With so many streaming services and so much content to consume, finding a movie to watch can be more difficult than ever. Gone are the days of heading to the video store on a Friday night and choosing from the movies that were available to rent on the day. It’s a double-edged sword — we no longer have to race to get that last copy of the hot new release, but with so many platforms all competing for our attention, it can be hard to find the best new movies to stream. That’s where we come in.
We’ve curated a selection of great films that are just waiting to be discovered from the comfort of your own screen. From gripping dramas to heartwarming comedies and pulse-pounding thrillers, our choices below have something for everyone. Whether you’re seeking an immersive escape, a thought-provoking journey, or just want something you can put on while you scroll through Instagram (because that’s valid, too!), we’ve got a film for you.
The Best New Movies to Stream
All of Us Strangers
Directed by: Andrew Haigh
Written by: Andrew Haigh, based on the novel by Taichi Yamada
Starring: Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Carter John Grout
Synopsis: A screenwriter drawn back to his childhood home enters into a fledgling relationship with a mysterious neighbour as he then discovers his parents appear to be living just as they were on the day they died, 30 years before.
Where to watch: Streaming on Disney+
Adapted from Taichi Yamada’s Strangers, All of Us Strangers is a striking, haunting, and deeply moving film about love, grief, loneliness, and the nature of the human condition. Make sure you’ve got tissues handy — when I caught this at the Adelaide Film Festival in October last year, the whole cinema was audibly sniffling.
Am I OK?
Directed by: Stephanie Allynne and Tig Notaro
Written by: Lauren Pomerantz
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Sonoya Mizuno, Jermaine Fowler
Synopsis: Lucy and Jane have been best friends their entire lives. Only when Lucy embarks on a personal journey, will she face a test of her friendship, and her sense of self, on a path she may not be entirely ready to take.
Where to watch: Streaming on BINGE
Don’t let the trailer still fool you — this is ultimately a feel-good film about friendship, with laughs along the way. Dakota Johnson is wonderful in this heartfelt romantic dramedy that will prompt you to lock in plans with your best friend, stat.
Asteroid City
Directed by: Wes Anderson
Written by: Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola
Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks
Synopsis: Following a writer on his world famous fictional play about a grieving father who travels with his tech-obsessed family to small rural Asteroid City to compete in a junior stargazing event, only to have his world view disrupted forever.
Where to watch: Streaming on Netflix
Whether you respond well to Asteroid City or not will be largely dependent on your tolerance for Wes Anderson films in general, but if you’re a fan, then it will deliver. Asteroid City has all the eccentricities, style and of course, star-studded performances that we’ve come to expect from Anderson, and critics have been calling it his best film since Moonrise Kingdom.
Related: Ecological Grief and Uncontrollable Reality in Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City’
Barbie
Directed by: Greta Gerwig
Written by: Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach
Starring: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera
Synopsis: Barbie suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence.
Where to watch: Streaming on Netflix
What can be said about Barbie that hasn’t already been said? The film is a certified phenomenon, and finally, it’s available to stream on Netflix and BINGE. From the pitch perfect performances, to the script that will make you laugh and cry, to the costumes, production design and the unbeatable soundtrack, there’s a reason Barbie has become a blockbuster.
Related: “An Extraordinary Blessing”: Greta Gerwig on the ‘Barbie’ Movie Hype
Bottoms
Directed by: Emma Seligman
Written by: Emma Seligman and Rachel Sennott
Starring: Rachel Sennott, Ayo Edebiri, Ruby Cruz
Synopsis: Two unpopular queer high-school students start a fight club to have sex before graduation.
Where to watch: Streaming on Prime Video
A coming of age comedy that will have you laughing out loud from start to finish, Bottoms is destined to become a cult classic for Gen Z teens everywhere.
It’s the kind of film you can see being endlessly quoted in the same way that millennials had Superbad and Superstar back in the day, and it’s an incredibly worthy addition to the teen classics collection.
Cat Person
Directed by: Susanna Fogel
Written by: Michelle Ashford, based on the short story by Kristen Roupenian
Starring: Emilia Jones, Nicholas Braun, Geraldine Viswanathan
Synopsis: When Margot, a college sophomore, goes on a date with the older Robert, she finds that he doesn’t live up to the Robert she has been flirting with over texts. A razor-sharp exploration of the horrors of dating.
Where to watch: Streaming on BINGE
Based on the viral New Yorker short story of the same name, the film adaptation of Cat Person was met with mixed reviews, particularly for the elements of the film that stray from the original story.
With that being said, Emilia Jones and Nicholas Braun deliver great performances, and the film still offers some genuinely tense moments. It may not work completely, but the film’s themes will linger in your mind after the credits have rolled.
Dicks: The Musical
Directed by: Larry Charles
Written by: Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp, based on the musical stage play F**king Identical Twins: The Musical
Starring: Josh Sharp, Aaron Jackson, Nathan Lane
Synopsis: A pair of business rivals discover that they’re identical twins and decide to swap places in an attempt to trick their divorced parents to get back together.
Where to watch: Streaming on Paramount+
This film is diabolical and unhinged on a whole new level, and whether that’s a compliment or a criticism will vary from viewer to viewer. It certainly won’t be for everyone, but its the kind of film that’s destined to become a cult classic, rough edges and all.
Dream Scenario
Directed by: Kristoffer Borgli
Written by: Kristoffer Borgli
Starring: Lily Bird, Nicolas Cage, Julianne Nicholson
Synopsis: A hapless family man finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. When his nighttime appearances take a nightmarish turn, Paul is forced to navigate his newfound stardom.
Where to watch: Streaming on Netflix
If you enjoyed Nicolas Cage in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, you’ll likely enjoy Dream Scenario as well. Cage is on point once again in this absurdist horror/satire that takes on cancel culture and celebrity worship — without becoming exhausting.
Dumb Money
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Written by: Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, based on the book by Ben Mezrich
Starring: Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Vincent D’Onofrio
Synopsis: David vs. Goliath tale about everyday people who flipped the script on Wall Street and got rich by turning GameStop (the video game store) into the world’s hottest company.
Where to watch: Streaming on BINGE
With its fast pace and funny script, Dumb Money hooks you in quickly and keeps you engaged throughout. Sure, the financial system may not have changed for good after the GameStop short squeeze, but this is an entertaining retelling of a historic moment where the little guy got to win for once.
Five Nights at Freddy’s
Directed by: Emma Tammi
Written by: Screenplay by Scott Cawthon, Seth Cuddeback and Emma Tammi, screen story by Scott Cawthon, Chris Lee Hill and Tyler MacIntyre, based on the Five Nights at Freddy’s video game series by Scott Cawthon
Starring: Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, Elizabeth Lail
Synopsis: A troubled security guard begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. During his first night on the job, he realises that the night shift won’t be so easy to get through. Pretty soon he will unveil what actually happened at Freddy’s.
Where to watch: Streaming on BINGE
Whether you’re a fan of the video game franchise or not, Five Nights at Freddy’s is the kind of fun horror flick to chuck on at the end of a long week. If you are a fan of the games, though, then you’ll have the added bonus of getting to spot all the Easter eggs scattered throughout the film.
Hit Man
Directed by: Richard Linklater
Written by: Richard Linklater and Glen Powell, based on the Texas Monthly article by Skip Hollandsworth
Starring: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio
Synopsis: A professor moonlighting as a hit man of sorts for his city police department, descends into dangerous, dubious territory when he finds himself attracted to a woman who enlists his services.
Where to watch: Streaming on Netflix
Glen Powell is becoming one of Hollywood’s go-to stars, and Hit Man makes a good case for why that is. Powell shines in this smart, funny, and genuinely entertaining action rom-com.
The Idea of You
Directed by: Michael Showalter
Written by: Screenplay by Michael Showalter and Jennifer Westfeldt, based on the novel by Robinne Lee
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine, Ella Rubin
Synopsis: Solène, a 40-year-old single mom, begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell, the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet.
Where to watch: Streaming on Prime Video
Looking for a rom-com? Look no further than The Idea of You, a fun, frothy romance that may or may not be based on One Direction fan-fiction. The perfect pick for your next girls night in.
John Wick Chapter 4
Directed by: Chad Stahelski
Written by: Shay Hatten, Michael Finch, Derek Kolstad
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, George Georgiou
Synopsis: John Wick uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.
Where to watch: Streaming on BINGE
If you’re looking for action, look no further than John Wick: Chapter 4. Not only is it an entertaining, satisfying addition to the franchise, its perfectly structured set pieces and breathtaking action sequences will make sure that the John Wick franchise is remembered as one one of the greats of the franchise, along with Die Hard, the Terminator franchise, and the Mission: Impossible films.
Leave the World Behind
Directed by: Sam Esmail
Written by: Sam Esmail, based on the novel by Rumaan Alam
Starring: Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke
Synopsis: A family’s getaway to a luxurious rental home takes an ominous turn when a cyberattack knocks out their devices, and two strangers appear at their door.
Where to watch: Streaming on Netflix
An apocalyptic thriller that will keep you guessing, Leave the World Behind is the kind of film you’ll be left pondering for days.
Magic Mike’s Last Dance
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Written by: Reid Carolin
Starring: Channing Tatum, Salma Hayek, Ayub Khan-Din
Synopsis: Mike takes to the stage again, following a business deal that went bust, leaving him broke and taking bartender gigs in Florida. Mike heads to London with a wealthy socialite who lures him with an offer he can’t refuse.
Where to watch: Streaming on Prime Video
Admittedly, Magic Mike’s Last Dance may not quite reach the electrifying heights of the first two films, but it’s still worth a watch. If you’re after a film you watch with friends while drinking wine and picking at a cheese board, this is the one.
May December
Directed by: Todd Haynes
Written by: Alex Mechanik and Samy Burch
Starring: Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Charles Melton
Synopsis: Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple buckles under pressure when an actress arrives to do research for a film about their past.
Where to watch: Streaming on Prime Video
Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore are firing on all cylinders in this film that’s so high-camp it’s close to diabolical. Where the topic is serious and often deeply unsettling, Haynes keeps the crowd hooked with expertly placed jokes, and the result is a multi-layered film that will be on your mind for days.
Meg 2: The Trench
Directed by: Ben Wheatley
Written by: Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, Dean Georgaris
Starring: Jason Statham, Jing Wu, Shuya Sophia Cai
Synopsis: A research team encounters multiple threats while exploring the depths of the ocean, including a malevolent mining operation.
Where to watch: Streaming on Netflix
Meg 2: The Trench may not be the kind of film you’ll see nominated for Academy Awards, but what can I say? If you get it, you get it, if you don’t, you don’t. No judgement here either way!
No Hard Feelings
Directed by: Gene Stupnitsky
Written by: Gene Stupnitsky and John Phillips
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Laura Benanti
Synopsis: On the brink of losing her home, Maddie finds an intriguing job listing: helicopter parents looking for someone to bring their introverted 19-year-old son out of his shell before college. She has one summer to make him a man or die trying.
Where to watch: Streaming on BINGE
Part teen sex comedy, part scammer story, and part heartfelt coming-of-age tale, No Hard Feelings is a great time. Jennifer Lawrence delivers a laugh-out-loud comedic performance in a film that’s perfect for your next casual night in.
Oppenheimer
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Written by: Christopher Nolan, Kai Bird, Martin Sherwin
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon
Synopsis: The story of American scientist, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.
Where to watch: Streaming on Netflix
Part two of the Barbenheimer bonanza, Oppenheimer picked up a whopping seven Oscars at the 2024 Academy Awards, and for good reason. The three-hour Best Picture winner is a technically stunning, gripping drama with Cillian Murphy’s haunted performance as its centrepiece. It’s Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy at their best, and the Academy awarded them both for their efforts in the Best Director and Best Actor categories, respectively.
Past Lives
Directed by: Celine Song
Written by: Celine Song
Starring: Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro
Synopsis: Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life, in this heartrending modern romance.
Where to watch: Streaming on Prime Video
A minimalistic, slow burn romance that’s simultaneously gorgeous and stunning, Past Lives is a stellar debut from writer/director Celine Song. After getting rave reviews out of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, momentum for this meticulously curated romantic drama remained steady over the year, and in the end, Past Lives picked up Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.
Related: ‘Past Lives’: Inyeon Is a Korean Philosophy of How Relationships Form Over Many Lifetimes
Poor Things
Directed by: Yorgos Lanthimos
Written by: Tony McNamara, Alasdair Gray
Starring: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe
Synopsis: The incredible tale about the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter.
Where to watch: Streaming on Disney+
A dazzling mix of laugh-loud-loud moments, gasp-inducing body horror, and poignant drama, Poor Things truly has it all. When you add the impeccable costumes and otherworldly production design into the mix, it’s an unmissable masterpiece that deserves to be seen.
Priscilla
Directed by: Sofia Coppola
Written by: Sofia Coppola, based on the book Elvis and Me by Priscilla Presley and Sandra Harmon
Starring: Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi, Ari Cohen
Synopsis: When teenage Priscilla Beaulieu meets Elvis Presley, the man who is already a meteoric rock-and-roll superstar becomes someone entirely unexpected in private moments: a thrilling crush, an ally in loneliness, a vulnerable best friend.
Where to watch: Streaming on Stan
Sofia Coppola steps back into her zone with Priscilla, showing us the flipside to Baz Luhrmann’s frenzied Elvis extravaganza. Priscilla is a small, quiet, melancholic look at Priscilla’s life, with the pitch-perfect combination of glamour and loneliness we’ve come to expect from a Coppola film.
Related: ‘Priscilla’: A Bold Feminist Retelling of Elvis’ Dark Fairytale Marriage
Reality
Directed by: Tina Satter
Written by: Tina Satter
Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Josh Hamilton, Marchánt Davis
Synopsis: A former American intelligence specialist was given the longest sentence for the unauthorised release of government information to the media about Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections via an email operation.
Where to watch: Streaming on BINGE
Reality is a tense, uncomfortable, claustrophobic film driven by Sydney Sweeney’s powerhouse performance. At just 83 minutes, the film hooks you with its mix of mundane, everyday normalcies with blood-curdling, anxiety-inducing danger, and it doesn’t let you off until the end.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Directed by: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
Written by: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Dave Callaham
Starring: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry
Synopsis: Miles Morales catapults across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. When the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles must redefine what it means to be a hero.
Where to watch: Streaming on Prime Video
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse isn’t just visually dazzling, it’s also one of the rare sequels that truly lives up to its predecessor. With a script that’s grounded in genuine emotion and enough laughs to balance it out, you can expect to see Across the Spider-Verse reach beyond the Best Animated Feature category at the 2024 Academy Awards.
Talk to Me
Directed by: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
Written by: Danny Philippou, Bill Hinzman, Daley Pearson
Starring: Sophie Wilde, Joe Bird, Miranda Otto
Synopsis: When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.
Where to watch: Streaming on Netflix
The debut feature from Adelaide-born twin brothers Danny and Michael Philippou — aka YouTube’s RackaRacka — Talk to Me was met with instant buzz after its January premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, and things haven’t slowed down since then.
The film was picked up by indie distributor A24, and soon dethroned Hereditary as A24’s top grossing horror film at the North American box office. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the sequel is already in the works.
Related: “We Can Text Ari Aster!”: Danny and Michael Philippou on ‘Talk to Me’ Success
Related: “Never Stop Making Stuff”: Danny and Michael Philippou’s Advice for Young Creatives
Theater Camp
Directed by: Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman
Written by: Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman
Starring: Ben Platt, Molly Gordon, Noah Galvin
Synopsis: The eccentric staff of a rundown theatre camp in upstate New York must band together with the beloved founder’s bro-y son to keep the camp afloat.
Where to watch: Streaming on Disney+
A self-aware, self-deprecating comedy that delivers laughs throughout, Theater Camp manages to walk the line of satire without crossing into nastiness. There’s humour, heart, and although it’s sure to become a favourite for those who’ve lived in the world, it’s a film that anyone can enjoy.
Turtles All the Way Down
Directed by: Hannah Marks
Written by: Screenplay by Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker, based on the novel by John Green
Starring: Isabela Merced, Cree, Judy Reyes
Synopsis: A teenager with OCD tries to solve a mystery surrounding a fugitive billionaire.
Where to watch: Streaming on BINGE
Adapted from John Green’s novel, Hannah Marks does a great job bringing the chaotic, winding, intrusive thought spirals of Aza’s OCD to life on screen, making this a YA adaptation that reaches beyond its target demographic.
You Hurt My Feelings
Directed by: Nicole Holofcener
Written by: Nicole Holofcener
Starring: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobias Menzies, Michaela Watkins
Synopsis: A novelist’s longstanding marriage is suddenly upended when she overhears her husband giving his honest reaction to her latest book.
Where to watch: Streaming on Prime Video
Smart, entertaining, and acerbic, You Hurt My Feelings is an honest and relatable look at the well-intentioned white lies we all tell to make life easier. Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ performance is outstanding and will effortlessly hold your attention from start to finish.
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