The 50 Best New Movies to Stream on Netflix, Prime Video, Max, Shudder, Hulu, Apple TV+ & More (October 2025)

Are you prepared for an action-packed week featuring an array of new movies to stream across various OTT platforms? Dive into a weekend of cinematic delights with our handpicked selection of the hottest movie releases. This list is curated with movie recommendations for those of you who only want to watch the best out of the new movies that pop up on streaming. The list may also come in handy for you to stay updated with current releases on subscription-based OTT platforms and help you pick the best based on your taste and appetite.

The Best New Movies To Stream on Max

1. Superman (2025)
Where to Stream: Max | Dir: James Gunn

James Gunn’s Superman (2025) takes flight as a fresh, invigorating reboot that skips the origin story to dive straight into a world where the Man of Steel already exists — confident, compassionate, and ever watchful. Set in a universe alive with “metahumans,” the film explores Kal-El’s efforts to protect humanity while navigating the growing tension between hope and fear, symbolized by his ideological clash with Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), the ruthless CEO determined to expose Superman as a threat.

David Corenswet delivers a standout performance as a grounded and vulnerable Superman, balancing power with purpose. His chemistry with Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane adds heart and levity to the story, while Gunn’s world-building introduces memorable supporting characters like Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) and Kendra Saunders (Isabela Merced), teasing a larger DC universe without losing focus on Superman’s journey of faith and self-discovery.

Through its mix of humor, spectacle, and sincerity, Superman, by James Gunn, celebrates the enduring optimism of one of pop culture’s most beloved icons. It’s an earnest, big-hearted superhero adventure that reaffirms why the Man of Tomorrow still matters in today’s cynical world.

Related List: All 10 Superman Movies Ranked

2. Bring Her Back (2025)
Where to Stream: Max | Dir: Danny & Michael Philippou

Following their breakout debut Talk to Me, the Philippou brothers return with Bring Her Back (2025), a haunting exploration of grief, control, and familial trauma. The film follows step-siblings Andy (Billy Barratt) and Piper (Sora Wong) as they navigate a new foster home after the mysterious death of Andy’s father. Under the care of the seemingly kind but increasingly erratic Laura (Sally Hawkins), the siblings find themselves trapped in a psychological nightmare where trust turns deadly.

Barratt delivers an exceptional performance as a teenager forced into premature adulthood, balancing love and protectiveness toward his sister with a deep-seated fear of repeating his father’s mistakes. The film deftly captures how trauma and masculinity intertwine, grounding its horror in emotional authenticity. Hawkins, meanwhile, gives a chillingly unpredictable turn as Laura, embodying a manipulative menace that feels both grounded and grotesque.

Though Bring Her Back unfolds within a contained environment, it maintains an unsettling sense of escalation, with each revelation pulling viewers deeper into its oppressive atmosphere. Blending domestic unease with supernatural dread, the Philippous craft a dark, unnerving tale about the weight of survival and the scars left by those meant to protect us.

Related to the Best New Movies to Stream – 35 Best Movies of 2025 (So Far)

3. Friendship (2025)
Where to Stream: Max | Dir: Andrew De Young

Tim Robinson headlines Friendship (2025), a hilariously offbeat and unexpectedly heartfelt look at adult loneliness and the absurdity of human connection. Robinson plays Craig Waterman, a marketing professional stuck in a midlife rut until he befriends his charming new neighbor Austin (Paul Rudd), a local weatherman whose perfect life seems to offer Craig the excitement he’s been missing. What begins as an earnest attempt to connect quickly spirals into chaos, testing the limits of social boundaries and self-awareness.

Andrew De Young crafts a sharp, unpredictable comedy that perfectly harnesses Robinson’s awkward, confrontational style. His Craig is both painfully relatable and completely unhinged—a man whose inability to read social cues turns everyday moments into comedic disasters. Rudd brings just the right balance of warmth and unease to their dynamic, while Kate Mara and Jack Dylan Grazer provide grounded, often tender counterpoints as Craig’s family tries to understand his midlife unraveling.

Friendship stands out for its fearless tonal shifts—from suburban satire to psychedelic buddy thriller—while remaining a biting, sincere study of how difficult it is to truly connect as an adult. Wildly funny, strangely moving, and wholly original, it’s Robinson at his best.

4. Sinners (2025)
Where to Stream: Max | Dir: Ryan Coogler

After more than a decade spent steering major franchises, Ryan Coogler returns to his roots with Sinners (2025) — a soulful, electrifying original that channels his signature blend of cultural specificity and emotional power. Set in Jim Crow–era Mississippi, the film follows the Smokestack twins, Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan), who return home from post-Prohibition Chicago with dreams of transforming an abandoned sawmill into a juke joint where their community can dance away the weight of oppression.

What begins as a joyous celebration of resilience quickly turns into a night of reckoning when unexpected white intruders disrupt the festivities. Yet Coogler’s focus remains on the life pulsing through the music, sweat, and defiant laughter that fill Club Juke’s floorboards. With rhythmic editing by Michael P. Shawver and a searing score from Ludwig Göransson, Sinners immerses viewers in a living, breathing portrait of Black joy and pain — a cinematic hymn to survival in the face of inevitable tragedy.

Visually stunning and emotionally charged, Sinners affirms Coogler’s standing as one of the most vital American filmmakers working today. It’s a fierce, tender, and deeply human return to form. Sinners is now streaming on Max.

5. Warfare (2025)
Where to Stream: Max | Dir: Alex Garland

With Warfare (2025), Alex Garland and former U.S. Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza deliver one of the most immersive and unflinching depictions of modern combat ever put to screen. Set during the 2006 Iraq War, the film unfolds in real time as a group of SEALs monitors a suspected terrorist cell before being drawn into a brutal firefight. Stripped of exposition and political commentary, Warfare throws viewers directly into the chaos — a harrowing recreation of noise, confusion, and survival where every bullet and breath feels immediate.

Garland’s precise direction and Mendoza’s firsthand authenticity combine to create a nerve-shredding experience. The camera’s spatial clarity and the film’s relentless soundscape turn each tactical maneuver into an act of endurance. Performances from Charles Melton, Joseph Quinn, and Will Poulter heighten the realism, portraying soldiers united by duty yet fractured by fear. The result is less a traditional war movie and more a sensory descent into the futility of endless violence.

Tense, visceral, and uncompromising, Warfare stands as a devastating reflection on the cost of modern conflict and the men caught within it. It’s not entertainment — it’s an experience. Warfare is now streaming on Max.

The Best New Movies To Stream on Netflix

6. Steve (2025)
Where to Stream: Netflix | Dir: Tim Mielants

Following their acclaimed collaboration on Small Things Like These, Cillian Murphy and Tim Mielants reunite for Steve (2025), a raw, compassionate drama about the quiet battles fought within broken systems. Murphy stars as the titular headmaster of a reform school in the 1990s, a man devoted to guiding troubled young men toward better futures despite an environment that constantly undermines his efforts. Through Steve’s daily struggles, Mielants crafts a powerful study of patience, exhaustion, and the fragile hope that keeps real educators going.

Shot with a gritty realism reminiscent of British kitchen-sink dramas, Steve immerses viewers in the chaos of adolescence and institutional neglect. Mielants’s handheld camerawork and fragmented editing mirror the volatility of Steve’s world, while Murphy’s subdued performance anchors the film with remarkable empathy. His quiet determination and moral conviction make him both a source of stability and a portrait of burnout.

Bolstered by excellent turns from Emily Watson, Tracey Ullman, and standout newcomer Jay Lycurgo, Steve captures the unspoken heroism of those who keep showing up even when change feels impossible. It’s a humble, humane, and deeply affecting character study — one that reaffirms Murphy as one of the most soulful actors of his generation. Steve is now streaming on Netflix.

7. Heart Eyes (2025)
Where to Stream: Netflix | Dir: Josh Ruben

Heart Eyes, directed by Josh Ruben, is a wildly inventive genre mash-up that merges a slasher horror film with the whimsical charm of a romantic comedy. Set in Portland during Valentine’s Day, the film centers on Ally (Olivia Holt), a career-focused advertising developer who has no interest in love—until she’s reluctantly paired with her new co-worker Jay (Mason Gooding) for a Valentine’s-themed campaign. What begins as a typical workplace rom-com setup takes a bloody detour when the city is gripped by fear of a mysterious killer dubbed the “Heart Eyes Killer” (HEK), who stalks and murders romantic couples.

As Ally and Jay begin to bond over their shared cynicism and loneliness on the most romantic day of the year, their chemistry inadvertently draws the killer’s attention. What follows is a clever, satirical unraveling of slasher movie tropes—complete with gruesome kills, flickering lights, and a self-aware tone—while still managing to deliver an emotionally grounded romance. The film balances bloody suspense with genuine intimacy, poking fun at genre conventions without undermining the characters’ sincerity.

8. KPop Demon Hunters (2025)
Where to Stream: Netflix | Dir: Maggie Kang

K-Pop Demon Hunters is one of those films that feels tailor-made for a late-night group watch. It takes the hyper-polished world of Korean pop idols and smashes it together with the pulpy thrills of a supernatural action movie. The story follows a girl group who balance rehearsals, photo shoots, and the pressures of fame with an after-hours secret: they’re trained demon slayers, sworn to protect humanity from creatures that lurk in the shadows. What makes it work is how unashamedly camp it is—dance sequences morph into combat routines, glitter turns into weaponry, and the music fuels the fight.

Yet beneath the neon spectacle, there’s a sincere core about friendship, loyalty, and resilience under pressure. The chemistry among the idols grounds the absurdity, making you care about their battles both on and off stage. If you’re a fan of colorful genre mashups like Scott Pilgrim or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this one’s an irresistibly fun ride.

9. Havoc (2025)
Where to Stream: Netflix | Dir: Gareth Evans

Havoc, directed by Gareth Evans, is a gritty action-thriller set in a crime-ridden American metropolis where corruption bleeds into every corner of law enforcement. The story follows a bruised and battered detective named Walker (Tom Hardy), who finds himself caught between the criminal underworld and a crooked political system.

After a triad drug deal goes violently wrong, Walker is forced to track down Charlie, the son of a powerful politician, before rival gangs and a vengeful matriarch (Yeo Yann Yann) can get to him. As the city descends into chaos, Walker fights through a gauntlet of brutal encounters in order to save the boy, all while navigating shifting alliances, relentless violence, and his own moral decay. Powered by Gareth Evans’s signature bone-crunching action and Hardy’s grim presence, Havoc delivers a pulse-pounding descent into a world where survival often comes at the cost of justice.

Similar to Best New Movies to Stream – Havoc (2025) Movie Review: Gareth Evans Returns With A Quick Burst of Bloodstained Mayhem 

10. Bullet Train Explosion (2025)
Where to Stream: Netflix | Dir: Shinji Higuchi

Bullet Train Explosion is a thrilling action-drama set on Japan’s high-speed Shinkansen network. Acting as both a sequel and a reimagining of the 1975 classic The Bullet Train, the film follows the Hayabusa No. 60’s harrowing journey after a bomb threat turns a routine trip into a desperate race against time.

When a terrorist demands an impossible ransom, the crew and passengers must come together to survive, racing at high speeds to avoid detonation. As officials scramble for solutions and secrets unravel, the story highlights powerful themes of responsibility, forgiveness, and uncovering hidden truths. In a shocking twist, the bomber is revealed to be a young girl, Yuzuki, seeking revenge for a personal betrayal. Blending intense action with emotional depth, Bullet Train Explosion shows how courage and humanity prevail even in the direst moments.

Related to Best New Movies to Stream – Bullet Train Explosion (2025) Review: A Two-Hour Netflix Campaign for a Japanese Bullet Train Company

The Best New Movies To Stream on Prime Video

11. Lurker (2025)
Where to Stream: Prime Video | Dir: Alex Russell

Alex Russell’s Lurker (2025) is a chilling reflection of modern celebrity obsession, exploring how social media has blurred the line between admiration and intrusion. In an age when fame is accessible through a screen, the film asks what happens when a fan crosses that invisible boundary. French-Canadian actor Théodore Pellerin stars as Matthew, a Los Angeles retail worker who worms his way into the inner circle of rising musician Oliver (Archie Madekwe). Posing as a documentarian capturing Oliver’s creative journey, Matthew’s fascination slowly morphs into possession.

Russell channels the unsettling voyeurism of Ingrid Goes West, updating its cautionary message for an era where every post is performative and authenticity is a curated illusion. Pellerin’s quietly menacing performance captures how obsession festers behind charm and ambition, while Madekwe adds nuance as an artist trapped in his own projection. As Matthew’s control tightens, the film’s glossy surfaces give way to something rawer and more disturbing.

Both psychological thriller and social critique, Lurker turns the camera back on our own fixation with watching others live. It’s a sharp, eerie portrait of parasocial decay in the influencer age — and a reminder that the real danger often hides behind the lens. Lurker is now streaming on Prime Video.

12. Another Simple Favor (2025)
Where to Stream: Prime Video | Dir: Paul Feig

Paul Feig returns with Another Simple Favor, a glossier, more chaotic sequel to his 2018 mystery-comedy. Picking up years after the events of the first film, the story follows Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick), now a semi-famous true-crime author, whose success is built on exposing the twisted past of her one-time friend Emily Nelson (Blake Lively). But just as Stephanie is riding high on her book tour, Emily — presumed locked away for good — resurfaces, freshly released from prison thanks to the legal muscle of her absurdly wealthy new fiancé from Italy.

Emily ropes Stephanie into flying with her to the glamorous coast of Capri to serve as maid of honor at her extravagant wedding. Of course, nothing is ever simple when Emily’s involved. As the lavish setting descends into a whirlwind of mafia entanglements, long-lost family members, and murder accusations, Stephanie finds herself once again unraveling a web of lies—except this time, she might be the one at the center of it.

Another Simple Favor dials up the melodrama, excess, and ridiculous twists, leaning harder into soap-opera aesthetics and dark comedy, while riding on the sharp chemistry between Kendrick and Lively. The result is an overstuffed but stylish escapade where murder meets fashion under the Italian sun.

Related to the Best New Movies to Stream – Another Simple Favor (2025) Movie Review: An Elegant Vacation To Leave You More Exhausted Than Relaxed

13. A Little Prayer (2025)
Where to Stream: Prime Video | Dir: Angus MacLachlan

Angus MacLachlan’s A Little Prayer (2025) is a quiet marvel — a film so modest in its scope and so full of grace that it feels like an act of compassion. Set in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, it follows Bill (David Strathairn), a kind, soft-spoken bank manager who begins to suspect his son David (Will Pullen) is having an affair, potentially jeopardizing the family’s fragile harmony. As Bill’s fears grow, he finds an unexpected bond with his daughter-in-law Tammy (Jane Levy), whose decency and resilience reflect the better angels of his own nature.

MacLachlan directs with tenderness and restraint, finding profundity in small gestures and unspoken truths. Strathairn delivers one of the most moving performances of his career — a man wrestling with the limits of his guidance and the ache of realizing that even the best intentions can’t always prevent heartbreak. Levy matches his warmth with luminous sincerity, and together they ground the film’s themes of forgiveness and quiet endurance.

Refusing melodrama in favor of deep empathy, A Little Prayer observes how families fracture and heal in ways too subtle for grand gestures. It’s a film that rewards patience, offering grace instead of resolution — a small miracle of human understanding.

14. Look Back (2024)
Where to Stream: Prime Video | Dir: Kiyotaka Oshiyama

Look Back (2024) is a poignant adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s one-shot manga, exploring the intertwined lives of two young manga artists, Fujino and Kiyomoto. This short film beautifully captures the emotional journey of their friendship, which begins as a competitive rivalry fueled by their mutual passion for art. Fujino, an outgoing and ambitious artist, is initially inspired—and intimidated—by Kiyomoto’s exceptional talent. As the years pass, their creative pursuits and contrasting personalities forge a deep connection that allows them to grow both individually and together.

The film delves into the unglamorous realities of the artistic life, illustrating how creativity often comes with emotional sacrifices. Through evocative and tactile animation, Look Back depicts the characters’ evolution from adolescence to adulthood, their struggles with self-worth, and the pressures of their chosen craft. At its heart, the story portrays the power of art to connect, heal, and reconcile, even in the face of unexpected tragedy. If you looking for new movies to stream on Prime Video, Look Back can be both an introspective and comforting watch.

15. My Old Ass (2024)
Where to Stream: Prime Video | Dir: Megan Park

My Old Ass is a whimsical coming-of-age dramedy with a unique twist on time travel. Directed by Megan Park, the film centers on Elliot (Maisy Stella), an 18-year-old grappling with the anxieties of impending adulthood. As she celebrates her birthday at a lake house with friends and family, Elliot contemplates her transition to college, the complexities of her relationship with her classmate Chelsea (Alexandria Rivera), and her desire to hold on to the comforts of youth.

The story takes a sharp turn into the fantastical when an older version of Elliot (played by Aubrey Plaza) appears, warning her about choices that could shape her future—most notably, a boy named Chad (Percy Hynes White). Despite her future self’s warnings, young Elliot finds herself drawn to Chad, a witty and thoughtful boy who challenges her preconceived notions of destiny. This encounter sparks a journey of self-discovery, as Elliot navigates the tension between who she is and who she might become.

Through Elliot’s interactions with her older self, My Old Ass explores themes of personal growth, the uncertainty of adulthood, and the idea that knowing the future doesn’t necessarily mean being ready for it. Blending heartfelt drama with moments of humor, the film portrays Elliot’s struggles with her parents, her evolving identity, and her place in the world, all while balancing the absurdity and poignancy of time travel.

The Best New Movies To Stream on Apple TV+

16. Highest 2 Lowest (2025)
Where to Stream: Apple TV+ | Dir: Spike Lee

Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest (2025) takes on the audacious challenge of reimagining Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low for a contemporary American audience — and against all odds, it works. Starring Denzel Washington as David King, a New York music mogul whose son is kidnapped in the middle of a tense financial takeover, the film retools Kurosawa’s moral thriller into a modern-day fable about power, loyalty, and class in the digital age. When it’s revealed that the abducted child isn’t actually his son but the son of his longtime assistant (Jeffrey Wright), King faces an impossible choice that tests both his humanity and his wealth.

Lee infuses the story with his trademark cultural pulse — sharp dialogue, rhythmic editing, and a soundtrack that thunders with contemporary swagger. Washington delivers yet another commanding performance, balancing authority with deep moral conflict, while A$AP Rocky surprises as the enigmatic abductor. The result is a stylish, gripping update that finds relevance in an era defined by social optics and economic disparity.

While it never eclipses Kurosawa’s original, Highest 2 Lowest stands tall as a bold, unapologetically Spike Lee creation — fierce, flawed, and alive with conviction. Highest 2 Lowest is now streaming on Apple TV+.

17. The Lost Bus (2025)
Where to Stream: Apple TV+ | Dir: Paul Greengrass

Paul Greengrass returns to the realm of real-world tragedy with The Lost Bus (2025), a tense, emotionally charged dramatization of the 2018 Camp Fire in California. In typical Greengrass fashion, the film merges documentary realism with pulse-pounding urgency, focusing on the ordinary heroism of one man caught in extraordinary circumstances.

Matthew McConaughey stars as Kevin McKay, a broken man haunted by personal loss who finds redemption behind the wheel of a school bus as wildfires rage across Paradise, California. When no one else steps up to rescue a stranded group of schoolchildren, McKay risks everything to lead them through the inferno to safety.

Shot with Greengrass’s trademark handheld immediacy, The Lost Bus captures both the claustrophobic terror of survival and the quiet humanity that flickers amid chaos. McConaughey gives one of his most visceral performances in years — his exhaustion and conviction grounding the spectacle in raw, lived emotion. While the film’s sentimentality occasionally verges on heavy-handed, its depiction of courage in the face of unstoppable disaster feels both timely and timeless.

Anchored by its realism and empathy, The Lost Bus stands as a gripping ode to resilience and sacrifice — a reminder that even in catastrophe, compassion can drive us forward. The Lost Bus is now streaming on Apple TV+.

18. The Gorge (2025)
Where to Stream: Apple TV+ | Dir: Scott Derrickson

The Gorge is a genre-blending action-thriller directed by Scott Derrickson, starring Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Sigourney Weaver. The film follows two elite snipers—Levi, a battle-scarred ex-Marine, and Drasa, a Lithuanian sharpshooter—who are stationed on opposite watchtowers overlooking a mysterious, heavily guarded chasm known as The Gorge. Tasked with monitoring the area for an unknown private organization, they soon discover that the gorge is home to horrifying mutated creatures, the result of a decades-old biochemical experiment gone wrong.

As their isolation draws them closer, Levi and Drasa form a forbidden bond, communicating through notes and gestures across the gorge. But when an accident forces them into the depths of the gorge itself, they uncover shocking secrets about their employers and the terrifying purpose of the research facility hidden within. With their lives on the line, they must fight both monstrous horrors and the sinister forces trying to keep the truth buried.

A mix of romance, horror, and high-stakes action, The Gorge is a pulse-pounding survival thriller that pits love against the horrors of science gone wrong.

19. Deaf President Now! (2025)
Where to Stream: Apple TV+ | Dir: Nyle DiMarco, Davis Guggenheim

Deaf President Now! is a stirring and powerfully crafted documentary that revisits a landmark civil rights movement within the deaf community. Directed by Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim, the film recounts the explosive week in 1988 when students at Gallaudet University—the world’s only liberal arts university dedicated to deaf and hard-of-hearing students—rose in protest after the board of trustees appointed a hearing president over qualified deaf candidates.

The documentary follows the events surrounding the selection of Elisabeth Zinser, a hearing academic with no background in deaf culture or American Sign Language, over two deaf contenders. The decision sparked outrage and galvanized a student-led protest that demanded deaf leadership at an institution built to serve the deaf community. For many students, the appointment felt like a betrayal, reinforcing the marginalization of deaf people in a hearing-dominated world.

Blending archival footage with contemporary interviews conducted entirely in American Sign Language (ASL)—with off-camera voiceovers for hearing viewers—the film captures both the intensity and the intimacy of the movement. Participants, now older, reflect with wit, pain, and pride on how they organized sit-ins, shut down the campus, and drew national attention to their cause.

20. Blitz (2024)
Where to Stream: Apple TV+ | Dir: Steve McQueen

Directed by Steve MacQueen, Blitz, is a is a World War II drama that tells the story of survival, sacrifice, and resilience amidst the relentless bombing campaign on London by Nazi forces during the Blitzkrieg. At the heart of the film is George (Elliott Heffernan), a mixed-race boy grappling with the dual challenges of growing up in a hostile world and surviving the horrors of war.

As the bombings intensify, George’s mother, Rita (Saoirse Ronan), makes the heart-wrenching decision to send him away to the countryside for safety while she stays in London, working in a munitions factory. However, George, unaware of the magnitude of her sacrifice, decides to abandon the train ride and make his way back home through a perilous journey filled with obstacles.

While McQueen touches on themes of racial persecution and solidarity in a fractured society, Blitz also delves into the emotional toll of war, capturing the struggles of a mother’s love and a child’s yearning for home. The film juxtaposes intimate, personal stories against the backdrop of widespread destruction, offering a human perspective on one of the most harrowing periods in British history.

The Best New Movies To Stream on HULU

21. Magpie (2024)
Where to Stream: Hulu | Dir: Sam Yates

Magpie is a psychological marital thriller that delves into the emotional chaos simmering beneath the surface of a seemingly idyllic life. Directed by Sam Yates in his film debut and based on a story by Daisy Ridley (who also stars as the lead), the film follows Annette, a woman unraveling under the strain of motherhood, marital neglect, and emotional abandonment.

Annette and her husband Ben (Shazad Latif), a struggling writer, move from London to the countryside hoping for a fresh start. But while Ben becomes infatuated with the glamorous world of a film set—where their daughter is cast in a movie—Annette is left isolated with a newborn and a growing sense of resentment. Her psychological deterioration intensifies as Ben becomes increasingly absorbed in a fantasy affair with the film’s star, Alicia (Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz), leaving Annette teetering on the edge of madness.

Stylishly directed and noir-tinged, Magpie explores the emotional volatility of a woman pushed to the brink. The film is one of our top picks for the best new movies to stream on Hulu.

22. Small Things Like These (2024)
Where to Stream: Hulu | Dir. Tim Mielants

Small Things Like These, directed by Tim Mielants and starring Cillian Murphy, is a haunting drama set in Ireland during the winter of 1985. The film follows Bill Furlong, a humble coal merchant and family man, whose quiet life is upended when he uncovers disturbing evidence of abuse at a local Magdalene laundry—institutions notorious for imprisoning “unfit” young women under the guise of religious correction.

As Bill confronts the truth about what’s happening behind closed doors, the story becomes less about whistleblowing and more about the emotional toll of complicity and silence in a tightly knit community. Rather than delivering an exposé, the film narrows its focus on one man’s moral reckoning and his connection to this dark piece of Irish history.

Based on Claire Keegan’s acclaimed novella, the film is anchored by Murphy’s subtle, deeply expressive performance, exploring themes of generational trauma, guilt, and the quiet courage it takes to stand against systemic abuse.

Related to Best New Movies to Stream – Small Things Like These (2024) Movie Review: Cillian Murphy Is Devastating In a Meticulously Paced Historical Drama

23. Summer of 69 (2025)
Where to Stream: Hulu | Dir. Jillian Bell

Jillian Bell’s Summer of 69 is a teen sex comedy with heart, following the awkward but determined Abby Flores (Sam Morelos), a socially invisible gamer girl nearing the end of her Catholic high school days. Known only to her online followers through her masked livestreams, Abby finally decides she wants to be seen—especially by Max (Matt Cornett), her longtime crush who has just broken up with his popular girlfriend.

When Abby hears a rumor from the school mascot that Max is into “69ing,” she comes up with a bold plan: to seduce him by becoming sexually confident. But there’s one big problem—Abby has no experience whatsoever. Enter Santa Monica (Chloe Fineman), a flamboyant stripper at a local club called Diamond Dolls. Abby strikes a deal to pay Santa Monica to coach her in sex appeal, using the money she had saved for a car. If you have a Hulu subscription, this is one of the better comedy movies to stream right now.

24. The Damned (2024)
Where to Stream: Hulu | Dir. Thordur Palsson

Directed by Thordur Palsson and starring Odessa Young and Joe Cole, The Damned is a chilling Arctic horror film that explores isolation, guilt, and survival. Set in a remote fishing outpost during a brutally cold winter, the story follows Eva, a young widow who has taken charge of the outpost after her husband’s death.

As the harsh environment and dwindling resources strain the group, they are haunted—both psychologically and possibly supernaturally—by the consequences of a moral decision not to rescue survivors from a sinking foreign ship.

The film delves into the slow unraveling of sanity among the fishermen as they begin seeing eerie human-like figures and suffer fevered visions. As suspicions and guilt mount, Eva is forced to confront not just the growing terror around her, but also the darkness within—making decisions that blur the line between moral survival and monstrous instinct.

At its core, The Damned is a haunting meditation on survivor’s guilt, the weight of leadership in isolation, and how grief and fear can breed horror from within.

Similar to the Best New Movies to Stream – The Damned (2024 Palsson film) Movie Ending Explained: Is Eva Fighting the Undead—or the Darkness Within?

25. The Line (2023)
Where to Stream: Hulu | Dir. Ethan Berger

Ethan Berger’s The Line is a harrowing drama that dissects the toxic traditions and power dynamics within an elite college fraternity. The story follows Tom Backster (Alex Wolff), a student from a modest background who sees his fraternity as a gateway to wealth, influence, and social ascension. Blinded by ambition, Tom embraces the fraternity’s ruthless culture, engaging in hazing and upholding its archaic, often racist, and misogynistic values to secure his place among privileged peers.

However, his perspective begins to shift when he meets Annabelle (Halle Bailey), an intelligent and independent Black student who challenges his passive acceptance of the fraternity’s oppressive traditions. As he also witnesses the unfair treatment of his fellow pledge Mitch Miller (Bo Mitchell) by a powerful junior member, Gettys O’Brien (Austin Abrams), Tom starts to question his loyalty to the brotherhood. Torn between maintaining his status and acknowledging the fraternity’s moral decay, he faces an internal crisis that forces him to confront his own complicity.

Similar to the Best New Movies to Stream – The Line (2023) ‘Tribeca’ Movie Review: A harrowing drama that depicts the paranoia about the fall of institutions

26. The Naked Gun (2025)
Where to Stream: Paramount+w/Showtime | Dir: Akiva Schaffer

Liam Neeson steps into delightfully absurd territory with The Naked Gun (2025), Akiva Schaffer’s gloriously stupid and surprisingly affectionate revival of the beloved comedy franchise. Trading in his usual grizzled action-hero intensity for unfiltered slapstick, Neeson plays Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Leslie Nielsen’s iconic detective, whose knack for chaos gets him tangled in a hilariously convoluted conspiracy involving a tech mogul (Danny Huston) and his deranged world-domination scheme. Along the way, Drebin crosses paths with Elizabeth (Pamela Anderson), whose personal tragedy adds just enough heart to balance the madness.

Schaffer, joined by co-writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, keeps the jokes flying fast and foolish — an endless barrage of sight gags, one-liners, and shameless puns that channel the spirit of Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker while adding a modern satirical edge. Whether riffing on Kingsman or poking fun at Neeson’s own stoic persona, the film thrives on its fearless commitment to stupidity.

Unapologetically silly yet crafted with care, The Naked Gun delivers a laugh-a-minute parody that proves there’s still room for genuine comedy chaos in blockbuster filmmaking. Neeson hasn’t been this loose — or this funny — in years. The Naked Gun is now streaming on Paramount+.

27. Novocaine (2025)
Where to Stream: Paramount+w/Showtime | Dir: Dan Berk and Robert Olsen

Novocaine is a high-concept action-comedy that centers on Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid), a meek bank employee living with a rare condition called congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP)—a neurological disorder that prevents him from feeling physical pain. While most people would consider this a superpower, Nate knows firsthand that it’s more of a curse: every wound he suffers goes unnoticed until it’s too late, making everyday life a dangerous obstacle course.

Cautious and reclusive, Nate finds a flicker of connection in his vibrant new coworker, Sherry (Amber Midthunder), whose warmth begins to pull him out of his shell. But when a violent bank robbery results in Sherry’s abduction, Nate sets off on an unlikely and reckless rescue mission. Despite having no fighting skills or heroic instincts, his inability to feel pain turns him into an oddly resilient action figure—one who can take a punch (or several) and keep going.

Directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, Novocaine plays with genre expectations. While packed with bloody slapstick and juvenile humor reminiscent of Deadpool, it also explores the emotional toll of Nate’s condition. The film finds comedic gold in moments like Nate faking pain during a torture scene, while also acknowledging the mental and emotional costs of never knowing when you’re hurt.

28. Hard Truths (2024)
Where to Stream: Paramount+w/Showtime | Dir: Mike Leigh

Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths is a raw, emotionally piercing domestic drama that explores the quiet devastation of middle age, grief, and unspoken familial tensions. Centered on Pansy (played by Marianne Jean-Baptiste in a towering performance), a British woman reeling from the recent death of her mother, the film delves into the ways people cope—or fail to cope—with the crushing weight of everyday life.

Set in a working-class British suburb, Hard Truths doesn’t rely on plot twists or sweeping revelations. Instead, Leigh crafts a slow-burning portrait of a woman whose pain—both physical and emotional—has calcified into anger. Pansy lashes out at everyone around her: her emotionally withdrawn husband Curtley (David Webber), her silent and disconnected son Moses (Tuwaine Barrett), and even complete strangers in public. Her only mirror is her sister Chantelle (Michele Austin), who tries to offer warmth and optimism, though it rarely lands.

True to Leigh’s signature style, the film unfolds with naturalism and restraint, offering glimpses into fractured relationships and internal anguish without over-explaining. There are moments of unexpected humor—like a hilariously tense dentist scene—but they only sharpen the film’s bleak emotional edge. The most devastating scenes come in their quietest moments: a look, a pause, or the crushing silence that follows yet another failed attempt at connection.

Related to the Best New Movies to Stream – 10 Best Mike Leigh Films You Must Watch

29. The Return (2024)
Where to Stream: Paramount+w/Showtime | Dir: Uberto Pasolini

The Return is a raw and powerful drama that reimagines the final chapters of Homer’s Odyssey, focusing on Odysseus’s troubled homecoming after the Trojan War. Directed by Uberto Pasolini and based on a script partly developed from a draft by playwright Edward Bond, the film follows Odysseus (Ralph Fiennes) as he washes ashore in Ithaca, burdened by PTSD, survivor’s guilt, and deep shame.

Disguised as a tramp, he secretly navigates a crumbling kingdom where his wife, Queen Penelope (Juliette Binoche), has stubbornly refused to remarry despite mounting pressure. Their son Telemachus (Charlie Plummer) wrestles with anger and confusion, while suitors like Antinous (Marwan Kenzari) vie for power. Stark, violent, and emotionally intense, The Return explores themes of war’s lasting scars, fractured masculinity, and the struggle to reclaim lost honor in a lawless world.

30. Strange Darling (2023)
Where to Stream: Paramount+w/Showtime | Dir: J.T. Mollner

Strange Darling is a twisty, high-energy thriller that plays with structure and audience expectations. Directed by JT Mollner and shot entirely on 35mm film, the movie follows a tense game of cat-and-mouse between a woman, known only as “The Lady” (Willa Fitzgerald), and a dangerous, cocaine-fueled pursuer called “The Demon” (Kyle Gallner). What begins as an encounter after a one-night stand quickly spirals into a violent chase through the Oregon wilderness.

Told in a non-linear six-act structure, the film gradually reveals its secrets, much like 2022’s Barbarian, keeping viewers guessing with each new perspective. With cinematography by Giovanni Ribisi and a retro-inspired aesthetic, Strange Darling blends horror, thriller, and dark romance elements. Its stylish visuals and cutthroat pacing create a thrilling yet unsettling experience, though some of its narrative choices may spark debate.

Related to the Best New Movies to Stream – Strange Darling (2024) Movie Review: A Surprising But Straining Game of Cat-and-Mouse

The Best New Movies To Stream on Peacock

31. The Phoenician Scheme (2025)
Where to Stream: Peacock | Dir: Wes Anderson

 

Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme (2025) finds the filmmaker at his most playful and worldly, blending the familial warmth of The Royal Tenenbaums with the grand adventure of The Grand Budapest Hotel. Set against a backdrop of international intrigue and eccentric wealth, the film follows billionaire Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro) as he embarks on a whirlwind journey to determine the heir to his vast empire — ultimately choosing his daughter Liesel (Mia Threapleton), a would-be nun, to the dismay of his nine sons. With her tutor Bjørn (Michael Cera) in tow, Liesel becomes the unlikely moral compass of a story bursting with wit, color, and chaos.

Anderson’s signature precision — symmetrical framing, dry humor, and ornate design — is elevated by the film’s brisk pacing and inventive gags. Del Toro is unexpectedly hilarious, Cera delivers one of the year’s funniest performances, and Threapleton provides genuine emotional grounding as the daughter who quietly reshapes her father’s worldview. The supporting cast, featuring Anderson regulars like Bryan Cranston, Jeffrey Wright, and Tom Hanks, adds to the delightful, globe-trotting charm.

A satire of greed and a celebration of human decency, The Phoenician Scheme is both a visual feast and a gentle reminder that progress often begins with compassion. The Phoenician Scheme is now streaming on Peacock.

32. Black Bag (2025)
Where to Stream: Peacock | Dir: Steven Soderbergh

Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag is a taut espionage thriller that strips away the glamour of spycraft in favor of a cold, calculated look at trust, deception, and institutional rot. Reuniting with screenwriter David Koepp, Soderbergh returns to the genre he explored in Haywire—but this time, the storytelling is sharper and more self-assured.

At the film’s center is George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender), a London-based intelligence operative whose life is defined by secrecy. He’s married to fellow agent Kathryn (Cate Blanchett), and while their relationship appears stable on the surface—unusual honesty in a world of lies—it exists in a constant fog of withheld truths. In their line of work, the phrase “black bag” becomes shorthand for anything too classified to explain—even between spouses.

When George is assigned to uncover a mole within the agency, his suspicions lead uncomfortably close to home, placing Kathryn high on the suspect list. What unfolds is not an action-heavy mission, but a simmering battle of wits—where tense dinners, coded glances, and emotional deflections become weapons. Black Bag, currently streaming on Peacock, is one of our top picks this month for new movies to stream.

Related to Best New Movies to Stream – Black Bag (2025) Movie Review: Soderbergh Reuses and Refines His Spy Formula for His Best Film in Years

33. Last Breath (2025)
Where to Stream: Peacock | Dir: Alex Parkinson

Last Breath is a claustrophobic survival thriller based on the astonishing true story of deep-sea diver Chris Lemons, who was left stranded 100 meters below the surface after a catastrophic saturation diving accident. Directed by Alex Parkinson—who also helmed the documentary of the same name—the film dramatizes the 2012 incident where Lemons’ umbilical cable snapped during a mission, cutting off his oxygen supply and communication. With only minutes of breathable air left and unconscious from the fall, his chances of survival seemed nonexistent—until he miraculously lived to tell the tale.

The film stars Finn Cole as Lemons, whose resilience and quiet strength form the emotional core of the story. Alongside him are Woody Harrelson as the veteran diver Duncan Allcock, preparing for what may be his final dive, and Simu Liu as David Yuasa, a stoic team member forced to suppress emotion under pressure. With much of the action confined to the tight, underwater space, Last Breath immerses viewers in the terrifying unpredictability of deep-sea survival and is one of our top picks for new movies to stream on Peacock.

34. Drop (2025)
Where to Stream: Peacock | Dir: Christopher Landon

Drop (2025) is a tense, claustrophobic thriller that takes a simple concept and turns it into a nerve-shredding ride. The film follows a group of strangers trapped in a high-rise elevator after a catastrophic malfunction, only to realize that the real danger isn’t mechanical—it’s psychological. As hours stretch into days, paranoia, fear, and survival instincts collide, transforming the confined space into a battleground of shifting alliances and hidden secrets. The direction keeps the tension taut, using the limited setting to heighten every glance, silence, and argument.

What makes Drop stand out is its focus on human behavior under extreme pressure rather than cheap scares or action set pieces. The performances anchor the film, with each character’s desperation and moral conflict gradually laid bare. By the time the final reveal comes, you realize this isn’t just a survival thriller but also a sharp commentary on trust, fear, and human fragility.

35. Speak No Evil (2024)
Where to Stream: Peacock | Dir: James Watkins

The 2024 remake of Speak No Evil, directed by James Watkins, reimagines Christian Tafdrup’s 2022 Danish horror with a surprising shift in tone and style. The film revolves around Ben (Scoot McNairy) and Louise (Mackenzie Davis), an American couple vacationing in Italy with their socially anxious daughter. They form an unexpected bond with an eccentric Irish couple, Patrick (James McAvoy) and Karen (Aisling Franciosi), who invite them to their remote cottage for a weekend getaway. Against their better judgment, Ben and Louise accept the invitation, embarking on an uneasy visit that gradually descends into chaos as their hosts’ erratic behavior escalates.

Unlike its predecessor, Watkins’ version leans into a darkly comedic exploration of social awkwardness and strained politeness, transforming the narrative into a cringe-comedy horror hybrid. Through exaggerated performances—especially McAvoy’s unsettlingly charismatic portrayal of Patrick—the film amplifies the absurdity of its characters’ decisions, masking the implausibility with an onslaught of awkward humor. This tonal shift reinvents the story, making it less of a psychological horror à la Funny Games and more of an unsettling farce that challenges social norms in a wickedly entertaining way.

The Best New Movies To Stream on AMC+ w/Shudder

36. Dangerous Animals (2025)
Where to Stream: AMC+ | Dir: Sean Byrne

 

Sean Byrne makes a ferocious return to the big screen with Dangerous Animals (2025), his first feature in a decade — a gnarly, sun-soaked horror thriller that sinks its teeth into the classic shark-movie formula and gives it a killer human twist. Set on the open seas, the film follows Tucker (Jai Courtney, in a career-best turn), a deranged fisherman who lures unsuspecting victims onto his boat and feeds them to sharks — all while capturing the carnage on camera. His latest target is Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), a fearless surfer whose grit and defiance turn her into the hunter in an escalating fight for survival.

Byrne directs with confidence and precision, leaning on gnarly practical effects, taut pacing, and the uneasy charisma of his leads. Courtney brings charm and menace in equal measure, while Harrison grounds the chaos with a physically demanding, emotionally charged performance. The result is a brutal but crowd-pleasing experience — the kind of gory, high-energy horror that thrives on collective gasps, cheers, and laughter.

Equal parts savage and self-aware, Dangerous Animals is a blood-soaked blast tailor-made for horror fans and festival audiences alike. It’s proof that sometimes, diving into the deep end of genre filmmaking can still feel thrillingly new. Dangerous Animals is now streaming on AMC+.

37. The Ugly Stepsister (2025)
Where to Stream: Shudder | Dir: Emilie Blichfeldt

The Ugly Stepsister is a disturbing reimagining of the classic Cinderella story—told through the eyes of the so-called “ugly” stepsister. Directed by Emilie Blichfeldt, this Norwegian horror-comedy turns the familiar fairytale into a chilling body horror tale that explores themes of beauty, envy, and maternal manipulation.

The film follows Elvira (Lea Myren), a young woman constantly told she’s unattractive by her controlling, gold-digging mother Rebekka (Ane Dahl Torp). Raised on fantasies of fairy-tale romance and a prince who can “rescue” her from her life, Elvira becomes obsessed with achieving beauty at any cost. When she learns that Prince Julian (Isac Calmroth) is holding a ball to choose a bride, Elvira is pushed into an increasingly horrific regimen of forced beautification—from sewn-in eyelashes to extreme dieting that involves swallowing a tapeworm egg.

As her prettier stepsister Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Naess) gains the prince’s attention, Elvira spirals into jealousy and rage. What follows is a grotesque and violent descent into madness and self-destruction, culminating in shocking scenes of mutilation and betrayal. Far from a fairy tale, the film presents a cautionary tale about the dangers of unrealistic beauty standards and the price women are often forced to pay to meet them. Dark, disturbing, and brutally satirical, The Ugly Stepsister strips the Cinderella myth of its charm and reveals the rot underneath.

38. Frewaka (2024)
Where to Stream: Shudder | Dir: Aislinn Clarke

Frewaka is a haunting Irish folk horror film written and directed by Aislinn Clarke. Set in a rural Irish village, the story follows Siobhan, a nurse grieving the recent death of her mother. In an attempt to distance herself from her trauma, she takes up a palliative care job for an elderly woman named Peig. But as she settles into the isolated home, strange and unsettling occurrences begin to unfold—visions, folklore creatures, and a disturbing family connection.

The film explores themes of grief, generational trauma, and the oppressive weight of cultural and familial expectations, all through a psychological and folkloric lens. As Siobhan uncovers the eerie truth behind her ancestry, Frewaka gradually transforms into a chilling tale about the inescapable nature of the past.

39. The Rule of Jenny Pen (2024)
Where to Stream: Shudder | Dir: James Ashcroft

Based on Owen Marshall’s short story, The Rule of Jenny Pen is a psychological horror film directed by James Ashcroft, blending classic slasher thrills with a poignant meditation on aging and dignity. The film stars Geoffrey Rush as Stefan Mortensen, a once-formidable judge who is left paralyzed after a stroke and forced into an elder-care home. Struggling with his newfound vulnerability, Stefan soon encounters Dave Crealy (John Lithgow), a sadistic resident who terrorizes his fellow patients with the aid of his eerie baby doll, “Jenny Pen.”

Crealy embodies the deepest fears of aging—loss of control, humiliation, and helplessness—tormenting the home’s residents through psychological and physical cruelty. Despite his physical limitations, Stefan refuses to submit to Crealy’s reign of terror, setting the stage for a harrowing battle of wits and willpower. As the conflict escalates, The Rule of Jenny Pen transforms into a gripping struggle not just against a nightmarish villain but against the relentless march of time itself.

Related to the Best New Movies to Stream – The Rule of Jenny Pen (2025) Movie Review & Ending Explained: What Does Dave Crealy Signify?

40. Armand (2024)
Where to Stream: AMC+ | Dir: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel

Armand is a tense and provocative Norwegian drama from debut director Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel—grandson of cinema legend Ingmar Bergman—that examines the collapse of truth, trust, and identity in the face of shocking accusations. With a standout performance from Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person in the World), the film begins grounded in a seemingly straightforward parent-teacher meeting but slowly spirals into psychological disarray and surrealism.

The story centers on Elisabeth, a widowed mother called into her son Armand’s school following a disturbing incident involving another boy, Jon. Awaiting her are Jon’s parents—Sarah (Ellen Dorrit Petersen), a former friend of Elisabeth’s, and Anders—who accuse six-year-old Armand of sexually abusing their son. Elisabeth is blindsided, not only by the gravity of the allegations but by the fact that her own son’s side of the story is being disregarded.

The film plays out largely in confined school rooms and barren hallways, its sterile environment punctuated by surreal touches—a malfunctioning fire alarm, a bleeding administrator, and ghostly empty corridors. These elements hint at something deeper and more distorted than a standard drama, as if the fabric of reality itself is fraying under the weight of what’s unsaid. If you are okay with tonal whiplash in your movies, Armand, which is one of our only picks for new movies to stream on AMC+, should be on your watchlist.

The Best New Movies To Stream on MUBI

41. Bring Them Down (2024)
Where to Stream: MUBI | Dir: Christopher Andrews

Christopher Andrews’ Bring Them Down is a bleak and atmospheric drama set in the remote Irish countryside, where generations-old tensions between two sheep-farming families escalate into an increasingly violent and tragic feud.

 The film centers on Michael (Christopher Abbott), a brooding man who lives with his ailing father, Ray, speaking Irish as a testament to their deeply rooted traditions. Their neighbor Gary (Paul Ready) shares those old-school values but also harbors resentment toward Michael, in part due to their past—Gary is married to Michael’s ex-girlfriend, Caroline (Nora-Jane Noone). A tragic car accident in the past, which left Caroline scarred and took Michael’s mother’s life, has only deepened the divide.

In the present, Gary’s son Jack (Barry Keoghan), a volatile yet vulnerable young man, finds himself caught in the crossfire of his family’s animosity toward Michael. What begins as a bitter rivalry over land and livestock spirals into something far darker, with acts of vengeance and cruelty leading to devastating consequences.

Set against the haunting beauty of Ireland’s vast, lonely landscapes and our top pick for the best new movies to stream on MUBI, Bring Them Down is a grim and unflinching look at generational wounds, the inescapable grip of the past, and the destructive cycle of violence among men who have never learned another way to survive.

42. La cocina (2024)
Where to Stream: MUBI | Dir: Alonso Ruizpalacios

Directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios and inspired by Arnold Wesker’s play The Kitchen, La Cocina (2024) is a raw, claustrophobic, and emotionally charged drama set in the overheated chaos of a Times Square restaurant’s back kitchen. The film dives headfirst into the lives of immigrant workers trapped in a relentless cycle of hustle, poverty, and fractured dreams, offering a bleak but sharply human portrait of survival in contemporary America.

The story begins with Estella (Anna Diaz), a young Mexican woman, arriving at The Grill in search of work. But instead of focusing solely on her journey, the narrative pivots to Pedro (Raúl Briones), a charismatic, flirtatious cook with a reckless streak and a complicated history with Estella’s family. Pedro shares a turbulent relationship with Julia (Rooney Mara), his pregnant girlfriend and a waitress at the restaurant. While Pedro sees the unborn child as a possible source of hope, Julia remains grounded in the harsh realities of their unstable life and limited means.

As tensions rise and a theft from the restaurant’s register sparks suspicion—especially toward Julia, who’s desperate for money—the kitchen becomes a pressure cooker, both literally and figuratively. Packed with ego clashes, racial tensions, and emotional landmines, the kitchen reflects the harsh, unsentimental truth about America’s working class, especially its immigrants.

43. Toxic (2024)
Where to Stream: MUBI | Dir: Saulė Bliuvaitė

Saulė Bliuvaitė’s Toxic (2025) is an unflinching and empathetic debut — a raw, emotionally charged exploration of adolescence, self-worth, and the corrosive pursuit of validation. Set in a bleak Lithuanian town, the film follows Maria (Vesta Matulytė) and Kristina (Ieva Rupeikaitė), two teenage girls drawn into the exploitative promises of a local modeling agency. Believing beauty and confidence can offer escape from their fractured homes and inner insecurities, they spiral into moral and emotional compromises that expose how easily vulnerability can be manipulated.

Bliuvaitė’s direction is patient and piercing, never sensationalizing the girls’ recklessness but instead observing it with quiet sorrow. Her camera, guided by Vytautas Katkus’s stark cinematography, captures a world drained of warmth — a landscape where dreams and desperation blur. Matulytė and Rupeikaitė give remarkable performances, balancing fragility and defiance in roles that demand emotional nakedness.

Refusing judgment or melodrama, Toxic finds its power in empathy. It’s a painful, tender reminder of how the hunger to be seen can lead to self-destruction, and how, sometimes, survival itself becomes an act of resistance.

Toxic is now streaming on MUBI.

44. The Girl with the Needle (2024)
Where to Stream: MUBI | Dir: Magnus von Horn

Set in the bleak aftermath of World War I, The Girl with the Needle follows Karoline, a young woman struggling with financial instability and the crushing weight of a world that offers her little hope. Forced to leave her home, she finds refuge in a dilapidated mansion with barely livable conditions.

Her circumstances take a turn when she falls in love with her employer, only to be abandoned when she reveals her pregnancy. Desperate and alone, Karoline crosses paths with Dagmar, a candy shop owner who secretly operates an adoption agency for struggling mothers. Hoping to find solace, she takes a job as a wet nurse for Dagmar, only to uncover a dark reality lurking beneath the surface.

Director Magnus von Horn crafts a suffocating atmosphere of despair, mirroring the emotional and societal decay of the post-war era. Shot in stark black-and-white cinematography by Michal Dymek, the film immerses viewers in its grim world, where trauma festers and trust is scarce. The film toplines our picks for the best new movies to stream on MUBI.

45. Grand Tour (2024)
Where to Stream: MUBI | Dir: Miguel Gomes

Grand Tour, directed by Portuguese auteur Miguel Gomes, is a whimsical tale set against the backdrop of the British Empire during World War I. At its heart, it’s a romantic, bittersweet chase across colonial Asia.

The story begins in Rangoon, where Edward (played by Gonçalo Waddington), a jittery British functionary, anxiously awaits the arrival of his fiancée Molly (Crista Alfaiate), whom he’s been engaged to for seven years. But overwhelmed by doubt and nerves, Edward flees before she arrives, embarking on a journey that takes him from Singapore to Tibet, passing through cities like Bangkok, Saigon, Manila, Osaka, and Shanghai.

As Edward drifts from place to place, often mistaken for a spy, his life becomes increasingly disordered and dreamlike. Meanwhile, the indomitable Molly, armed with grit and a curious fainting condition, sets off in hot pursuit, her journey gaining narrative strength and energy as the film progresses. With its shifting black-and-white and color visuals, multilingual voiceovers, and playful mix of documentary and fiction, Grand Tour unfolds like a poetic travelogue and colonial-era farce.

However, beneath the surface lies a meditation on displacement, identity, and the nature of love in a world that feels too vast to pin down. It’s a film that blends melancholy and mischief, delivering an experience that is both bewildering and bewitching.

The Best New Movies To Stream on The Criterion Channel

46. Vermiglio (2024)
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel | Dir: Maura Delpero

Maura Delpero’s Vermiglio (2025) is a stunningly composed, emotionally rich wartime drama that transforms the quiet life of an Alpine village into a meditation on change, repression, and renewal. Set in 1944 Italy, the film follows Cesare (Tomasso Ragno), a rigid schoolteacher devoted to preserving the moral order of his small community, and his wife Adele (Roberta Rovelli), whose warmth and compassion sustain those around her. Their daughters — Lucia (Martina Scrinzi), Ada (Rachele Potrich), and Flavia (Anna Thaler) — represent a new generation on the verge of transformation, yearning for a world beyond their father’s austere traditions.

When a wounded soldier, Pietro (Giuseppe De Domenico), arrives seeking refuge, his tender romance with Lucia ignites both love and conflict, challenging the stability of the family and the authority of Cesare’s beliefs. Delpero’s deliberate pacing and intimate camerawork invite the viewer into a world where faith, duty, and desire collide. The performances — particularly from Scrinzi and Potrich — carry a profound emotional weight, balancing restraint with longing.

Visually breathtaking and deeply humane, Vermiglio captures the tension between tradition and progress with grace and empathy. It’s a quiet epic about the courage to question the past — and to imagine something freer. Vermiglio is now streaming on The Criterion Channel.

47. All We Imagine as Light (2024)
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel | Dir: Payal Kapadia

Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light is a deeply immersive, poetic exploration of womanhood, displacement, and longing in modern Mumbai. The film follows three women—Prabha (Kani Kusruti), Anu (Divya Prabha), and Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam)—each grappling with their own struggles while navigating the chaotic yet alluring city.

Prabha, a senior nurse in a run-down hospital, is trapped in a long-distance marriage with a husband who moved to Germany years ago. Her heart wrestles with a lingering attachment to the past, preventing her from embracing new possibilities.

Anu, her younger roommate and a junior nurse, is entangled in a secret relationship with Shiraz (Hridhu Haroon), a Muslim man. Fear of societal disapproval looms over their love, intensified by India’s rigid sociopolitical climate. Meanwhile, Parvaty, an older hospital cook, faces eviction due to relentless gentrification, her home at risk of demolition without legal proof of ownership.

Kapadia weaves these personal narratives into a larger tapestry of Mumbai itself—a city of dreams and illusions, where impermanence defines existence. As the women momentarily escape to the seaside, the film’s visual language shifts, embracing the surreal and the transcendental. A sun-dappled love scene and a haunting, cathartic encounter between Prabha and a stranger mark moments of quiet epiphany, capturing the film’s essence of longing and transformation.

48. Misericordia (2024)
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel | Dir: Alain Guiraudie

Alain Guiraudie’s Misericordia (2025) is a sly, small-town farce masquerading as a crime story — a dry, darkly funny riff on Pasolini’s Teorema that replaces erotic provocation with cozy absurdity. When Jérémie (Félix Kysyl) returns to his rural hometown for the funeral of his former boss, he’s quickly entangled in the strange domestic orbit of the widow Martine (Catherine Frot) and her prickly son Vincent (Jean-Baptiste Durand). After a “friendly” scuffle between the men takes a deadly turn, Jérémie’s fumbling attempts to cover up the crime ignite a chain of gossip, suspicion, and hilariously inappropriate intimacy among the villagers.

Guiraudie, best known for his wry explorations of desire and morality, crafts Misericordia with a light touch — finding humor not in the scandal itself, but in how casually everyone accepts it. His autumnal palette and languid pacing transform potential tragedy into a gently mocking study of human folly. Kysyl anchors the film with a charming blend of guilt and bewilderment, while Frot delivers a deliciously ambiguous performance as the matriarch who might know more than she lets on.

A murder mystery with no real mystery and a seduction story without consummation, Misericordia delights in its contradictions. It’s droll, intimate, and unmistakably French. Misericordia is now streaming on The Criterion Channel.

49. Evil Does Not Exist (2023)
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel | Dir: Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s profound ecological drama explores the delicate balance between nature and human development. Set in the small, tranquil mountain village of Mizubiki, the film focuses on the harmonious coexistence between the villagers and the surrounding untouched natural landscape. The story follows Takumi (Hitoshi Omika), a local handyman, and his daughter Hana (Ryo Nishikawa), as they live simple lives connected to the rhythms of nature.

The film’s peace is disturbed by the arrival of two urban outsiders, Takahashi and Mayuzumi, representatives from an entertainment company, Playmode. They propose building a glamping site in the village, which threatens to disrupt the village’s ecological balance by polluting the local water supply and endangering the pristine environment.

With stunning cinematography by Yoshio Kitagawa, Evil Does Not Exist is a visually and emotionally rich meditation on the fragile balance between human activity and the natural world.

50. The Beast (2023)
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel | Dir: Bertrand Bonello

Bertrand Bonello’s The Beast, starring Léa Seydoux and George MacKay, is set in a dystopian future and centers on a character named Sirens (played by Léa Seydoux). This highly skilled and enigmatic individual is part of an elite team tasked with maintaining order and control in a fractured world. The narrative delves into her interactions with various characters, revealing the complexities of her role and the ethical dilemmas she faces.

While it can’t be categorized into a specific genre, the film dives into the characters’ external and internal struggles, highlighting the tensions between personal desires and the demands of their roles in society. As the story unfolds, it examines the nature of power, authority, and the human capacity for empathy and cruelty.

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