What’s Streaming This Week (3/22 – 3/29)

SENTIMENTAL VALUE – Hulu

Cast: Renate Reinsve, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Stellan Skarsgård, Cory Michael Smith, and Elle Fanning

Synopsis: Sisters Nora and Agnes reunite with their estranged father, the charismatic Gustav, a once-renowned director who offers stage actress Nora a role in what he hopes will be his comeback film. When Nora turns it down, she soon discovers he has given her part to an eager young Hollywood star. Suddenly, the two sisters must navigate their complicated relationship with their father — and deal with an American star dropped right into the middle of their complex family dynamics.

What we like:

• Joachim Trier’s drama premiered in competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix and received one of the festival’s longest standing ovations.
• At the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, it was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama, and won Best Supporting Actor for Skarsgård.
• At the 98th Academy Awards, it received nine nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Reinsve), Best Supporting Actor (Skarsgård) and two Best Supporting Actress nominations (Fanning and Lilleaas), and became the first Norwegian film to win Best International Feature Film.

What we don’t like:

• Here’s reason #1244 not to take our blathering on here too seriously. Get a load of what we wrote about Sentimental Value at the time of its digital release last December…we’re never wrong (we’re often wrong!):

GOAT – $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental

Cast: Caleb McLaughlin, Gabrielle Union, Stephen Curry, Nicola Coughlan, Nick Kroll, David Harbour, Jenifer Lewis, Aaron Pierre, Patton Oswalt, Andrew Santino, Bobby Lee, Eduardo Franco, Sherry Cola, Jelly Roll, and Jennifer Hudson

Synopsis: Will, a small goat with big dreams, gets a once-in-a-lifetime shot to join the pros and play roarball – a high-intensity, co-ed, full-contact sport dominated by the fastest, fiercest animals in the world. Will’s new teammates aren’t thrilled about having a little goat on their roster, but Will is determined to revolutionize the sport and prove once and for all that “smalls can ball!” He has to do something he has never done before.

What we like:

• This animated family comedy was produced by NBA superstar Stephen Curry, who also voices a character, his first-ever film acting role.
• Composer Kris Bowers created 45 original songs blending hip-hop, orchestral, and world music styles.
• Sony Pictures created a website for the film’s Roar League, which is a cool touch: https://theroarleague.com

What we don’t like:

• It’s gotta sting a little that Sony Pictures Animation’s last film, Kpop Demon Hunters, became an Oscar-winning phenomenon on Netflix, while this one did just ok in theaters for them. It’s at $93M domestic, which is certainly not a flop, but lightning did not strike twice for the studio.

HOW TO MAKE A KILLING – $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental

Cast: Glen Powell, Margaret Qualley, Jessica Henwick, Zach Woods, Topher Grace, Bill Camp, Ed Harris

Synopsis: Disowned at birth by his obscenely wealthy family, blue-collar Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell) will stop at nothing to reclaim his inheritance, no matter how many relatives stand in his way.

What we like:

• Director John Patton Ford’s follow-up to his nifty crime thriller Emily the Criminal, which featured a terrific performance from Aubrey Plaza.
• Ford’s screenplay originally appeared on the 2014 Black List of best unproduced screenplays under the title Rothchild, and was inspired by the 1949 classic black comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets.
• The film has a stellar cast. In addition to star Glen Powell, it features Margaret Qualley, Jessica Henwick, Zach Woods, Bill Camp, and Mr. Amy Madigan himself, Ed Harris!

What we don’t like:

• Unfortunately for all involved, this was both a critical and financial disappointment. The film currently sits at only 43% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and has grossed only about $7.7M at the domestic box-office. We’re still intrigued, and will definitely be checking it out on streaming.

ANACONDA – Netflix

Cast: Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Selton Mello, Daniela Melchior, Thandiwe Newton, and Steve Zahn

Synopsis: A group of friends facing mid-life crises head to the rainforest with the intention of remaking their favorite movie from their youth, only to find themselves in a fight for their lives against natural disasters, giant snakes and violent criminals.

What we like:

• Director Tom Gormican showed a flair for meta-comedy with his last film, the Nicolas Cage – Pedro Pascal action comedy The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
• Gormican and co-writer Kevin Etten watched all the Anaconda films, including the made-for-television ones, to prepare for the reboot. The original script had contained references to 2004’s Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, the only theatrical Anaconda sequel, but Gormican said, “everyone was like, ‘What is that?’ So we were like, ‘All right, let’s just reference the original.’”

What we don’t like:

• In the trailer, Doug (Jack Black) mentions how he and his friends have been wanting to remake this movie since they were kids. Jack Black and Paul Rudd were both 28 years old when Anaconda was released in 1997.

PRETTY LETHAL – Prime Video

Cast: Iris Apatow, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika, Maddie Ziegler, Michael Culkin, Lydia Leonard and Uma Thurman

Synopsis: An action-packed thriller where five ballerinas, on their way to a prestigious dance competition, are barely on speaking terms when their bus breaks down in a remote forest.With no other options, they reluctantly seek shelter at an unsettling roadside inn run by Devora Kasimer (Uma Thurman), a reclusive former ballet prodigy. From the moment they arrive, something feels wrong—and their worst instincts prove right. As the situation turns deadly, the fractured team must set aside rivalries and weaponize years of brutal training, turning grace, discipline, and even pointe shoes into tools for survival.

What we like:

• Vicky Jewson’s action thriller boasts a terrific cast of actresses: Iris Apatow, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika, and Maddie Ziegler. Plus…The Bride herself, Uma Thurman!
• The film’s original title, Ballerina Overdrive, was changed to Pretty Lethal, likely to avoid any association/confusion with From the World of John Wick: Ballerina. We think Pretty Lethal is a better title anyway.

What we don’t like:

• After world premiering last week at the SXSW Festival, the film has received middling reviews from critics. They’re not all bad, so if it seems intriguing to you, it might be worth a look.

PRIMATE – Paramount+

Cast: Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander, Victoria Wyant, Gia Hunter, Benjamin Cheng, Charlie Mann, Tienne Simon and Troy Kotsur

Synopsis: Home from college, Lucy reunites with family including pet chimp Ben. Ben contracts rabies during a pool party and turns aggressive. Lucy and friends barricade in pool, devising ways to survive the vicious chimp.

What we like:

• This killer chimp thriller is directed by Johannes Roberts, who delivered some solid shark scares in the 2017 sleeper hit 47 Meters Down.
• Oscar winner Troy Kotsur (CODA) stars as Adam, the deaf father of the family whose pet goes savage, and his deafness is actually used creatively in key scenes, especially in sound design moments where silence and awareness play into the tension.
• For a January release (aka ‘Dump-uary’), this one got some good reviews. It currently sits at 78% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

What we don’t like:

• This ‘chimp as pet’ cautionary tale made us curious about the fate of one the world’s most famous chimps: Michael Jackson’s pet chimp Bubbles. But reading his Wikipedia page is depressing. The good news…he’s still alive! But let’s keep chimpanzees in the wild.

BAMBI: THE RECKONING – Peacock

Cast: Roxanne McKee, Tom Mulheron, Nicola Wright, Samira Mighty, Alex Cooke, Russell Geoffrey Banks, and Joseph Greenwood

Synopsis: After a mother and son get in a car wreck, they soon become hunted by Bambi, a mutated grief-stricken deer on a deadly rampage seeking revenge for the death of his mother and wife.

What we like:

• Director Dan Allen’s thriller is the fourth installment in The Twisted Childhood Universe (TCU) and is a horror retelling of the 1923 novel Bambi, a Life in the Woods.
• Vince Knight’s lensing won the Best Cinematography prize at the Independent Horror Movie Awards.
• Critics are usually (and understandably) pretty hard on these TCU films, but this one has its defenders. It currently sits at 63% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

What we don’t like:

• Watching Disney’s Bambi as a child is a right-of-passage for most, and the trauma it imprints can never be erased. Yes, it’s a cliche, but it doesn’t make it untrue. Bambi: The Reckoning can only dream of inflicting such trauma.

MIKE & NICK & NICK & ALICE – Hulu

Cast: Vince Vaughn, James Marsden, Eiza González, Jimmy Tatro, Keith David, Emily Hampshire, Arturo Castro, Lewis Tan and Ben Schwartz

Synopsis: Two gangsters and the woman they love try to survive the most dangerous night of their lives. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s one wild ingredient added to the mix: a time machine.

What we like:

• This sci-fi action comedy is written and directed by BenDavid Grabinski, who’s best known for co-creating the animated Netflix series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.
• The film reunites Stephen Root and Vince Vaughn, who co-starred together in 2004 classic Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.
• After world premiering last week at the SXSW Festival, the film has received some terrific reviews. It currently sits at a very encouraging 75 on Metacritic.

What we don’t like:

• The Wampler Memorial in the film is named after entertainment journalist and popular podcaster Scott Wampler, who died in May 2024 and was a friend of writer-director BenDavid Grabinski. Wampler was the co-host of the Stephen King fan podcast The Kingcast, and is sorely missed.

THE MORTUARY ASSISTANT – Shudder

Cast: Willa Holland, Paul Sparks

Synopsis: Newly certified mortician Rebecca Owens takes a job at the River Field Mortuary and is tasked with embalming bodies alone on the night shift, but something sinister lurks beneath the surface. She must navigate demonic rituals, unravel the secrets of her enigmatic mentor and confront her own buried traumas to survive the night – and prevent her body from becoming a vessel for possession.

What we like:

• The film is adapted from the 2022 video game of the same name, which became a cult hit online. Brian Clarke, the creator of the original game, co-wrote the screenplay.
• We love that obsessive fans of the game detailed the differences on the film’s IMBD Trivia page:
  • The mortuary has many aspects flipped from the game version. For example, the doors to the cadaver refrigerator are on the left side instead of the right. The desk in the embalming room desk is on the left side instead of the right. The front desk is in the appropriate spot. However, the access to the basement is located inside in the movie compared to being accessed via outside in the game.
• Director Jeremiah Kipp previously helmed the 2021 Shudder original film Slapface.

What we don’t like:

• A perfunctory limited theatrical release in February was likely stifled by some truly terrible reviews. The film currently sits at 38% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and it earned only $454k at the domestic box office.

WARDRIVER – TBD Sale / TBD Rental

Cast: Dane DeHaan, Sasha Calle with Mamoudou Athie and Jeffrey Donovan

Synopsis: Cole (Dane DeHaan) prowls the city “Wardriving”—hacking from his car and stealing on the move. He convinces himself no one gets hurt, until black-market tech predator Oscar (Mamoudou Athie) forces him into a million-dollar cyber-heist. The job exposes a mob lawyer (Jeffrey Donovan) using Sarah (Sasha Calle) to launder his fortune. As bullets fly and betrayals close in, Cole must risk everything to return the money, protect Sarah, and survive a deadly game of cat-and-mouse where every line of code could be his last.

What we like:

• This crime thriller is based on a terrifying real hacking technique. “Wardriving” is an actual method where hackers drive around scanning for unsecured Wi-Fi networks.
• Not a huge number of reviews yet for the film, but the ones that have popped up on Rotten Tomatoes have been pretty positive.
• The film was written by Daniel Casey, best known for penning the screenplay for F9: The Fast Saga.

What we don’t like:

• Filmmaker Rebecca Thomas directed episode seven, “The Lost Sister”, of the second season of the Netflix series, Stranger Things. The episode received some negative reception, with Tom Philip for GQ writing, “Easily the worst episode Stranger Things has ever produced, and arguably among the worst in TV history.” Yikes!

Happy Streaming Everyone!