What’s Streaming This Week (4/27 - 5/4)
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, April 29th, 2025
BEING MARIA - $12.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Synopsis: A young, struggling actress lands her dream role in a film by an emerging Italian director, starring alongside an American superstar. What begins as her big breakthrough quickly turns into a living hell.
What we like:
Jessica Palud directs this docudrama, which is freely adapted from Vanessa Schneider's 2018 memoir My Cousin Maria Schneider. It is about the actress Maria Schneider and her experiences working on Bernardo Bertolucci's Last Tango in Paris.
Maria is played by French-Romanian actress Anamaria Vartolomei, who made a huge impression (and won a César Award) for her lead role in the 2021 abortion drama Happening.
What we don’t like:
Has any film (or filmmaker) fallen out of favor quicker than Last Tango in Paris? When Schneider’s allegations of Marlon Brando and Bertolucci’s on-set misconduct surfaced, the film’s audacious and frank sexuality suddenly revealed itself as creepy and almost criminal.
DEATH OF A UNICORN - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Synopsis: A father and daughter accidentally hit and kill a unicorn while en route to a weekend retreat, where his billionaire boss seeks to exploit the creature’s miraculous curative properties.
What we like:
The directorial debut of Alex Scharfman, who assembled a killer cast for his first feature, including Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Tea Leoni, Will Poulter, Anthony Carrigan, and Richard E. Grant.
Writer-director Scharfman extensively studied unicorn mythology and folklore, revealing that he went back to Roman historians and the Old Testament Bible while researching the film.
Nice to see them together again: Paul Rudd and Tea Leoni both guest-starred on season 4 of Only Murders in the Building.
What we don’t like:
Despite the killer premise, reviews out of the SXSW Film Festival were lukewarm. The film received a B- CinemaScore grade, which isn’t too bad. We’re excited to check it out.
DROP - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Synopsis: Violet, a widowed mother on her first date in years, arrives at an upscale restaurant where she is relieved that her date, Henry, is more charming and handsome than she expected. But their chemistry begins to curdle as Violet begins being irritated and then terrorized by a series of anonymous drops to her phone.
What we like:
This thriller comes from Christopher Landon, who picked up the project after dropping out of directing Scream 7.
Love the cast: Meghann Fahey, Brendan Sklenar, Jeffrey Self, and Violet Beane are all super-talented.
What we don’t like:
The film’s concept is loosely inspired by actress Olivia Sui's experience at a dinner with her partner (executive producer Sam Lerner) and friend (producer Cameron Fuller), where Sui kept receiving random Shrek memes via AirDrop. That would absolutely terrify us.
THE END - Hulu
Synopsis: Twenty-five years after environmental collapse left the Earth uninhabitable, Mother, Father and Son are confined to their palatial bunker, where they struggle to maintain hope and a sense of normalcy by clinging to the rituals of daily life—until the arrival of a stranger, Girl, upends their happy routine. As tensions rise, their seemingly idyllic existence starts to crumble.
What we like:
Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer (The Act of Killing, The Look of Silence) makes his narrative feature debut, and it’s a bold swing, blending elements of dystopian science fiction with musical theater.
The film features a stellar cast: Tilda Swinton, Michael Shannon, George MacKay, Moses Ingram, and Lennie James.
What we don’t like:
Unfortunately, reviews indicate the ambitious mixing of genre doesn’t quite hit the mark, though most critics praise the film for trying something different. We’re actually quite excited to see it for ourselves now that it’s hitting Hulu.
THE FRIEND - $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Synopsis: Writer and teacher Iris finds her comfortable, solitary New York life thrown into disarray after her closest friend and mentor bequeaths her his beloved 150 lb. Great Dane. The regal yet intractable beast, named Apollo, immediately creates practical problems for Iris, from furniture destruction to eviction notices, as well as more existential ones. Yet as Iris finds herself unexpectedly bonding with Apollo, she begins to come to terms with her past, and her own creative inner life in this story of healing, love, and friendship.
What we like:
Filmmaking duo Scott McGehee and David Siegel are back with this poignant drama, their first film since 2021’s Montana Story. The pair have an underrated filmography with one stone-cold classic: 2001’s The Deep End.
The film won Naomi Watts a Best Performance Award at this year’s Boulder International Film Festival.
A reunion of sorts for Watts and Bill Murray, who memorably co-starred in 2014’s St. Vincent.
What we don’t like:
We’re sorry we missed this in theaters, because we’re not going to be able to catch it on streaming. Frequent readers will remember that we have multiple dogs here at When to Stream headquarters, and our dogs flip out when they see other dogs on our big screen tv. This is one of those movies that they will not tolerate.
SACRAMENTO - $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Synopsis: When free-spirited Ricky suddenly reappears in father-to-be Glenn’s life, the two former best friends embark on a spontaneous road trip from LA to Sacramento.
What we like:
Actor Michael Angarano directs his second feature, following up his 2017 debut film Avenues.
Angarano co-stars with his real-life wife Maya Erskine. The film also features non-couple Michael Cera and Kristen Stewart.
After debuting at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival, the film has received terrific reviews. It currently sits at 89% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
What we don’t like:
We’re not proud of ourselves for not being able to see Angarano without thinking of him as Elliot, Jack McFarland’s son on Will & Grace. He’s had an impressive career and is a grown-ass man now! Still…look at him…adorable (and funny as hell)!
Thursday, May 1st, 2025
ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR - Prime Video
Synopsis: Stephanie Smothers and Emily Nelson reunite on the beautiful island of Capri, Italy for Emily’s extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman. Along with the glamorous guests, expect murder and betrayal to RSVP for a wedding with more twists and turns than the road from the Marina Grande to the Capri town square.
What we like:
The follow-up to 2018’s sleeper hit A Simple Favor, this unimaginatively titled sequel at least has the sense to put its story in a beautiful locale. The film was shot on location in gorgeous Capri, Italy.
You know what happens when you shoot a movie in Capri? You get a fantastic cast that wants to spend a summer there. Smart. The film has Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Joshua Satine, and Ian Ho reprising their roles from the first film, with Michele Morrone, Elena Sofia Ricci, Elizabeth Perkins, Alex Newell, and Allison Janney joining for a working holiday.
What we don’t like:
Amid the controversy surrounding the release of Blake Lively's previous film, It Ends with Us, Amazon shut off comments on the film's trailer on several social media platforms. The whole thing feels exhausting.
Friday, May 2nd, 2025
ADULT BEST FRIENDS - Max
Synopsis: Inseparable since childhood, levelheaded Katie takes her codependent best friend Delaney on a girls’ trip to break the news that she is getting married. Things do not go as planned.
What we like:
The directorial debut of Delaney Buffett, who co-wrote the script with her real-life best friend Katie Corwin. The two also star in the film.
Zachary Quinto co-stars, and he is also on-board as a producer.
Buffett won the Golden Key Award at the 2024 Key West Film Festival. Previous winners include Kodi Smit-McPhee, Elegance Bratton, and Thomasin McKenzie.
What we don’t like:
Despite positive reviews, this comedy didn’t get much of a theatrical release. But it’s nice to see distributor Gravitas Ventures selling it to Max, where the film’s profile should be raised significantly.
BLACK BAG - Peacock
Synopsis: When intelligence agent Kathryn Woodhouse is suspected of betraying the nation, her husband – also a legendary agent – faces the ultimate test of whether to be loyal to his marriage, or his country.
What we like:
Two gorgeous movie stars working with a top-tier director, with a script from an A-list screenwriter? How can you go wrong? Well…we suppose it often goes wrong. But not here. Everyone’s firing on all cylinders.
While Blanchett and Fassbender are both reliably excellent here, the talented supporting cast really elevates the whole film. It’s especially nice to see Naomie Harris get another meaty part she can sink her teeth in to.
What we don’t like:
There’s no way to sugarcoat it. The box-office was extremely disappointing for this $50M production. Soderbergh himself lamented the underperformance, and it’s hard to disagree that adult-oriented films made by major studios are in danger of disappearing.
LA COCINA - MUBI
Synopsis: It is the lunchtime rush at The Grill, a New York tourist trap that serves thousands of customers on a regular Friday like today. Money has gone missing from the till and all the workers are being questioned.
What we like:
This comedy-drama was written and directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios and elaborates on his early short Café Paraíso. It’s based on the 1957 stage play The Kitchen by Arnold Wesker, which was already adapted to the 1961 film The Kitchen.
The film world premiered at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival, where it was nominated to compete for the Golden Bear Award. It also received two nominations at this year’s Film Independent Spirit Awards: Best Director and Best Cinematography (Juan Pablo Ramírez).
What we don’t like:
Sadly, the film has no connection to George Costanza’s off-off-Broadway play La Cocina. Pepe’s story has yet to be adapted…but we can dream.
INHERITANCE - AMC+
Synopsis: When Maya learns her father Sam was once a spy, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an international conspiracy. As she seeks answers, Maya herself becomes a target and must quickly learn the skills of her father.
What we like:
Phoebe Dynevor leads this spy thriller, following up her memorable turn in 2023’s Fair Play. That movie was uneven, but proved Dynevor was capable of carrying a film.
Always great to see Rhys Ifans pop up. If you catch Hard Truths this week and want to immerse yourself in all things Mike Leigh, be sure to check out Ifans in Naked, which is streaming on the Criterion Channel.
What we don’t like:
The film was shot entirely on an iPhone. We know iPhones are incredible, but there’s something about the aesthetic that just doesn’t feel elevated. Probably our issue, not the film’s.
RUST - $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Synopsis: Infamous outlaw Harland Rust breaks his estranged grandson Lucas out of prison, after Lucas is convicted to hang for an accidental murder. The two must outrun legendary U.S Marshal Wood Helm and bounty hunter Fenton "Preacher" Lang who are hot on their tails. Deeply buried secrets rise from the ashes and an unexpected familial bond begins to form as the mismatched duo tries to survive the merciless American Frontier.
What we like:
This cursed production finally makes its way to audiences, and while it’s unlikely to be remembered for anything other than the tragedy that occurred on set, it does feature many talented artists in front of and behind the camera whose work deserves to be seen.
The American Film Institute has set up a memorial scholarship fund in Halyna Hutchins’ name, so if you’d rather not give your VOD dollars to the producers of Rust, you can donate to that worthy cause here.
What we don’t like:
Alec Baldwin is an actor who has given us so much joy, both in film and on television. Sure, his off-screen behavior was sometimes repellent, but nothing unforgivable. But this Rust shooting, and his handling of the aftermath (including the awful reality series) is just a bridge too far.
Happy Streaming Everyone!
*We are an Amazon affiliate, 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.
From PVOD to VOD: Here’s When Some Big Titles Will Be Available for Less