Happy Friday, Polygon readers!
Each week we round up the hottest releases new to streaming and VOD, highlighting the biggest and best new movies for you to watch at home.
This week we have The little Mermaid, the latest live-action adaptation of one of Disney’s most beloved animated classics, starring singer-actress Halle Bailey. Martin McDonagh’s Academy Award-nominated tragicomedy The Banshees of Inisherin is finally available to stream on Hulu, while the new horror-thriller Blood flower debuts this weekend on Shudder. That’s not all; There are also exciting new releases on VOD this week, like the remastered re-release of Park Chan-wook’s groundbreaking revenge thriller Old boy starring Choi Min-sik.
Here’s everything you can watch this weekend!
New on Disney Plus
The little Mermaid
Where to watch: Available to stream on Disney Plus
Image: Walt Disney Pictures
Genre: Musical romantic fantasy
Duration: 2h 15m
Director: Robert Marshall
Form: Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs
The latest live-action adaptation of an animated Disney classic puts singer Halle Bailey in the role of Ariel. One of the biggest box office hits of the year so far and one that’s willing to change the original, it’s finally available to stream on Disney Plus.
From our review:
What makes The little Mermaid is not whether the fish look good, or what exactly fuels Triton and Ursula’s feud. It all comes back to Ariel and her journey, which is fueled by the central romance between her and Eric. Just because Ariel falls in love doesn’t mean she isn’t a strong and beloved protagonist, and just because Eric is a handsome and dashing prince doesn’t mean he misses the substance behind that charming smile. By updating their romance, the 2023 Little Mermaid makes the love story more satisfying – and resonant for a new generation.
New on Hulu
The Banshees of Inisherin
Where to watch: Available to stream on Hulu
Image: Searchlight photos
Genre: Tragicomedy
Duration: 1h 54m
Director: Martin McDonagh
Form: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon
Martin McDonagh returns to the British Isles with this tragicomedy period drama about Pádraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson), two lifelong friends whose sudden, bitter breakup sends ripples through the tight-knit community on the island of Inisherin, leaving both men to think about what the value and purpose of friendship actually is.
From our review:
The Banshees of Inisherin is a return to familiar territory for writer-director Martin McDonagh: it plays like a spiritual sequel to his pitch-black 2008 comedy-thriller In Bruges. That film, McDonagh’s feature debut, stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as hitmen hiding out in a version of Bruges designed to feel like a Catholic purgatory. Farrell and Gleeson also lead Banshees, another whip-smart, wryly entertaining story driven by existential dread. This time they play much simpler men – a farmer and a musician respectively – but they have the same fear as their counterparts, resulting in a film that, despite its charming setting, holds a spiritual vice in its grip on its audience.
New at Shudder
Blood flower
Where to watch: Available to stream on Shudder and AMC Plus
Image: XYZ Movies
Genre: Horror
Duration: 1h 42m
Director: Dain said
Form: Idan Aedan, Bront Palarae, Remy Ishak
This supernatural horror thriller centers on Iqbal (Idan Aedan), an apprentice healer and exorcist who attempts to suppress his ability to sense the spirits of the dead in order to live an ordinary life. When a malevolent spirit escapes from his apartment and wreaks havoc, Iqbal must call on all his training and talent to drive out the vengeful entity while uncovering his family’s dark history.
New for rent
Landscape with invisible hand
Where to watch: Available to purchase at Amazon, Appleand Vudu
Photo: Lynsey Weatherspoon/MGM
Genre: Sci-fi comedy-drama
Duration: 1h 45m
Director: Cory Finley
Form: Asante Blackk, Kylie Rogers, Tiffany Haddish
Bad news: an alien species has taken over Earth. Good news: two teenagers have a plan to save the day. Bad news again: the plan is to distract the aliens by sharing their dating lives, and the teens start to hate each other.
That’s the setup for the offbeat science fiction comedy Landscape with invisible handby Thoroughbreds writer-director Cory Finley. Add Tiffany Haddish and William Jackson Harper and you have the makings of a really good time.
Oldboy remastered
Where to watch: Available to rent Apple
Image: NEON
Genre: Neo-noir revenge thriller
Duration: 2 o’clock
Director: Park Chan-wook
Form: Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jung
Park Chan-wook’s indelible cult classic noir thriller returns with an all-new 4K remaster. Oldboy revolves around the story of Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik), a Korean businessman who is kidnapped and held in captivity for over fifteen years. After being released, Dae-su sets out to find the people responsible for his kidnapping to discover why he was targeted and why he was released. In his search for answers, Oh Dae-su will be faced with answers and revelations far darker than he ever imagined.
Gets lost
Where to watch: Available to rent Amazon, Appleand Vudu
Genre: Adventure comedy
Duration: 1h 33m
Director: Jos Greenbaum
Form: Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Isla Fisher
It’s a dog comedy… but this time they talk like dirty adults. If you’ve seen ads for this movie (and if you haven’t, where have you been and how can I get there?), you know this is rated R. The film follows a dog (Will Ferrell), abandoned by his owner, who allies with stray animals to get revenge. It was written by American Vandal And Players co-creator Dan Perrault and Jamie Foxx are in it, so there’s a good chance some of the many jokes will be pretty funny.