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, June 23rd, 2026
BILLIE EILISH – HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR – $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Cast: Billie Eilish
Synopsis: This immersive concert film is a VIP all-access pass to Billie Eilish’s electrifying sold-out Hit Me Hard and Soft tour. Co-directed by Billie Eilish with Academy Award winner James Cameron, it brings their shared vision to life—the rush, the pressure, and the closeness she shares with the crowd, everything you don’t see and everything you feel, through her eyes.
What we like:
- Big Jim Cameron directs the Billie Eilish concert film, and its a must-see (or own) for fans of the singer/songwriter. The film captures both the intimacy of quieter songs and the explosive energy of arena moments.
- This marks Eilish’s first feature co-directing effort. With two Best Original Song Oscars already on her mantle, she’s chasing Big Jim (who has three).
- At 114 minutes, the film delivers a full concert experience without overstaying its welcome.
What we don’t like:
- The 3D experience will be lost with the film’s home video release…not that Eilish fans will mind that much.
BLUE HERON – $19.99 Sale Only
Cast: Eylul Guven, Iringó Réti, Ádám Tompa, Edik Beddoes, Amy Zimmer, Liam Serg, and Preston Drabble
Synopsis: In the late 1990s, a family of six settles into their new home on Vancouver Island, as internal dynamics are slowly revealed through the experiences of the youngest child, Sasha. Their fresh start is interrupted by the increasingly dangerous behavior of Jeremy, the family’s oldest child.
What we like:
- This acclaimed Canadian drama world premiered at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival in August 2025, competing in the Cineasti del Presente section. It received the Swatch First Feature Award.
- Writer-director Sophy Romvari has described the film as a semi-autobiographical work which draws heavily from her memories of growing up in a Hungarian immigrant family on Vancouver Island.
- After Locarno, Blue Heron screened at numerous major festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival, and was later named to TIFF’s annual Canada’s Top Ten list for 2025.
What we don’t like:
- Despite fantastic reviews from critics (it currently sits at 98% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), the film failed to crack $1M at the arthouse box-office. But it’s definitely worth catching up with, and should be hitting the Criterion Channel later in the summer.
CAROLINA CAROLINE – $19.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Cast: Samara Weaving, Kyle Gallner, Kyra Sedgwick, and Jon Gries
Synopsis: A young woman skips her small town — in search of her estranged mother — alongside a charismatic con man on the run from the law. The duo leave a wave of crime and passion behind them as they hustle their way through the Southeast.
What we like:
- Known for horror films like Ready or Not, Samara Weaving gets to showcase a different side of her talent here. Critics praised the emotional depth and vulnerability she brings to Caroline.
- Although her screen time is limited, Kyra Sedgwick delivers one of the movie’s most powerful scenes as Caroline’s estranged mother. Sedgwick is such a terrific actress, we wish she would get a career renaissance that so many of the male actors of her generation seem to get.
- We’ll watch Kyle Gallner in anything. Why isn’t he a bigger star? We’re impatient.
What we don’t like:
- This little gem came and went from theaters quickly, earning only $280K domestically. But it deserves to find an audience and is definitely worth a rental. Give it a shot.
I LOVE BOOSTERS – $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Cast: Demi Moore, Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, LaKeith Stanfield, Eiza González, Poppy Liu, and Will Poulter
Synopsis: The Velvet Gang, a crew of professional shoplifters led by aspiring designer Corvette (Keke Palmer), target cutthroat fashion icon Christie Smith (Demi Moore) when she steals one of Corvette’s designs. They plan to boost Smith’s entire inventory but inadvertently spark a movement for retail and factory workers around the world. It’s like community service.
What we like:
- The title comes from “I Love Boosters!”, a song by writer/director Boots Riley’s rap group, The Coup. Riley expanded the song’s ideas about shoplifting culture and economic inequality into a feature-length story.
- Rather than targeting banks or casinos, the film takes aim at fast fashion, creative theft, and exploitative labor practices, using haute couture as its battleground.
- Oscar-nominated costume designer Shirley Kurata, known for Everything Everywhere All at Once, created the film’s striking fashion looks.
- Reviews varied on whether the movie was brilliant or overstuffed, but nearly everyone agreed that I Love Boosters was one of the most original and daring American films of 2026…however…
What we don’t like:
- …it might not be everyone’s flavor. The movie begins as a crime comedy before introducing teleportation devices, stop-motion creatures, surreal sight gags, and increasingly outrageous twists. To call it maximalist is an understatement.
POWER BALLAD – $19.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Cast: Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas, Peter McDonald, Marcella Plunkett, Havana Rose Liu, and Jack Reynor
Synopsis: When Rick (Paul Rudd), a past-his-prime wedding singer, meets fading boy-band star Danny (Nick Jonas) during a gig, the two bond over music and a late-night jam session. But when Danny turns one of Rick’s songs into the hit that reignites his career, Rick sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves – even if it means risking everything he cares about. From writer-director John Carney (Sing Street, Once), POWER BALLAD is a feel-good story about music, self-respect, friendship, and the price of ambition.
What we like:
- The film was written and directed by John Carney, the filmmaker behind beloved music-centered films such as Once, Begin Again, and (our personal favorite) Sing Street.
- Carney again worked with Scottish musician Gary Clark on the original songs, continuing a creative partnership that previously helped shape the music of Sing Street. Did we mention how much we love Sing Street?
- Paul Rudd performs convincingly as a lifelong musician, with several reviewers highlighting how naturally he inhabited the role.
- The film is largely set in Dublin, Ireland, using wedding halls, pubs, and neighborhoods to create a lived-in atmosphere that feels distinctly Irish.
What we don’t like:
- Rudd’s character name is Rick Power, which not only a terrible name for a character, but also comes from the Tyler Perry school of shoe-horning-a-character-name-in-to-the-title-of-your-film (i.e. Finding Joy, Good Deeds, A Fall From Grace, etc.).
TUNER – $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Cast: Leo Woodall, Havana Rose Liu, Lior Raz, Tovah Feldshuh, Jean Reno, and Dustin Hoffman
Synopsis: A talented piano tuner’s life is turned upside down when he discovers that his meticulous skills for tuning pianos can equally be applied to cracking safes.
What we like:
- Director Daniel Roher won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for Navalny, and Tuner is his first scripted feature film.
- Rising star Leo Woodall underwent intensive training to convincingly portray Niki, a former piano prodigy turned tuner. He performed many of his own hand movements on screen.
- The film debuted at the 2025 Telluride Film Festival and received terrific reviews. It currently sits at 94% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
What we don’t like:
- Legendary character actress Tovah Feldshuh has a supporting role in the film. We love her! But when we see her name on the screen, it always looks like someone’s name spelled backwards. You know how they say Swedish sounds like English played backwards? Tovah Feldshuh looks like someone’s name spelled backwards. But it’s not, we checked.
TWO PROSECUTORS – The Criterion Channel (8p ET)
Cast: Aleksandr Kuznetsov, Aleksandr Filippenko, Anatoliy Beliy, Andris Keišs, Vytautas Kaniušonis, Valentin Novopolskij, Dmitrij Denisiuk
Synopsis: In 1937, amidst Stalin’s Great Terror, a newly appointed prosecutor for the USSR is made aware of alleged corruption in the Secret Police, and takes it upon himself to investigate.
What we like:
- The film was directed by acclaimed Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa, who is best known for politically charged films like Donbass and In the Fog. Two Prosecutors continues his fascination with authoritarian systems and historical memory.
- It is based on a novella by Soviet physicist and Gulag survivor Georgy Demidov, whose writings were suppressed for decades in the USSR. Demidov spent around 14 years in Stalinist labor camps, and many elements in the story were inspired by real experiences.
- The movie premiered in competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the prestigious François Chalais Prize, an award given to films dealing with journalism, human rights, or political conscience.
What we don’t like:
- Loznitsa is not exactly a marquee arthouse filmmaker here in the US, so Janus Films struggled to attract much of an audience in theaters. It earned only $115K at the domestic box-office. Still, it’s well worth checking out now that it’s hitting The Criterion Channel.
Also streaming Tuesday:
Wednesday, June 24th, 2026
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH – Disney+
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao, Matt Gerald, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Jemaine Clement, Britain Dalton, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion, Bailey Bass, Filip Geljo, Duane Evans, Jr., David Thewlis and Oona Chaplin
Synopsis: In the wake of the devastating war against the RDA and the loss of their eldest son, Jake Sully and Neytiri face a new threat on Pandora: the Ash People, a violent and power-hungry Na’vi tribe led by the ruthless Varang. Jake’s family must fight for their survival and the future of Pandora in a conflict that pushes them to their emotional and physical limits.
What we like:
- Big Jim Cameron delivers another action spectacle, and while this one didn’t quite climb the box-office heights of the first two Avatar films, it’s still almost hit $1.5B worldwide.
- Despite being Cameron’s first film since 1994’s True Lies not to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, the film did pick up a Best Visual Effects statue at this year’s ceremony.
- Oona Chaplin’s Verang became the breakout character for a certain subset of the internet, and her performance does give the film a needed dose of new blood.
What we don’t like:
- The film is dedicated to John Refoua, who was a co-editor on the film and passed in 2023, and Jon Landau, Cameron’s longtime producing partner, who passed in 2024. Shortly after his death in July 2024, Cameron stated that it was Landau who was in fact “the heart of the Avatar family” and “the center of gravity of our bubble universe.”
IN THE HAND OF DANTE – Netflix
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot, Gerard Butler, John Malkovich, Louis Cancelmi, Sabrina Impacciatore, Franco Nero, Benjamin Clementine, Paolo Bonacelli, Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino and Jason Momoa.
Synopsis: In the Hand of Dante follows the parallel lives of a New York author (Nick Tosches) in the 21st century who embarks on a violent journey after he is recruited by a mafia don to steal Italian poet Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy written in the poet’s own hand, and Dante in the 14th century seeking inspiration to write his most important work – each man unknowingly connected through time and their obsessive quest for love, beauty, and the divine.
What we like:
- The film adapts the 2002 novel In the Hand of Dante by writer Nick Tosches, a book that many readers considered virtually unfilmable because of its sprawling narrative and philosophical digressions.
- Film rights were acquired as far back as 2008, with plans originally involving Johnny Depp. The movie underwent numerous delays before finally reaching the screen under director Julian Schnabel.
- Martin Scorsese not only serves as an executive producer, but he also appears onscreen in a small supporting role.
- The medieval Dante sequences are largely presented in color, while the modern Nick Tosches storyline often unfolds in black and white, helping viewers distinguish between the parallel narratives.
What we don’t like:
- Reviewers praised the film’s ambition while acknowledging its unevenness. Some admired its willingness to take enormous creative risks, while others found it excessive and difficult to follow. At 153 minutes, we’re pretty sure this one’s gonna have a lot of Netflix subscribers scratching their heads and turning it off before the end. We’re intrigued, though. Even if it’s a mess, it should be a fascinating mess?
Thursday, June 25th, 2026
A GREAT AWAKENING – Wonder Project Amazon Channel
Cast: Jonathan Blair, John Paul Sneed
Synopsis: In the tense years leading up to the fight for independence, one spiritual movement reshaped hearts, unified communities, and helped forge the identity of a nation.
What we like:
- The film comes from faith-based studio Sight & Sound Films, known for producing religious and historical content, making one of their biggest narrative film projects so far.
- Instead of big Hollywood stars, the film casts relatively lesser-known actors to portray famous figures like Franklin, George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton.
- Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare average grade of “A+” on an A+ to F scale. Not too surprising, as these faith-based film audiences are usually pretty generous with their praise.
What we don’t like:
- The film ignited debate over its portrayal of Benjamin Franklin and George Whitefield, with critics accusing it of promoting Christian nationalist narratives. Historians challenge its central claim linking the First Great Awakening to the American Revolution, pointing to disputed sources and long-standing scholarly disagreement. Supporters frame it as a neglected spiritual history, while detractors warn it serves contemporary political messaging.
Friday, June 26th, 2026
FORBIDDEN FRUITS – Shudder
Cast: Lili Reinhart, Lola Tung, Victoria Pedretti, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Chamberlain, and Gabrielle Union
Synopsis: Free Eden employee Apple secretly runs a witchy femme cult in the basement of the mall store after hours – with fellow fruits Cherry and Fig. But when new hire Pumpkin challenges their performative sisterhood, the women are forced to face their own poisons or succumb to a bloody fate.
What we like:
- Director Meredith Alloway makes her feature film debut with this horror comedy. She also co-wrote the screenplay with Lily Houghton, which is based on Houghton’s stage play Of the woman came the beginning of sin, and through her we all die.
- The script was featured on the 2023 Black List of the “most liked” screenplays currently not in production.
- Canadian costume designer Sarah Millman, who’s work includes another of this week’s new releases Tuner, collaborated with famed designer label Rodarte for a number of looks in the film.
What we don’t like:
- After world premiering at the 2026 SXSW Festival, critics gave the film mixed reviews. It currently has a 56 score on Metacritic. We’re intrigued to see if this can become The Craft for a new generation.
LITTLE BROTHER – Netflix
Cast: John Cena, Eric Andre, Michelle Monaghan, Chris Meloni, Ego Nwodim, Sherry Cola, Caleb Hearon, Ben Ahlers, Bryce Gheisar, Pilot Bunch
Synopsis: A famous real estate agent’s carefully curated world is upended when his eccentric “little brother” unexpectedly reappears.
What we like:
- Another disposable Netflix comedy? Maybe! But something that gives us hope: It’s directed by Matt Spicer, who previously made the acclaimed dark comedy Ingrid Goes West.
- The script was written by Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel, the duo behind the Jack Black comedy The D Train. We didn’t love that one, but at least it was trying something interesting.
- Like many Netflix originals, this one has an insanely overqualified supporting cast, including Michelle Monaghan, Chris Meloni, Ego Nwodim and Sherry Cola.
What we don’t like:
- John Cena has such a likable screen presence, but he’s been stuck in straight-to-streaming mediocrity for a few years now. Ricky Stanicky, Heads of State, Vacation Friends, Jackpot! All pretty forgettable. Next up for him: Matchbox: The Movie.
UNDERTONE – HBO Max
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. It’s no Backrooms…but still…a success!
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!
Also streaming Friday:
Happy Streaming Everyone!
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