Spring is here, and a fresh crop of movies is sprouting on the best streaming services. But when you’re spoiled for choice on what to watch, it can be a headache narrowing down which movies are actually worth your time.
That’s why we’re highlighting all of the hits and none of the duds that are worth adding to your watchlist this weekend.
Leading the pack is Bob Dylan’s biopic “A Complete Unknown” on Hulu as well as Disney’s animated musical “Mufasa” on Disney Plus. If you’re looking for a heartfelt romantic drama, “The Life List” on Netflix is worth checking out.
Meanwhile, Prime Video got another animated adventure that ’80s fans will enjoy, “Transformers One,” and you can catch Nicole Riegel’s music-themed drama “Dandelion” on Hulu.
So without further ado, let’s dive into the top new movies that just landed on streaming.
‘A Complete Unknown’ (Hulu)
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James Mangold’s musical biopic went home empty-handed at this year’s Oscars despite being nominated for eight awards. Still, Timothée Chalamet’s leading performance as Bob Dylan generated plenty of buzz, even netting the “Dune” star the Best Actor trophy at the SAG Awards. Now you can see for yourself whether it deserved that coveted Best Picture award.
Opening in 1961, “A Complete Unknown” chronicles the legendary musician’s rise to fame after arriving in the Big Apple with nothing to his name but a guitar and a dream.
He goes from Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy) acolyte to folk icon as his career takes off, transforming the landscape of American music with his soulful writing and magnetic stage presence. But his rocky relationship with (fictional) girlfriend Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning) and even rockier partnership with Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) threaten to derail his momentum.
While it does little to break from the biopic formula, “A Complete Unknown” is a must-watch for Dylan disciples. Even if you’ve never listened to Dylan beyond his top hits on the radio, it’s still a fun watch.
Watch it now on Hulu
‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ (Disney Plus)
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The latest live-action remake that no one asked for arrives on Disney Plus this week after a solid box office run despite its slow start. As you’ve probably guessed from the name, “Mufasa” is a prequel to the 2019 remake of the original animated classic that follows Simba’s father and his rise to become king of the Pride Lands.
Before they were at each other’s throats for the throne, Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) and his adopted brother Scar (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) were once inseparable pals.
After Scar — the heir to the royal bloodline — throws a race to let Mufasa join his pride, it sets off a domino effect that changes their lives forever.
Like its predecessor, the CGI strays a little too close to the uncanny valley for my liking, and Lin-Manuel Miranda delivers a rare dud on the music side of things, but diehard “Lion King” fans will no doubt enjoy this chance to rejoin the circle of life.
Watch it now on Disney Plus
‘The Life List’ (Netflix)
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Just based on the premise alone, I can already tell I’m going to need tissues for Netflix’s latest heartfelt romantic drama “The Life List.”
Adapted from the best-selling novel by Lori Nelson Spielman, it stars Sofia Carson as Alex Rose, a woman who sets out to check off her childhood bucket list to fulfill her mother’s dying wish.
As she reluctantly begins ticking off items, from teaching at a woman’s shelter to taking the stage at an open mic night, Alex unearths family secrets and learns to embrace life in ways she never expected.
Along the way, she also finds new love as she grows closer to the executor of her mother’s estate (Kyle Allen).
“The Life List” sounds like an emotional journey of love, loss, and self-discovery, so if you’re in the mood for a feel-good tearjerker, this is definitely one to add to your watchlist.
Watch it now on Netflix
‘Transformers One’ (Prime Video)
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The “Transformers” franchise hasn’t had the best luck in recent years, with only the spin-off “Bumblebee” coming anywhere close to the same success as Michael Bay’s hit 2007 live-action adaptation.
But “Transformers One” takes the CGI-stuffed blockbuster franchise into the world of animation with a prequel that might just be the best installment yet.
In it, we head back to the robots’ home turf, Cybertron, to learn the untold story of Optimus Prime (voiced by Chris Hemsworth) and Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry) before they were bitter enemies.
Born without cogs that let them transform, the two are stuck toiling away in the mines. When Optimus uncovers a map to the Matrix of Leadership, a lost artifact sought by their city’s leader, Sentinel Prime (Jon Hamm), the two head to the surface to find it.
Their journey unearths new secrets that make them question the history they’ve always known, and the truth begins to drive a wedge between them that will change them, as well as Cybertron forever.
Watch it now on Prime Video
‘Dandelion’ (Hulu)
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Nicole Riegel follows up her stellar directorial debut “Holler” with “Dandelion,” an indie music-themed romantic drama that’ll tug at your heartstrings.
KiKi Layne stars as the titular Dandelion, a struggling singer-songwriter who’s not appreciated in her own time. As a last-ditch effort to launch her career, she takes a gig at a motorcycle rally in South Dakota.
There she meets Casey (Thomas Doherty of “Gossip Girl” and “The Invitation”), a guitarist who’s back in town to meet up with his old band after walking away from his musical aspirations long ago.
As the two grow closer, each at a crossroads in their lives and careers, they spark something profound in each other.
Watch it now on Hulu
