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 this week’s highlights:
Tuesday, April 14th, 2026
THE AI DOC: OR HOW I BECAME AN APOCALOPTIMIST – $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Synopsis: From the Academy Award-winning filmmakers behind Everything Everywhere All at Once and Navalny; a father-to-be tries to figure out what is happening with all this AI insanity. The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist is a hand-made, eye-opening documentary about the most powerful technology humanity has ever created… and what’s at stake if we get it wrong.
What we like:
- Not a standard AI documentary, but rather one that is framed through director Daniel Roher’s experience of becoming a father. The whole film asks: what kind of world will my child inherit?
- Roher compares parts of the AI economy to a “Ponzi scheme,” criticizing hype and profit incentives driving rapid development.
- The filmmakers explicitly want it to function like a modern An Inconvenient Truth, something that gets people talking and pushes society to act.
What we don’t like:
- The title, specifically the term ‘Apocaloptimist’ makes it sound like the filmmakers are AI cheerleaders. Plenty of people have an (understandable) instant aversion to anything AI, so this doc was always going to have a tough time engaging a certain segment of the audience. But it’s a fascinating examination of the subject, and well worth a watch.
ALL YOU NEED IS KILL – $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Cast: Stephanie Sheh, Jadon Muniz, Lisa Kay Jennings, Cherami Leigh, Jonny Cruz, Dave Fennoy, Victoria Grace, Michael Sinterniklaas, Joy Odofu
Synopsis: Set in the year 20XX, All You Need is Kill follows the story of Rita, a resourceful but isolated young woman volunteering to help rebuild Japan after the mysterious appearance of a massive alien flower known as “Darol.” When Darol unexpectedly erupts in a deadly event, unleashing monstrous creatures that decimate the population, Rita is caught in the destruction—and killed. But then she wakes up again. And again. Caught in an endless time loop, Rita must navigate the trauma and repetition of death until she crosses paths with Keiji, a shy young man trapped in the same cycle. Together, they fight to break free from the loop and find meaning in the chaos around them.
What we like:
- The movie is based on the 2004 novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, which also inspired the Tom Cruise – Emily Blunt film Edge of Tomorrow. But unlike that version, the anime sticks much closer to the original story structure and themes, including both main characters being trapped in the time loop.
- The film is produced by Studio 4°C, who uses mixed 2D/3D techniques, slightly “off” character designs, and experimental motion and frame rates.
- Director Kenichiro Akimoto makes his feature-length debut with this movie.
What we don’t like:
- Let’s revisit what a huge blunder Warner Bros made in 2014! Edge of Tomorrow was a TERRIBLE title for a terrific film. The studio initially balked at using the novel’s All You Need is Kill title, thinking ‘Kill’ was too harsh for the tone of the film (dumb). Director Doug Liman favored Live Die Repeat (which is a great title), but Warner Bros opted for the blandest title instead. We’re happy producers on this anime film chose wisely!
THE LOVE THAT REMAINS – $13.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Cast: Sverrir Gudnason, Saga Garðarsdóttir, Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir, Þorgils Hlynsson, and Grímur Hlynsson
Synopsis: Anna, an artist, and Magnús, a fisherman, live with their three children and charismatic sheepdog in the quiet grandeur of the Icelandic countryside. As the fractures in their marriage come to the surface, the couple try to hold onto the afterimages of a life together and make sense of a deep and lingering devotion. Filmmaker Hlynur Pálmason (Godland) brings surprising humor and emotional weight to this gorgeous, intimate, and brilliantly expansive scenes from a marriage, amidst the majestic backdrop of the changing seasons.
What we like:
- This family drama is written and directed by Icelandic filmmaker Hlynur Pálmason (Godland), who uses his own children as actors in the film.
- It was selected as the Icelandic entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.
- The film had its world premiere in the Premiere section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where the lead animal actor, Panda, won the Palm Dog Award.
What we don’t like:
- Despite the festival acclaim and strong reviews (it currently sits at 94% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), the film failed to attract much of an audience at the arthouse. It earned only $143k domestically.
MAGELLAN – The Criterion Channel (8p ET)
Cast: Gael García Bernal, Ângela Azevedo, Amado Arjay Babon, Ronnie Lazaro, Hazel Orencio
Synopsis: In the 16th century, Ferdinand Magellan, a young and ambitious Portuguese navigator, rebels against the power of the King of Portugal, who doesn’t support his dream of discovering the world, and persuades the Spanish monarchy to fund his bold expedition to the fabled lands of the East.
What we like:
- This historical epic stars Gael García Bernal as the titular Portuguese navigator. Bernal, who is Mexican and speaks Spanish, learned to speak Portuguese to play Magellan.
- It’s written and directed by Filipino independent filmmaker Lav Diaz, and is his first film in a language other than Tagalog.
- The film world premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and was selected as the Philippines’ entry to the 98th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film.
What we don’t like:
- Diaz is famous for extremely long, contemplative films. But interestingly, Magellan runs a mere 164 minutes, which is actually short for Diaz…many of his films run 4–10 hours. So when are we getting the Director’s Cut, Lav??
REMINDERS OF HIM – $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Cast: Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers, Rudy Pankow, Lainey Wilson, Lauren Graham, and Bradley Whitford
Synopsis: When Diem’s custodial grandparents adamantly refuse Kenna’s attempts to see her, she discovers unexpected compassion, and then something truer and deeper, with former NFL player and local bar owner Ledger. As their secret romance develops, so do the dangers for both of them, leading Kenna toward heartbreak and, ultimately, the hope for a second chance.
What we like:
- The film adapts the 2022 novel of the same name by Colleen Hoover, which sold millions of copies worldwide and became a viral hit on BookTok. Hoover actually co-wrote the screenplay herself, alongside Lauren Levine.
- Maika Monroe, who plays Kenna, built her career in horror films (It Follows, Longlegs), but here makes a notable shift into emotional romantic drama.
- Country music star Lainey Wilson makes her feature film acting debut.
- This was Universal Pictures first film to benefit from the studio’s new extended theatrical window PVOD policy. It stayed exclusively in theaters for 5 weekends, rather than the usual 3 weekends.
What we don’t like:
- We haven’t seen the film, but based on the posters, we’re assuming it’s a love triangle between a man, a woman, and a pickup truck:
SLANTED – $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Cast: Shirley Chen, Mckenna Grace, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Amelie Zilber
Synopsis: Joan Huang idolizes the popular girls and dreams of being prom queen, but fears the only way to win is to look like all the past queens whose portraits line her high school halls. Enter Ethnos: a mysterious cosmetic surgery clinic that makes people of color appear white. Joan undergoes the procedure and wakes up a beautiful blonde destined for the crown, but at what cost? Blending sharp satire, sci-fi, and body horror, and starring Shirley Chen (Dìdi), Mckenna Grace (Regretting You), and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Never Have I Ever), Slanted proves that identity is never only skin-deep.
What we like:
- This Bleecker Street Films release blends body horror, teen comedy, and social satire, and features two actress playing the same character. Shirley Chen plays Joan before the transformation and Mckenna Grace plays her after.
- Amy Wang wrote and directed the film, her first feature-length movie after working mostly as a television writer.
- The film premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival, where it won the Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize.
What we don’t like:
- Critics were divided on this one, with some praising it as bold, original, and culturally insightful, while others felt the satire was too blunt and uneven. It currently has a 55 Metacritic score.
UNDERTONE – $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Cast: Nina Kiri, Adam DiMarco, Michèle Duquet, Keana Lyn Bastidas, Jeff Yung
Synopsis: The host of a popular paranormal podcast becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way.
What we like:
- This micro budget Canadian supernatural horror thriller world premiered at the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival and won the Gold Audience Award for Canadian films. A24 won the bidding war for the film and acquired worldwide distribution rights in a seven-figure deal.
- Only two characters appear on screen, everyone else exists only through voices or recordings.
- This was a huge success for A24, as the modestly budgeted film grossed $20M at the domestic box office, overshadowing studio horror titles Ready or Not 2: Here I Come and They Will Kill You.
What we don’t like:
- After the film’s success, director Ian Tuason was tapped to direct a new installment in the Paranormal Activity series. Good for him for getting a high profile gig, but we wish these new talents weren’t immediately shuttled to the IP pipeline. Let the next generation continue to create something new!
Wednesday, April 15th, 2026
BALLS UP – Prime Video
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Paul Walter Hauser, Molly Shannon, Benjamin Bratt, Daniela Melchior, and Eric André
Synopsis: In this raunchy, over-the-top comedy, marketing executives Brad (Mark Wahlberg) and Elijah (Paul Walter Hauser) go “balls out” and pitch a bold full‑coverage condom sponsorship with the World Cup. After their drunken celebration in Brazil sparks a global scandal, they must outrun furious fans, criminals, and power-hungry officials to salvage their careers and make it home alive.
What we like:
- From the director of the Oscar-winning sensation Green Book! Peter Farrelly, who also co-directed (with his brother Bobby) There’s Something About Mary and Dumb and Dumber, is back on the raunchy comedy train.
- The plot synopsis makes it sound like a comedic version of The Warriors set in Brazil. We’re into it! Too bad the film was shot in Australia, not Brazil.
- We’re big Molly Shannon fans here, so nice to see she has a supporting role in the film.
What we don’t like:
- This is Peter Farrelly’s third straight-to-streaming film in a row after his Oscar triumph. 2022’s The Greatest Beer Run Ever and 2024’s Ricky Stanicky didn’t leave much of a cultural footprint, so our expectations are low for this one. We admit we chuckled at the trailer…so maybe we’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Friday, April 17th, 2026
ATROPIA – MUBI
Cast: Alia Shawkat, Callum Turner, Zahra Alzubaidi, Tony Shawkat, Jane Levy, Tim Heidecker, Lola Kirke, and Chloë Sevigny
Synopsis: When an aspiring actress in a military role-playing facility falls in love with a soldier cast as an insurgent, their un-simulated emotions threaten to derail the performance.
What we like:
- This war satire won the Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, beating out acclaimed indies Sorry, Baby and Twinless.
- The talented cast includes Alia Shawkat, Callum Turner, Chloë Sevigny, Tim Heidecker, Jane Levy, Zahra Alzubaidi, Lola Kirke, and even a surprise cameo from Channing Tatum as a Hollywood actor within the simulation.
- The project grew out of a 2019 short documentary idea first-time filmmaker Hailey Gates had about real military training villages, but when the original documentary concept wasn’t embraced, she turned it into this fictional satire instead.
What we don’t like:
- Despite the prestigious win at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, critics were not as impressed. The film currently sits at 42% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, which is not great. Distributor Vertical Entertainment optimistically (or was it contractual?) gave the film an awards-qualifying run in theaters in December. When it relaunched in January, it came and went from theaters very quickly.
DUST BUNNY – HBO Max
Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Sigourney Weaver, Sophie Sloan, Rebecca Henderson, Sheila Atim and David Dastmalchian
Synopsis: An eight-year-old girl asks her scheming neighbor for help in killing the monster under her bed that she thinks ate her family.
What we like:
- Bryan Fuller’s feature directorial debut. Fuller, best known for shows like Hannibal and Pushing Daisies, wrote, produced, and directed Dust Bunny as his first theatrical film.
- Fuller has assembled a terrific cast: Alongside Mads Mikkelsen and talented young newcomer Sophie Sloan, the film features the legendary Sigourney Weaver and Late Night with the Devil’s David Dastmalchian.
- After world premiering in the Midnight Madness section of the 2025 Toronto Film Festival, the film received mostly positive reviews. It currently sits at 73 on Metacritic.
What we don’t like:
- Despite the good reviews and intriguing premise, the film failed to connect with audiences at the box-office, earning only $581K domestically. Might it have been too soft for horror fans, and too intense (it’s R-rated) for younger kids? It’s well worth checking out on streaming, and could become a great gateway film for young, budding horror fans.
THE NAPA BOYS – $16.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Cast: Armen Weitzman, Nick Corirossi, Sarah Ramos, Mike Mitchell, Jamar Neighbors, Chloe Cherry, Vanessa Chester, Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, DJ Qualls, Ray Wise, David Wain, Paul Rust, Riki Lindhome, Nelson Franklin, Ivy Wolk, Beth Dover, Natasha Leggero, Steve Agee, Chris Aquilino, Greg Worswick, Mike Hanford, Harley Quinn Smith, Nik Dodani, Natasha Behnam, Eve Sigall, Ryan Perez, Jack Allison
Synopsis: Jack Jr, Miles Jr and the whole gang are back for one last wine-soaked journey prompted by the mysterious “Sommelier.” Joined this time by Puck, a fan of The Napa Boys comics, the group will learn about love, loss, friendship and viticulture.
What we like:
- A fascinating exercise in antagonizing the audience: the film is presented as “The Napa Boys 4: The Sommelier’s Amulet”… even though the first three movies don’t exist. The movie drops you into a world full of “returning” characters, inside jokes, and fake backstories…as if you’re already a fan of something that was never real.
- Director Nick Corirossi explicitly designed it as a spoof of wine films like Sideways combined with the crude humor of movies like American Pie.
- Shooting was completed in only 9 days. Most shots were achieved “Clint Eastwood style” in only one or two takes.
What we don’t like:
- This ambitious satire world premiered in the Midnight Madness section of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, and prompted more walkouts than laughs at the TIFF press screening. Magnolia Pictures acquired the film, but it was a tough sell, earning only $45k domestically. Still…something this weird must be worth a look.
NIGHT PATROL – Shudder
Cast: Jermaine Fowler, Justin Long, Freddie Gibbs, RJ Cyler, YG, Nicki Micheaux, Flying Lotus, Phil Brooks, Dermot Mulroney, Jon Oswald
Synopsis: An L.A. cop discovers a local task force is hiding a secret that puts the residents of his childhood neighborhood in danger.
What we like:
- Filmmaker Ryan Prows directs and co-writes (with Shaye Ogbonna, Tim Cairo and Jake Gibson) this horror thriller, which serves as his second collaboration with horror streamer Shudder. He previously contributed a segment to the anthology franchise V/H/S 94.
- We’ll say it again: In this era of straight-to-streaming action thrillers, we appreciate that RLJE Films and Shudder give their titles proper theatrical releases.
What we don’t like:
- After its world premiere at the 2025 Fantastic Fest, review were tepid. It currently sits at 53 on Metacritic. And despite a relatively wide theatrical footprint (800 theaters), the film managed only $372K.
ROOMMATES – Netflix
Cast: Sarah Sherman, Natasha Lyonne, Nick Kroll, Sadie Sandler, Chloe East, Storm Reid, and Adam Sandler
Synopsis: When college freshman Devon asks cool, confident Celeste to be her roommate, a blossoming friendship quickly spirals into a war of passive aggression.
What we like:
- From Canadian filmmaker Chandler Levack, this college comedy comes from Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions, and Sandler himself appears in the film.
- The film is co-written (with Ceara O’Sullivan) by Jimmy Fowlie, who among other things is known for writing and performing as Emma Stone in the one-woman Off-Broadway show So Long Boulder City.
- As with most Happy Madison productions, the supporting cast is stacked with talent: Sarah Sherman, Natasha Lyonne, Nick Kroll, Storm Reid, Chloe East, Janeane Garafalo, Carol Kane, and Josh Segarra.
What we don’t like:
- As is his right, Adam Sandler is reaching Shyamalan-ian levels of nepotism, handing his daughter Sadie a starring role in the film. Is there still Nepo Baby discourse? Are people still mad about this stuff? Are we as guilty as anyone for always bringing it up? The answer to that last question is, of course, yes. So what we don’t like here is ourselves. Adam Sandler loves and supports his family. Who are we to judge?
SHELBY OAKS – Hulu
Cast: Camille Sullivan, Brendan Sexton III, Michael Beach, Robin Bartlett, and Keith David
Synopsis: The Paranormal Paranoids, a team of paranormal investigators, uncover a dark legacy and the far-reaching effects their investigation has as Mia searches for her sister Riley, the lead paranormal investigator, twelve years later. As Mia uncovers new and disturbing leads related to Riley’s disappearance, she uncovers evidence of a hidden supernatural evil dating all the way back to her and Riley’s childhood.
What we like:
- The feature directorial debut of Chris Stuckmann, who was a movie review YouTuber and author of the book The Film Buff’s Bucket List: The 50 Movies of the 2000s to See Before You Die.
- The film was crowdfunded and became the most-funded horror movie on Kickstarter, raising around $1.3–1.4 million from fans. Stuckmann hit his initial funding goal in just 24 hours.
- Shelby Oaks world premiered at the 2024 Fantasia International Film Festival, after which Mike Flanagan (The Life of Chuck, The Haunting of Hill House) became attached to the project, eventually becoming an executive producer.
What we don’t like:
- Critics were not kind to the film, it currently sits at 55% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Distributor NEON wasn’t able to turn it in to a Longlegs-style hit. It earned only $4.5M at the domestic box-office. Still…it probably turned a tidy profit.
Happy Streaming Everyone!
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