What’s Streaming This Week (3/23 - 3/30)
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.
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Here are next week’s highlights:
Monday, March 24th, 2025
THE FIRE INSIDE - MGM+
Synopsis: Claressa Shields, a high school junior from Flint, Michigan, aided by her tough-love coach, Jason Crutchfield, pushes past all limitations to become the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. But even at the pinnacle of success, Claressa has to reckon with the fact that not all dreams are created equal, and the real fight has only just begun.
What we like:
The feature directorial debut of Rachel Morrison, who became the first woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for her work on Dee Rees’s Mudbound.
The film’s screenplay is by Oscar-winner Barry Jenkins.
If we’re being honest, we don’t love boxing movies as a genre. There are plenty of great ones, but they just don’t get us excited. But we LOVED this one. The performances from Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry (both Spirit Award nominated) are fantastic. It’s stylish, and avoids the usual sports movie cliches. Give it a shot.
What we don’t like:
Amazon MGM had two sports movies on their end-of-year schedule, but quickly announced the Jennifer Lopez wrestling film Unstoppable would go to Prime Video in January. They gave The Fire Inside a full theatrical release…and nobody came. It grossed only $8M.
Tuesday, March 25th, 2025
MICKEY 17 - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Synopsis: Unlikely hero Mickey Barnes finds himself in the extraordinary circumstance of working for an employer who demands the ultimate commitment to the job… to die, for a living.
What we like:
Bong Joon-ho’s follow up to his Oscar-winning triumph Parasite features a killer cast: Robert Pattinson, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo, Steven Yeun and Naomi Ackie.
The story is adapted from Edward Ashton's 2022 novel "Mickey7”, and reviews have been mostly positive. It currently sits at a 72 on Metacritic.
What we don’t like:
It’s clear Warner Bros had very little confidence in the commercial prospects for the film. It was originally scheduled to be released on March 29, 2024, but was taken off the schedule due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. It was rescheduled for January 31, 2025, but was pushed back to April 18, 2025 to take advantage of Easter weekend, and finally to March 7, 2025, swapping the latter date with Warner Bros own Sinners.
There are some rumblings Warner Bros might push back the PVOD date a week or two. Nothing confirmed yet, but we’ll post with any news.
Wednesday, March 26th, 2025
BAGMAN - Starz
Synopsis: For centuries and across cultures, parents have warned their children of the legendary Bagman, who snatches innocent children and stuffs them into his vile, rotting bag—never to be seen again. Patrick McKee narrowly escaped such an encounter as a boy, which left him with lasting scars throughout his adulthood. Now, Patrick’s childhood tormentor has returned, threatening the safety of his wife Karina and son Jake.
What we like:
In this dark horror film, a family finds themselves ensnared in a nightmare as they’re hunted by a malevolent, mythical creature. For centuries and across cultures, parents have warned their children of the legendary Bagman, who snatches innocent children and stuffs them into his vile, rotting bag--never to be seen again. Good premise!
Lead Sam Claflin is an appealing actor who we’re always rooting for.
What we don’t like:
Hoo boy…this one was supposedly pretty terrible. We won’t kick Lionsgate while they’re down, but they didn’t even report the theatrical grosses. Yikes.
MUFASA: THE LION KING - Disney+
Synopsis: Mufasa, a cub lost and alone, meets a sympathetic lion named Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of a group of misfits searching for their destiny.
What we like:
We love Barry Jenkins. We hope Barry Jenkins made enough money here to give him complete financial freedom for the rest of his life. We can’t wait for the next Barry Jenkins movie.
Aaron Pierre is the voice of the titular lion, and he is a major star in the making. How do we know that? We know that because we’ve seen Rebel Ridge. We have not seen Mufasa: The Lion King.
What we don’t like:
This was never going to be our cup of tea. We don’t even have a particular fondness for the original 1994 The Lion King. But these ‘photo-realistic’ live-action talking (and singing) animal movies are our kryptonite. We just can’t.
Thursday, March 27th, 2025
A COMPLETE UNKNOWN - Hulu
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.
HOLLAND - Prime Video
Synopsis: Nancy is a teacher whose life with her husband in Holland, Michigan, tumbles into a twisted tale when she and her colleague become suspicious of a secret.
What we like:
The script by Andrew Sodroski topped the 2013 Blacklist survey of the "most liked" as yet unproduced screenplays.
Great cast: Nicole Kidman, Gael Garcia Bernal, Matthew Macfadyen, Rachel Sennott, and little Jude Hill from Belfast. Plus, Lennon Parham, our beloved Karen Collins from Veep!
What we don’t like:
Reviews out of the premiere at SXSW were pretty bad. It’s too bad, we’d love for Kidman to keep her momentum going after the success of Babygirl.
Friday, March 28th, 2025
BRING THEM DOWN - MUBI, $14.99 - Sale Only
Synopsis: When the ongoing rivalry between farmers Michael and Jack suddenly escalates, it triggers a chain of events that take increasingly violent and devastating turns, leaving both families permanently altered.
What we like:
First time feature director Chris Andrews won the Best Debut Director award at the 2024 British Independent Film Awards.
Paul Mescal and Tom Burke were originally cast in the lead roles but both ended up dropping out after the project was stuck in development and were replaced by Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbott. Great actors all around.
What we don’t like:
We’re happy MUBI is putting most of its films in theaters before hitting their streaming service, but we wish they were bringing in more of an audience. This one grossed less than $400k at the domestic box-office.
THE LIFE LIST - Netflix
Synopsis: When her mother sends her on a quest to complete a childhood bucket list, a young woman uncovers family secrets, finds romance — and rediscovers herself.
What we like:
Adam Brooks writes and directs this rom-com, which he adapted from the novel of the same name by Lori Nelson Spielman. Brooks has some experience in the genre, having written the scripts for 1995’s French Kiss, 2004’s Wimbledon, and 2008’s Definitely, Maybe.
Lead Sofia Carson levels-up in the Netflix universe. She played Taron Egerton’s pregnant girlfriend in last year’s mega-hit Carry On. Now she gets her very own rom-com.
What we don’t like:
The film’s runtime is a not exactly sprightly 123 minutes. We tend to prefer our rom-coms around 90-100 minutes, so it’ll be interesting to see if this one can justify its 2 hours+ length.
THE LINE - Hulu
Synopsis: Tom, a passionate ‘brother’ of his fraternity, is charmed by the promises of high social status and alumni connections that open doors. But as Annabelle, a classmate outside his social circle, enters his life, his devotion begins to falter. Once the scheduled hazing of new fraternity members comes to a disturbing head, Tom faces the decision of a lifetime.
What we like:
The feature directorial debut of Ethan Berger, who has assembled a talented cast of up-and-comers, including Alex Wolff, Lewis Pullman, Halle Bailey, and Austin Abrams.
The film received pretty good reviews coming out of the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, it currently sits at 79% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
For a film that includes talented young stars and some heavy-hitter character actors like John Malkovich and Scoot McNairy, it sure is strange seeing Denise Richards and Cheri Oteri on the cast list. We’re not complaining, though. It only intrigues us more.
What we don’t like:
This is one of the last screen appearances of Angus Cloud, who passed away not long after the film premiered at Tribeca. His final theatrical release will be next month’s Freaky Tales.
LOS FRIKIS - $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Synopsis: Gustavo idolizes his older brother Paco and his punk, "Frikis" bandmates. When word reaches the Frikis of a potential reprieve from the effects of the economic crisis, they do the now unthinkable: deliberately inject themselves with HIV to live at a government-run treatment home. It's there that they create their own utopia to live and play music freely.
What we like:
This well reviewed drama comes from writer/directors Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, who had an indie success a few years ago with the film The Peanut Butter Falcon.
The film co-stars Adria Arjona, who broke out in a big way last year in Richard Linklater’s Hit Man.
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are co-producers. We love that this powerhouse director/producer duo is nurturing new talent.
What we don’t like:
Despite winning multiple audience awards at various film festivals (Nantucket Film Festival, San Antonio Film Festival, Sidewalk Film Festival), the film did not attract a major buyer. It was distributed by upstart Wayward/Range, who did their best with limited resources. It grossed only $164K at the domestic box-office. We hope it finds an audience on streaming.
THE RULE OF JENNY PEN - Shudder, AMC+, $19.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Synopsis: Confined to a secluded rest home and trapped within his stroke-ridden body, a former Judge must stop an elderly psychopath who employs a child's puppet to abuse the home's residents with deadly consequences.
What we like:
Two acting titans, John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush, get their very own What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?-style thriller. We’re here for it.
The film is an adaptation of Owen Marshall's short story, and Marshall appears as an extra in the film.
James Ashcroft won Best Director at the 2024 Fantastic Fest in Austin, and Lithgow and Rush shared the Best Actor award at the 2024 Sitges Film Festival in Spain.
What we don’t like:
The reviews have been all over the map for this one, with some critics calling it a classic, and others bemoaning its contrivances. We’re excited to check it out.
QUEER - Max
Synopsis: 1950. William Lee, an American expat in Mexico City, spends his days almost entirely alone, except for a few contacts with other members of the small American community. His encounter with Eugene Allerton, an expat former soldier, new to the city, shows him, for the first time, that it might be finally possible to establish an intimate connection with somebody.
What we like:
Director Luca Guadagnino and screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes’s second collaboration of 2024, having also released the fantastic tennis romance Challengers earlier in the year. This one is adapted from William S. Burroughs' semi-autobiographical novella of the same name.
Daniel Craig came close to snagging his first Oscar nomination for his role as an American expatriate navigating life in 1950s Mexico City, who becomes infatuated with a younger man (played by Drew Starkey).
While the film is set in Mexico City, filming took place mostly at the famed Cinecittà Studios in Rome, with some additional shooting in Quito, Ecuador.
What we don’t like:
The reaction to this one has been mixed. Many criticisms center around the film’s second half, which involve some ayahuasca-fueled diversions. We’re incredibly excited to finally catch up with it.
WHITE BIRD - Starz
Synopsis: After being expelled from Beecher Prep for his treatment of a classmate with a facial deformity, Julian has struggled to fit in at his new school. To transform his life, Julian's grandmother finally reveals her own story of courage of her youth in Nazi-occupied France, where a classmate shelters her from mortal danger.
What we like:
Marc Forster’s film revisits the universe of Wonder, centering on Julian (again played by Bryce Gheisar), the bully from the original story. After his actions lead to expulsion, Julian's grandmother Sara (Helen Mirren) shares her harrowing experience of being hidden by a classmate’s family in Nazi-occupied France during WWII.
The film earned mixed/positive reviews from critics, but audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare average "A+" grade.
What we don’t like:
The film sat on the shelf for nearly three years, and despite that A+ CinemaScore, earned only $4.1M at the domestic box-office.
Happy Streaming Everyone!
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