The start of a new week means it’s once again time to round up all the top new movies arriving across the best streaming services over the next seven days. However, this week is largely dominated by new flicks on PVOD platforms, with the most popular services like Netflix and Prime Video lacking any new original movies for subscribers to enjoy.
My top pick of the week is an easy choice: “Black Bag” wins, period. This Steven Soderbergh spy thriller is my current favorite movie of 2025 to date, and stars Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett as a married couple who both work in espionage. Other highlights include a neo-noir Western thriller on Paramount Plus and sci-fi comedy “Y2K” on Max.
If you’re in the mood to stream a new movie this week, below are my picks for the standout newcomers across streaming services. And don’t forget to check out this article’s companion piece, which rounds up all the best new TV shows you’ll want to binge-watch this week.
‘Black Bag’ (PVOD)
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This smart and slick Steven Soderbergh spy thriller is my current favorite movie of 2025 (Granted, the competition is rather weak). Unfortunately, while it’s enjoyed stellar reviews and a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes, it struggled to attract much interest in theaters and looks on track to be a commercial flop. Here’s hoping its streaming debut will see it pick up.
George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) is one of the British Intelligence Services’ top agents. Notorious for his ability to read people and detect when they are lying, he’s forced to turn his all-seeing eye on his beloved wife Kathryn (Cate Blanchett) when she is suspected of selling national secrets to enemy forces.
Stuffed with dark humor and plenty of well-constructed twists, “Black Bag” is an espionage movie that’s always engaging.
Buy or rent on Amazon from April 1
‘The Last Stop in Yuma County’ (Paramount Plus w/ Showtime)
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I suspect many people reading this article won’t have heard of “The Last Stop in Yuma County.” I’ll confess that before compiling this list, I wasn’t familiar with it either, but after watching the trailer (linked above) and seeing its near-perfect 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes, I’m eagerly adding this neon-noir Western to my watchlist this week.
Described as a “smart, tautly constructed crime thriller with some fresh twists,” the movie has been available to watch on PVOD since May 2024, but its arrival on Paramount Plus on Tuesday (April 1) should give it a boost in popularity. Starring Jim Cummings, Jocelin Donahue and Sierra McCormick, it centers on a traveling salesman (Cummings) who gets caught up in a tense hostage situation when he stops at a gas station in 1970s Arizona.
Watch on Paramount Plus w/ Showtime from April 1
‘Paddington in Peru’ (PVOD)
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Let’s get the bad news out of the way first: “Paddington in Peru” is not of the same high quality as the first two live-action Paddington Bear movies. However, “Paddington 2” is often referred to as one of the best sequels ever made, so it’s not exactly a fair standard to judge this third installment in the franchise by.
Judged on its own merits rather than being pitted against its predecessors, the third installment is a delightful, charming family comedy. Plus, the eponymous Paddington remains as loveable as ever.
As the name suggests, “Paddington in Peru” sees the adopted bear leave the safety and comforts of the Brown household in London to venture into the untamed wilderness of South America in search of his missing Aunt Lucky. Once in Peru, Paddington stumbles into the hunt for a long-lost treasure alongside eccentric ship captain Hunter Cabot (Antonio Banderas).
Buy or rent on Amazon from April 1
‘Opus’ (PVOD)
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I’ll lay my cards on the table with this one: “Opus” is one of my biggest disappointments of the year so far. Between its intriguing premise and the always excellent Ayo Edebiri in the leading role, I had seriously high hopes for this psychological thriller.
Unfortunately, the Mark Anthony Green movie didn’t manage to meet them. But that’s not to say it doesn’t have its merits. Edebiri works her magic with some ropey material, and there’s some solid tension to boot.
“Opus” sees a young journalist struggling with finding her voice in the industry given the chance of a lifetime when she’s invited to the remote compound of a legendary pop star (John Malkovich) who hasn’t been seen in 30 years. Arriving at the secluded location alongside a group of experienced writers, she is immediately on edge and the stay gets even more sinister as it becomes clear the pop star has become entwined with a strange cult.
Buy or rent on Amazon from April 1
‘Girl You Know It’s True’ (Peacock)
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In the late 1980s, a German R&B duo known as Milli Vanilli exploded onto the scene with their debut album “All or Nothing.” This record would go on to become an international best-seller, and even brought the musical twosome a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Millie Vanilli looked set to be one of the sounds of the ‘90 ….
But when it broke that the members, Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan, were lip-syncing and didn’t sing on any of their music, their careers were effectively finished overnight. This Simon Verhoeven-directed biopic tells the strange and surreal story of Millie Vanilli, with the two men at the center of the scandal played by Tijan Njie and Elan Ben Ali. “Girl You Know It’s True” is a musical biopic with a big twist.
Watch on Peacock on April 4
‘Y2K’ (Max)
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A24’s slate has been rather more mixed than I’d like in the past 12 months, and “Y2K” falls on the weaker end of the scale. While it’s got some great talent in its cast, including Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler and Julian Dennison, it’s disappointing and messy, and for a sci-fi comedy, there aren’t as many big laughs as you might expect.
Nevertheless, now that it’s available to stream on Max, you might want to give it a look if you have a fondness for ‘90s nostalgia.
Set on New Year’s Eve 1999, “Y2K” follows a group of high school students as they attempt to survive a wave of technological mayhem when machines gain sentience and go on a murderous rampage at the stroke of midnight. It’s a pretty fun premise and anybody with memories of Y2K panic that gripped the world at the turn of the millennium might get a kick out of this comedic take on the subject.
Watch on Max from April 4
‘The Monkey’ (PVOD)
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“The Monkey” is another 2025 release that didn’t quite hit the spot for me. While I liked this comedy-horror, I had hoped I might love it based on director Oz Perkins’ previous films like “Longlegs” and “The Blackcoat’s Daughter.”
Taking cues from “The Final Destination” franchise, “The Monkey” is a series of very gory kills sandwiched between an off-kilter story stuffed with dark humor. Things start enjoyable but eventually, the movie’s goofy shtick wears thin.
The movie opens with twin brothers finding a strange and seriously creepy wind-up monkey doll. This odd item eventually proves to be cursed and causes a string of horrific deaths. Fast forward 25 years, and the brothers (both are played by Theo James) have become estranged. But when the monkey returns, they must reunite to end the curse for good.
Buy or rent on Amazon from April 4
