What’s Streaming This Week (11/10 - 11/17)
Welcome to When To Stream’s Weekly Preview! Every week, we take a closer look at the major film streaming releases scheduled to launch in the next 7 days. As always, release dates are subject to change.
One note: We provide links to Amazon pre-orders (when available) and do receive a very small commission for any purchases made from this website. If you’d like to support our work, and you’re looking to buy through Amazon, we’d appreciate it if you’d click through.
Here are next week’s highlights:
Tuesday, November 12th, 2024
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE - Disney+
What we like:
Hugh Jackman said he really was done playing the character of Wolverine after 2017’s Logan. He then said he regretted that statement after watching the first Deadpool movie and expressed his interest to Ryan Reynolds in the two characters meeting on the big screen.
Kevin Feige was originally against bringing back Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, as he was concerned that doing so would undermine the events of Logan, a movie Feige held in very high esteem. He eventually relented once it was confirmed that this film would focus on a different variant of Wolverine, combined with Jackman really wanting to return to the role.
What we don’t like:
Peggy the Dog makes her Hollywood debut in the film. In 2023, Peggy won the title of Britain's Ugliest Dog, a competition held by a photography printing firm called ParrotPrint. We reject the notion that Peggy is Ugly, just look at her at the premiere:
GOODRICH - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
What we like:
Michael Keaton stars as Andy Goodrich, an art gallery owner whose life changes when his second wife unexpectedly leaves, forcing him to raise their young twins alone. Facing this new responsibility, Andy must rely on his adult daughter Grace, played by Mila Kunis, who helps him realize the importance of being a more attentive father—a role he neglected with her in the past.
This is director Hallie Meyers-Shyer’s second film, following up her 2017 romantic comedy Home Again. It sounds like Goodrich is a step up from that truly baffling (though not unwatchable) film. We’d love for Meyers-Shyer to deliver the sort of comfort food films her parents use to make. Her mother, Nancy Meyers, made some endurable classics, including Something’s Gotta Give, It’s Complicated, and The Parent Trap. And yes, we think they’re classics!
What we don’t like:
We love Michael Keaton, but it seems like it’s one step forward, two steps back for him. After the smashing success of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Goodrich failed to make any money at the US box-office, grossing a meager $1.4M.
LOOK INTO MY EYES - $19.99 Sale Only
What we like:
Lana Wilson’s thought-provoking documentary follows a group of New York City psychics as they perform intimate readings for clients, unveiling layers of human connection, healing, and loneliness.
The film diverges from proving or disproving psychic phenomena, focusing instead on the emotional dynamics between psychics and clients. Each psychic's session becomes a journey into the clients' personal grief, anxieties, and the universal need for closure or connection with lost loved ones.
What we don’t like:
The film was released without much fanfare in a few theaters in September. It’s a tough market for any docs to get traction in theaters, so we hope this fascinating and thoughtful film will find an audience on streaming.
MAGPIE - $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental
What we like:
Sam Yates, making his feature film debut, directs this neo-noir thriller, which centers on married couple Anette (Daisy Ridley) and Ben (Shazad Latif), whose lives begin to fracture when their daughter is cast alongside a glamorous movie star, Alicia (Matilda Lutz). As Anette’s suspicions of Ben’s infatuation with Alicia intensify, their secrets and lies threaten to burst to the surface and destroy them all.
The original story was developed by Daisy Ridley, and the screenplay was written by actor Tom Bateman. The two worked together on the Murder on the Orient Express remake and are now married.
What we don’t like:
Although we’re assuming it’s explained in the film, Magpie is not exactly a grabber of a title. The film has such an intriguing premise! Why the bland title?
MEGALOPOLIS - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
What we like:
Francis Ford Coppola’s long-gestating passion project blends science fiction with historical themes. Set in a dystopian version of New York called "New Rome," the film follows architect Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), who possesses the unique ability to stop time and envisions building a utopian city. His dream clashes with the corrupt Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), who embodies the resistance to change and exploitation of power. Amidst this conflict, Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel), Cicero's daughter, finds herself torn between her father’s influence and Catilina’s idealism.
Coppola financed the entire $120 million film out of his own pocket. He had done the same with Apocalypse Now (1979) and One from the Heart (1981), and the failure of the latter made him declare bankruptcy. All his subsequent films up to The Rainmaker (1997) were made to pay off his debts.
What we don’t like:
Well…the gamble didn’t pay off. The film has been a financial disaster, with a worldwide gross of less than $12M. But you know what…who cares? It’s his money. Let him make the movies he wants to make. We hope he keeps going.
An Instagram commenter asked Coppola why he doesn’t do ‘normal movies, like Star Wars and Batman?’ Imagine asking Francis Ford Coppola, the director of The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and The Conversation that question. Coppola’s response was thoughtful and generous: “Because you already have good Batman and Star Wars movies. Aren't you curious to see something you've never seen before? Something different, something with a different perspective. Something that feels new. Something that we may feel, we may not even understand. It's the questioning that inspires new creativity.” Hero.
MERCHANT IVORY - $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental
What we like:
The definitive presentation and tribute to the Merchant Ivory partnership, anchored by interviews with James Ivory and forty-one Merchant Ivory close collaborators detailing and celebrating their experiences of being a part of the “wandering company” helmed by legendary producer Ismail Merchant.
Among the team’s impressive filmography are three Best Picture Oscar nominees: A Room with a View, Howards End, and The Remains of the Day. All classics that still hold up.
What we don’t like:
Although James Ivory finally took home an Oscar for his screenplay for 2017’s Call Me By Your Name, producer Ismail Merchant was never honored. He died in 2005 at the age of 68.
RUMOURS - $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental
What we like:
Ricocheting between comedy, apocalyptic horror, and swooning soap opera, the film follows the seven leaders of the world’s wealthiest democracies at the annual G7 summit, where they attempt to draft a provisional statement regarding a global crisis.
Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson share writing/directing duties, and the cast is impressive: Cate Blanchett, Roy Dupuis, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Charles Dance, Takehiro Hira, Denis Ménochet, Rolando Ravello, Zlatko Burić, and Alicia Vikander.
What we don’t like:
Bleecker Street describes the film as ‘A journey into the absurd heart of power and institutional failure in a slowly burning world.’ We all need a good laugh, but maybe this week isn’t the best time to marinate in political satire. We’ll definitely check it out eventually.
SATURDAY NIGHT - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
What we like:
Jason Reitman’s film dramatizes the behind-the-scenes chaos leading up to the first episode of Saturday Night Live in 1975. Set within a frantic hour and a half before the show goes live, the film follows SNL creator Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) as he wrangles a young cast of comedy talent, including Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith), John Belushi (Matt Wood), Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O'Brien), Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt), and more.
The film hit the festival circuit earlier this year, playing like gangbusters at the Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals. Critics were a little more mixed on the film, but the screenings seemed to indicate audiences loved it.
What we don’t like:
There’s no way to sugarcoat it…audiences just did not show up to see it in theaters. With a domestic box-office gross under $10M, the film is unlikely to make its money back. Is this the definitive nail in the coffin of behind-the-scenes showbiz films? It seems like audiences just aren’t interested.
YOUR MONSTER - $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental
What we like:
Director Caroline Lindy adapts her own 2019 short in to a feature, which follows Laura Franco (Melissa Barrera), a struggling actress whose life spirals after her boyfriend Jacob (Edmund Donovan) leaves her during cancer recovery. Moving back to her childhood home, Laura discovers a monstrous yet oddly charming creature (Tommy Dewey) living in her closet.
The film won the Audience Favorite Award at the Sundance London Film Festival in June, and Barrera got an honorable mention for Best Performance at the Sun Valley Film Festival.
What we don’t like:
Despite a modestly wide release (~650 theaters), the film failed to reach $1M at the box-office. Still, the theatrical release is great promotion for the film’s streaming afterlife. It’s likely to find its audience and thrive.
Wednesday, November 13th, 2024
EMILIA PÉREZ - Netflix
What we like:
Jacques Audiard’s bold new film combines elements of dark comedy, crime drama, and musical. The story revolves around Juan “Manitas” Del Monte, a notorious Mexican drug lord who desires a fresh start by undergoing gender-affirming surgery, becoming Emilia Pérez.
The film world premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it the film’s trio of leading ladies, Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, and Selena Gomez, shared the Best Actress prize. Gascón became the first trans woman to win the award.
Lots of Oscar buzz for this one. Gascón and Saldaña are in contention for lead and supporting nominations, and Audiard is a likely nominee for picture, director and screenplay.
What we don’t like:
Despite all the hype, we’ve seen a surprising amount of chatter from people who loathe the film. The reaction from critics is all over the map, so we’ll see if a film this polarizing can get traction with the Academy.
HOT FROSTY - Netflix
What we like:
We love an oxymoronic film title (True Lies, She’s the Man), and Hot Frosty fits the bill.
Hallmark Christmas Queen Lacey Chabert jumps to Netflix. She plays Kathy, a widow who has lost the holiday spirit until she discovers a magical scarf that brings a snowman—named Jack, played by Schitt’s Creek’s Dustin Milligan—to life.
The film reportedly includes a playful reference to Chabert's Mean Girls days, with a cameo from Lindsay Lohan.
What we don’t like:
The title in Brazil is Um Amor Feito de Neve, which translates to A Love Made of Snow. That’s not bad, but doesn’t quite have that oxymoronic pop!
Friday, November 15th, 2024
CLOSE TO YOU - Netflix
What we like:
Director Dominic Savage used to be a child actor. He was featured in Stanley Kubrick’s 1975 masterpiece Barry Lyndon, playing young Bullingdon.
This is Elliot Page's first feature film role post-transitioning.
What we don’t like:
This passion project failed to make much of an impact at the box-office, grossing less than $100K in the US. Hopefully it finds its audience on Netflix.
THE LAST BREATH - AMC+
What we like:
Regular readers will know we’re all in for any kind of shark thriller, no matter how trashy. This one looks pretty standard, but we don’t care! Give it to us!
Love the poster, even if it seemingly defies shark behavior. In our extensive shark research, it’s our understanding sharks tend to attack from below. They rarely pop up behind you and chomp down.
What we don’t like:
This is the final film role for esteemed British actor Julian Sands, who died while hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains northeast of Los Angeles last year.
THELMA - Hulu
What we like:
94 year-old June Squibb finally gets a star vehicle as she fronts this delightful comedy from writer-director Josh Margolin. She plays a grandmother who loses $10,000 to a con artist on the phone and embarks on a treacherous journey across Los Angeles to reclaim what was taken from her.
The film has a stellar supporting cast, including Fred Hechinger, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, and Malcolm McDowell.
Thelma is a hit! The film has grossed over $7M for distributor Magnolia, which in today’s indie marketplace makes it a blockbuster.
What we don’t like:
This is the final film appearance of legendary actor Richard Roundtree, who died last year at the age of 81.
TWISTERS - Peacock
What we like:
As big fans of 1996’s Twister, we’re thrilled that this quasi-sequel hit big at the box-office. We’d take one of these every few years.
Glen Powell solidifies his A-list bonafides here, with the one-two punch of Hit Man and Twisters making it the summer of Powell.
What we don’t like:
Honestly, we wanted to love this, but it just didn’t land for us. Maybe it’ll grow on us with a Peacock re-watch.
Saturday, November 16th, 2024
WIDOW CLICQUOT - Netflix
What we like:
Hailey Bennet tackles the role of Madame Clicquot, who took on her husband's wine business when widowed at 27. Under her ownership, and her skill with wine, the company developed early champagne using a novel technique. The brand and company of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin still bears her name.
If you’re looking for a cinematic getaway this winter, this might be your best bet. Principal photography took place in Chablis and Reims, France, and the film was shot by legendary cinematographer Caroline Champetier.
What we don’t like:
We’re ok with a Hollywood glow-up, but man…Hailey Bennet as Madame Clicquot is a bit of a stretch! Let’s compare:
Happy Streaming Everyone!
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