Happy Friday, Polygon readers! Every week we round up the hottest releases in streaming and video rental, highlighting the biggest and best new movies for you to watch at home.
This week’s biggest debut is Spider-Man: About the Spider-Verse, which is now streaming on Netflix. That’s not all, like Treacherous: the red door – the fifth installment in the Insidious horror franchise – also arrives on the platform this week Jawan, one of the biggest Indian action films of the year. There are many more exciting releases this week too, with A ghost tour in Venice now streaming on Hulu, the Italian superhero movie Freaks vs. the Reich on Prime Video, plus the premiere of The murder room And Outlaw Johnny Black from director-star Michael Jai White on VOD.
Here’s everything you can watch this weekend!
New on Netflix
Spider-Man: About the Spider-Verse
Where to watch: Available to stream Netflix
Image: Sony Pictures Animation
Genre: Superhero action
Duration: 2h 20m
Director: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
Form: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac
The long-awaited sequel to 2018 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse sees Miles Morales take on not only a dimension-hopping foe in the form of the Spot, but also an entire multiverse of Spider-Mans, Spider-People, and even a Spider-Dinosaur as he tries to save the day once again.
From our multiversal review:
Not every theme, plot and moment is present About the Spider-Verse countries, especially with the other part of this story still almost a year away. But ultimately, the theme of the Spider-Verse films becomes a story about people trying to become bigger and bolder, trying to reach beyond what they’re capable of, and do more. It’s no wonder that every part of About the Spider-Verse is an attempt to surpass the first film. The idea of growing, of crossing and ignoring the boundaries of others, is at the heart of this series’ heroes and their individual journeys. It seems like the movies themselves are designed to follow suit.
Jawan
Where to watch: Available to stream Netflix
Image: Red Chillies Entertainment
Genre: Action thriller
Duration: 2h 50m
Director: Atlee
Form: Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi
The biggest Indian film of the year has been released on Netflix. Directed by Atlee (Mersal), Jawan features megastar Shah Rukh Khan (between this and Pathanhe’s really back) and is basically “Robin Hood meets Charlie’s angels.”
Treacherous: the red door
Where to watch: Available to stream Netflix Saturday
Image: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Genre: Supernatural horror
Duration: 1h 47m
Director: Patrick Wilson
Form: Ty Simpkins, Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne
The fifth film in the Insidious franchise marks the directorial debut for star Patrick Wilson. It is also a sequel to Treacherous: Chapter 2as the last two films in the franchise were prequels.
From our review:
As a director, Wilson isn’t as effortless a horror circus master as Wan or Whannell: he prefers more actor-centric scares than wild images. But he makes great use of expressive close-ups (often his own) and superficial focus, with some eerie It follows-esque shots of blurry figures approaching from the distance, and a terribly claustrophobic scene inside an MRI machine. Dalton’s college story, meanwhile, occasionally borders on campus silliness: it involves what can only be described as a vomit ghost, and there’s an amusing use of the horror movie cliché about the tormented little child who draws terrifying pictures of the ghosts, only him. can see. (Of course, that kid grows up to be a star student in an insufferable freshman art class.)
Cunning
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Image: Netflix
Genre: Documentary
Duration: 1h 35m
Director: Thom Zimny
Form: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Quentin Tarantino
This documentary examines the life of one of the great American film stars and film writers: Sylvester Stallone.
Nyad
Where to watch: Available to stream Netflix
Photo: Liz Parkinson/Netflix
Genre: Biographical sports drama
Duration: 2h 1m
Directors: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
Form: Jodie Foster, Annette Bening, Rhys Ifans
Nyad tells the (doubtful) true story of swimmer Diana Nyad, who swam from Cuba to Florida at the age of 64, among many other swimming achievements.
Wing women
Where to watch: Available to stream Netflix
Photo: Gael Turpo/Netflix
Genre: Action
Duration: 1h 56m
Director: Mélanie Laurent
Form: Mélanie Laurent, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Isabelle Adjani
Mélanie Laurent (unglorious bastards) is both behind and in front of the camera in this action comedy about female thieves on the run who want to complete one last job.
New on Hulu
A ghost tour in Venice
Where to watch: Available to stream Hulu
Image: 20th century studios
Genre: Horror mystery
Duration: 1h 43m
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Form: Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Dornan
Kenneth Branagh’s Poirot adaptations have generally been a fun time, even if they have problems (looking at you, Death on the Nile). A ghost tour in Venice is his best yet, as Branagh’s confidence as a director and performer in this mode only continues to grow. It’s a perfect fall display.
Quiz lady
Where to watch: Available to stream Hulu
Image: Hulu
Genre: Comedy
Duration: 1h 39m
Director: Jessica Yu
Form: Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, Will Ferrell
Sandra Oh and Awkwafina play a pair of estranged sisters who try to win big money on a game show to pay off their mother’s debts. The supporting cast includes Will Ferrell, Jason Schwartzman, Tony Hale and the late Paul Reubens.
New on Prime Video
Freaks vs. the Reich
Where to watch: Available to stream Prime Video
Image: Release VMI
Genre: Superhero/circus war movie
Duration: 2h 21m
Director: Gabriele Mainetti
Form: Claudio Santamaria, Aurora Giovinazzo, Pietro Castellitto
This unusual Italian superhero film follows a group of circus performers in World War II who are wanted by the Nazis and work together to stop them. I hear it’s funny, sweet, and powerful, and is definitely on my weekend watch list.
New at Pauw
My big Greek wedding 3
Where to watch: Available to stream Peacock
Photo: Yannis Drakoulidis/Focus Features
Genre: Romantic comedy
Duration: 1h 32m
Director: Nia Vardalos
Form: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Louis Mandylor
One of cinema’s most endearingly wacky families is back, in the most family-oriented franchise this side of the Fast and Furious movies. It is the first Greek wedding film since 2016, which was released almost 15 years after the original hit. This time, star writer Nia Vardalos takes over directing duties, following up on her 2009 directorial debut I hate Valentine’s Day.
New on AMC Plus
Sympathetic to the devil
Where to watch: Available to stream on AMC Plus
Image: RLJE Films
Genre: Psychological thriller
Duration: 1h 30m
Director: Yuval Adler
Form: Nicolas Cage, Joel Kinnaman
A largely two-person film that looks a bit like this SecuritySympathetic to the devil with Nicolas Cage as a passenger who holds a driver (Joel Kinnaman) hostage during a long car journey.
New for rent
Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie
Where to watch: Available to rent Amazon, Appleand Vudu
Image: Paramount Photos
Genre: Action adventure
Duration: 1h 35m
Director: Cal Brunker
Form: Mckenna Grace, Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin
The Paw Patrol is back – in this sequel to the first film, the pup gains superpowers in his quest to stop Mayor Humdinger from destroying Adventure City.
The murder room
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple and Vudu
Image: Scream! Studios
Genre: Dark comedy thriller
Duration: 1h 38m
Director: Nicol Paone
Form: Joe Manganiello, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman
Joe Manganiello stars as a hit man turned artist in this funny comedy about how the worlds of fine art and high crime are not so separate after all. Turning to art as a method to launder money, the hitman becomes an overnight sensation on the high-art scene.
Outlaw Johnny Black
Where to watch: Available to rent AmazonNAppleand Vudu
Image: Samuel Goldwyn Films
Genre: Satirical western
Duration: 2h 10m
Director: Michael Jai White
Form: Michael Jai White, Anika Noni Rose, Erica Ash
The long-awaited sequel from Michael Jai White Black dynamite is finally here: a ‘Western-ploitation’ film about a bandit who poses as a preacher and settles in a new troubled city. The star and director spoke to us at length about the film and the long road it took to get here.
Sound of freedom
Where to watch: Available to rent Amazon, Appleand Vudu
Image: Angel Studios/VidAngel Studios
Genre: Crime thriller
Duration: 2h 11m
Director: Alejandro Gomez Monteverde
Form: Jim Caviezel, Mira Sorvino, Bill Camp
One of the most surprising (and controversial) blockbusters of the year, Sound of freedom claims to be a true story about ending child trafficking. The the truth is much more complicated than that.