What’s Streaming This Week (2/22 – 3/1)

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.

Another 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 this week’s highlights:

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Tuesday, February 24th, 2026

DEAD MAN’S WIRE – $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental

Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Dacre Montgomery, Colman Domingo, Myha’la, Cary Elwes, John Robinson, and Al Pacino

Synopsis: Set in 1977 and based on a true story, Tony Kiritsis, a former real estate developer puts a dead man’s switch on himself and the mortgage banker who did him wrong, demanding $5 million and a personal apology.

What we like:

• It’s great to have the legendary Gus Van Sant directing another feature film. This is his first since 2018’s Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot.
• The film had its world premiere out of competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival and received great reviews. It currently sits at 93% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
• Speaking of legends, the score was composed by Danny Elfman.

What we don’t like:

• This was the first release from upstart distributor Row K Entertainment, and despite a semi-wide release (~1,100 theaters), the film tapped out at $2.2M. With a production budget reported around $15M, that’s not great. We’re intensely rooting for these new indie distributors (1-2 Special, Black Bear, Row K). They deliver mid-budget films at a time we desperately need them. If you’re able, support them in theaters or on VOD.

H IS FOR HAWK – $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental

Cast: Claire Foy, Brendan Gleeson, Denise Gough, Sam Spruell, Emma Cunniffe, Josh Dylan, Arty Froushan, Lindsay Duncan

Synopsis: After losing her beloved father, Helen finds herself saved by an unlikely friendship with a stubborn hawk named Mabel. Through the bond, Helen rediscovers the beauty of being alive.

What we like:

• The film is adapted from the bestselling 2014 memoir by Helen Macdonald, which won major literary awards and has been celebrated for its poetic exploration of grief and falconry.
• The film is directed by Philippa Lowthorpe, who co-wrote the screenplay with Emma Donoghue (author of Room).
• The beautiful visuals of the film were shot by Danish cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen, who’s known for her work on A Quiet Place, Molly’s Game, and Fences.

What we don’t like:

• This tasteful, refined literary adaptation just underlines the current disparity in culture between the UK and the US. In the UK, H is for Hawk. In the US…H is for:

IN COLD LIGHT – $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental

Cast: Maika Monroe, Troy Kotsur, Helen Hunt, and Allan Hawco

Synopsis: Fresh out of prison, Ava’s attempt to reclaim her drug operation collapses when she witnesses a brutal crime, forcing her to flee into a nightmarish underworld where allies are scarce and enemies multiply by the minute.

What we like:

• The film marks the first English-language feature from acclaimed Canadian director Maxime Giroux, who previously made his name with French-language dramas.
• Maika Monroe (It Follows, Longlegs) is the lead, and she’s supported by a couple of Oscar-winners: Troy Kotsur (CODA) and Helen Hunt (As Good as It Gets).
• Cinematographer Sara Mishara gives the film a gritty, neo-noir aesthetic, neon-tinged and atmospheric that’s described as “film noir in color,” leaning hard into mood and environment over slick polish.

What we don’t like:

• Despite plenty of talent in front of and behind the camera, critics were not very impressed with this Canadian thriller. The film currently has a 50% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

RETURN TO SILENT HILL – $19.99 Sale / TBD Rental

Cast: Jeremy Irvine, Hannah Emily Anderson, Evie Templeton

Synopsis: When James receives a mysterious letter from his lost love Mary, he is drawn to Silent Hill—a once-familiar town now consumed by darkness. As he searches for her, James faces monstrous creatures and unravels a terrifying truth that will push him to the edge of his sanity.

What we like:

• Return to Silent Hill isn’t a sequel but rather a fresh adaptation of the legendary horror video game Silent Hill 2 (originally released in 2001).
• The film is written and directed by Christophe Gans, who also directed the original Silent Hill movie back in 2006.
• The score is composed by Akira Yamaoka, the original composer behind the Silent Hill games’ eerie music, helping bridge the film’s atmosphere to its video game roots.

What we don’t like:

• Hoo boy…this reboot was pretty much reviled by critics and audiences alike. It currently sits at 19% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus summary reads: ‘A visually tacky sequel that lumbers along with a plodding pulse and lacking the thematic resonance that distinguished its source material, Return to Silent Hill gets lost in the haze.’

SHELTER – $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental

Cast: Jason Statham, Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Bill Nighy, Naomi Ackie, and Daniel Mays

Synopsis: Mason is a reclusive man living in a remote setting by the sea. When he chooses to rescue a young girl from drowning in a terrible storm, he unwittingly sets off a chain reaction that soon brings violence his way, forcing him to confront choices from his past.

What we like:

• This Jason Statham actioner is directed by Ric Roman Waugh, who had two films released in January of this year. He also directed the Gerard Butler disaster sequel Greenland 2: Migration. The man is booked and busy!
• Alongside Statham and young newcomer Bodhi Rae Breathnach, the film features acclaimed actor Bill Nighy and recent Independent Spirit Award winner Naomi Ackie (she won Best Supporting Performance for Sorry, Baby) in major supporting roles.
• Critics were unimpressed, but audiences seemed to like it. The film earned a ‘B+’ CinemaScore.

What we don’t like:

• Holy hell this title. Generic and uninspiring. One-word titles don’t have to be dull. Statham starred in films called Snatch and Crank. Those are both great titles! In the last three decades, the title ‘Shelter’ has been used at least ten times. So not only is it boring…it’s been boring for years.

THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB – $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental

Cast: Saja Kilani, Motaz Malhees, Amer Hlehel, and Clara Khoury

Synopsis: January 29, 2024. Red Crescent volunteers receive an emergency call. A 5-year old girl is trapped in a car under fire in Gaza, pleading for rescue. While trying to keep her on the line, they do everything they can to get an ambulance to her. Her name was Hind Rajab.

What we like:

• The film premiered in competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival in September 2025, where it won the Grand Jury Prize (Silver Lion).
• It attracted support from big names in cinema, including Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, and Alfonso Cuarón, who boarded the project as executive producers to help raise its profile.
• The film was chosen as Tunisia’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards and it was the only non-Neon distributed title to make the final five.

What we don’t like:

• This is heart wrenching stuff that might be too tough for some to watch. The film recounts the true story of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed during the 2024 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. It reconstructs her desperate final 90-plus minutes largely through audio recordings of her emergency calls as she lay trapped in a bullet-riddled car trying to be rescued.

YOUNG MOTHERS – $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental

Cast: Babette Verbeek, Elsa Houben, Janaina Halloy Fokan, Lucie Laruelle, Samia Hilmi

Synopsis: Five young mothers living in a shelter strive for a better future for themselves and kids amidst challenging upbringings.

What we like:

• The latest from celebrated Belgian filmmakers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, known for their deeply humane social dramas like Rosetta, Two Days, One Night, and L’Enfant.
• The film world premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won Best Screenplay and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury.
• The film features a remarkable ensemble of mostly young (and in some cases non-professional) actors portraying the emotional and practical challenges of early motherhood.

What we don’t like:

• Despite the festival acclaim and great reviews (it currently sits at 80 on Metacritic) Music Box Films couldn’t get many butts in seats at the arthouse. It grossed only $11K domestically.

Wednesday, February 25th, 2026

Thursday, February 26th, 2026

Friday, February 27th, 2026

CRAZY OLD LADY – Shudder

Cast: Carmen Maura, Daniel Hendler

Synopsis: Pedro receives a desperate message from an ex-girlfriend asking him to look after her senile mother, Alicia. What seems like a simple mission soon becomes his worst nightmare. Pedro needs to escape; but Alicia won’t let him…

What we like:

• Legendary Spanish actress Carmen Maura, known for her work with director Pedro Almodóvar, plays Alicia, a seemingly frail old woman whose unraveling mind turns everyday caregiving into an escalating nightmare.
• The film premiered at Fantastic Fest 2025 where first time feature filmmaker Martin Mauregui won Best Director in the Horror Competition.
• Spanish filmmaker J.A. Bayona (known for The Orphanage and Society of the Snow) came aboard as an executive producer, helping shepherd this relatively small horror film into wider international attention.

What we don’t like:

• The English title translation Crazy Old Lady (from the Spanish title Vieja loca) makes it sound like a campy romp, but the movie is actually a stylish psychological horror-thriller that blends domestic dread with chilling psychological twists.

FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER – MUBI, $19.99 Sale Only

Cast: Tom Waits, Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps, Sarah Greene, Indya Moore, Luka Sabbat, and Françoise Lebrun

Synopsis: Three stories concerning the relationships between adult children, their somewhat distant parent (or parents), and each other: a reclusive father visited by his grown children in the US, sisters visiting their novelist mother in Dublin, and adult twins called back to their Paris apartment to address a family.

What we like:

• This Jim Jarmusch anthology drama world premiered at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival…and promptly won the Golden Lion (the top prize). It beat a formidable lineup, including Bugonia, The Testament of Ann Lee, No Other Choice, and The Voice of Hind Rajab (which placed second).
• The film’s cast is fantastic. Cate Blanchett, Adam Driver, Tom Waits, Vicky Krieps, Charlotte Rampling, Indya Moore, and Luka Sabbat are all featured in the ensemble.
• Jarmusch not only wrote and directed the film but also contributed to its original music alongside collaborator Anika.

What we don’t like:

• At the 2025 Venice Film Festival, Jury President Alexander Payne dismissed rumors of a conspiracy or internal revolt regarding the Golden Lion award decisions. Reports suggested a juror threatened to quit over the jury not giving the top prize to the Gaza drama The Voice of Hind Rajab. Payne denied the rumors, stating “not to believe everything we read online”.

IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE – Hulu

Cast: Kate McKinnon, Rashida Jones, Daveed Diggs, Jorge Vargas and Tanaya Beatty

Synopsis: Three storylines, spanning thousands of years, intersect and reflect on hope, connection and the circle of life.

What we like:

• Best known for directing beloved animated films like Finding Nemo and WALL-E, Andrew Stanton returnes to live-action filmmaking with this sci-fi drama, his first major live-action movie since 2012’s John Carter.
• The film’s ambitious structure interweaves three interconnected storylines that span from prehistoric times with a Neanderthal family to the present day and all the way into a far-future space mission.
• The film premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and won the Alfred P. Sloan Prize, which is given to an outstanding feature film that focuses on science or technology as a theme, or depicts a scientist, engineer, or mathematician as a major character.

What we don’t like:

• Despite winning a prize at Sundance, critics absolutely rejected the film. It currently has a score of 37 on Metacritic and sits at only 16% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Searchlight Pictures bypassing a theatrical release and sending it straight to Hulu certainly doesn’t inspire much confidence.

KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN – Hulu

Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Diego Luna, Tonatiuh, Tony Dovolani, Joesefina Scaglione, Bruno Bichir

Synopsis: Valentín, a political prisoner, shares a cell with Molina, a window dresser convicted of public indecency. The two form an unlikely bond as Molina recounts the plot of a Hollywood musical starring his favorite silver screen diva, Ingrid Luna.

What we like:

• This adaptation of the 1992 stage musical is directed by Bill Condon, who has helmed some terrific films (Gods and Monsters, Kinsey, Dreamgirls) and a crime against humanity (the live-action Beauty and the Beast). More good than bad, generally.
• Leads Diego Luna and Jennifer Lopez acquit themselves nicely, but the real standout is newcomer Tonatiuh, who plays the same character William Hurt won the Oscar portraying in the 1985 (non-musical) version of Kiss of the Spider Woman. He’s fantastic.
• The film premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it received a lengthy standing ovation (we always take that with a grain of salt) and strong reviews. It currently sits at 77% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

What we don’t like:

• Despite its artistic ambitions and positive reviews, the film under-performed at the box office, earning about $2 million against a $30 million budget. The audience just didn’t show up to theaters, but it should get wider sampling now that it’s hitting Hulu.

Sunday, March 1st, 2026

IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT – Hulu

Cast: Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Vahid Mobasseri

Synopsis: Night driver Eghbal, en route with his pregnant wife, kills a dog. Stranded, he seeks help at Vahid’s garage, unaware his rescuer believes him to be the prison officer who tortured him. Convinced, Vahid abducts Eghbal to bury him alive, but doubts soon arise. To confirm Eghbal’s identity, Vahid enlists fellow victims. During their ride, they contemplate the morality of killing their captive and whether he actually is who they believe him to be.

What we like:

• Dissident Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi’s film was a sensation at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it won the filmmaker the coveted Palme d’Or.
• At the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, it became the first Iranian film to be nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director and Best Screenplay, and was also nominated for Best Foreign Language Film.
• At the upcoming 98th Academy Awards, it is nominated for Best International Feature Film (France) and Best Original Screenplay.

What we don’t like:

• Late last year, Panahi was given a one year prison sentence by the Iranian government on charges of creating propaganda against the political system. The filmmaker has served two previous spells in prison in his home country, and said in an interview shortly before receiving his latest sentence that he planned to return to his home country.

THE SECRET AGENT – Hulu

Cast: Wagner Moura, Maria Fernanda Candido, Gabriel Leone, Carlos Francisco, Alice Carvalho, Roberio Diogenes, Hermila Guedes, Igor De Araujo, Italo Martins, Laura Lufesi, Udo Kier, Roney Villela, Isabél Zuaa

Synopsis: Brazil, 1977. Marcelo, a technology expert in his early 40s, is on the run. He arrives in Recife during carnival week, hoping to reunite with his son but soon realizes that the city is far from being the non violent refuge he seeks.

What we like:

• Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho’s political thriller is an absolute triumph of storytelling and our favorite film of 2025 (though we still have some things to catch up on).
• Brazil is on a hot streak at the Oscars. After the success of 2024’s I’m Still Here, The Secret Agent just received four nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Wagner Moura), Best Casting (Gabriel Domingues), and Best International Feature.
• The cast is spectacular across the board, but a special shout-out must be given to Tânia Maria as Dona Sebastiana. She made her film debut in Mendonça Filho’s last film, 2019’s Bacurau, and absolutely owns her few scenes in this film. Just a delight.

What we don’t like:

• Another stand-out performance in the film comes from the legendary German character actor Udo Kier, who passed away late last year at the age of 81. He still has some unreleased films coming out in 2026, but he will be sorely missed.

Happy Streaming Everyone!