Netflix’s The Kitchen, The Marvels and every new movie you can watch at home this weekend
Greetings, Polygon readers! Every week we round up the hottest new releases in streaming and VOD, highlighting the biggest and best new movies for you to watch at home.
This week, The miracles, the latest cinematic installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is finally available to purchase on VOD. But that’s not all, like Taika Waititi’s sports comedy Next goal wins is also available for purchase, along with several other new releases available for rental. The kitchenDaniel Kaluuya’s directorial debut, set in dystopian London, is streaming with Netflix Stupid moneythe comedy-drama based on the 2021 GameStop short squeeze. Not to mention all the other streaming releases on Hulu, Mubi, and AMC Plus this week!
Here’s everything you can watch this weekend!
New on Netflix
Stupid money
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Photo: Claire Folger/Sony Pictures
Genre: Biographical comedy-drama
Duration: 1h 45m
Director: Craig Gillespie
Form: Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Vincent D’Onofrio
Remember the GameStop short squeeze of 2021? No? That’s okay, it was a very hectic and wild time, despite the whole… everything going on. If you’re looking for a refresher, this film about a middle-class financial analyst who made it big during the Depression might be just what you’re looking for.
From our review:
Where The big short one was patronizing, but still hugely entertaining and legitimately informative, Stupid moneyThe game’s creators don’t seem interested in explaining what the heck happened with the GameStop scenario, or how the heck it happened. The script assumes that the audience is either already familiar with the story or doesn’t care much about the financial details and just wants to see the news reenacted by people they know. Most of the jargon is left unexplained, and the series of events that made the saga possible are simply cast aside in favor of a simplistic “isn’t this crazy?!” show.
The kitchen
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Photo: Chris Harris/Netflix
Genre: Science fiction drama
Duration: 1h 47m
Directors: Daniel Kaluuya, Kibwe Tavares
Form: Kano, Jedaiah Bannerman, Hope Ikpoku Jr
Daniel Kaluuya (Out, Black Panther) teams up with filmmaker Kibwe Tavares for his directorial debut: a science fiction drama set in a dystopian London where social housing has been eliminated. The film follows the story of Izi and Benji, a father and son who fight for survival as an impoverished community is besieged by state-sponsored violence.
New on Hulu
Invisible beauty
Where to watch: Available to stream on Hulu
Photo: MagnoliaPhotos
Genre: Documentary
Duration: 1h 55m
Directors: Bethann Hardison, Frédéric Tcheng
Form: Tyson Beckford, Stephen Burrows, Naomi Campbell
This documentary chronicles the life and impact of Bethann Hardison, a groundbreaking model and activist who fought for racial diversity in the fashion industry.
New on AMC Plus
The origin of evil
Where to watch: Available to stream on AMC Plus
Photo: Laurent Champoussin/IFC Films
Genre: Drama
Duration: 2h 3m
Director: Sebastien Marnier
Form: Laure Calamy, Doria Tillier, Dominique Blanc
A twisty French thriller about a woman trying to reconnect with a wealthy family she claims she is part of. The origin of evil was a late addition to our list of the best films of 2023.
As my colleague Tasha Robinson put it in her article:
Unpacking every lie and scheme in this film takes up every minute of its running time, and it’s guaranteed to change the audience’s sympathies half a dozen times in the process. As a crime story it is a gem; as a character story it’s even better.
New on Mubi
Fallen leaves
Where to watch: Available to stream on Mubi
Image: MUBI
Genre: Romantic comedy-drama
Duration: 1h 21m
Director: Aki Kaurismaki
Form: Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen, Janne Hyytiäinen
This romantic drama follows the story of Ansa (Alma Pöysti) and Holappa (Jussi Vatanen), two lonely single people who meet by chance at a karaoke bar in Helsinki. After overcoming multiple mishaps and their own insular quirks, the two begin an awkward but endearing courtship.
New for rent or for sale
The miracles
Where to watch: Available to purchase on Amazon, Apple and Vudu
Photo: Laura Radford/Marvel Studios
Genre: Superhero action
Duration: 1h 45m
Director: Nia DaCosta
Form: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani
The 33rd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe sees the return of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), also known as Captain Marvel. This time, she teams up with the super-powered Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) to save the universe from the threat of a vengeful Kree leader bent on restoring her homeworld.
From our review:
In his best moments, The miracles just throws wonderful ideas at the screen. There’s a planet of people who just sing, a space station full of cats who gleefully devour both furniture and people, an animated rendition of Kamala’s internal monologue – the film can feel like a mood board put together by an overcaffeinated Star Trek fan, with a feeling of imagination fit to remind audiences that comic books can be cool in the moment you read them, as opposed to what they promise in the future.
The boys in the boat
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple and Vudu
Genre: Sports biopic
Duration: 2h 3m
Director: George Clooney
Form: Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner, Jack Mulhern
When I think of the 1936 Summer Olympics, I think of Jesse Owens and the incredible things he accomplished in the sprint and long jump events in front of a German crowd that passionately opposed him. But another group of Americans has also made history as they compete for Olympic glory: the University of Washington rowing team, a group of working-class athletes whose story is told in George Clooney’s latest directorial effort.
The color purple
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple and Vudu
Image: Warner Bros Pictures
Genre: Coming of age musical
Duration: 2h 21m
Director: Blitz Bazawule
Form: Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo
Based on Alice Walker’s 1982 novel, this musical adaptation follows the story of Celie (Fantasia Barrino), a woman in an abusive marriage, separated from her sister and children, who finds strength through her friendship with Shug Avery (Taraji P .Henson), a singer with an indomitable spirit.
Next goal wins
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple and Vudu
Image: Searchlight photos
Genre: Sports comedy-drama
Duration: 1h 44m
Director: Taika Waititi
Form: Michael Fassbender, Oscar Kightley, Kaimana
Michael Fassbender (The murderer) stars in Taika Waititi’s sports film, based on the real-life American Samoa national soccer team and their attempt to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Fassbender plays Thomas Rongen, the Dutch-American coach who agrees to help turn the once infamously bad team into a competitive qualifier.
From our review:
Win next goals fails to capture what made the story of the American Samoa national football team so compelling, attempting to make a film so universal that it dismisses the sport itself as unimportant. What it could be if the audience relates to the team as an individual. But it’s such an underdog story that it rarely gets past the most superficial level of “care because this movie tells you to care.”