Happy Friday, Polygon Readers!
Each week we round up the hottest new releases from streaming and VOD, bringing you the biggest and best new movies to watch at home. This week we have a new supernatural horror movie starring Russell Crowe, a raunchy sex comedy starring Jennifer Lawrence, and much more.
The Pope’s exorcist will finally also be on Netflix after premiering in April The Monkey Kinga new animated fantasy comedy from the director of The Boxtrolls. Miguel wants to fight lands on Hulu alongside the new serial killer crime thriller To catch a killer with Shailene Woodley and Ben Mendelsohn. Then there are all the new releases on VOD this week, like the romantic comedy No hard feelings and Pixar’s latest animated film, Elementary.
Let’s dive in!
New on Netflix
The Pope’s exorcist
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Image: Sony Pictures
Genre: Supernatural horror
Duration: 1h 43m
Director: Julius Avery
Form: Russell Crowe, Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe
One of the surprising best movies of 2023 hits Netflix this week, bringing the exorcism thrills and laugh-out-loud gags that only a hyper-Italian Russell Crowe can bring to a horror flick. And when you’re done, we’ve lined up movie exorcists to celebrate this event.
From our review:
The big surprise is that The Pope’s exorcist is extraordinarily well made, with constant creative shots and setups from Avery, who turned previous B-movie material into something extraordinarily fun. (See: 2018 Overlord.) The scares are exciting and inventive, as Crowe ramps up his Italian accent to full prosciutto. And by the time the demons actually arrive, they look and sound great – the latter thanks to the reliable, hoarse voice of The Green Knightby Ralph Ineson.
The Monkey King
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Image: Netflix
Genre: Fantasy action comedy
Duration: 1h 32m
Director: Anthony Stachi
Form: Jimmy O. Yang, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Nan Li
The Boxtrolls director Anthony Stacchi stars the classic Chinese tale of the Monkey King in this co-production between Netflix and China’s Pearl Studio, who worked with DreamWorks on Kung Fu Panda 3. The sprawling voice cast stars Jimmy O. Yang as the Monkey King himself, with Bowen Yang, Stephanie Hsu, BD Wong and Hoon Lee among the many other talents.
New to Hulu
Miguel wants to fight
Where to watch: Available to stream on Hulu
Image: Hulu
Genre: Comedy about coming of age
Duration: 1h 15m
Director: Oz Rodriguez
Form: Tyler Dean Flores, Christian Vunipola, Imani Lewis
This new coming-of-age comedy follows Miguel (Tyler Dean Flores), a fun-loving teenager who enjoys hanging out with his friends and watching anime. After learning that his parents are planning to move out of his hometown, Miguel becomes self-conscious about the fact that he never got into a fight – a common occurrence in his neighborhood that is seen as an unofficial rite of passage. Determined to take a fight and win, Miguel starts training, but the reality of actually putting up a fight is much harder than it looks.
To catch a killer
Where to watch: Available to stream on Hulu
Image: Vertical entertainment
Genre: Crime thriller
Duration: 1h 59m
Director: Damian Szifron
Form: Shailene Woodley, Ben Mendelsohn, Jovan Adepo
Shailene Woodley (Divergent) stars in this new crime thriller as Eleanor, a promising but troubled Baltimore cop. After a series of sniper attacks and bombings rock the city, Eleanor is overheard by the FBI’s lead investigator (Ben Mendelsohn) to track down and bring the culprit to justice.
New on Peacock
Everyone
Where to watch: Available to stream on Peacock
Photo: Matt Licari/Invision/AP
Genre: Documentary
Duration: 1h 32m
Director: Julie Cohen
Form: Sean Saifa Wall, Alicia Roth Weigel, River Gallo
Julie Cohen’s latest documentary centers on the stories of three intersex individuals who reject societal stigma and openly champion the rights of the intersex population.
New on Shake
Bad things
Where to watch: Available to stream on shiver and AMCPlus
Image: Shiver
Genre: Horror
Duration: 1h 23m
Director: Stewart Thorndike
Form: Gayle Rankin, Hari Nef, Annabelle Dexter-Jones
This new horror movie follows a group of friends who stay at a hotel for a free weekend getaway, only to realize that the hotel’s history is peppered with stories of women who unexpectedly go crazy and do, well, bad things. The trailer exudes the atmosphere of “The shiningbut make it about female intergenerational trauma,” which is an interesting premise to say the least.
New for rent or for sale
No hard feelings
Where to watch: Available to purchase for $19.99 on Amazon, Appleand Vudu
Photo: Macall Polay/Sony Pictures Entertainment
Genre: Comedy
Duration: 1h 43m
Director: Gene Stupnitsky
Form: Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Laura Benanti
Jennifer Lawrence stars in this raunchy, hilarious sex comedy as Maddie, a frustrated and financially insecure New York bartender and Uber driver. When Maddie responds to an unusual Craigslist ad to “date” Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman), the socially awkward son of a wealthy couple, in an effort to boost his confidence before he heads off to college, she pulls out all the stops. the closet to become the boy’s new boy. Nice.
From our review:
Largely, No hard feelings is a reminder that Lawrence – an actor who exploded in popularity thanks to the power of unforgettable dramatic roles in movies like Winter’s Bone, Silver Linings Playbook and the Hunger Games series – is extremely funny. Whether it’s the physical comedy of Maddie’s over-the-top come-ons, her mocking and swearing contempt for ex-boyfriends and other teens, or her barely simmering anger at the wealthy vacationers who flood her hometown every year, Lawrence is funny in several registers, and the whole movie is held together by her sheer charisma.
Elementary
Where to watch: Available to purchase for $19.99 on Amazon, Appleand Vudu
Image: Pixar/Disney
Genre: Romantic comedy-drama
Duration: 1h 41m
Director: Peter Son
Form: Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Ronnie Del Carmen
Set in a world inhabited by the anthropomorphic manifestations of the four elements, Pixar’s latest animated comedy revolves around Ember (Nancy drew‘s Leah Lewis) and Wade (Archive 81‘s Mamoudou Athie), a fire and water element respectively, who unexpectedly meet and fall in love despite their cultural differences.
From our review:
The core of Elementary is about cross-cultural relationships and the pressures of being a second-generation immigrant who meets parental expectations while trying to figure out what you actually want out of life. The characters and their relationships are vivid and fully fleshed out. visual, Elementary is included Inside out in how damn cool it looks. But every tender, heartfelt moment in Elementary immediately raises a million world-shaping questions. While fantasy films certainly don’t need to address every wrinkle in their surroundings, there comes a point where the cool aesthetic and wacky elements erode the core of a story.
Kokomo town
Where to watch: On rent for $7.99 Amazon, Appleand Vudu
Image: Magnolia Images
Genre: Documentary
Duration: 1h 13m
Director: D. Smith
Form: Daniella Carter, Koko Da Doll, Liyah Mitchell
The first film from Grammy-nominated producer D. Smith follows the stories of four transgender sex workers living in New York and Georgia. Shot in black and white, the film offers an insight into the contentious nature of not only their profession, but also the cultural fault lines of gender and identity that intersect their daily lives.