What’s Streaming This Week (7/26 – 8/2)

THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD – $24.99 Sale / #19.99 Rental

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Jodie Comer, Bill Skarsgård, Murray Bartlett, Noah Jupe

Synopsis: Grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder, Robin Hood finds himself gravely injured after a battle he thought would be his last. In the hands of a mysterious woman, he is offered a chance at salvation.

What we like:

• The latest from filmmaker Michael Sarnoski, who both wrote and directed the film. He’s best known for the acclaimed Nicolas Cage drama Pig and the entertaining prequel A Quiet Place: Day One.
• Rather than presenting Robin as the cheerful, idealistic outlaw who steals from the rich, the film depicts an aging, morally complicated man confronting the violence and consequences of his past. 
• The film has a killer supporting cast, including Jodie Comer, Noah Jupe, Murray Bartlet, and Bill Skarsgård playing a version of Little John.

What we don’t like:

• It can be tough seeing our heroes age, as it just reminds us of our own mortality. But this film really hit hard. Take a look at this side by side comparison, and behold the ravages of time:

DEMON SLAYER – KIMETSU NO YAIBA – THE MOVIE: INFINITY CASTLE – $19.99 Sale / TBD Rental, Crunchyroll (11a ET / 8a PT)

Cast: Zach Aguilar, Abby Trott, Aleks Le, Bryce Papenbrook, Brianna Knickerbocker, Zeno Robinson, Johnny Yong Bosch, Ray Chase, Griffin Burns, Erika Harlacher, Kira Buckland, Erik Scott Kimerer, Kaiji Tang, Crispin Freeman, Stephen Fu, Lucien Dodge, Alejandro Saab, Rebecca Wang, Channing Tatum

Synopsis: With the head of the Demon Corps in danger, Tanjiro and the Hashira rush to the headquarters but are plunged into a deep descent to a mysterious space by the hands of Muzan Kibutsuji.The destination of where Tanjiro and Demon Slayer Corps have fallen is the demons’ stronghold – the Infinity Castle.

What we like:

• 2025’s most under-the-radar blockbuster finally comes to streaming. And more box-office success is coming: It is the first movie in a planned trilogy.
• The film earned roughly $793 million worldwide, making it one of the biggest anime movies ever released.
• It broke the North American anime opening-weekend record. With about $70.6 million in its opening weekend, it surpassed the previous record held by Pokémon: The First Movie.
• Not many familiar names as we scan the voice cast…but then there’s Channing Tatum! He voices the character Keizo in the English dub for the film.

What we don’t like:

• We’re all for celebrating a film’s box-office success, but there’s something bittersweet about this one becoming the highest-grossing international film in the U.S. The record was previously held by 2000’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which is a stone-cold classic. Will this one be remembered as fondly?

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 – Hulu

Cast: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt,Stanley Tucci, Kenneth Branagh, Simone Ashley, Justin Theroux, Lucy Liu, Patrick Brammall, Caleb Hearon, Helen J. Shen, Pauline Chalamet, B.J. Novak, Conrad Ricamora, Tracie Thoms and Tibor Feldman

Synopsis: Miranda Priestly navigates her career amid the decline of traditional magazine publishing. She faces off against Emily Charlton, her one-time assistant, now a high-powered executive for a luxury group, with advertising dollars that Priestly desperately needs.

What we like:

• This sequel gets it right, bringing back director David Frankel, screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna, producer Wendy Finerman, and stars Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci. Another smart move: no sign of the terrible Adrian Grenier character from the first film.
• Rather than simply revisiting old storylines, the sequel explores the decline of traditional print magazines, the rise of digital media, and the financial pressures facing Runway magazine, giving the fashion world a modern context.
• This was a big fat hit for 20th Century Studios/Disney. Produced on a reported budget of about $100 million, the sequel earned more than $690M worldwide.

What we don’t like:

• An early promotional clip from the film sparked intense backlash in several Asian countries over accusations of anti-Asian stereotyping. Critics accused the film of relying on tired, lazy “model minority” stereotypes by portraying the character as a socially awkward, eager-to-please, overly academic bookworm. The character’s surname, “Chao,” and its phonetic pronunciation in the film drew heavy criticism, with many viewers pointing out that it sounded uncomfortably close to “Ching Chong,” a well-known anti-Chinese racist slur.

THE DEVIL’S MOUTH – Prime Video

Cast: Kathryn Newton, Lana Condor, Nico Hiraga, Gavin Casalegno, Tommi Rose, Tayme Thapthimthong

Synopsis: Five friends explore The Devil’s Mouth cave system in Thailand for one last adventure before life in the real world begins. But they soon discover that something is hunting them under the water…fast, silent, and deadly. In the suffocating darkness, trust erodes, panic spreads and every wrong turn becomes a fight for survival.

What we like:

• Jeff Wadlow, best known for horror and thriller projects including Truth or Dare and Imaginary, directs. He also co-wrote and co-produced the film.
• Bear McCreary composed the score, and he’s likely to bring some of his Walking Dead dread to the proceedings.
• Kathryn Newton and Lana Condor are two appealing screen performers, so we hope they’re well served here.

What we don’t like:

• Yes, it’s true…even we’re getting tired of the parade of mediocre (at best) shark thrillers. Deep Water? Terrible! Chum? More like Chump! So forgive us if we approach The Devil’s Mouth with our arms folded. Maybe it’ll clear our extremely low expectations?

A PRIVATE LIFE – Netflix

Cast: Jodie Foster, Daniel Auteuil, Virginie Efira, Mathieu Amalric, Vincent Lacoste and Luana Bajrami

Synopsis: Psychiatrist Lilian Steiner moonlights as an amateur sleuth following the death of Paula, one of her long-time patients. Convinced that Paula’s supposed death by suicide is actually an unsolved murder, Lilian pursues her nagging suspicions.

What we like:

• Jodie Foster’s first major leading role almost entirely in the French language, a challenge she embraced by immersing herself in France ahead of filming to sharpen her fluency.
• Foster’s performance earned her a Lumière Award nomination for Best Actress, making her the first American recognized in that category by French critics.
• Alongside Foster, the film features a terrific lineup of celebrated French actors including Daniel Auteuil, Virginie Efira, Mathieu Amalric, and Vincent Lacoste.

What we don’t like:

• Legendary filmmaker and documentarian Frederick Wiseman makes his final film appearance here in a minor supporting role. Wiseman passed away at age 96 earlier this year, and he’ll be greatly missed.

THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE – Peacock

Cast: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Benny Safdie, Kevin Michael Richardson and Brie Larson

Synopsis: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie finds Mario and Luigi solving everyday problems in the Mushroom Kingdom with their “let’s-a-go” attitude. They meet a new friend in Yoshi, try to reform a miniaturized Bowser, and eagerly look forward to Peach’s birthday party. A call for help sends the crew across the galaxy to face new worlds, unexpected threats, and iconic characters like Rosalina and Bowser Jr.

What we like:

• If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Universal and Illumination Studios reassembled the original creative team, with directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, screenwriter Matthew Fogel, and composer Brian Tyler all returning from the 2023 movie.
• Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto has said that characters appearing in the film helped inspire or influence new Nintendo projects, suggesting a closer relationship between the company’s movie and game development than a simple adaptation.
• Produced on a budget of $110 million, the film is currently the highest-grossing film of 2026, sitting at a worldwide total of $1.011 billion.

What we don’t like:

• Major publications panned the film, with outlets like The Guardian calling it a “bland screensaver” and The Independent labeling it a disjointed series of action setups lacking a real narrative core. Critics and fans alike pointed out that prominent elements, such as Princess Rosalina and cameos like Fox McCloud, felt sidelined or rushed compared to their heavy marketing presence.

THE DRAMA – HBO Max

Cast: Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Mamoudou Athie, Alana Haim, and Hailey Gates

Synopsis: A couple faces a crisis in the days leading up to their wedding when unexpected revelations derail what one of them thought they knew about the other.

What we like:

• Although marketed like a stylish romantic comedy, this A24 film quickly turns into a dark, uncomfortable psychological story about trust and secrets in relationships.
• The film was written and directed by Norwegian filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli, who previously directed the fascinating absurdist comedy Sick of Myself, and the less successful, but still interesting, Nicolas Cage vehicle Dream Scenario.
• Great to see two appealing and talented movie stars, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, pull an audience without any connection to existing IP. The film’s worldwide box-office is over $100M, and it only cost a reported $28M to produce. A big win for A24!

What we don’t like:

• Without getting in to spoiler territory, the film drew some negative attention for its provocative themes, especially how it handles its central revelation. Some critics praised its ambition, while others felt it mishandled sensitive material.

MADDIE’S SECRET – $16.99 Sale / TBD Rental

Cast: John Early, Kate Berlant, Eric Rahill, Kristen Johnston, Claudia O’Doherty, Conner O’Malley, Vanessa Bayer and Chris Bauer

Synopsis: Maddie is a plucky dishwasher who leaps to viral superstardom at a trendy food content creation company. While her life seems picturesque — complete with an adoring husband, ride-or-die best friend and a cupboard full of woman-owned ethically-sourced chili crisp to boot — mounting professional pressures threaten to reawaken a hidden secret from her troubled past.

What we like:

• The film marks comedian John Early’s feature-film directorial debut. Early also wrote the screenplay and stars in the title role.
• It deliberately mixes comedy, melodrama, and sincerity, drawing on the style of old “disease-of-the-week” television movies while also satirizing influencer culture and the way food is presented online.
• After the film’s world premiere at the 2025 Toronto Film Festival, critics raved about the film and Early’s performance. It currently sits at 85% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

What we don’t like:

• Some critics and audience members argued that using a comic drag performance (which it isn’t!) to depict the visceral, dangerous realities of bulimia trivialize a serious mental illness. Reviewers questioned whether a man dramatizing purging as a “revolting gag” crosses the line into punching down, pointing out that it risks being triggering or alienating to those with lived experiences of eating disorders. We’re exhausted by these people.

SOULM8TE – $19.99 Sale / TBD Rental

Cast: Lily Sullivan, David Rysdahl, Claudia Doumit, Arty Froushan, Elijah Cook, Emma Ramos, Mara Huf, Isabelle Bonfrer, Jon Tarcy, Ossian Perret

Synopsis: After a ruthless tech giant acquires his company, a grieving engineer is tasked with testing their new AI companion. But when he attempts to program her to be a truly sentient soulmate, she develops needs of her own—unleashing a relentless spree of precision-engineered mayhem.

What we like:

• Kate Dolan directs and co-writes the film. She previously made the acclaimed Irish horror film You Are Not My Mother. It is a spinoff of the M3GAN universe, and is designed to work as a standalone story rather than simply being another chapter about M3GAN herself.
• Dolan has cited films such as Basic Instinct and Fatal Attraction as influences, suggesting that the film is meant to be as much a relationship thriller as a robot-horror movie.
• James Wan and Jason Blum are among the producers, bringing together two major names in modern horror filmmaking through Atomic Monster and Blumhouse.

What we don’t like:

• Universal Pictures abruptly pulling the completed film from its scheduled January 9, 2026 theatrical release following the disappointing box-office performance of M3GAN 2.0. Industry reports tied the sudden cold feet directly to Universal hesitancy to spend additional marketing funds on a risky, adult-oriented companion piece.