What’s Streaming This Week (2/23 - 3/2)
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, February 25th, 2025
A COMPLETE UNKNOWN - $29.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Synopsis: New York, early 1960s. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives in the West Village with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music.
What we like:
We admit we approach any music biopic in a post-Walk Hard world with skepticism. And we’re still trying to erase the memory of last year’s Back to Black. But hats off to director James Mangold, who delivers a well-crafted, hugely watchable look at the early years of music icon Bob Dylan.
The cast is strong across the board, but the properly Oscar-nominated trio of Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton and Monica Barbaro all do their own singing, which lends an authenticity to story.
We’re so relieved Searchlight Pictures had another hit, as we’re terrified Disney will see the division as an unworthy investment and shut it down.
What we don’t like:
As much as we enjoyed A Complete Unknown, we’re ready for Hollywood to pump the brakes on more music biopics. It’s a genre that too often relies on the estates of the artists to grant music rights, which leads to bland and sanitized filmmaking.
THE KILLER - $19.99 Sale Only
Synopsis: Zee is a feared contract killer known as "the Queen of the Dead," but when she refuses to murder a young blind woman, she finds herself hunted both by criminal colleagues and a determined police detective.
What we like:
John Woo’s reimagining of John Woo's 1989 classic features Nathalie Emmanuel in the lead role as Zee, a feared Parisian assassin known as the Queen of the Dead. The story kicks off when Zee, during a mission, chooses to spare a blind young woman, which sets off a series of events that lead her into a deadly conspiracy and an alliance with a French detective named Sey, played by Omar Sy.
The screenplay was written by Josh Campbell, Matt Stuecken, and Brian Helgeland, who won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for LA Confidential.
What we don’t like:
We love John Woo, and we love the original The Killer. But after 2023’s lackluster Silent Night, we’re worried about this one. A straight-to-Peacock release also didn’t give us much confidence.
LOVE HURTS - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Synopsis: A realtor is pulled back into the life he left behind after his former partner-in-crime resurfaces with an ominous message. With his crime-lord brother also on his trail, he must confront his past and the history he never fully buried.
What we like:
Oscar-winner Ke Huy Quan gets to front his very own big studio action film, and that’s a sentence we couldn’t imagine writing five years ago. How can you not love this guy?
The film’s supporting cast includes fellow Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose, and future Oscar-winner (we hope!) Marshawn Lynch. Seriously, Lynch should already have an Oscar for his role in Bottoms.
A Goonies reunion! Sean Astin has a small role in the film, and he and Quan co-starred in that beloved 80s kids adventure.
What we don’t like:
It gives us no pleasure to report that Love Hurts is supposed to be pretty terrible. Such a shame, because Quan deserves better. Let’s hope this isn’t his one shot as a lead actor.
PRESENCE - $19.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Synopsis: A family becomes convinced they are not alone after moving into their new home in the suburbs.
What we like:
Director Steven Soderbergh gives his unique spin on the haunted house genre, with the entire movie presented from the perspective of the unseen entity inhabiting the house, offering audiences an immersive experience into the family's escalating tension and fear.
The screenplay was written by David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Panic Room, Spider-Man), who previously collaborated with Soderbergh on the entertaining COVID-era thriller Kimi. Koepp also wrote the screenplay for the director’s upcoming Black Bag.
What we don’t like:
NEON waited a year after the film’s Sundance Film Festival world premiere to release this in theaters. It’s a slower burn than Longlegs or The Monkey, so it was always going to be a tougher sell. But a January release does feel like a bit of a dump.
SEPTEMBER 5 - Paramount+, MGM+
Synopsis: During the 1972 Munich Olympics, an American sports broadcasting crew finds itself thrust into covering the hostage crisis involving Israeli athletes.
What we like:
Tim Fehlbaum’s historical drama delves into the ethical and practical challenges the ABC journalists faced as they covered the unfolding crisis live, highlighting the tension between journalistic integrity and the pressures of real-time reporting.
The film features terrific performances from some top character actors: Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, and Benjamin Walker (who does a killer job portraying Peter Jennings).
Leonie Benesch, so memorable in last year’s The Teacher’s Lounge, is fantastic in a supporting role.
What we don’t like:
After an enthusiastic reception at last year’s Venice Film Festival, Paramount Pictures bought the film and pushed for awards. Unfortunately, it never really gained much traction from critics groups or guilds, though it did end up snagging a Best Original Screenplay Oscar nomination. It’s well worth catching up with.
VENOM: THE LAST DANCE - Netflix
Synopsis: Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie's last dance.
What we like:
After writing the screenplays for the original Venom and its sequel, Venom: Let There be Carnage, Kelly Marcel takes on both writing and directing duties for the third in the Venom trilogy.
Marcel has sole screenplay credit, but star Tom Hardy shares a ‘Story by’ credit with Marcel.
While the film was intended as the conclusion of the Venom trilogy, Hardy expressed interest in reprising his role in the future and having his character crossover with Spider-Man, saying "never say never".
What we don’t like:
After projections indicated it was set to gross around $65 million in its opening weekend, the film pulled in only $51 million, marking the lowest opening of the series. The film also received a lackluster ‘B-’ Cinemascore grade. Still, the film did well overseas, and its nearly $470M worldwide gross is nothing to sneeze at. It should be huge on Netflix.
Wednesday, February 26th, 2025
1992 - Starz
Synopsis: In 1992, Mercer is desperately trying to rebuild his life and his relationship with his son amidst the turbulent Los Angeles uprising following the Rodney King verdict. Across town, another father and son put their own strained relationship to the test as they plot a dangerous heist to steal catalytic converters, which contain valuable platinum from the factory where Mercer works. As tensions rise and chaos erupts, both families reach their boiling points when their worlds collide.
What we like:
The sort of genre film that, when done well, is the perfect late-summer moviegoing experience. We didn’t catch it in theaters, and reviews were not great, but we’re still curious to check it out.
The film was shot on location in Los Angeles and…..Bulgaria? Might be a fun drinking game to identify which scenes are in each country.
What we don’t like:
This is Ray Liotta’s final screen credit. The actor completed his work on the film before his death in May 2022.
Friday, February 28th, 2025
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM - Max
Synopsis: A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and traitorous lord of Rohan seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan, and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg.
What we like:
Not the first feature to attempt to blend animation with Tolkien's lore (anyone remember the Rankin/Bass Hobbit movie made for TV?), but director Kenji Kamiyama gives this prequel a dynamic visual style that feels unique for a big studio release.
Brian Cox lends his voice as Helm Hammerhand, the hot-tempered king of Rohan. We love Cox, and hope there’s an opportunity for him to squeeze in one of his signature ‘Ba da bum ba bum’ McDonalds voiceovers in to the film. The man loves his McDonalds:
What we don’t like:
The film was announced in June 2021 and development was fast-tracked to prevent New Line from losing the film adaptation rights for Tolkien's novels. Films quickly produced in order to avoid losing rights are rarely any good. And Rohirrim was not very well liked.
NICKEL BOYS - MGM+
Synopsis: Chronicles the powerful friendship between two young Black teenagers navigating the harrowing trials of reform school together in Florida.
What we like:
RaMell Ross’s fantastic adaptation of Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, which draws inspiration from the real-life Dozier School for Boys, notorious for its brutal treatment of students.
The stellar cast includes leads Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson, who carry the film and provide crucial audience identification. Aujanue Ellis-Taylor also gives a heartbreaking performance.
The film is nominated for two Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay (Ross). It’s unforgettable and should not be missed.
What we don’t like:
Cinematographer Jomo Fray was not nominated for his extraordinary work. The film was shot in first-person point-of-view, which allows viewers to see the plot unfold directly through the eyes of the two protagonists. It’s a bold filmmaking choice that Ross and Fray use to devastating effect.
Saturday, March 1st, 2025
STRANGE DARLING - Paramount+ w/Showtime
Synopsis: Nothing is what it seems when a twisted one-night stand spirals into a serial killer’s vicious murder spree.
What we like:
The first film from upstart distributor Magenta Light Studios, this thriller became a buzzy hit in theaters. It was directed by JT Mollner and stars Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Barbara Hershey, and Ed Begley Jr.
The film was shot on 35 mm film on location in Oregon in the summer of 2022 by Giovanni Ribisi, marking his debut as a cinematographer.
What we don’t like:
With all the online chatter, it’s tough trying to avoid spoilers for the film. We’re really recommend going in to it with as little information as possible.
Happy Streaming Everyone!
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