After a few very busy weeks, the next seven days are slightly quieter when it comes to the top new movies across the best streaming services. In fact, several streamers are opting to take a breather without any new films for subscribers to enjoy. Fortunately, Netflix and Prime Video are picking up the slack, and there are a couple of new options on PVOD platforms as well.
The headliner newcomers this week include the premium streaming debut of sunny fantasy rom-com “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,” which pairs Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell. Meanwhile, over on Prime Video, the “Culpables” trilogy concludes with “Our Fault,” and Netflix premieres its new animated musical spin on classic Roald Dahl children’s story with “The Twits.”
Here are all the biggest new movies arriving across streaming services this week. And don’t forget to check out this article’s companion piece, covering all the best TV shows you can binge-watch this week.
‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’ (PVOD)
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Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell paired together in a brightly-colored romantic-comedy with a fantasy twist sounds like a perfect recipe for a sweet comfort watch. So, it’s a little disappointing that “A Big Bold Beautitful Joruney” isn’t as bold or beautiful as its name suggests. However, genre fans might still enjoy this easy-going trip.
I just wish it weren’t a movie so consumed with trying to drop “emotionally impactful” musings in almost every other scene. Still, Robbie and Farrell have solid chemistry, and it’s a breezy time if you need a quick shot of sunshine.
David (Colin Farrell) finds himself on a strange trip through his past when he rents a car from the mysterious “Car Rental Company” (overseen by an underused Phoebe Waller-Bridge).
Along the way, he meets Sarah (Margot Robbie), who is experiencing her own journey down memory lane. Brought together by fate, the duo relive past moments, including childhood memories and lost loves, all the while exploring future possibilities.
Buy or rent on Amazon from October 14
‘The Strangers – Chapter 2’ (PVOD)
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To be very clear upfront, I’m not here to recommend that you watch “The Strangers – Chapter 2” this week. It’s one of the worst movies I’ve seen in theatres this year (And I’ve seen more than 70 of them), but it’s undoubtedly one of the biggest movies arriving on streaming this week, so it earns its spot largely on a technicality.
If you’re morbidly curious, it’s the follow-up to last year’s “The Strangers – Chapter 1” and the middle portion of a planned trilogy. Here’s hoping the final piece of the puzzle can redeem the woeful series.
Set directly after the events of “Chapter 1,” this new “Strangers” horror movie sees Maya (Madelaine Petsch) survive her previous ordeal only to be thrown back into a nightmare when the eponymous masked trio comes back to finish the job.
Battling for survival in a town where everyone seems to hold a dark secret, Maya faces numerous horrific tests as she attempts to find safety, or at least see the dawn break. The real horror would be paying to watch this.
Buy or rent on Amazon from October 14
‘Bad Shabbos’ (Netflix)
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Debuting at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award, “Bad Shabbos” arrives on Netflix this week, giving it a chance at scoring a larger audience.
Based on the reviews (it’s rated 86% on Rotten Tomatoes), “Bad Shabbos” might be among the most acclaimed movies the big red streaming service adds this month. I have a gut feeling it might get a little lost in the Netflix movie library, but I’m hoping it doesn’t get too overlooked.
This fast-paced comedy from director Daniel Robbins centers on an interfaith couple who arrive at Shabbat dinner in New York City. This dinner marks the first meeting between their parents — already a tricky milestone for any relationship — but things take an even stranger turn when an unexpected death interrupts the evening. It stars Kyra Sedgwick, Method Man, Jon Bass, Milana Vayntrub and Ashley Zukerman.
Watch on Netflix from October 16
‘Our Fault’ (Prime Video)
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Prime Video’s “Culpables” trilogy concludes this week with “Our Fault” (“Culpa Nuestra” in its native Spanish). The follow-up to “My Fault” and “Your Fault,” it again stars Nicole Wallace as Noah and Gabriel Guevara as Nick, and fans of the previous two installments will know exactly what to expect.
Glossy visuals, plenty of melodrama, and some very steamy scenes. This trilogy closer is unlikely to win the series many new fans, but I expect longtime viewers will be counting down the seconds until they can stream the finale.
Set four years after their breakup, Nick and Noah are reunited at a friend’s lavish wedding. In their time apart, their intense love for each other hasn’t lessened, and if anything, absence has only made the heart grow fonder. With past resentments still lingering, Nick and Noah face several obstacles in their path, but can their burning passion for each other overcome all?
Watch on Prime Video from October 16
‘The Twits’ (Netflix)
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Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s book “The Twits” is getting reimagined as a new animated musical comedy by Netflix. Though for Dahl pursuits, it’s important to note that the streaming service is marketing this one as “inspired by”, and it’s clear the story you know (and love) has been reworked in some significant ways. Still, Dahl’s characters are beloved for good reason, and “The Twits” looks to be another whimsical slice of his unique world.
Mr. and Mrs. Twit (voiced by Johnny Vegas and Margo Martindale) are the world’s most horrible and most foul-smelling people. They also own and operate the world’s most disgusting and most dangerous amusement park, Twitlandia.
When they attempt to extend their power to control the whole town, two young children team up with a family of magical animals to bring them down once and for all. This one looks like good fun for the whole family, but I’ll admit, I’m apprehensive about all the source material changes.
Watch on Netflix from October 17
