This week’s crop of new movies arriving on the best streaming services has been set, and there are plenty of options. I’ll admit, it’s far from the strongest selection of fresh flicks I’ve seen in a seven-day period, but there are at least a few new additions worthy of your attention across platforms.
The typically reliable Netflix is sitting this week out, letting some of its rivals like Prime Video and Hulu take the spotlight. However, the most high-profile new streaming release is arguably in the premium space, with Jason Statham’s “Shelter” heading to PVOD. This is a largely enjoyable Statham-fronted action-thriller, even if it feels extremely by-the-books.
Below, I’ve rounded up all the most noteworthy new arrivals across streaming services, so you can spend less time scrolling and more time watching the newest movie releases. Plus, we also have a guide to this week’s top new TV shows, for those who prefer binge-watching.
|
Title |
Genre |
Streaming location |
Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
|
“Shelter” |
Action-thriller |
PVOD |
Feb. 24 |
|
“H is for Hawk” |
Drama |
PVOD |
Feb. 24 |
|
“Return to Silent Hill” |
Horror |
PVOD |
Feb. 24 |
|
“The Bluff” |
Action |
Prime Video |
Feb. 25 |
|
“The Summer Book” |
Drama |
Prime Video |
Feb. 26 |
|
“Kiss of the Spider Woman” |
Musical drama |
Hulu |
Feb. 27 |
|
“In the Blink of an Eye” |
Sci-fi drama |
Hulu |
Feb. 27 |
‘Shelter’ (PVOD)
A new Jason Statham action-thriller landing in theaters has become an early-year tradition over the past three years, but unlike “The Beekeeper” and “A Working Man,” “Shelter” isn’t a collaboration with director David Ayer. Instead, for this enjoyable but run-of-the-mill thriller, Statham teams up with Ric Roman Waugh, the filmmaker behind the “Greenland” movies.
“Shelter” has all the usual trappings of the genre. Statham plays a former elite operative, trying to live a quiet life off the grid, but his self-imposed isolation abruptly ends when he rescues a young girl from a deadly storm. This results in shadowy forces learning of his location. Soon enough, Statham’s Michael Mason and the young girl (Bodhi Rae Breathnach) are forced to go on the run, with deadly enemies from the past in pursuit.
You won’t find much narrative freshness here, but “Shelter” hits all the action highs that Jason Statham fans demand. It’s the sort of movie that delivers everything it promises, and I had a good time with it overall.
Watch on Prime Video (buy/rent) from February 24
‘H is for Hawk’ (PVOD)
There’s a real whiff of Oscar bait about “H is for Hawk.” However, it’s never truly entered the awards conversation this year, and didn’t manage any Academy Award nominations. Still, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its merits. It’s a tender biographical drama based on Emma Donoghue’s 2014 memoir and is notable for its strong leading performance from “The Crown’s” Claire Foy. It’s a top pick if you’re looking for a quality drama.
Following the sudden death of her father (Brendan Gleeson), Helen Macdonald (Foy) struggles with intense grief. To navigate and cope with her loss, Helen turns to falconry, training a female goshawk named Mabel. While her connection with this wild hawk offers much-needed solace, Helen begins to withdraw from those around her and must eventually find a way to balance her grief while still making true human connections.
Watch on Prime Video (buy/rent) from February 24
‘Return to Silent Hill’ (PVOD)
“Return to Silent Hill” is a movie for the morbidly curious or those with such a strong connection to the horror video game franchise that they’ll consume just about anything with the Silent Hill name. To be blunt, “Return to Silent Hill” is bad. It sees director Christophe Gans return to Silent Hill, after directing the bland 2006 big-screen video-game adaptation. This time, Gans adapts the beloved Silent Hill 2, and he gets it all wrong.
The broadstrokes are the same. As in Silent Hill 2, “Return to Silent Hill” centers on a troubled man, James Sunderland (Jeremy Irvine), exploring the anonymous fog-covered town after receiving a mysterious letter from his supposed deceased wife, Mary (Hannah Emily Anderson). The psychological sharpness of the source material is lost in favor of cheap scares, questionable narrative changes, and a frustrating need to overexplain every plot point to viewers. You’d be better off just playing the excellent Silent Hill 2 remake instead.
Watch on Prime Video (buy/rent) from February 24
‘The Bluff’ (Prime Video)
Swashbuckling pirate-themed movies haven’t really been en vogue since the decline of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise in the late 2010s, but Prime Video could lead to a genre resurgence if its new original, “The Bluff,” can stick the landing.
Here’s hoping because I’m always on board for a blockbuster action-adventure movie set at sea. There’s reason to be hopeful here as well, with Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Karl Urban in the leading roles and a revenge-fueled setup that appears ripe for blockbuster action.
Ercell Bodden (Chopra Jonas) is a former pirate in the late 19th century who leaves behind her criminal life to raise a family and enjoy a quiet existence. However, stepping away from a pirate’s life isn’t so simple, and when the ruthless Captain Connor (Urban) appears with vengeance on his mind, Ercell must protect her family from the ghosts of her past.
Watch on Prime Video from February 25
‘The Summer Book’ (Prime Video)
If a swashbuckling action-thriller isn’t quite your speed, Prime Video is offering strong variety this week. Along with “The Bluff,” the Amazon-owned platform will also offer up “The Summer Book.” This drama movie is based on Tove Jansson’s 1972 novel of the same name, and stars Glenn Close as the grandmother of a young girl, Sophia (Emily Matthews). It premiered at the London Film Festival last October and holds an 83% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Set on a small island in the Gulf of Finland, Sophia spends a memorable summer with her grandmother (Close) in the wake of her mother’s death. While her father (Anders Danielsen Lie) is consumed by grief, Sophia and her grandmother explore the picturesque island with seemingly infinite possibilities. Filmed entirely using natural light, “The Summer Book” appears to be an emotional tale of growing up and growing old.
Watch on Prime Video from February 26
‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ (Hulu)
“Kiss of the Spider Woman” was a box-office bomb last October. It grossed a mere $2 million on a budget reportedly around $30 million. That’s a serious underperformance, but to be honest, I’m not hugely surprised. It’s an adaptation of the 1992 stage musical of the same name, and much as I personally love a good musical, they’re tough sells to the general audience unless they have the name recognition of a stage production like “Wicked.”
Perhaps “Kiss of the Spider Woman” can find its fanbase on Hulu, because it got solid reviews, and was praised for its “visually sumptuous web of musical intrigue” with the performance of its central trio, Diego Luna, Tonatiuh and Jennifer Lopez, also noted as a strength.
Set during a military dictatorship, two prisoners (Luna and Tonatiuh) bond while locked in a cramped cell. To pass the time, one of the prisoners recounts his favorite movie to the other. Lopez plays the eponymous Spider-Woman, a character within the in-universe movie.
Watch on Hulu from February 27
‘In the Blink of an Eye’ (Hulu)
Andrew Stanton is most known for helming Pixar classics “WALL-E” and “Finding Dory,” but he also directed the much-maligned sci-fi flop “John Carter.” In some ways, “In the Blink of an Eye” was set up to be a redemption, as Stanton returns to the science fiction genre for an ambitious drama that weaves together three interconnected stories spanning thousands of years and covering some very big themes.
I’d love to write that Stanton’s nailed things this time around, but if the reviews (16% on Rotten Tomatoes) are any indication, this sci-fi movie might be even more flawed than “John Carter.” Still, lovers of grand sci-fi flicks with big ideas might want to give “In the Blink of an Eye” a chance.
At least it’s only 94 minutes long…
Watch on Hulu from February 27
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