: Mystery thrillerRun time: 1h 48mDirector: Mimi CaveCast: Nicole Kidman, Matthew Macfadyen, Jude HillHolland, Michigan, is a small, idyllic Midwestern town where the residents take the towns namesakeveryseriously. In the midst of planning for various Dutch-themed festivities, one teacher begins to suspect that her husband is hiding something. She investigates his secret double life with a co-worker, but soon realizes that the secret hes hiding may be even more dangerous than she initially realized.New on Paramount PlusThe Fire InsideWhere to watch: Available to stream on Paramount PlusGenre:Biographical sportsRun time:1h 49mDirector:Rachel MorrisonCast:Ryan Destiny, Brian Tyree Henry, Olunik AdeliyiWritten byMoonlightdirector Barry Jenkins, this biographical sports drama stars Ryan Destiny (Grown-ish) as Claressa T-Rex Shields, an aspiring boxer training to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic gold medal in the sport. Together with her coach, Jason (Brian Tyree Henry), Claressa must overcome the institutional hurdles of the sport if shes to have any chance of achieving her dream.New on MubiBring Them DownWhere to watch: Available to stream on Mubi USGenre: Psychological thrillerRun time: 1h 46mDirector: Chris AndrewsCast: Christopher Abbott, Barry Keoghan, Colm MeaneyChristopher Abbott (Possessor) and Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin) star as Jack and Michael, two bitter archenemies living in rural west Ireland whose animosity stems from a lingering feud between their fathers and a terrible accident that scared their families for life. Bring Them Down chronicles their feud over the years, eventually escalating into a chain of events that will leave nothing unscathed.New on ShudderThe Rule of Jenny PenWhere to watch: Available to stream on ShudderGenre: Horror thrillerRun time: 1h 44mDirector: James AshcroftCast: John Lithgow,Geoffrey Rush, George HenareGeoffrey Rush (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl) stars in this new horror thriller as Stefan, a former judge who is committed to an assisted living facility after suffering a stroke. When a fellow patient (John Lithgow) with a fixation for a baby doll hand puppet begins to display signs of psychopathic behavior, Stefan must fight to stop them from abusing the homes other residents before something terrible happens.New to rentDevils StayWhere to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and VuduGenre: HorrorRun time: 1h 35mDirector: Hyun Moon-subCast: Park Shin-yang, Lee Min-ki, Lee ReThis new Korean horror film centers on a heart surgeon grieving the loss of his daughter following a failed exorcism that claimed her life. Despite rulings from medical examiners, the surgeon still believes his daughter is somehow alive after hearing her still-beating heart. As the funeral rites commence, strange occurrences begin to manifest, forcing everyone to question whether or not the malevolent spirit that occupied the childs body somehow remains trapped inside.Operation UndeadWhere to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and VuduGenre: Horror dramaRun time: 1h 50mDirector: Kongkiat KomesiriCast: Awat Ratanapintha, Chanon Santinatornkul, Supicha SangkhachindaSet during Thailands involvement in WWII, Operation Undead follows a troupe of inexperienced soldiers who witness a growing undead threat left in the wake of a Japan-engineered chemical weapon that grants superhuman strength at the cost of the subjects humanity.From our review:Operation Undead is a stellar new entry in the zombie-movie canon that takes some real big swings: It respects the genres roots and need for thrills while providing a strong emotional backbone. Its one of the standout horror movies of 2025 so far, and a must-watch for anyone interested in new twists on a tried-and-true genre formula.Los FrikisWhere to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and VuduGenre: DramaRun time: 1h 51mDirectors: Tyler Nilson, Michael SchwartzCast: Hctor Medina, Eros de la Puente, Adria ArjonaBased on true events, Los Frikis follows a group of young adults in a punk rock band in Cuba in 1991. Facing economic insecurity, they decide to purposely infect themselves with HIV. This allows them to live in an isolated sanatorium, where they experience a level of community and freedom that they wouldnt have otherwise.
0 Commenti ·0 condivisioni ·58 Views