Movies directed by Darren Aronofsky have won 3 Oscars and been nominated for 11 more, but his latest movie Caught Stealing is a dramatic change of pace and genre. For people who enjoy action or thriller movies over awards-bait dramas, that'll certainly be a well-received shift, but fans of Black Swan, The Whale or Mother! will have to temper their expectations.

Based on a 2004 novel by Charlie Huston, who also wrote the screenplay, Caught Stealing is a gritty crime drama set in New York City's underbelly. It's the kind of premise that many first-time directors turn to, but Aronofsky brings the expertise of a storied career (and the budget to match).

Elvis star Austin Butler leads the cast as Hank Thompson, a former high school baseball player, now a bartender, stuck in the past and unable to move on from one bad decision many years prior. When his neighbor skips town in a hurry, a motley crew of gangers and corrupt cops begin hunting for the figure, and as Hank is caught in the crossfire, he quickly gets in over his head.

Butler does great work as a tortured bartender and he's not alone; along his journey he's joined by Zoë Kravitz as his 'fling who could be more' Yvonne, Matt Smith as neighbor and British punk rocker Russ, Regina King as police detective Roman and Liev Schreiber, Vincent D'Onofrio and Carol Kane as members of a crime family after Russ.

Sadly, the surprisingly large cast means that we don't get that much time with any of the supporting cast, perhaps save for Roman. Scant time is spent exploring the motivations of Hank's antagonists, or even his allies, and some characters are snuffed out surprisingly early (though I won't say who for fear of spoilers).

Perhaps the standout role of the movie is Russ' cat, which Hank has to look after throughout the movie; it veers between adorable, funny and nasty enough to easily promote it into the pantheon of best movie cats.

There's no getting away from the fact that Caught Stealing is a fairly formulaic crime drama; we've probably all seen stories of young everymen dragged into dangerous plots and attempting to get out with their lives. Elevating Caught Stealing is not only the great performances across the board but also the higher budget than these movies normally get, which facilitates some fun action sequences including a visceral foot chase through a food market and a car chase through Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

A humorous undercurrent also helps the movie along the way; it's not a laugh-out-loud action comedy by any means, but it's not taking itself as seriously as some of the dry crime thrillers that overload streaming services.

Darren Aronofsky's movies often deal with psychological themes, and although his exploration of Hank's past traumas works neatly, there's a hole in the movie where a more cohesive character drama or some meaningful depth should sit. Hank doesn't seem to learn much through his adventures, and he's not affected nearly as much as you'd expect from the plot he finds himself in (or a shocking death mid-way through the story). As previously mentioned, there isn't enough exploration of the motivation of other characters, or much of a commentary of any kind, to point to any real meaning or message in the movie.

So don't go into Caught Stealing expecting your standard Aronofsky drama, and it's no insult to the film to say it isn't angling for any Oscars. It's simply a fun action-thriller movie elevated by its performances.

Caught Stealing is coming to theaters on Friday, August 29.

While movie-goers haven't been as keen on the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Avengers: Endgame wrapped up the first match of Marvel movies back in 2019, a few of its theatrical releases still give fans what they're looking for, and one of the best-received post-Endgame entries is finally about to hit streaming.

If the header image didn't give it away, I'm of course talking about Thunderbolts* (which Disney gave a second name in a marketing stunt but apparently this title provides spoilers so I'm not going to refer to it as that). After releasing theatrically all the way back in May, Thunderbolts* is set to hit Disney Plus on Wednesday, August 27 (just a few days out, at the time of writing).

Thunderbolts* unites some of the MCU's previously-established heroes who haven't enjoyed their own story; there's Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova and David Harbour's Red Guardian from Black Widow, Wyatt Russell's John Walker from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes who's been in a fair few of the movies ands shows and a few new characters, including Lewis Pullman as Bob Reynolds.

They all need to team for a deadly mission, filling in for the Avengers who aren't available. The cast is rounded out by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Wendell Pierce.

Early viewers of Thunderbolts* reported that it had much more of an emotional throughline than many Marvel movies, something that Disney leant heavily on with trailers positioning it as a weepy drama as much as an action movie.

This strategy seemed to work as the movie enjoyed largely positive reviews and, at the time of writing, it sits at 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. Only three post-Endgame Marvel movies have scores better than that: Spider-Man: No Way Home at 93%, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings at 92% and Spider-Man: Far From Home with 91%. The latest entry, The Fantastic Four: First Steps falls just short at 86%.

In terms of audience score, Thunderbolts* has 93% which actually puts it ahead of Endgame's 90%, though those aforementioned three movies still beat it by that metric.

Thunderbolts* rounded out Marvel's Phase Five which marked a low point of Marvel releases, at least according to critics and audiences. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania got just 46% and Captain America: Brave New World barely did better at 47%, with other movies including The Marvels at 62% and Deadpool & Wolverine at 78%. On the TV front things were largely better although one of the biggest releases, Secret Invasion, also came in at 53%. So it was a polarizing time for audiences and Thunderbolts* was the best-received movie of the bunch (on the TV front, an animated series called Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man beat it with 97%).

So it's hard to deny that Thunderbolts* is considered one of the best Marvel movies since Endgame came out, and now you can watch it at home with Disney Plus. And Marvel fans might want to continue their subscription after watching the movie with animated miniseries Marvel Zombies coming out at the end of September and live-action Wonder Man out in December.

It may have one of cinema's most impressive female ensembles, but The 355, which has landed on Netflix today in the US, is no girlie flick.

Espionage action thrillers like this used to be dominated by men, and any in the cast played secondary — and often purely decorative — roles. Which, for the film's producer and star, Jessica Chastain, was the point of making her movie.

Released in 2022, this was just the second movie made under the Freckle Films banner, the production company launched by Chastain back in 2016. That same year, it also released The Eyes Of Tammy Faye, which saw her producing again, as well as playing the title role of TV evangelist Tammy Faye Bakker and winning a well-overdue Best Actress Oscar.

In The 355, she's abrasive CIA agent Mason Brown, forced to work under the radar when a new weapon of mass destruction is stolen, threatening to bring about World War III.

Despite signing up former associate and computer whizz Khadijah (Lupita Nyong’o), they can’t track it down, and decide to pull in some international agents to help. German Marie (Diane Kruger), psychologist Graciela (Penelope Cruz) and Chinese MSS agent Lin (Fan Bingbing) all bring their individual talents to the hunt, which takes them all over the world at breakneck speed. But, as well as finding themselves getting closer to the asset itself, they unexpectedly discover corruption in some high and powerful places.

See what we mean about an impressive line-up? And they’re all formidable yet fun in their different ways. Mason is fearsome and very savvy, but full of insecurities underneath her prickly surface. Marie describes herself simply as “a mess”, while Khadijah has been out of action for a while and is – sensibly – more than a little wary about returning to the field. Graciela takes it one step further: she’s scared to death of the mission and just wants to be at home to her children. Lin is late to the party, but makes a big physical impact in a very short space of time.

Male agents do get a look-in. Check further down the cast list and you’ll find Edgar Ramirez as a Colombian agent who briefly gets his hands on the device and a then- emergent Sebastian Stan as CIA agent Nick, Mason’s former partner, both professionally and privately. But, given the thinking behind the film, the tables have turned.

Their characters are the ones short on both subtlety and both actors are very much in supporting roles.

The film had a turbulent time reaching its audience. Chastain had the initial idea back in 2017 when she was a member of the jury at Cannes. For all its action, twisty plot and eventual starry cast, raising the money was tricky and, by the time it was ready to hit the screen, the pandemic had brought everything to a standstill and the release was delayed. It was a blow to its box office performance, yet audiences who turned out to see it gave it 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, regarding it as a fun action thriller. Even the critics, who were less than kind, had to admit that the knock-out ensemble at the centre of the story was a real coup.

A subsequent release online proved even more popular but, despite a denouement that pointed very much towards a sequel, it didn’t happen. This wasn’t going to be Charlie’s Angels for the 2020s.

But audiences at the time weren’t wrong. This is an enjoyable espionage thriller with a cast that gives it real star quality. Packed with all the ingredients we expect from a glossy actioner – exotic locations, hair-raising car chases and twists in the tail – it perhaps lets itself down by never taking the genre into new territory. But this is one of those instances where familiarity breeds entertainment, not contempt.

Chastain is just one of a number of top name actresses who have become producers with the specific aim of opening up storytelling to the female experience and viewpoint. Since The 355, she’s also produced and starred in Mothers’ Instinct (2024) and TV miniseries George & Tammy (2023), winning a SAG Award for her performance. At much the same time as she launched her production company, Reese Witherspoon was opening the doors at Hello Sunshine to tell women-driven stories. The Golden Globe-winning Big Little Lies (2017 – 2019) followed on TV, together with a number of other shows, while she produced as well as starred alongside Will Ferrell earlier this year in the comedy You’re Cordially Invited.

Perhaps the most successful producer/actress at the moment is Margot Robbie, whose LuckyChap was founded in 2014. Its first feature, I, Tonya (2017), found immediate critical success with Robbie receiving an Oscar nomination and co-star

Allison Janney winning Best Supporting Actress. Robbie also fronted Birds Of Prey (2020), as well as producing, and Barbie, as we all know, turned into a global phenomenon, heading the box office charts in 2023 with global earnings of $1,447,038,421. Stats don’t get much more impressive.

The 355 is available now on Netflix in the US and is currently available to rent via Prime Video in the UK.

Netflix was the first of the big streamers to become moviemakers. After releasing Beasts Of No Nation in 2015, Prime Video were right behind them in 2016 and others followed suit. Since then, they’ve all gathered some star power, with names such as Adam Sandler, Eddie Murphy, Millie Bobby Brown, John Cena and Mark Wahlberg becoming regulars. Wahlberg’s first Netflix original was five years ago – and if you didn’t catch Spenser Confidential then, now is the time.

He plays the Spenser of the title, an ex-cop back on the streets of Boston after a jail sentence but who is pulled back into the crime that put him away. All he wants to do is earn his truck driving license and move to Arizona to put some distance between him and his ex. But he can’t walk away when a couple of former police colleagues are murdered, especially as he sniffs a cover-up. So, with some help from his old boxing trainer Henry (Alan Arkin) and his roommate Hawk (Winston Duke), he gets back to solving crimes, exposing the truth – and acquiring the bruises and scars to prove it.

We’re on buddy-cop crime mystery territory for what turned out to be Wahlberg’s fifth and last collaboration with director Peter Berg. While Wahlberg has since been mixing it up with a variety of films for both streamers and the big screen, Berg has concentrated on TV projects, most recently this year’s American Primeval, Netflix’s brutal western mini-series.

The majority of his films with Wahlberg were actioners based on real life, but Spenser Confidential is a long way from that, concentrating more on a humour which is beefed up by a handful of salty supporting characters. The action is still there, but this time it’s designed to entertain, with Spenser beaten up so often it almost becomes a running gag in its own right. His partnership with Hawk and their inevitable banter give Wahlberg and Duke the opportunity to forge a sparky on-screen partnership that helps drive the story along.

Spenser Confidential was also the last appearance in front of the camera from Oscar winner Alan Arkin, who plays trainer, Henry, in his customary curmudgeonly style, but with a twinkle never far from his eyes. He’s only in a few scenes but the part fits him like a glove, allowing him to bring an earthiness to the film.

Alongside him in the colourful supporting cast is Marc Maron, in a role that has his name written all over it. As Wayne Cosgrove, a reporter on The Boston Globe, he’s cynical and world weary but his principles remain intact and he’s trying to shine a light on wrongdoing. He gives Spenser the vital clue he needs to crack the case and, although we only see him in a couple of scenes, he leaves an indelible impression.

Having started out as a stand-up comedian, Maron is also a writer, an award winning podcaster and, more recently, a prolific actor both on TV and in movies. After the success of last year’s taut thriller, The Order, he’s due back on the big screen later this year as record producer Chuck Plotkin in the much-anticipated Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, alongside Jeremy Allen White, Paul Walter Hauser and Jeremy Strong. Currently he’s immersed in the world of golf in Apple TV+ Plus’s sports comedy Stick. And, after a first season that garnered an 82% score on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s been greenlit for a second outing.

Owen Wilson stars as Pryce Cahill, an ex-pro golfer whose career came to an abrupt halt 20 years ago. Emerging after the breakup of his marriage, he’s working in a sporting goods store and places his future in the 17 year old hands of golfing prodigy Santi (Peter Dager), who is seriously in need of a coach. The combination of sport and the show’s good hearted tone has prompted comparisons with Apple TV Plus’s big hitter, Ted Lasso.

And, just like Bill Lawrence’s affectionate look at football, it’s a show that depends very much on the chemistry between its cast. For Stick, the relationship at the centre of everything is the one between Pryce and Mitts, his long-term friend and former caddy, played by Maron. Essentially the comic relief, he always has a great gag for any occasion and the actor’s immaculate timing means his dry, sarcastic lines are delivered to perfection. The big laughs all come from him and, while Wilson is no stranger to comedy – and certainly has his moments in season one - he’s the straight man, with the dramatic side of the narrative falling in his shoulders. And he produces some really tearjerking moments.

There’s no word yet on when filming starts for the new season, nor when it’s likely to arrive, although next year looks a good bet. The script is under wraps as well, but there’s been hints of a backstory about Mitts’ late wife and it sounds like a natural. If the past year has been a busy one for Maron, 2026 could be a hole in one!

Spenser Confidential is on Netflix in the USA and the UK.

All episodes of season one of Stick are on Apple TV Plus in both the USA and the UK.

Lost star Daniel Dae Kim stars in the new action-packed thriller series Butterfly, and you'll be able to watch it from Wednesday, August 15 when the entire season hits streaming.

Butterfly is about a former operative for a secret intelligence agency who fled that life nearly a decade prior after faking his own death. However when he learns that the daughter he abandoned now works for the group, he returns to Korea to rescue her, which puts a big target on his back.

As well as Daniel Dae Kim, the cast is populated by It's What's Inside's Reina Hardesty, Yellowstone's Piper Perabo and Top Gun: Maverick's Charles Parnell.

So without further time-wasting, here's how to watch Butterfly from around the world when it comes out.

How to watch Butterfly

To watch Butterfly, you'll need to subscribe to Amazon Prime, because every episode will land on the streaming service Prime Video when they land. After reading the description this might not be a surprise because Prime Video is one of the best streaming services for spy thrillers.

All six episodes of Butterfly will land on Prime Video on the same day: Tuesday, May 20. So you won't need to wait in order to stream any of them.

Prime Video is Amazon's streaming offering, and you have to be a subscriber to Amazon Prime to watch its movies and shows.

This costs $14.99 / £8.99 / AU$9.99 per month or $139 / £95 / AU$79 per year but by default, Prime Video has ads, and you can pay $2.99 / £2.99 per month extra for ad-free streaming. Here's how to remove commercials from Prime Video.

In some countries, you can take out a standalone Prime Video subscription, which is cheaper and gives you just the streaming services, and not the quick delivery or other perks.

How to watch Butterfly

If you've never been an Amazon Prime customer before, then you'll be happy to know that there's a one-month free trial for brand-new subscribers. That means if your email address hasn't been linked to an Amazon accont.

This lasts for one month and it rolls into a standard monthly subscription once it ends. It'll let you watch all of Prime Video's content and also enjoy all of the other Amazon Prime perks. Here's how to get a Prime Video free trial.

How to watch Butterfly everywhere else

If you're going to be away from your normal TV setup but still want to watch Butterfly, you should find Prime Video accessible from most regions, but sometimes you might run into some problems. Thankfully, you can solve this exact issue with a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

A VPN lets you change your IP address to that of the area of what you want to watch, meaning you can tune in to your favorite show, movie or other content even if you're not there. Our favorite is NordVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our rankings.

How to use a VPN to watch any stream

• Download the app at NordVPN
• Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc)
• Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!

Scrolling for something new to watch on Hulu this week, August 9-15? Let me give you a hand with my picks for the best movies, TV shows and more arriving on the streaming service.

The big arrival this week is a new series based on one of the most popular sci-fi franchises of all time. But there are some other great options to stream this week, including a special live event and a major action franchise.

Check out all of the picks for this week directly below.

The Lost City (2022)

• Enjoy this adventure comedy on Hulu starting August 10

Who doesn't love Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum? They both are at their charming best in The Lost City, an action/adventure comedy that is a solid, easy watch from the last few years.

In the movie, Bullock plays an author who is kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire (played by Daniel Radcliffe) who believes her most recent book reveals clues to a real ancient lost city. It falls to her cover model (Tatum) to try and rescue her.

Copshop (2021)

• Under-the-radar crime thriller with a fun Gerard Butler performance is streaming as of August 11

There's a large fan base for Gerard Butler's crime movies Den of Thieves and Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, but in my opinion, Copshop is just as fun and is a far superior movie than the Den of Thieves franchise, and we still get Butler showing his rougher side.

In Copshop, a con artist (Frank Grillo) attempts to hide from a lethal assassin (Butler) by getting himself arrested. However, the assassin follows him into the station, with only a rookie cop (Alexis Louder) on duty to handle the situation.

Copshop is "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes.

Alien: Earth

• The first two episodes of the sci-fi TV series premiere on Hulu on August 12

The Xenomorphs have been terrorizing space for almost 50 years, but they are about to terrorize Earth in the FX/Hulu original series Alien: Earth from Fargo creator Noah Hawley.

With a cast of relatively lesser-known actors, save for Timothy Olyphant, Alien: Earth is one of the more interesting summer TV shows we're getting this year and is worth giving a try.

John Wick movies

• The entire John Wick franchise starts streaming on Hulu on August 15

Not one, not two, not three, but all four John Wick movies arrive on Hulu this week.

The mega-action franchise, starring Keanu Reeves as the world's most dangerous assassin out for revenge against those who have wronged him, has spawned beyond the confines of these four movies (most recently with the spinoff movie Ballerina), and we're even getting a John Wick 5 it seems. But these four movies (John Wick, John Wick: Chapter 2, John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, John Wick: Chapter 4) remain the gold standard.

Stand Up to Cancer

• A special live stream of the Stand Up to Cancer fundraising event takes place on August 15

Stand Up to Cancer raises money for cancer research, and one of their biggest events is the Stand Up to Cancer event, taking place for the ninth time on August 15.

Hulu will have a special live stream of the event that begins at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT, with host Sheryl Crow and appearances and performances from celebrities, including Dolly Parton.

After a week's wait, Chief of War episode 3 released onto Apple TV Plus on Friday, August 8, with the episode entitled 'City of Flowers' bringing us our first wait after the first two installments debuted at once.

The week's wait correlates with a time jump in the story, as at least a year has passed since Chief of War's previous episode (or possibly more, though we're not told by how much). Our lead Ka'iana is a long way from home now and that doesn't mean the Hawaiian Islands have been waiting for him.

Chief of War depicts the conflict between four warring kingdoms across the archipelago in the midst of European colonization plans in the 18th century and after the first two episodes focused on the war, 'City of Flowers' gives us a much better look at the rest of the world during this time period.

The whole story is deeply rooted in Polynesian history and folklore, but if you're not versed in this, it can help to see some of the place and character names written down. Perhaps in a Chief of War episode 3 recap like this!

So here's our Chief of War episode 3 recap, covering 'City of Flowers'. Spoilers ensue for the second episode of this new show.

A new prophesized leader

A year on from their flight to Hawai'i, the family of Ka'iana have settled into their life, along with the stranded sailor called John Young who's been welcomed into their community.

However over on O'ahu war still rages as the invading Maui are finding the hosts harder to beat than they thought. The O'ahu chief plots to poison King Kahekili (Temuera Morrison) but the man leads a warband to capture him. The chief bends his knee in submission when the king threatens his family, but Kahekili puts the woman and child to death anyway.

Back to Hawai'i: we meet a new person called Kamehameha (Kaina Makua) who leads his soldiers in an underwater breath-holding contest. When he emerges the island's war chief Moku criticizes him for skipping a council meeting and tells him that his ailing uncle, the island's king, wants to talk to him.

Kamehameha speaks to the king, as well as his son Keoua (Cliff Curtis) and the older man tasks Kamehameha with helping Keoua prepare for the O'ahu invasion. The former is asked what they should do to prepare and he says that they need to begin stockpiling food.

The wedding

John Young has apparently been teaching the islanders English but during one lesson with Ka'ahumanu (Luciane Buchanan), they're interrupted by Moku who announces that she's to wed Kamehameha that night.

She's not happy about it but Moku explains that he thinks that Kamehameha, not Ka'iana, is the prophesized chosen one who'll unite the islands.

Later Ka'ahumanu reveals to Moku what the prophetess told her (in episode 2): she's unable to have a child, which is a bit of a problem since it'd be her main role as a wife. Moku simply implores her not to tell anyone this.

That night, Ka'ahumanu and Kamehameha are wed, and afterwards there is a ceremony to prepare them for their 'first night' so to speak. Individually, Ka'ahumanu and Moku seem to show reservations due to what they know.

A trade deal

Throughout the episode, we cut away to Ka'iana (Jason Momoa) after he was rescued on a ship sailing away from the islands. We catch up a year later when the vessel is in Alaska and Tony (James Udom) teaches him how to use a gun. He goes hunting and really learns the power of this weapon.

Some time later, the ship is en route to a port called Zamboanga where the ship will its cargo, after which Ka'iana can go home. When they reach the port Ka'iana wants to buy lots of guns, but finds out that his fee for his work doesn't cover any. They go to a tavern where a drunk person starts a fight with him and the situation is defused by a Hawaiian woman who brings Ka'iana and Tony to her home.

This woman, known as Vai to the locals, recognizes Ka'iana's headdress and wants to know why he's there. He admits he wants to buy the guns to fix a mistake, and she offers to get them for him in exchange for something.

Later he brings her to meet his captain and she proposes a trade: he smuggles guns to the island for Ka'iana and in exchange the islanders let the Europeans cut sandalwood, which is extremely valuable and hard to find. The captain agrees though Ka'iana isn't happy about it, accusing Vai of selling out her home. Later Vai explains that there's no beating the European's hunt for profits, and her route lets the islanders get some say in the matter instead of having it taken from them.

At the same time a belligerent blacksmith from the boat's crew tells a different captain about the existence of the lucrative islands, full of possible plunder. Later blacksmith bribes a prostitute to distract the captain, which Tony sees and follows him.

The blacksmith goes to the ship and Tony confronts him, but is waylaid by a group of people who decide to sell him into slavery and knock him out. Then we see the blacksmith steal a chart which shows where the Hawaiian islands are.

Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson star in the new action-comedy movie The Pickup but it won't be releasing in cinemas; instead, it comes straight to streaming and we'll help you find out how to watch it.

The Pickup is about two armored truck drivers, played by Murphy and Davidson, who find their task complicated when they're ambushed by a load of criminals. But these bandits don't just want money, and the drivers are pulled into a scheme that puts them in danger at every corner.

Keke Palmer and Eva Longoria also star in the movie, which was directed by Fantastic Four and Ride Along's Tim Story.

If this sounds like a fun movie night watch, here's how to watch The Pickup when it comes out.

How to watch The Pickup

If you want to watch The Pickup, you'll need to be an Amazon Prime subscriber, because the movie is set to land exclusively on Prime Video around the world.

Prime Video is one of the many facets of an Amazon Prime subscription, though in some countries there's a way to sign up just for the video streaming service instead of the whole package.

Generally, though, you need Amazon Prime. This costs $14.99 / £8.99 / AU$9.99 per month or $139 / £95 / AU$79 per year but by default, Prime Video has ads, and you can pay $2.99 / £2.99 per month extra for ad-free streaming. Here's how to remove commercials from Prime Video.

The movie clocks in at an hour and 34 minutes, so it's not too long.

How to watch The Pickup for free

If you've never been an Amazon Prime customer before, then you'll be happy to know that there's a one-month free trial for brand-new subscribers. That means if your email address hasn't been linked to an Amazon accont.

This lasts for one month and it rolls into a standard monthly subscription once it ends. It'll let you watch all of Prime Video's content and also enjoy all of the other Amazon Prime perks. Here's how to get a Prime Video free trial.

How to watch The Pickup everywhere else

If you're going to be away from your normal TV setup but still want to watch The Pickup or other things via your home streaming service, you might run into some problems. Thankfully, you can solve this exact issue with a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

A VPN lets you change your IP address to that of the area of what you want to watch, meaning you can tune in to your favorite show, movie or other content even if you're not there. Our favorite is NordVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our rankings.

How to use a VPN to watch any stream

• Download the app at NordVPN
• Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc)
• Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!

I’ve found my next TV show in Apple TV Plus’ and Jason Momoa’s Chief of War. The period action epic that tells the story of the unification of Hawai’i in the late 18th/19th century premiered its first two episodes on Apple TV Plus on Friday, August 1, and I quickly saw what other critics did as they gave the show a 90% “Certified Fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Co-created, co-written and starring Momoa (who also directed some episodes), the series quickly reminded me of a recent mega-hit TV series, Shogun. Its scale is epic, and the level of detail and authenticity brought to the series is felt in every frame. But what really makes this series work is Momoa’s commitment, most visible on screen.

Momoa has been a fun personality to follow since his breakout role as Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones, yet even as he’s starred in a number of big movies like Aquaman/Justice League, Fast X, Dune and A Minecraft Movie, his performances outside of Game of Thrones weren’t all that interesting to me (in fairness, I heard good things about See, but missed that in its initial run). But in Chief of War, Momoa grabs the spotlight early in what I think is the perfect role for him and one that had me thinking of a classic Arnold Schwarzenegger role.

In Chief of War, Momoa plays Ka’iana, a war chief for the Kingdom of Maui who is trying to escape his past. In the first two episodes, he is recruited back to fight, but soon learns a terrible truth that forces him and his family to run and escape a grave danger.

Unsurprisingly, Momoa’s Ka’iana is a striking presence physically (and you see that physicality head to toe in the series), equally matched by the intensity the actor gives the character. And while I don’t think anyone would confuse Ka’iana for a great conversationalist, he’s more than just the strong, silent type. He’s smart, with a keen military mind, and yet compassionate, clearly impacted by the past deeds he has done in battle.

It’s a role that is similar in many ways to that of Khal Drogo, but I also see similarities with Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Schwarzenegger’s T-800 is described as a cold-blooded killing machine in the original movie, and his physical presence backs that up. But when he returns in the sequel, the T-800 has been reprogrammed to help the good guys. He’s still the intimidating and formidable machine with a primary purpose, but his metal exoskeleton is softened as he protects and learns from the young John Connor (Edward Furlong). Terminator 2: Judgment Day is easily Schwarzenegger’s top performance for me.

Similarly, Momoa’s Ka’iana is a perfectly sculpted weapon of war; we see how much in a few battle scenes early on in the series. However, because we also see him with his family and in interactions with others, even though he never seems to let his guard down, there is a kindness to him that makes us want to root for him. It’s a fascinating duality that Momoa hasn’t had in many of his roles.

The closest was probably Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones, but you’d be hard pressed to describe Drogo as having compassion; he only warms to Daenerys (Emilia Clark) when she shows courage to stand up to him. His other most notable roles are more one-dimensional — Aquaman is a surfer bro learning to be a ruler, while his Fast X villain is entertaining but not overly deep.

One other thing that Momoa deserves a lot of credit for is how effective he is in performing while speaking in another language. In Game of Thrones, it was the fictional Dothraki, and in Chief of War, it is native Hawaiian. In each case, it feels like speaking in a non-English language gives Momoa some extra energy and an ability to channel the character’s emotions better. Even if we didn’t have the subtitles, Momoa’s performance as Ka’iana is solid for those of us who don’t speak the language.

Though I’m only a few episodes in, I already think Chief of War’s Ka’iana is one of the best Jason Momoa performances to date. I can’t wait to see the journey of his character and how the rest of the story plays out.

Chief of War premieres new episodes Fridays exclusively on Apple TV Plus (subscription required).

The second part of the two-episode premiere of Chief of War released on Friday, August 1 to Apple TV Plus, and Chief of War episode 2 is called 'Changing Tides'.

This new historical epic series depicts the unification of Hawai'i in the 18th century through a series of battles, as European explorers begin to discover and settle the islands, all set across the beautiful landscapes.

As with most multi-episode-premiere Apple shows, the story really kicks off during 'Changing Tides', as the colonizers touch down and our lead character gets wrapped up in brewing war.

The whole story is deeply rooted in Polynesian history and folklore, but if you're not versed in this, it can help to see some of the place and character names written down. Perhaps in a Chief of War episode 2 recap like this!

So here's our Chief of War episode 2 recap, covering 'Changing Tides'. Spoilers ensue for the second episode of this new show.

Meet Ka'ahumanu

We start the episode by meeting a new character: Ka'ahumanu (Luciane Buchanan) on Maui. She's watching the stars and asks the star reader to tell her about one. He recounts the story of the ancient warrior who settled the Hawaiian Islands. She asks him about the lands beyond their own but he says there are none worth living in.

Elsewhere on the island, a patrol finds a canoe from Hawai'i but they're swiftly ambushed and killed. These infiltrators are lead by Hawaiian war chief Moku who wants to find Ka'ahumanu, and later she attends a secret meeting between the two where we discover that she's the daughter of him and the Maui king's sister.

Moku knows a war is brewing and asks Ka'ahumanu to return to Hawai'i with him, but he's also promised her hand in marriage to their chief which she's not happy about. Moku needs to leave but Ka'ahumanu's mother promises to send her over soon.

The manhunt

Over on O'ahu, Maui Prince Kupule (Brandon Finn) is annoyed at his father King Kahekili (Temuera Morrison) for lying to the people to instigate the attack on the island. At the same time Ka'iana (Jason Momoa) and his family are being guarded by some Maui soldiers.

Ka'iana is summoned to see Kahekili but when the King comes to the meeting spot, he finds only Ka'iana's weapon, symbolically smashed. At the camp Kahekili finds the guards slain and the family escaped, but he knows that Ka'iana and his family have fled to Maui to rescue another member of their party who's still there. Kupule and another of Kahekili's advisors follow them, with lots of soldiers.

Ka'iana and his family paddle their boat through a stormy night and hear a ringing bell, but miss what we see: a giant wooden boat, leering through the fog.

The next morning the group arrive at Maui and start looking for the final member of their group, Heke, and realize she's in a distant valley planting herbs after a ritual the night before. Ka'iana wanders off and is spotted by a Maui soldier, who alerts the rest of the pursuers including Kupule to his location. Ka'iana runs and his family slips away while the soldiers are distracted.

Later that day, crews of sailers from the sailing vessel row to the island. They're trying to resupply for their voyage but want to avoid following Captain Cook's fate (James Cook was killed on Hawai'i after a fracas with the islanders).

Ka'ahumanu visits the prophetess Taula and asks about her future. Taula says that she will disappoint her father and her betrothed chief, but there's one route for her eventual happiness as a guardian will come to her. But Taula also says that she senses the gods fear Ka'ahumanu as she may break the world.

Ka'iana's family find Heke but the man himself is still running, and a rock launched via a sling hits the man and injures him. He sneaks through long grass, at one point throwing a piglet at the pursuers to tempt the mother boar to attack them, which helps him get away.

Leaving the islands

The injured Ka'iana finds a cave to weather bad weather and it happens to be where Ka'ahumanu lives. She tells him who she is and explains that she spent her life hiding from Kahekili due to her origins. Later she tells him about how Cook visited some years prior and was fought off by her father. He wants to find his family and eventually, she decides to come with him.

The explorers are at a river, washing and harvesting food, and Maui soldiers ambush one to take his pistol. Ka'iana and Ka'ahumanu stumble upon the party, much to both's alarm. One man raises his rifle to Ka'iana, despite the leader's command not to fire, but when he shoots he misses anyway. Ka'iana throws a knife back, but it's actually aimed at a Maui sneaking up behind the group.

Ka'iana and Ka'ahumanu continue on their way, but the gunshot drew the attention of their pursuers. He tells her to get his family and take them to Hawai'i while he draws off the Maui.

The family is getting irritable waiting for Ka'iana and come to blows, but then Ka'ahumanu arrives to tell them what happened. They get on a boat ready to leave, but the white explorer (who was knocked out before) stumbles upon them, as the rest of the sailors have already left the island. They decide to leave the island as they can't wait for Ka'iana, and take this new man with them.

Meanwhile Ka'iana is pursued to a cliff edge. He fights off some attackers but is eventually subdued and taken captive. But when Kupule approaches Ka'iana takes the opportunity to jump off the cliff, into the surf far below.

Some time later, Ka'iana wakes up. He's on the European boat and when he stumbles aboveboard, disconcerted at these new surroundings, he discovers that they're sailing far away from the islands.

The new Apple TV Plus historical epic Chief of War takes us to 18th century Hawai'i, depicting the native inhabitants unifying against European colonizers to protect their land and way of life.

Two episodes premiered on Friday, August 1, 2025, and the first of these is named after the series: 'The Chief of War', which sets up the factions and characters while whisking us away to the islands.

If you're not versed in Polynesian names or Hawaiian history then it might help to be able to read some of the names and events, to help you keep track.

And that's exactly what this Chief of War episode 1 recap is for. Spoilers ensue for the first episode of this new show.

Welcome to The Islands

A narrator explains to us that the Hawaiian Islands in the 18th century are split into four island kingdoms: O'ahu, Maui, Hawai'i and Kaua'i, which are constantly at war. A prophecy tells of a great king who will unite the islands, but the inhabitants have been waiting centuries and so far, no cigar.

Off the shore of Kaua'i, a man maned Ka'iana (Jason Momoa) leads his family on a shark-hunting expedition. While they drop jars of herbs to sedate the animal, Momoa jumps in and lassos a creature. He takes it to the boat, ready for it to be dinner.

Ka'iana returns to the settlement with his family, which consists of several men and their wives, and find young Kaua'i kids poking around in their belongings. One kid confronts Ka'iana and we learn that he is the son of the Maui's Chief of War, but is now an outcast.

A boat is spotted, coming from Maui. A messenger asks Ka'iana to return to Maui at the behest of his uncle, and he's threatened that if he tries to run again, he will be found.

Homecoming

So Ka'iana and his family go to Maui, and are taken to a camp where warriors are training. One of them challenges Ka'iana and he wins by breaking his foe's arm. Then the man is greeted by the ruler, King Kahekili (Temuera Morrison), who's also Ka'iana's uncle and the brother of the former Chief of War, Ka'iana's father.

The king asks Ka'iana and his family to return to Maui, and we learn that the group abandoned the army because of the antics of the warlike king. Kahekili explains that one of the neighboring kingdoms, O'ahu, seems poised to invade and Kahekili wants Ka'iana by his side to carry out the prophecy of uniting the islands. Apparently O'ahu's warmongering head priest is manipulating the young king to carry out the invasion.

Ka'iana tells his family that he wants them to sneak back to Kaua'i, but this splits them as some want to stay on their home country. The next morning Kahekili meets Ka'iana alone, and takes him to a remote hut where Ka'iana's father's bones were; some were stolen by the O'ahu to conduct a pre-war ritual. Ka'iana and his family carry out their own to let the dead lie in piece.

The day after, Ka'iana has a vision of the prophetess, Taula, who implies that the gods want the man to fight. Later his partner brings him his father's old belongings, which convince him to fight.

The attack on O'ahu

Ka'iana proposes a plan to take O'ahu without much bloodshed: Kahekili will take the main army to the western shore to act as a diversion while Ka'iana will lead a small band of warriors to the east, to take the priest and cause the king to surrender. The plan begins as predicted, with the Maui engaging in a skirmish on a beach which sees some brutal combat.

During the battle Ka'iana sees a vision of a disturbed-looking Taula, and as the group proceeds towards the temple, they startle and then kill a group of people who turn out just to be farmers, not soldiers.

On the boats Kahekili beats the call to attack even though he was meant to wait, and the forces land, attacking fishermen and children with no provocation. They make their way to the temple and even though the king's advisor suggests they shouldn't attack a sacred site, they do anyway, slaughtering the residents and burning buildings.

Ka'iana and his family arrive to see the temple burning and the young O'ahu king captive. The boy is confused by Kahekili's unprovoked attack but the Maui king quickly executes him.

The island newly taken, Kahekili reveals that there was no warlike high priest, but the plan to unite the Hawaiian Islands is now underway. Ka'iana realizes that he was manipulated by the king, and is distraught at the slaughter he just carried out.

Looking for some new movies to stream in August? Well, great news, there are plenty of options across the likes of Netflix, HBO Max, Prime Video and all of the major streaming services this month. With that said, it can be a lot to scroll through, so allow me to offer my humble services in helping you find the new movies on streaming that you are not going to want to miss.

The below list of movies is taken from the major streaming services: Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount Plus, Peacock and Prime Video. I'm also specifically picking movies that are new to streaming this month — in this case, these are 12 movies that are landing on one of the major streamers for the first time, or coming back to streaming services after only being available via on-demand.

So without further ado, here are my picks for the 12 movies to stream in August.

The Departed (Netflix)

Martin Scorsese's The Departed will always have a special place in my heart, as this Best Picture winner was my first real introduction to the master filmmaker. I've of course watched as much of his filmography as I can since then, but The Departed sticks with me as it is fun, has some great performances (particularly from Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson) and is layered with details that enrich repeat viewings (the use of X in the movie has been well documented). While Scorsese has a lot of things in the works (including The Devil in the White City), we don't know for sure when we're getting his next movie. So streaming The Departed is a good way to bide our time.

Stream The Departed on Netflix starting August 1.

Eenie Meanie (Hulu)

Samara Weaving has starred in a number of fan-favorite movies, including Ready or Not and Guns Akimbo. Could Eenie Meanie be next? The action movie sees her star as a former getaway driver brought back into the criminal world when her former employer offers her a chance to save her ex-boyfriend. A great supporting cast is on hand for this one as well, with Steve Zahn, Randall Park, Andy Garcia, Karl Glusman and Marshawn Lynch. Here's hoping this one puts the pedal to the metal for a fun watch.

Stream Eenie Meanie on Hulu in the US starting August 22.

Final Destination Bloodlines (HBO Max)

One of the biggest movies of the year makes its streaming debut to kick off August with Final Destination Bloodlines. The latest sequel in the horror franchise that is now 25 years old is widely viewed as the best, earning a 93% "Certified Fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes. Focusing on a family, the characters learn that them being marked for death is something that has been lying in wait for generations. While the crazy deaths are a highlight as always, the movie also serves as one of the final performances from horror legend Tony Todd, so be sure to give a tip of the cap to him if you watch.

Stream Final Destination Bloodlines on HBO Max in the US starting August 1.

Freaky Tales (HBO Max)

It's been a big year for Pedro Pascal with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Eddington, Materialists and The Last of Us season 2, but one movie of his you may have missed from this year is Freaky Tales. Set in 1987 Oakland, Calif., Freaky Tales answers the question of what happens when an NBA star, a corrupt cop, a female rap duo, teen punks, neo-Nazis and a debt collector collide. Written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (the duo behind Captain Marvel), it's flown under the radar, but audiences who have seen it have enjoyed it, based on the 89% positive score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Stream Freaky Tales on HBO Max in the US starting August 8.

The Friend (Paramount Plus)

This one is for all the dog lovers out there, as the breakout star of The Friend is the Great Dane Bing, who plays the central pooch in the movie, Apollo. The human star of the movie is Naomi Watts, who plays an English professor who unexpectedly is tasked with caring for Apollo after his owner and her mentor dies, and has to figure out if and how the dog can fit into her life. While it is a SPOILER, if anyone is on the fence about this movie, wondering if the dog dies or not, I will assure you that while this is a dramedy, Apollo makes it through A OK.

Stream The Friend on Paramount Plus starting August 25).

The Monkey (Hulu)

Similar to Pedro Pascal, 2025 has been a big year for Stephen King, as The Life of Chuck, The Institute and soon The Long Walk have all been adapted for the screen. But my personal favorite from these King offerings this year is the absurdly fun The Monkey. Theo James stars as twins whose lives have been tormented for years by a toy monkey that has been a part of a number of surprising deaths over the years. When the monkey resurfaces, they have to figure out how to stop it before someone else they love dies. Like Final Destination Bloodlines, if you're a fan of outrageous, gory deaths, then this will be a must-watch.

Stream The Monkey on Hulu in the US starting August 7.

Mother! (Paramount Plus)

Mother! is one of the craziest movies I've ever seen, and I loved it. Darren Aronofsky uses the story of a woman (Jennifer Lawrence) whose life is turned upside down when her poet husband (Javier Bardem) gets a group of fervent fans at the house they are remodeling. From there, the movie draws parallels to the environment, religion and fanaticism in a psychological horror. It certainly won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it's a fascinating piece of work from Aronofsky, and a committed performance from Lawrence.

Stream Mother! on Paramount Plus in the US starting August 1.

My Oxford Year (Netflix)

On the opposite end of the spectrum from Mother! is the new Netflix romance movie My Oxford Year. Sofia Carson stars as an American student at Oxford whose life takes a surprising turn when she meets a local boy, played by Corey Mylchreest. Dougray Scott and Catherine McCormack also star in this movie from Iain Morris (Time Bandits, The Inbetweeners). The fact that the movie was filmed on location on the Oxford Campus should also be a fun treat for viewers.

Stream My Oxford Year on Netflix starting August 1.

Night Always Comes (Netflix)

Another member of The Fantastic Four is back with another movie this month, as Vanessa Kirby stars in the Netflix original movie Night Always Comes. This one is a crime drama, with Kirby playing a woman who must confront her dark past over the course of one long night as she looks to secure a future for her and the brother she cares for. Kirby reunites with Benjamin Caron, who directed multiple episodes of The Crown (as well as Andor), for Night Always Comes.

Stream Night Always Comes starting August 15 on Netflix.

The Pickup (Prime Video)

Keke Palmer has already starred in one of the best comedies of the year in One of Them Days. Does she have another hit on her hand in The Pickup? Palmer stars alongside comedy icon Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson in this action comedy, where Murphy and Davidson are armored truck drivers and Palmer plays a criminal looking to use them to score big, though she has a bit of history with Davidson's character that should make for plenty of fun banter. Ride Along director Tim Story directs.

Stream The Pickup on Prime Video starting August 6.

The Thursday Murder Club (Netflix)

Richard Osman's best-selling murder mystery book The Thursday Murder Club is being adapted into the next big Netflix original movie. The all-star cast of Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie stars as four retirees who forgo the knitting circle and instead spend their golden years looking into cold case murders. But when one case proves to be not so cold, the group puts their skills to the test to get justice. There are five books in total in the Thursday Murder Club series, so if this one proves to be a hit, Netflix could have a new franchise on their hands.

Stream The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix starting August 28.

Wet Hot American Summer (Netflix/Peacock)

We're in the final days of summer, so what better way to spend it than at Camp Firewood? This cult classic comedy has one of the most incredible casts: Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Michael Showalter, Marguerite Moreau, Paul Rudd, Christopher Meloni, Molly Shannon, Ken Marino, Joe Lo Truglio, Michael Ian Black, Amy Poehler, Bradley Cooper, Elizabeth Banks and H. Jon Benjamin. Wet Hot American Summer is hilariously absurd. And if you enjoy it, Netflix has two spinoff series that it did (which reunite the cast) that you can enjoy (Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp and Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later).

Stream Wet Hot American Summer on Netflix worldwide starting August 1; also stream on Peacock in the US starting August 1.

Remember Netflix’s The Gray Man? With the Russo brothers behind the cameras and the magnetic pairing of Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans at the top of the cast list, it seemed to tick every box.

An action thriller from a hugely successful directing duo, a budget that promised quality and serious spectacle, names like Billy Bob Thornton, Alfre Woodard, Ana de Armas and Rege Jean Page in supporting roles, international settings …. what was not to like?

Gosling was in the title role, operating under the code name of Sierra Six. An apparently indestructible covert operative whose true identity was a closely guarded secret, he discovers some dark agency secrets and finds there’s a bounty on his head.

Now the main target in a global manhunt, he finds a wary ally in rogue agent Dani (de Armas) and, together, they’re up against cold-eyed sociopath Hansen (Evans). Cue air crashes, explosions a-plenty, and large-scale fights all over the world as they dodge bullets by the score.

Audiences lapped it up, giving it 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, although the majority of critics were less enamoured — it currently has a shockingly low RT critic score of 45%!

But after three years, it’s time for another look, whether it’s to find out if your opinion has changed or simply to enjoy it all over again. One of the streamer’s most popular films, it’s had over 139 million views and currently stands at number eight on Netflix’s global top ten of all time, alongside the likes of Back In Action (2025), Carry-On (2024) and, in pole position, Red Notice (2021).

With the Russo brothers’ track record, including Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Endgame (2019), there was no way The Gray Man would be a quiet, modest little film. And it’s not. It’s big and brash to the point of being almost overwhelming. Aside from all the sound effects that go with the shoot outs, explosions and chases, the score is equally loud and abrasive and visually it’s non-stop action, full of quick-fire editing, blurred images and crazy aerial shots.

But it’s a big-scale action movie dialled up to 11, so anything less would have felt half-hearted. And you can’t accuse the film of being that.

• Best movies on Netflix

Away from all the action, the shady world of espionage allows the cast to show its class. Page is well suited to the role of the slippery CIA commander, but if there’s a straight-up good guy among them, it’s Fitzroy, played by Billy Bob Thornton, who originally recruited Six to the Sierra programme.

He retains a fatherly interest in his former protégé and it’s a role that’s tailor-made for an actor of Thornton’s range. Aside from being the authority figure in other actioners such as Armageddon (1998), his career encompasses a hilariously profane Bad Santa (2003) and the deliciously understated anti-hero of the Coen brothers’ unconventional noir The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001). His name is synonymous with consistently interesting acting, and he balances The Gray Man’s noise and action with a quiet decency. He makes it a better movie.

Thornton is currently riding high over on Paramount Plus in their record-breaking oil western, Landman. The latest from the ever-fertile mind of Taylor Sheridan, it was inspired by the Texas Monthly podcast, Boomtown, and was seen by 14.9 million households around the world in its first four weeks, making it the streamer’s most-watched original show of all time.

Exploring the contemporary gold rush of oil and the people whose lives are forever changed by its arrival, it places Tommy Norris (Thornton) at the centre of the action as a crisis manager, struggling to balance corporate pressures and personal issues in an hostile environment.

Social themes and Sheridan’s customary mix of western realism and high-stakes narratives struck a chord with those millions of viewers and filming is already underway on a second season. While there’s no confirmed date for its premiere, some time in 2026 is on the cards.

After the cliff-hanging season one finale, fans all over the world are waiting for the answers to some big questions.

How will Norris cope with taking over the company after the demise of his boss? What does the arrival of Galino (Andy Garcia), the head of the cartel, mean for the future? Many of the faces from season one are returning to join Thornton, including Demi Moore and Ali Larter, while Sam Elliott is joining the show as a regular. There are also recurring guest roles for FUBAR’s Guy Burnet and Miriam Silverman from Your Friends And Neighbors.

While the storylines are very much under wraps, Thornton hinted earlier in the year that Norris will be juggling two difficult and dangerous jobs with being a family man. With more than a little understatement, he commented at the time, “It makes for some pretty interesting stuff, I have to say.” We believe him.

The Gray Man is on Netflix in the US and the UK.

All episodes of season one of Landman are on Paramount Plus in the US and the UK.

Scrolling for something new to watch on Hulu this week, July 26-August 1? Let me give you a hand with my picks for the best movies, TV shows and more arriving on the streaming service.

While there are more than a handful of fun movies that are going to be new to Hulu in August, the last few days of July have some great offerings as well, most notably a pair of new series — a period drama and a true crime docuseries — that have high binge potential.

Check out all of the picks for this week directly below.

Operation Fortune (2023)

• Guy Ritchie reteams with Jason Statham for action comedy, arriving July 28 on Hulu

I generally enjoy Guy Ritchie movies, though one of his more recent efforts I have missed and need to play catch-up on is Operation Fortune (aka Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre). The director reunites with long-time collaborator Jason Statham for this action comedy, where a team of secret agents (which includes Aubrey Plaza and Bugzy Malone) brings in a well-known actor (Josh Hartnett) to try and infiltrate the ranks of an arms dealer (Hugh Grant). This seems like the perfect popcorn fare for summer streaming.

Dope Girls season 1

• The latest London-set period crime drama debuts on Hulu July 29

If you are a fan of Peaky Blinders or Hulu's previously released 2025 new TV series A Thousand Blows, then Dope Girls could be right up your alley. Starring Emmy-winner Julianne Nicholson, the new series is a period crime drama taking place in London shortly after World War I, where women look to assert their power by helping launch the night club scene in London's Soho. All episodes of the new series are going to be available immediately to stream.

Memoir of a Snail

• Oscar-nominated animated movie lands on Hulu July 29

Oscar-winner Flow and the Oscar-nominated The Wild Robot were among the biggest animated movies of last year, but flying under the radar was Memoir of a Snail. One of the five nominated movies in the Best Animated Feature category at the Oscars, this story about a melancholic woman named Grace Pudel (voiced by Sarah Snook) earned a 95% "Certified Fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes, and in addition to Snook features the voice talent of Eric Bana and Jacki Weaver. Fans of animation should definitely check this one out.

Mr. & Mrs. Murder

• You can start watching the true crime docuseries as of July 30

The latest ABC News docuseries focusing on a salacious true crime is Mr. & Mrs. Murder. This series details a case where a husband goes missing, with rumors beginning to swirl that he was eaten by alligators, though no remains were found. But when his wife marries his best friend, suspicions begin to rise over what may have really happened. Many involved with the actual case will share their insights in this documentary that should be catnip for true crime fans.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

• Fan-favorite Meryl Streep movie hits Hulu on August 1

The internet has been abuzz recently as the first looks at The Devil Wears Prada 2 have started to come out. We have to wait until 2026 to see the long-awaited sequel to the fashion movie, but you can stream the original on Hulu this week.

Anne Hathaway stars as an aspiring writer who gets a job at a high-profile fashion magazine, where she works for the demanding and manipulative editor-in-chief played by Meryl Streep. It's a favorite role for the three-time Oscar winner (and one that she earned one of her many Oscar nominations for), but also features fun turns from Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci.

Old School (2003)

• Hilarious college comedy is enrolls on Hulu on August 1

August means college kids are heading back to campus, so why not celebrate by watching one of the funniest college comedies ever made? Old School stars Will Ferrell, Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn as three friends who decide to start their own fraternity, despite the fact that none of them is in school anymore. Attempting to stop their good-natured debauchery is the uptight dead, played by Jeremy Piven. This is one of the movies that made Ferrell a star, and he absolutely steals the show.

Ready or Not (2019)

• You can find the horror/comedy on Hulu starting August 1

Another movie that is getting a sequel in 2026 that is streaming on Hulu come August, is Ready or Not, the horror/comedy from the Radio Silence directing team of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. Starring Samara Weaving and Adam Brody, the movie centers on a bride who marries into a wealthy family that has a strange tradition to welcome people into their family, one that has terrifying results. It's campy and one of the more original and fun horror movies of the last 10 years.

On July 28, 1995, Waterworld, the Kevin Costner-led sci-fi blockbuster, set sail. I was too young to see it when it first came out and by the time that I started watching older movies the few things I heard about Waterworld was generally how bad it was and that Costner’s hero had webbed feet. So, as the movie’s 30th anniversary is upon us — and it’s streaming on Peacock in the US — I decided to finally give Waterworld a watch and see if what I’ve heard about it… holds water (sorry, couldn’t resist). FYI, I’ll be getting into some Waterworld SPOILERS below.

Waterworld, directed by Kevin Reynolds (who also directed Costner’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) from a script by Peter Rader and David Twohy, is set in a future where the polar ice caps have melted and covered the Earth in water. Costner plays a drifter simply known as the Mariner, a mutant with webbed feet, gills and a dislike of normal humans. However, he ends up having to protect a woman, Helen (Jeanne Tripplehorn), and young girl, Enola (Tina Majorino), as they are being pursued by a maniacal Dennis Hopper (his character is named Deacon in the movie, but I just kept referring to him as Dennis Hopper) as the girl holds the secret to finding dry land.

Looking at the actual reaction to Waterworld and its box office, I was actually surprised there wasn’t as much vitriol as its reputation had led me to believe. While the movie does have a “Rotten” score of 45% from critics and a 44% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, actually reading reviews from some of the biggest critics of 1995 — Roger Ebert, Todd McCarthy and Owen Gleiberman — the reactions were more middling than downright bad. At the box office, the movie earned $88 million in the US, which today wouldn’t be a lot of money but was good enough for top 10 for the whole year of 1995.

Having now watched the movie with my own two eyes, I can see where those critics were coming from. As pure blockbuster fare, there’s some halfway decent action sequences and it’s not an interminable way to spend two hours. But I wouldn’t go as far as saying Waterworld is good or deserving of cult classic status, but it also isn't so bad it’s fun to watch. It’s more just blah.

Waterworld desperately wants to be Mad Max with boats. Its bare bones plot basically checks all the boxes — loner comes across individuals that he reluctantly has to save from a crazy villain, eventually forming a bond before deciding he must move on and continue his loner ways. The biggest reason why that doesn’t work as well here as it does with the Mad Max franchise is Costner.

Most people today know Costner from his role as John Dutton in Yellowstone (also streaming on Peacock), where a scowl was basically his default setting, but his gruffness was part of the character’s appeal. But in Waterworld, Costner’s orneriness does him no favors. While the movie attempts to go through the motions of establishing why Costner’s Mariner is this way and how his time with Tripplehorn and Majorino’s characters eventually softens his heart, I just don’t buy it. It’s a flat performance and his character honestly struggles to be likeable for a lot of the movie.

I’m just not sure if at the time, Costner could play this type of character. In the late 1980s and 1990s, Costner was best known for roles where he may have had some gruffness to him, but his natural charisma shone through (Bull Durham, Tin Cup) or when he’s playing a much more affable character (Field of Dreams, Dances with Wolves). Even if we look at his character in Yellowstone, or his rough cowboy in Horizon: An American Saga, the toughness comes alongside a noble quality that tells us this is someone we can respect even if they’re not dolling out hugs. None of those qualities are present in Costner’s performance as the Mariner.

The other big issue with Waterworld is that there are details that just don’t make any sense. For instance, it’s supposedly been at least a few generations since the melting polar ice caps flooded the Earth, to the point where some believe that any remaining dry land is a myth. Not even the Mariner has found dry land, yet he has a plant (albeit a small one that’s not looking so great) at the beginning of the movie and then comes across a tomato plant on the atoll he meets Helen and Enola on. What we see from that atoll, it’s unlikely it was growing any tomato plants.

Where did these plants come from, and wouldn’t they be arguably the most precious things to these characters? But after we see them, they’re barely acknowledged again.

A couple of other things that I just found odd. I still don’t understand how all they needed to do to understand the tattoo on Enola’s back to find dry land. It whittles down to them translating the Chinese-looking symbols to be latitude and longitude coordinates and something involving the magnetic poles of the Earth being inverted, but it’s not easily understandable in the context of the movie (this video does a deep dive to explain it, though).

Another part comes at the very end, when the group gets to dry land and they find a small village where people once lived. There, they find two skeletons, and one of them suggests they bury them under the dirt, believing it was their way. Again, how would he know this? It’s been generations since anyone they knew would have been on dry land and the skeletons they find are simply lying on a bed, there’s no evidence that these people dug graves, or any that we see at least. This one is nitpicky, admittedly, but it’s just another detail that wasn’t thought out or properly explained.

There are a few things that worked for the movie, particularly Hopper’s fun performance. Still, Waterworld’s biggest fault is that it’s middling at best, with Costner unable to give us a main character worth rooting for. I wouldn’t put it up amongst some of the worst movies I’ve seen, but it’s not one I’m going to have much desire to ever watch again.

However, if you disagree and actually love Waterworld, or want to try it for yourself to see if you agree or not with my takes, then you can stream Waterworld on Peacock in the US; in the UK the movie is available via digital on-demand.

The globe-trotting adventures of a gifted young boy born on a Barbados sugar plantation are the subject of Hulu/Disney Plus’ lavish, time-jumping period drama Washington Black.

Based on Esi Edugyan’s novel of the same, the vibrant 19th century-set piece follows titular character George Washington ‘Wash’ Black, played by Ernest Kingsley Junior (Grace, The Sandman), as he battles persecution and pursues liberty against the odds.

When we first meet Wash in the eight-episode series it’s 1837 and the 19-year-old is living incognito in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as Jack Crawford where he’s developing a revolutionary flying machine, which he plans to exhibit at the Royal Science League in London. However, the arrival of bounty hunters brandishing a wanted poster with an image of his younger self brings him face-to-face with his brutal childhood.

Here, the stars of Washington Black, which in addition to Kingsley Junior includes Emmy-winning actor Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us, Paradise) as a mentor to the main character, joined WTW for an interview to learn more.

One of Wash’s protectors in Halifax is community leader Medwin Harris (Brown), who does everything in his power to protect the teen prodigy when his cover is blown by an unexpected betrayal.

During the opening episode, events flash back to eight years earlier, and it emerges Wash was born into slavery on a sugar plantation owned by absentee patriarch James Wilde (Charles Dance) and run by his ruthless eldest son Erasmus (Julian Rhind-Tutt).

Aged 11 Wash (played by The Sandman’s Eddie Karanja) attracts the attention of Erasmus’s eccentric brother, Titch (Tom Ellis). Recognizing his artistic talent and scientific mind the inventor enlists Wash as his apprentice, until a harrowing twist of fate forces them to flee and propels Wash on a worldwide voyage of discovery.

Brown: “I would say the energy of being on location also is that you become each other's family very quickly because you don't have a chance to go home to your own place, so you are each other's family in this new place together. I think that that's an energizing and pretty cool thing, just getting to know these new people, not just as actors, but as human beings as well.”

Kingsley: “Just to add, our story isn’t solely about the painful aspects of our history. It shows that, but also it shows the triumph over that, and the possibility and the potential to actualize a dream and a vision you have beyond those, those those painful circumstances.”

Washington Black is now available to watch on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.

2025 officially marks the return of the superhero movie. After Marvel was in a multi-year slump post Avengers: Endgame and DC Studios was reconfiguring its identity under James Gunn, the big screen output of both studios this year showed signs of life.

Though Captain America: Brave New World was a rough start to the year, Thunderbolts* was a fun and surprisingly deep story about some Marvel side characters getting the chance to shine for the first time. Superman, meanwhile, even if I wasn’t as big of a fan, offered something different and got people excited about the future of DC’s comic book adaptations. But the best of the bunch is The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

The third attempt at bringing Marvel’s iconic family of superheroes to the big screen is the charm. The core four of stars have great chemistry; the director brings a fresh feel to the proceedings; and an epic score helps to elevate it all. That all results in not only one of the best Marvel movies of all time, but one of the best movies I’ve seen this year.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps feels different in large part because it is different from all of the movies we’ve seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The movie is set in a different dimension from the main story of the MCU we’ve been following for nearly 20 years, specifically Earth 828 (the main MCU storyline has been set on Earth 199999, for reference).

This world is a blend of 1960s and futuristic styles, where The Fantastic Four — Reed/Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue/The Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny/The Hunan Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) — are beloved heroes and things are going great, with Sue and Reed set to welcome their first child. However, when a being with the capability to devour Earth demands the ultimate sacrifice to save the planet, the Fantastic Four put their brains and mettle to figuring out a plan.

That all leads to a practically perfect superhero movie. It relies on telling the story of a family as much as the galactic threat hanging over them.

While together, the quartet of Pascal, Kirby, Quinn and Moss-Bacrach are fantastic, they each shine individually as well. Pascal’s brainy Reed is a competent, confident leader for the public, while more of an awkward nerd with his family (no one is having a better summer than Pascal between this, Materialists and Eddington). Kirby’s Sue is the emotional heart of the group and movie; a bad-ass mother who won’t stop protecting all that she cares about. Quinn nails the comedic relief role but there’s a sincerity and earnestness to his Johnny that makes him more than a joke machine. And Moss-Bachrach brings a softness and calm to the rock (physically and emotionally) Ben.

Elsewhere, Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer/Shalla-Bal and Ralph Ineson’s Galactus are imposing antagonists that make the most of their screen time. Paul Walter Hauser also has a great bit as Mole Man. And of course, can’t forget to mention Herbie, the heroes robot assistant, who could easily have been a childish marketing ploy, but is handled with enough care and given enough to do that he never feels gimmicky.

The fact that The Fantastic Four: First Step could create such rich characters, tell an engaging and thrilling story and introduce a brand new world within the MCU all under two hours (movie has a runtime of one hour and 55 minutes with credits), is a testament to director Matt Shakman.

Though Shakman only had one feature directing credit to his name prior to The Fantastic Four: First Step, he had plenty of experience directing some of the biggest TV shows of the last decade, including the Marvel and Disney Plus original series WandaVision. With how well made WandaVision was, perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that Shakman nailed The Fantastic Four, but he definitely deserves a good amount of credit for reviving what prior to 2025 had become a stale playbook. He, along with screenwriters Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer, was even able to pull off making the trademark Marvel sky beam feel less played out.

Supporting all of this was the brilliant work by composer Michael Giacchino. While no stranger to the MCU and superheroes — he previously scored Doctor Strange, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man movies, Thor: Love and Thunder and The Batman — Giacchino outdid himself this time. His Fantastic Four theme is instantly iconic, while his epic score perfectly blends and accentuates both the movie’s action scenes and its quieter moments. I hope an Oscar nomination is in line for Giacchino’s score; one of many potentially award-worthy elements from the movie.

Kevin Feige recently talked about Marvel’s recent ups and downs, including the argument that the studio has been choosing quantity over quality in recent years. Time will tell whether The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a blip on the radar or a turning point, but it certainly feels like quality is the dominant theme in this movie. As a result, The Fantastic Four: First Steps may have just saved the MCU and helped to usher in a new era of superhero movies.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps premieres exclusively in movie theaters worldwide on July 25.

Say it with me everyone… MORTAL KOMBAT! Whether you’ve been a fan of the action franchise from the earliest video game or if you just came to it with 2021’s Mortal Kombat movie reboot, there’s something just so fun about this franchise. And it’s ratcheting things up a notch as Mortal Kombat II is set to arrive as a 2025 new movie with a fan-favorite character making his debut.

After being teased in the previous entry, Johnny Cage is not only set to be part of the lineup of iconic Mortal Kombat characters, but it looks like he is the main focus, with The Boys stars Karl Urban playing the role. Add more popular characters and their delightfully gory finishing moves, and there’s definitely excitement for the sequel.

With that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about Mortal Kombat II.

Mortal Kombat II release date

Movie fans will be able to watch Mortal Kombat II exclusively in movie theaters worldwide (including in IMAX where available) on October 24.

Mortal Kombat II cast

Karl Urban is the biggest addition to the Mortal Kombat II cast as Johnny, but The Boys star is one of many set to square off in the movie’s fight scenes.

There are of course the returning cast members from the first movie, which includes Lewis Tan as as Cole Young, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Josh Lawson as Kano, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Mehcad Brooks as Jax, Max Huang as Kung Lao, Chin Han as Shang Tsung, Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han and Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion.

Other new additions to the Mortal Kombat II cast include Adeline Rudolph (The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Laid) as Kitana, Tati Gabrielle (The Last of Us season 2, You) as Jade, Martyn Ford (House of David) as Shao Khan and Ana Thu Nguyen (NCIS: Sydney) as Sindel.

Mortal Kombat II plot

Jeremy Slater has penned the script for Mortal Kombat II. Here is the official synopsis:

“From New Line Cinema comes the latest high-stakes installment in the blockbuster video game franchise in all its brutal glory, Mortal Kombat II. This time, the fan favorite champions — now joined by Johnny Cage himself — are pitted against one another in the ultimate, no-holds barred, gory battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders.”

Mortal Kombat II trailer

Watch the Mortal Kombat II red-band trailer (meaning NSFW) right here:

Mortal Kombat II director

Simon McQuoid, who made his feature directing debut with Mortal Kombat, returned to helm the sequel.

Mortal Kombat II behind the scenes

Backed by New Line Cinema and in association with Atomic Monster/Broken Road Production and Fireside Films Production, Mortal Kombat II is produced by Todd Garner, James Wan, Toby Emmerich, E. Bennett Walsh and McQuoid.

Get ready for an exercise in patience, as movie tickets for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey officially went on sale for US and UK moviegoers today, July 17, one year from when the movie is set to premiere exclusively in movie theaters.

That's right, The Odyssey won't be playing until July 17, 2026, but you can purchase your tickets right now to make sure you're among the first to see the Oscar-winning director's next epic movie. This is great news for anyone who really likes to plan ahead!

There are a couple of key details that you need to know, though — the only tickets available to purchase right now are for movie theaters that can show IMAX 70mm screenings; Nolan's preferred format, to the point he is the first filmmaker to shoot an entire movie with IMAX cameras with The Odyssey.

Tickets to see The Odyssey in other formats won't be available until an as-yet-undisclosed time closer to the movie's release date.

Nolan's The Odyssey is based on the epic Greek poem by Homer about Odysseus, a Greek king, who must go through an epic journey home after the Trojan War, where he encounters all kinds of challenges from Gods and monsters. Matt Damon stars as Odysseus, while the cast includes Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron and Jon Bernthal.

Selling tickets for a movie a year in advance of when people can actually go see it is something more akin to a Taylor Swift or Beyoncé concert, but Nolan has become a signature event for many movie fans.

I include myself in that. A big reason why I opted to go watch Jurassic World Rebirth in movie theaters was because I wanted to see The Odyssey teaser trailer that was included with it as that was the only way to see it the trailer as it has yet to be released online (it's also now playing in front of Superman).

What this really signals is The Odyssey countdown for fans. All apologies to 2025 new movies like Bugonia, Sentimental Value, Wicked: For Good and 2026 movies like 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Project Hail Mary and others, but The Odyssey is probably the movie I am most excited to see between now and when it premieres. However, it's going to be quite a wait; thankfully, not as long as Odysseus, though.

If you're ready to clear your calendar and make sure you have your spot to watch The Odyssey the way Christopher Nolan intended, then go ahead and grab your The Odyssey IMAX tickets today.

I went to see the new Superman movie today and was rather stunned to be told it was a 3D performance and handed some 3D specs. I was like, hang on, I didn't even realise 3D movies in 2025 were still a thing?!

Apparently, they are, and it was a very happy mistake as director James Gunn's new spin on the screen classic turns out to be absolutely huge fun in 3D. There's even a hilarious bit when a baddie's tooth flies at you!

Gunn himself has declared this is a great way to watch the movie, saying: "Just saw the final version of Superman in 3D and oh wow... just incredible to see. If you have a taste for 3D, this is a great way to see the film."

The 3D really flies when, erm, David Corenswet's Superman flies, and obviously being Superman, he does a lot of that. The best 3D scene of the entire movie is a fight scene between Superman and Kaiju, a giant monster who's hellbent on destroying Metropolis. It feels completely immersive, and I can't remember ever enjoying a fight scene in a movie theater more.

The 3D also works especially well whenever Superman visits his frosty Fortress of Solitude, giving the makers lots of chances to have flakes of snow flying out of the screen at you. There are a lot of fight scenes in Superman, which might have dragged in the 2D version, but the one at the Fortress of Solitude is also memorable as Lex Luthor's baddies fight for evidence to destroy our hero's reputation

The 3D does get a little weird when the camera takes you on a tour of Luthor's bald head, and it can feel rather redundant in quieter scenes. However, this is an action movie, and therefore, plenty of chances for the 3D to shine, especially in Luthor’s fiery pocket dimension, where he keeps his enemies prisoner.

I have to agree with our Superman review that there are too many plots going on at once. While Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor are both great, we don’t need all the extra characters, including the Justice Gang (Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern/Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced's Hawkgirl, and Edi Gathegi's Mr. Terrific). It just means there's so much going on that all the extra characters fail to make much of an impact, except Superman’s dog Krypto, who is great fun.

But all in all, this is the most joy I’ve had with a superhero movie for ages, and I certainly am a new convert for watching movies in 3D, even if the frames of my 3D specs did fall out at one point!

Superman is in movie theaters now. For more fun, play our Superman quiz.

Move over Moana, Jason Momoa is here to depict the history of Hawai’i with the Apple TV Plus series Chief of War, a nine-episode historical drama about the unification and colonization of Hawai’i, based on true events.

Not only is Momoa leading the series on camera, but he is co-creator and co-writer for the series, serves as an executive producer and directed the season finale. That should give you a hint as to how big a passion project Chief of War is for Momoa, who has native Hawaiian heritage.

To get all the info you need to know about Chief of War, continue reading below.

Chief of War next episode

Chief of War episode 3 is now streaming on Apple TV Plus.

New episodes premiere every Friday. With nine episodes in total, that will have the season finale premiering on September 19.

In order to watch Chief of War, you must have an Apple TV Plus subscription.

Chief of War cast

Did we mention that Jason Momoa was starring in this show? All jokes aside, the Dune, A Minecraft Movie and See star leads a predominantly Polynesian cast that consists of a number of recognizable actors and a slate of newcomers as well.

Among the known stars are Luciane Buchanan (The Night Agent), Temuera Morrison (The Book of Boba Fett) and Cliff Curtis (Last Breath). The rest of the cast includes Te Ao o Hinepehinga (Breakwater), Moses Goods (Rescue: HI-Surf), Siua Ikale’o (NCIS: Hawai’i), Brandon Finn (FBI: International), James Udom (Accused), Mainei Kinimaka (See), Te Kohe Tuhaka (My Life is Murder) and Kaina Makua, who makes their acting debut in the series.

Chief of War plot

Momoa co-created and wrote Chief of War with Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, with Doug Jung as the series’ showrunner. Here is the official synopsis for the series:

“Chief of War follows the epic and unprecedented telling of the unification and colonization of Hawai‘I in the late 18th century. Told from an indigenous perspective, Chief of War is a passion project for creators Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, who both share native Hawaiian heritage.”

Chief of War recaps

Here are the synopses for the Chief of War episodes, as well as links to our in-depth recaps:

Chief of War episode 1, "The Chief of War"
"Kaʻiana is summoned back home to Maui where he must decide whether to join King Kahekili in war." Read WTW's Chief of War episode 1 recap.

Chief of War episode 2, "Changing Tides"
"Fearing for their lives, Kaʻiana and his family flee Oahu. An ally emerges with a promise of safe passage." Read WTW's Chief of War episode 2 recap.

Chief of War episode 3, "City of Flowers"
"Kaʻiana arrives in a strange land. Kaʻahumanu takes her place beside Kamehameha." Read WTW's Chief of War episode 3 recap.

Chief of War trailer

Watch the official Chief of War trailer directly below:

Chief of War behind the scenes

Fifth Season and Chernin Entertainment are two production companies behind the series.

There are four directors currently listed for the series. In addition to Momoa, they are Justin Chon, Anders Engström and Brian Andrew Mendoza.

Another notable behind-the-scenes contributor is Hans Zimmer, who wrote the Chief of War theme song and co-produced the score for all nine episodes with James Everingham.

How well do you know the Superman movie franchise? Test your knowledge with What to Watch's Superman movie quiz.

Though Superman had some big screen appearances in the 1940s and 50s in some animated and live-action serials, we're sticking to the main movie franchise with this quiz, starting with 1978's Superman: The Movie to the 2025's Superman.

From behind-the-scenes facts to recalling iconic Superman moments to critical and box office statistics, we've compiled 10 questions that will hopefully test even the most diehard Superman fans.

All questions below are multiple choice, and there's no time limit to the quiz. Hints are available, in which you'll remove one of the possible answers, boosting your odds at making the right guess. Hints are available for each question. Though we do ask you leave it at that; it's not as impressive if you use the internet to find the answers.

Be sure to also share the quiz with friends and other Superman fans to see who gets the better results (bragging rights are always important).

That about covers it, so go ahead and start the quiz directly below.

The 2025 Superman is now playing, and we've got all the details on how to watch Superman right now. As for the rest of the movies from the franchise, all Superman movies are streaming on HBO Max in the US; while all but Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice are streaming on Sky TV in the UK.

More WTW games and quizzes

• Behind the Scene No. 1
• Behind the Scene No. 2
• Behind the Scene No. 3
• Behind the Scene No. 4
• Behind the Scene No. 5
• Behind the Scene No. 6
• Behind the Scene No. 7
• Take Two: M. Night Shyamalan movies
• Take Two: Channing Tatum movies
• Take Two: English language remakes vs international original Rotten Tomatoes score
• Take Two: George Clooney vs Brad Pitt
• Take Two: Andrew Garfield vs Florence Pugh
• Take Two: Hugh Grant movies
• Take Two: The Wizard of Oz trivia

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s Superman flying onto screens. That’s right, the latest movie starring the iconic superhero has arrived, as James Gunn’s Superman is now available to watch. But when, where and how can you watch Superman? Allow us to help you with the key details.

The 2025 new movie is the first of a new era of movies based on DC comic book characters, which Gunn is overseeing (a la Kevin Feige at Marvel). The director put his touch on arguably the most iconic superhero in a movie that was one of the most anticipated summer blockbusters of 2025.

If you’re one of those people who have been itching to watch Superman, here’s everything you need to know about how to do that right now.

How to watch Superman in movie theaters

Superman is now playing exclusively in movie theaters worldwide. Not just that, but the movie is playing in premium IMAX, 3D and other premium formats where available.

To see when, where and in what format Superman is playing near you, you can check out the movie’s official website or Fandango. Both options will allow you to see all of the movie theater locations in your area where the movie is playing and what showtimes and formats are available. You can purchase your Superman ticket to whatever showtime works best for you directly online through either option as well.

Now if you have a particular movie theater that you frequent, then you may want to check out movie theater subscriptions and membership plans. In addition to providing showtime info, subscribers can save some money via discounted, free and monthly allotment of movie tickets and deals on concessions. A number of US and UK movie theater chains offer these types of programs.

Is Superman streaming?

No, you cannot stream Superman right now; it’s movie theater or bust for the time being.

There is currently no information on when Superman is going to become available to watch at home, but we assume that it will first be made available to buy or rent via digital on-demand platforms before making its debut on a major streaming platform.

In regards to the latter, as Superman is a Warner Bros. movie, we can be all but assured that it will have its streaming debut on HBO Max (recently rebranded from Max) everywhere the streaming service is available.

For our best guess on when Superman will start streaming, we can look at another big Warner Bros. movie, Sinners. Sinners premiered on April 18 in US movie theaters and then debuted on HBO Max on July 4. That’s about a two-and-a-half-month wait between theatrical and streaming debut. So that’s a potential benchmark for Superman, but it’s no guarantee; the wait could be longer.

We’ll update this post as more info on Superman’s at-home viewing plans is announced.

What else to know about Superman

David Corenswet is the latest actor to take on the role of Superman/Clark Kent, while other iconic Superman characters Lois Lane and Lex Luthor are being played by Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult, respectively. Other members of the Superman cast include Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, Maria Gabriela de Faria, Wendell Pierce, Alan Tudyk, Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell.

The buzz around Superman has been strong, as the movie is “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes with critics and “Verified Hot” with audiences. While our official What to Watch Superman review notes some of the movie’s strengths, it’s a bit more muted in enthusiasm.

If you need any final convincing on whether or not to check out Superman, watch the movie’s trailer directly below:

As a fan of Taron Egerton, I’m quite intrigued by the actor’s 2025 new movie, She Rides Shotgun, an action-thriller that could be another hidden gem on Egerton’s list of credits. If you have a similar interest, then read on as we break down everything you need to know about the movie in this post.

She Rides Shotgun how to watch

She Rides Shotgun is now playing in select movie theaters in the US.

As for when She Rides Shotgun is premiering in the UK, at this time, there is no confirmed release date for the movie.

She Rides Shotgun cast

Egerton headlines the She Rides Shotgun cast as Nate, a newly released ex-con forced to go on the run with his estranged daughter, played by Ana Sophia Heger.

Since breaking out in Kingsman: The Secret Service, Egerton has quietly put together a strong list of credits. He received strong praise for his work in movies like Eddie the Eagle and Rocketman (earning BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for his performance as Elton John), as well as starring in a couple of streaming hits in Apple’s Tetris and Netflix’s Carry-On. He is also an Emmy-nominated actor for Black Bird and is starring in another TV series right now, Smoke.

Heger, meanwhile, is still a new name, with her biggest credit coming from the CBS show Life in Pieces.

Other members of the She Rides Shotgun cast include Rob Yang (The Menu) and John Carroll Lynch (Sorry, Baby).

She Rides Shotgun plot

Based on the book of the same name by Jordan Harper, here is the synopsis for She Rides Shotgun:

“In the gritty, explosive action-thriller She Rides Shotgun, Taron Egerton stars as newly released ex-con Nate. Marked for death by unrelenting enemies, Nate must now protect his estranged 11-year-old daughter, Polly (Ana Sophia Heger) at all costs. Shy, precocious and wary of her father, Polly is swept up in Nate’s dangerous plight as they flee to evade the corrupt sheriff and brutal leader of a gang who will stop at nothing to protect his criminal interests. With scant resources and no one to trust, Nate and Polly form a bond forged under fire as he shows her how to fight and survive — and she teaches him what unconditional love truly means in this intense, moving story about loyalty, strength, and redemption.”

Harper co-wrote the adaptation of his novel, along with Ben Collins & Luke Piotrowski.

She Rides Shotgun trailer

Watch the trailer for She Rides Shotgun right here:

She Rides Shotgun reviews

She Rides Shotgun has earned a "Certified Fresh" rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

She Rides Shotgun director

Nick Rowland is the man behind the camera on She Rides Shotgun. This is Rowland’s second feature directing gig, following the 2019 movie Calm with Horses. Rowland has also directed episodes for a number of TV series, including Cuffs, Ripper Street and Hard Sun, as well as the TV movie Floodlights.

She Rides Shotgun behind the scenes

Lionsgate and Fifth Season are the primary studios behind She Rides Shotgun, with Waypoint Entertainment, Makeready and Super Frog also on board as production companies.

The movie’s producers are Brad Weston, Collin Creighton, Nate Matteson, Hiro Murai and Egerton.

She Rides Shotgun was filmed on location in New Mexico.

Charlize Theron is having a good run on Netflix right now. Not only is her new movie, The Old Guard 2, one of the more popular titles on the streamer, but another one of her action movies is back on Netflix in the US as of July 9. And it’s one of the best action movies of all time, Mad Max: Fury Road.

Released in 2015 (happy 10th anniversary), Mad Max: Fury Road was the first Mad Max movie in 30 years, which resulted in Tom Hardy taking over the role played by Mel Gibson in the original trilogy of post-apocalyptic movies. But Theron’s Furiosa, a new character and ally for Max, was the breakout of the movie.

If you don’t know, the story of Mad Max: Fury Road finds Max helping Furiosa free a group of women from the tyrannical man who has kept them prisoner for years. To do so, they head off on the Fury Road, but are chased by a caravan of enemies. In addition to Hardy and Theron, the movie stars Nicholas Hoult, Riley Keough, Zoë Kravitz, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Abbey Lee, Courtney Eaton and Hugh Keays-Byrne.

Fury Road quickly became a sensation. The movie is “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes at 97%, it made $380 million worldwide and it won six Oscars while also being nominated for Best Picture and Best Director for Miller.

The movie was such a big hit that a spinoff was made around Furiosa, titled Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. A prequel, Theron was replaced in the titular role by Anya Taylor-Joy, and it took nine years for the follow-up to come out. But the spinoff was still well received, as you can read in our Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga review.

For a short time, you can watch both Mad Max: Fury Road and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga on Netflix in the US, as the latter is slated to leave Netflix on July 16.

Even 10 years on, Mad Max: Fury Road remains one of the most perfect action movies I’ve ever seen. It’s a symphony masterfully conducted by Miller and a visual feast for the eyes. If I ever come across it on TV I have to stop and give it a watch at least until the first commercial break. But with the movie on Netflix, you don’t need to worry about commercials (unless you have the Netflix with ads plan). You can just sit back and watch the glorious vehicular action that plays out on the Fury Road.

Watch Mad Max: Fury Road on Netflix in the US right now; a subscription is required. If you don’t have a Netflix subscription or the movie is not on Netflix where you live, then you can rent the movie via digital on-demand platforms.

Check out the trailer for Mad Max: Fury Road right here:

DC needed a hero to save the day after the collapse of the Snyderverse and its various offshoots. So in flew James Gunn, who provided a rare bright spot in the previous iteration of DC movies in The Suicide Squad and its TV spinoff Peacemaker. To launch this new era of DC Studios movies, Gunn went with the obvious choice, Superman.

Superman, starring David Corenswet, marks the third iteration of the Man of Steel in the last 20 years (following Brandon Routh’s Superman Returns in 2006, and Henry Cavil’s tenure as the character from 2013 to 2022). Gunn makes sure to put his stamp on the proceedings, creating a world that is about as different from Zack Snyder’s take as can be. While it has echoes of Christopher Reeve’s iconic portrayal, Gunn and company include a number of aspects that add interesting and timely themes to the story, while nailing a number of key casting choices.

Specifically, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Brosnahan is stellar as Lois; with all due respect to Margot Kidder, Amy Adams and Kate Bosworth, this may be my favorite interpretation of the character. As for Hoult, he’s fantastically ruthless and maniacal as Luthor.

Yet, as strong as those elements are, they struggle to outweigh a string of characters, plotlines and action sequences that, while many will likely find entertaining, are ultimately superfluous and make the movie too busy for its own good. And unfortunately Corenswet is a bit inconsistent as Superman; great as a reflective Superman, but struggles to bring the majestic aura of the hero when called to action.

The Superman plot does not actively tell the origin story of how a baby Supes was sent to Earth, raised as Clark Kent, discovered his powers and began his double life as a Daily Planet reporter and savior of Metropolis (that old chestnut). That info is still quickly touched on if anyone needs a quick refresher, but kudos to Gunn for having the confidence to dive right in on these characters’ relationships, which allow for some interesting aspects.

Most notably that of Superman and Lois. The fact that these two have known each other for years already and have a history leads to a sharp and excellent scene where Lois interviews Superman on a decision he makes early on in the movie. Honestly, this is one of my favorite scenes in a movie this year, as Brosnahan’s Lois pulls no punches in her questions on just how much authority Superman should have and Corenswet attempts to defend his moral high ground. It's the type of scene we've never really seen in a Superman movie.

Unfortunately, we only really get one more scene between the two of them the rest of the way and the ideas they touch on don’t get the focus they deserve. And the movie suffers for it.

Instead Gunn swings for the fences by infusing the movie with a plethora of characters and situations that showcase his clear love of comics. Among the inclusions are Krypto (Superman’s dog), the Justice Gang (Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl and Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific), Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho and a pocket universe. All have their moments, but there are stretches where they either offer little of actual value or are too big of a piece that it actually lessens Superman’s impacts (Metamorpho may be the lone exception).

Combine that with the movie’s two climatic events and there’s a lot going on that would have been a herculean task for anyone to bring together. Gunn’s ambition is admirable, and things never get too far off the rails, but it’s fair to wonder if the movie wouldn’t have been better served by simplifying things a little.

Superman offers more than its fair share of moments for audiences to be enthralled with, so it won’t be a surprise if movie fans leave on a high. But while Gunn clearly had a blast playing in this sandbox, a greater exploration of the ideas to help define this new iteration of Superman got a little overshadowed. Whether that is enough to deter your enjoyment of the movie will vary; for me it keeps Superman from soaring to its highest heights.

Superman plays exclusively in movie theaters worldwide starting July 11.

Glen Powell is taking the baton from Arnold Schwarzenegger in a remake of the 1987 movie The Running Man that is set to be among the slate of 2025 new movies, and another adaptation of a Stephen King story this year.

The Running Man is one of four King stories that are getting the big screen treatment. The others are The Monkey, The Life of Chuck and The Long Walk. That’s not including IT: Welcome to Derry, which is a new TV show centered around King’s iconic and terrifying clown. All this clearly indicates that King’s work remains timeless.

But what does this new take on The Running Man have in store for audiences and when can they expect to watch it? Read on for everything you need to know about the movie.

The Running Man release date

The Running Man runs into movie theaters (sorry, had to do it) on November 7 worldwide. In addition to being shown in traditional formats, The Running Man will also be playing in premium formats 4DX and IMAX.

While you wait for the new movie’s release, you can watch the original The Running Man for free on Tubi or on Paramount Plus and AMC Plus.

The Running Man cast

Powell is set to play the main character in The Running Man, down-on-his-luck father Ben Richards, who opts to compete in a deadly reality TV show. This is the latest high-profile role for Powell, who in recent years has starred in big-time movies like Top Gun: Maverick, Hit Man, Anyone But You and Twisters. He also stars in the new TV series Chad Powers coming to Hulu.

A strong cast of supporting players star alongside Powell in The Running Man, including William H. Macy (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), Lee Pace (Foundation), Emilia Jones (CODA), Michael Cera (The Phoenician Scheme), Daniel Ezra (All American), Jayme Lawson (Sinners), Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) and Josh Brolin (Dune: Part Two).

The Running Man plot

Michael Ball and Edgar Wright penned this adaptation of King’s novel. Here is the official synopsis from Paramount:

“In a near-future society, The Running Man is the top-rated show on television — a deadly competition where contestants, known as Runners, must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins, with every move broadcast to a bloodthirsty public and each day bringing a greater cash reward. Desperate to save his sick daughter, working-class Ben Richards is convinced by the show’s charming but ruthless producer, Dan Killian, to enter the game as a last resort. But Ben’s defiance, instincts and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite — and a threat to the entire system. As ratings skyrocket, so does the danger, and Ben must outwit not just the Hunters, but a nation addicted to watching him fall.”

The Running Man trailer

Watch the official trailer for The Running Man right here:

Edgar Wright movies

Edgar Wright is best known for his Cornetto trilogy with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, but the director has quite the resume, as you can see below:

• A Fistful of Fingers (1995)
• Shaun of the Dead (2004)
• Hot Fuzz (2007)
• Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2010)
• The World’s End (2013)
• Baby Driver (2017)
• The Sparks Brothers (2021)
• Last Night in Soho (2021)

The Running Man behind the scenes

Paramount Pictures is the studio behind The Running Man, making it in association with Domain Entertainment, A Kinberg Genre and Complete Fiction Production. The movie’s producers are Simon Kinberg, Nira Park and Edgar Wright.

Some of the biggest stars of the year (literally biggest) are the dinosaurs of Jurassic World Rebirth, which is now playing. If you’re excited for the latest in the long-running franchise, we’ve got everything you need to know on how to watch Jurassic World Rebirth right here.

As the name suggests, Rebirth is going to be a soft reboot for the franchise that began 30-plus years ago with Spielberg’s Jurassic Park and most recently wrapped up the trilogy of movies starring Chris Pratt. Jurassic World Rebirth will feature a whole new cast of characters, and a number of new dinosaurs.

We don’t want you to miss out on what Jurassic World Rebirth has in store, so here are all the details on where, when and how to watch the movie.

How to watch Jurassic World Rebirth in movie theaters

Jurassic World Rebirth is now playing in movie theaters everywhere.

To find exactly where and when Jurassic World Rebirth is playing in your area, visit the movie’s official website or Fandango. These options allow you to see all of the theaters in your area where the movie is playing and what showtimes are available. You can also purchase your Jurassic World Rebirth tickets directly through either platform.

If you have a particular movie theater that you like to go to, another option to not only get showtime information but also potentially save money is with movie theaters subscription and memberships. Offered by numerous US and UK movie theater chains, these programs usually allow moviegoers to get free, discounted or monthly allotment of movie tickets, as well as other perks like deals on concessions.

Is Jurassic World Rebirth streaming?

No, you cannot stream Jurassic World Rebirth at this time. But the movie is available to buy or rent via digital on-demand platforms in the US, including Prime Video.

We can make a pretty safe bet on that streaming service being Peacock in the US. All Universal Pictures movies first become available to stream on Peacock, and as a Universal title that is bound to be where Jurassic World Rebirth makes its streaming debut.

We’ll update this page as info on Jurassic World Rebirth’s at home plans become available.

What else to know about Jurassic World Rebirth

As mentioned, Jurassic World Rebirth will feature all new human characters (in addition to brand new dinosaurs). Leading the cast are Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono, Audrina Miranda, Philippine Velge, Bechir Sylvain and Ed Skrein. The movie is directed by Gareth Edwards.

Here’s the official synopsis for Jurassic World Rebirth:

“Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air within that tropical biosphere hold, in their DNA, the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.”

See what critics are saying about Jurassic World Rebirth on Rotten Tomatoes.

You can also watch the trailer for the movie to get a sneak peek at what’s in store below:

Marvel and the DC Universe both have big new superhero movies premiering in July with The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Superman, but they’re not the only ones. Netflix is getting in on the summer superhero action with a long-awaited sequel to one of their best original big-budget action films, The Old Guard 2, now streaming.

The Old Guard premiered on Netflix back in 2020 and starred Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli and Chiwetel Ejiofor. It was based on the graphic novel series by Greg Rucka about a covert group of immortal mercenaries that have protected the world for centuries. In the movie, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and written by Rucka, the group finds a new individual like them while also needing to contend with the threat of someone looking to replicate their powers.

“Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes (and a consistent presence on our best movies on Netflix list), The Old Guard was a popular watch when it first premiered, with 72 million households watching it in its first month, per reports.

With The Old Guard ending introducing a major reveal that left viewers buzzing, The Old Guard 2 was unsurprisingly green-lit, the team was brought back together and filming wrapped on the movie in 2023. So why has it taken two more years for it to debut on Netflix?

Theron told Variety that some “changeover” at Netflix led to their post-production actually being shut down for a little bit. Add in the actor and writer’s strikes that held so many movies up in 2023, and The Old Guard 2 just took a little bit longer to get across the finish line than originally planned. Though Theron said she was never too concerned about the movie not getting its debut.

Now it is officially here, with a number of new faces and contributors. Joining The Old Guard 2 cast are Veronica Ngô, Henry Golding and Uma Thurman. Meanwhile, there is a new director in Victoria Mahoney, making her feature directing debut after years directing episodes of popular TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy, The Morning Show, Lovecraft Country and Netflix’s You.

Here’s the synopsis for The Old Guard 2:

“Andy (Theron) and her team of immortal warriors are back, with a renewed sense of purpose in their mission to protect the world. With Booker (Schoenaerts) still in exile after his betrayal, and Quynh (Ngô) out for revenge after escaping her underwater prison, Andy grapples with her newfound mortality as a mysterious threat emerges that could jeopardize everything she’s worked towards for thousands of years. Andy, Nile (Layne), Joe (Kenzari), Nicky (Marinelli) and James Copley (Ejiofor) enlist the help of Tuah (Golding), an old friend who may provide the key to unlocking the mystery behind immortal existence.”

And check out the trailer right here:

You must have a Netflix subscription if you want to watch The Old Guard 2.

If you've read my Jurassic World Rebirth review, you'll know that I was disappointed by the latest entry in one of my favorite franchises, and apparently The Algorithm noticed my praise of one certain scene because as soon as my review was published, I started getting Lego adverts for sets based on the new movie.

Lego makes sets based on loads of pop culture franchises, real-world objects and play sets, and as someone who often peruses new sets (mostly out of curiosity about what you get for an eye-watering $600, not because I'd ever be able to afford something like that), I often see new sets that are announced.

The Jurassic World Rebirth Lego sets were unveiled several months before the movie came out. It tells, because once you've seen it (released Wednesday, July 2), you'll notice that some of the sets are wild. But others are based on the best parts of the movie.

• Check out the Lego Jurassic World theme here

There are six sets based off the new movie. Good news to people who loved Rebirth's cute Aquilops Dolores, the cheapest — and most authentic — set is a baby play version of her. It costs $27.99 / £19.99 and you can check it out here.

Another set is based off the best scene in the movie, the T-Rex rapids chase scene. Like this scene the set gets you a T-Rex, a raft and two of the members of the Delgado group but also a quad bike and the side of a house, both of which were definitely not in the movie (a quad bike would be better for escaping a rampaging dino, I'm sure!). This goes for $49.99 / £44.99 and you can check it out here.

Beyond Dolores, the most authentic Lego set from Rebirth is one that gets you a Mosasaurus and boat, as well as crewmember minifigures based on Ed Skrein and Bechir Sylvain's characters (two members of the original mercenary crew). While these are curious choices for minifigs, this scene actually did happen in the movie. It costs $59.99 / £54.99 and you can check it out here.

For the three last sets, I'm going to need to issue a spoiler warning, because I'm going to discuss some things about Jurassic World Rebirth that it might be worth not knowing if you want to go into the movie totally blind. Nothing major, but some people like knowing nothing about a film before going in.

The cheapest remaining set is called Raptor Off-Road Escape and it includes minifigs of Manuel Garcia'Rulfo's Reuben Delgado and his on-screen daughter Isabella, played by Audrina Miranda, as well as a tiny Dolores, a Jurassic Park-branded jeep, a little radio antennae and a Raptor creeping through the bushes. If you've seen the movie you'll know that Raptors have basically no part in it, only existing to get swooped up by the Quetzalcoatlus at one point, so having a set based around them is bizarre. The branded jeep is also odd as the movie doesn't take place on the same island as the titular Jurassic Park and I recall no such jeep appearing in the movie. Oh well. Set is $39.99 / £29.99 and you can check it out here.

The most expensive set is called Spinosaurus & Quetzalcoatlus Air Mission and it includes the four main characters (in Lego form of course) as well as the two named dinos, a temple ruin (complete with traps), a helicopter and a truck. Now there's nothing here that's not actually in the movie but it's the Spino, the Quetzal & temple and the truck & heli all come at three very different points of the movie, with at least an hour between the Spinosaurus (which attacks the boat near the beginning) and the helicopter (brought down by the D-Rex right at the end). Set costs $159.99 / £139.99 and you can check it out here.

My least favorite scene of the movie was the one set in a gas station, as the very presence of a gas station (selling tourist tat, no less) on a secluded island housing only a top-secret base, made no sense to me. And the Lego set based on the scene is just as nonsensical.

Raptor & Titanosarus Tracking Mission has a Raptor (which we've already discussed), a Titanosaurus (which shows up in the movie far before the gas station scene), three of the four main characters (Mahershala Ali's Kincaid curiously absent) and a few other weird things: a dune buggy, a motorbike and a campsite (neither of these three are in the movie, from what I recall). You can buy this for $109.99 / £89.99 and you can check it out here.

Lego has a few Jurassic World-themed "Dinosaur Missions" sets, which just get you some random vehicles, minifigures and dinos, so I can forgive sets that simply contain a hodge-podge of these elements. However, the Rebirth sets are odd as they're tied to the new movie, and have quite a few similarities with certain scenes, but are also so different at the same time. It's also quite funny given how little sense much of Jurassic World Rebirth makes, that its Lego sets follow suit.

If you're a dino and Lego fan, the brand does make some really cool "Dinosaur Fossils" sets of a T-Rex Skull, a Triceratops Skull and a full T-Rex, which are more decorative builds but they look great and straddle a range of prices. You can find them listed in the Jurassic World theme here.

After rewatching Jurassic Park ahead of the theatrical release of Jurassic World Rebirth, I’ve decided that nothing can match the nostalgia of the original 1993 blockbuster, no matter how hard this new instalment tries.

Initially, I was excited to hear that more dino danger was stomping onto our screens with Jurassic World Rebirth. However, my enthusiasm soon turned into apprehension when I discovered that it serves as a standalone sequel to the rather disappointing Jurassic World Dominion.

There were high hopes, though, as Jurassic World Rebirth saw the return of screenwriter David Koepp, who penned the original Jurassic Park and its sequel The Lost World: Jurassic Park. The last trilogy ended on a whimper, but Koepp was on hand to bring back the Jurassic franchise to its original roots with Steven Spielberg now on producer duties.

According to The Wrap, Koepp said they were going for the “spirit of the first movie, which is the tone that we would like to get closest to.” Meanwhile, leading star Scarlett Johansson told Variety that the film’s latest chapter is a homage to Spielberg’s masterpiece. She revealed: “So I think it really is a love letter to Steven’s work. Fans of the Jurassic universe can expect to really feel the DNA of the original Jurassic Park in this film.”

While the essence of Jurassic Park is definitely seen and felt in Jurassic World Rebirth thanks to its tributes to iconic scenes and colorful cinematography, it just didn’t have the same nostalgia as the very first movie.

• Here's how to watch the Jurassic Park movies in order
• Jurassic World Rebirth review: like the Jurassic Park, it's a promising experiment that goes wrong

Jurassic World Rebirth is a new era to one of Hollywood's biggest franchises with a new cast, new director (Gareth Edwards), new story and even new dinosaurs. Set several years after Dominion, the movie sees a team of skilled operatives venture to a forbidden island to collect DNA from dinosaurs which can provide life-saving medical benefits for humans. However, their top-secret mission becomes even more dangerous when they find mutant dinosaurs roaming the land.

The gang is mainly made up of Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali and Rupert Friend. We also simultaneously follow the Delgado family’s desperate bid for survival on the island after being attacked by an aquatic dinosaur on their sailing trip. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo plays the father of two daughters and he also has his hands full with his older daughter’s foolish boyfriend, Xavier (David Iacono).

Although Jurassic World Rebirth doesn’t bring back any of the original cast like Dominion does, this movie plays with the nostalgic themes of Jurassic Park a lot more, especially through its striking color palette of the tropical island and prehistoric behemoths. But where it’s most noticeable is when it copies some of the most iconic scenes from the cult classic.

In one scene, we see Zora Bennett (Johansson) and Dr. Henry Loomis (Bailey) look completely amazed when they witness two Brachiosaurus in the wild - much like when Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) witness this same spectacle for the very first time in Jurassic Park.

Another Jurassic Park sequence that’s referenced is the infamous raptors in the kitchen scene where siblings Lex (Ariana Richards) and Tim (Joseph Mazzello) are relentlessly pursued by two raptors in a restaurant kitchen. Jurassic World Rebirth copies this when the Delgado family are trapped with mutated raptors in an abandoned garage at a research facility. They play a deadly cat-and-mouse game with the creatures, catching a sight of the raptors' sharp talons - something that’s lifted right out of Jurassic Park.

The legendary Jurassic Park flare scene also comes out to play in Jurassic World Rebirth. The original sequence features Alan Grant using a flare to distract the ferocious T-Rex and save the children. History repeats itself this time around when Duncan Kincaid (Ali) does exactly the same to rescue the kids from the mighty mutant D-Rex aka the Distortus Rex.

The classic score tops it all off to try and emulate the sense of wonder and adventure from Jurassic Park, but I’m sorry to say that this new story just can’t compete with its predecessor. While it’s nice to see Jurassic World Rebirth pay homage to its 90s origins, it tries too hard to inspire the same nostalgia as the groundbreaking Jurassic Park, which I think is an impossible feat.

The authenticity of Jurassic Park just can’t be copied with modern iterations, even if it does pay respect to famous scenes. But despite this, Jurassic World Rebirth still provides fun dino entertainment that guarantees a few laughs - just don’t expect it to have the same magic as its one-of-a-kind source material.

Jurassic World Rebirth releases exclusively in movie theaters on Wednesday, July 2.

I've been a stalwart fan of the Jurassic World revival of the Jurassic Park franchise, even if the quality took a tumble towards the end. So when visionary director Gareth Edwards was announced to helm a continuation of the franchise, one which would double down on the horrifying concept of mutant dinos, I was fully in.

Unfortunately, the resulting movie Jurassic World Rebirth doesn't live up to the hype. It's overlong, frustrating and lacking in thrills, so much so that I look back at the widely-panned Jurassic World Dominion fondly in comparison.

Jurassic World Rebirth is set several years on from Dominion, and sees an expedition of mercenaries travel to a remote island to collect DNA from isolated dinos, only to have their plans scuppered when the dinosaurs start to attack them. Who would've thought that would happen?

• Here's how to watch the Jurassic Park movies in order

At the same time we follow a family on a sailing trip who likewise are attacked by a dinosaur, and have to find refuge on this dangerous island. In its opening text crawl, the movie sweeps under the rug the Fallen Kingdom-introduced idea of dinos joining the Earth's ecosystem in a permanent and disappointingly-limiting way, keeping action limited to one island.

The team consists of Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend and some future dino fodder, while Manuel Garcia-Rulfo is the patriarch of the family. None of the characters are given much to work with, but props go to Audrina Miranda for playing perhaps the most convincing child of the Jurassic Park franchise.

The plot is driven along by a series of coincidences, contrivances and bizarre logic, and you'll want to scream at the screen for how infuriatingly little sense any of it makes. The premise for the island, the reason the original base there shut down, the relationship between the stranded family members, an unending string of hair-pullingly idiotic decisions by characters; all of these make it impossible to get engaged with the movie, though serve as fodder to complain about to friends over a beer later. The more you think about it, the more you wonder: "why is there a gas station selling tourist tat on a remote island which ever only housed a scientific research base, and has no roads?"

There's a lot more that's frustrating for how it's not addressed. Two of the main characters have traumas they describe during one laborious conversation scene and barely bring up again; most of the other characters have "arc"' that are either resolved the scene after they're brought up or are completely forgotten. You don't watch Jurassic movies for their characters, but at least you get a sense of who Ian Malcolm, Ellie Sattler, Alan Grant, or the World characers actually are.

Clocking in at 2 hours and 14 minutes, Rebirth is the second-longest movie of the franchise, despite its simple plot. It feels long too, with a sluggish first half that spends far too much time at sea, and a stop-start pace once characters get to the island; the story rarely instills a sense of excitement or danger. A few punchier scenes, like the brief appearance of a T-Rex and an attack by the aquatic Mosasaurus, are so prevalent in the trailers that they lose their impact, too.

The movie is surprisingly bloodless and kid-friendly, more so than past entries. Almost all dino kills are out of view, with the creatures dragging victims off-camera at every opportunity (maybe they're just shy eaters), and the child character befriends a baby dinosaur that proceeds to travel around in her backpack like we're watching a Disney film (admittedly this dino, Dolores, was the highlight of the movie to some people I spoke to). Fans who loved the harrowing dino disaster and brutality of past Jurassic World movies will find it toothless.

This is despite Rebirth being marketed as a horror movie. The new big bad Distortus Rex is only creepy in its first scene, then disappears for the vast majority of the movie, and when it re-enters at the eleventh hour it's nonthreatening and looks daft. In fact the premise of the island being home to an ecosystem of mutant dinos only manifests in the D-Rex and one other creature, which you'd think was just a normal dino if not for a quick dialogue aside.

Instead of blood, Rebirth is chock-full of "jokes", however, the vast majority land with a resounding 'thud' (more of a 'thud' than the footsteps of the lumbering behemoths, that characters inexplicably fail to hear throughout the movie). I smiled at one line near the beginning, but the further the film goes on, the more the incessant attempts at humor deflate any atmosphere the movie has created.

Dino fans will appreciate the appearance of some big-name debuts to the franchise like Quetzalcoatlus and Titanosaurus, but if you don't know your Stegasaurus from your Triceratops, then all these new dinos will do is remind you of scenes from the original trilogy, which Rebirth is clearly aping.

Despite not following Dominion's footsteps by bringing back the original cast, Rebirth plays on nostalgia even more than the reboot trilogy. I liked the use of Jurassic Park's color scheme, but there are too many shots lifted wholesale from the original, and the classic score is dropped in at baffling points. The original theme, evoking wonder and excitement, is used when one character is telling another of their PTSD!

Universal has dubbed Jurassic World Rebirth a stand-alone movie, rather than the start of a new trilogy, but it's hard to see where the franchise can go from here given the status of dinos within the movie. Out of the movie, Rebirth has squandered my enthusiasm for future installments, and it feels like a hiatus is well due (reports suggest a new movie will come in 2028, but one can dream!).

Watch Jurassic World Rebirth exclusively in movie theaters; it releases on Wednesday, July 2.

Looking for some new movies to stream in July? Well great news, there are plenty of options across the likes of Netflix, Max, Prime Video and all of the major streaming services this month. With that said, it can be a lot to scroll through, so allow me to offer my humble services in helping you find the new movies on streaming that you are not going to want to miss.

The below list of movies are taken from the major streaming services: Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus, Hulu, Max, Netflix, Paramount Plus, Peacock and Prime Video. I'm also specifically picking movies that are new to streaming this month — in this case, these are 11 movies that are landing on one of the major streamers for the first time, or coming back to streaming services after only being available via on-demand.

So without further ado, here are my picks for the 11 movies to stream in July.

The Amateur (Hulu)

The Amateur slid a little under the radar in movie theaters, but the spy thriller starring Rami Malek did earn a "Fresh" score from critics and an 88% positive rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Those reactions point to this being a movie that likely deserves more of a look when it becomes easier to watch on streaming this month.

In the movie, Malek plays a CIA analyst Charlie Heller, whose wife tragically dies in a terrorist attack. He wants to go after those responsible, but when his superiors deny that plan, Charlie goes out on his own using his analytical and technical skills at his disposal to get his revenge.

Stream The Amateur on Hulu in the US starting July 17.

Streaming plans for The Amateur in the UK are unconfirmed; movie is currently available via on-demand.

The Assessment (Hulu)

Let's be honest, nobody likes taking tests. But what if a test decided whether or not you could have children. That's the premise of this sci-fi psychological drama that stars Elizabeth Olsen and Himesh Patel as hopeful parents and Alicia Vikander as person running the assessment and deciding if they get to become parents.

The indie movie, which only saw a limited release in movie theaters, is officially "Certified Fresh."

Stream The Assessment on Hulu in the US starting July 19; currently streaming on Prime Video in the UK.

Billy Joel: And So it Goes (Max)

I had plans to see Billy Joel in concert this September before the Piano Man unfortunately announced that he would need time to recover from a medical condition and the concert was cancelled (bummer, but warranted). That just makes this upcoming HBO documentary about Joel more of a must watch for me (and any fan of his music).

A two-parter that will release on Max in back-to-back weeks, Billy Joel: And So It Goes explores the love, loss, and personal struggles that fuel his songwriting, providing never-before-seen performances, home videos, personal photographs and one-on-one interviews.

Stream Billy Joel: And So It Goes part 1 on July 18 on Max, with part 2 premiering July 25.

There's no info on a UK premiere for Billy Joel: An So It Goes at this time.

Brick (Netflix)

The language barrier on Netflix may be a thing of the past based on how many foreign language movies have become solid hits on Netflix so far this year. Whether they're watching dubbed versions or subtitles, Netflix subscribers have given movies like Exterritorial (from Germany) and Bad Influence (from Spain) their attention.

We could have the next example of that this month in Brick, another German-made movie. Matthias Schweighöfer, the breakout star of Netflix's Army of the Dead, leads this sci-fi, mystery thriller where an entire apartment building becomes encased by a mysterious brick wall, forcing the residents to find a way out.

Stream Brick on Netflix worldwide starting July 10.

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (Hulu)

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story is one of the funniest sports comedies of all time. The battle between Vince Vaughn and his team of misfits and the fantastically over-the-top villain played by Ben Stiller is, as the title suggest a classic underdog story, played out in hilarious fashion.

With sports options a bit minimal at the moment, Dodgeball can help fill your competitive drive, while getting you howling.

Stream Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story on Hulu in the US starting July 1; currently streaming on Disney Plus in the UK.

Happy Gilmore 2 (Netflix)

Another classic sports movie highlights July's streaming options, with Adam Sandler's Happy Gilmore 2 teeing off on Netflix. The sequel to Sandler's golf comedy sees his hot-headed, long-driving character trying to reignite his golf career to help his daughter achieve her dreams.

Original cast members Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen and Ben Stiller, are back, while new to the scene are Sunny Sandler, Margaret Qualley, Bad Bunny, Travis Kelce and a number of real-life golf professionals. Can they all help recreate what made the original Happy Gilmore a fan-favorite?

Stream Happy Gilmore 2 on Netflix worldwide starting July 25.

Heads of State (Prime Video)

In the new action comedy Heads of State, a pair of world leaders have a bit more of a hand in international affairs as John Cena and Idris Elba play the US president and UK prime minister that have to stop a global conspiracy on their own. Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jack Quaid and Paddy Considine also star in the movie that hopes to bring some summer fun to Prime Video's streaming lineup.

Stream Heads of State on Prime Video worldwide starting on July 2.

Mortal Kombat (Max)

Pick your preference on Mortal Kombat movies, as both the 1995 movie and the 2021 reboot return to Max in July. For, it's the 1995 movie all the way.

In a nutshell, both movies involve some of Earth's strongest fighters being tasked with saving the planet from adversaries from an other world looking to the planet over, with its fate to be decided in a series of fights known as Mortal Kombat.

The timing is good too, as a sequel to 2021's Mortal Kombat is set to be released later this year. So you can use this opportunity to refamiliarize with the new movie's characters.

Stream Mortal Kombat (1995 and 2021) on Max in the US starting July 1.

Both Mortal Kombat movies are available on-demand in the UK, with no streaming plans available at this time.

The Old Guard 2 (Netflix)

It's been a long five-year wait for The Old Guard 2, the sequel to Netflix and Charlize Theron's hit action movie about immortal mercenaries. But that officially ends early in the month, with the added bonus of Theron and company taking on a new villain, played by Kill Bill icon Uma Thurman.

This is one of Netflix's answers to the summer blockbuster season, and if it can live up to the first movie it should be a pretty good one.

Stream The Old Guard 2 on Netflix worldwide on July 2.

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl (Max)

Max is adding a number of recent A24 movies to its library this month, including Opus and Death of a Unicorn. But the most intriguing will be On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, an international indie that has a rare 100% "Certified Fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie follows a Zambian family whose secrets come out as funeral proceedings for their uncle take place. Interested?

Stream On Becoming a Guinea Fowl on Max in the US starting July 4.

Streaming plans for On Becoming a Guinea Fowl in the UK are unconfirmed; movie is currently available via on-demand.

Sinners (Max)

What I dubbed as the first great movie of the year, Sinners arrives on streaming in July, meaning there is little excuse if you're one of the few people that has not seen this excellent entry from Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler.

A blend of horror, action and music, Sinners is expertly made, written and acted, and should play just as well on your TVs at home as it did on the big screen.

Stream Sinners on Max in the US starting July 4.

Streaming plans for Sinners in the UK are unconfirmed; movie is currently available via on-demand.

Believe it or not, but 2025 is already halfway over. While the 2025 new movie release schedule has plenty more on the docket for this year and there are a number of good summer blockbuster movie options to enjoy in movie theaters right now, I’d thought I’d take a moment to reflect on my favorite movies of 2025 so far.

Extra bonus, all of these movies are available to watch at home right now either through streaming services or via digital on-demand.

Seeing as we’re just half way through the year, I’ve picked my five favorite movies so far rather than the traditional 10; though if the 2024 edition of this mid-year check in is any indication, a good number of these could have some staying power on the eventual year-end list (four out of the five movies I cited as my “favorite of 2024 so far” made my final top 10 of 2024).

Without further ado, here are my five favorite movies of 2025 so far (in alphabetical order), and how you can watch them at home:

The Ballad of Wallis Island

I can usually rely on the Sundance Film Festival to deliver at least one first-half of the year gem, and this year that came in the form of The Ballad of Wallis Island. This indie comedy centers on a professional musician who finds out his most recent gig is playing for a concert exclusively for an eccentric lottery winner on a remote British isle. And to make things more awkward the musician’s ex-bandmate/girlfriend was also invited.

That sets up plenty of gentle humor in this charming film, with stars Tom Basden, Tim Key, Carrey Mulligan and Sian Clifford playing their roles in perfect harmony. But there’s also a touch of beautiful sadness to the story that allows The Ballad of Wallis Island to sit with you a good while after you’ve watched it.

Stream The Ballad of Wallis Island on Peacock in the US; the movie is still playing in movie theaters in the UK.

Black Bag

Between my Black Bag review and a plea for viewers missing adult-targeted movies like this to show up for Black Bag when it premiered on streaming, I’ve made my support for Steven Soderbergh’s modern spy movie known. But just in case you haven’t seen Black Bag yet, here’s a reminder to do so.

Michael Fassbender stars as George Woodhouse, one half of a powerful spy couple along with his wife Kathryn St. Jean (Cate Blanchett). But when a key piece of technology goes missing, George is tasked with finding who the traitor is, with the list of suspects including his wife.

Black Bag is a tight, expertly made spy thriller, which you can stream on Peacock in the US; available to rent via digital on-demand in the UK.

One of Them Days

One of Them Days came out all the way back in January but for my money it remains the funniest movie of 2025 to date. Keke Palmer and SZA star as two best friends and roommates who find themselves short on rent when an airhead boyfriend spends it on himself. They have until the end of the day to scrounge up enough money to keep them from being evicted, while having to deal with a slew of characters in their LA neighborhood.

As I wrote in my One of Them Days review, Palmer and SZA have great comedic chemistry, while the movie itself has the inklings of a Friday for the 21st century. It’s a great option if you’re in need of a laugh.

Stream One of Them Days on Netflix in the US; available via digital on-demand in the UK.

Sinners

If I had to rank my favorite movies of 2025 right now, Sinners would be in the pole position. Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan reunited for another incredible movie that should’ve absolutely been seen on the big screen (and as indicated by its box office many did). But if you need to catch up with it at home, by all means sit back and revel in this horror/action blockbuster.

Jordan stars in the movie as twin brothers Smoke and Stack as they return to their home in the Mississippi Delta in the 1930s after years away with the aim of opening up a club. They round up old friends and family to help put on their opening night party, but soon find that they’ve attracted some unwelcome guests that threaten to turn the night upside down.

Currently available via digital on-demand in the US and UK, Sinners makes its streaming debut on Max in the US on July 4.

Warfare

I’ve previewed the funniest and what I think right now are the best movies of the year, so to close this list out I’m highlighting the most intense movie of the year, Warfare. Civil War’s Alex Garland co-directed this movie with veteran Ray Mendoza, portraying a real-life mission featuring Navy SEALs, with the story taken from the memories of those who took part in it.

While the action in the movie is still intense, watching Warfare at home may be better for some who don’t want to feel a little shell-shocked from theater acoustics. And however you watch it, it’s an incredible story of brothers in arms and the cost of war.

Buy or rent Warfare via digital on-demand platforms in the US; stream Warfare on Prime Video in the UK.

WTW’s most anticipated summer blockbuster movie of 2025, Brad Pitt’s F1: The Movie, is finally here. And if you’re just as excited as we are to watch F1: The Movie, we’ve got all the details you need to know on just how to do that right now.

F1: The Movie hails from the director of Top Gun: Maverick (Joseph Kosinski) — in fact, the movie definitely feels like it’s trying to replicate that Top Gun: Maverick vibe a little — and is teasing what looks to be some of the most intense racing sequences put to film. Does the movie live up to the hype?

To find out, you’ll have to watch F1: The Movie for yourself. Here’s what you need to know on that front.

How to watch F1: The Movie in movie theaters

F1: The Movie is now playing exclusively in movie theaters, including IMAX showings where available.

To find out exactly where, when and in what format F1: The Movie is playing near you, check out the movie’s official website or Fandango. Either option shows you all of the movie theater locations in your area where the movie is playing, what times are available and if that theater has IMAX screenings available or not. When you find the time and place you like, you can purchase your F1: The Movie tickets directly through these platforms.

If you have a particular movie theater that you frequent, then another option that not only allows you to find F1: The Movie showtimes but also possibly saves some money on a ticket are movie theater subscriptions and membership programs. These offerings (available from both US and UK movie theater chains) often provide moviegoers with free, discounted or monthly allotment of movie tickets, as well as other perks like deals on concessions.

Is F1: The Movie streaming?

No, you can’t stream F1: The Movie right now, and at this time, there is no information on when F1: The Movie is going to be available for at-home viewing via on-demand or streaming platforms.

Though F1: The Movie is a collaboration between Apple Original Film and Warner Bros. Pictures, when it makes its streaming debut, it is expected to do so exclusively on Apple TV Plus (subscription required). However, how long of a wait it might be is TBD.

Another Apple Original Film coming out this summer, Highest 2 Lowest, is releasing in August and already has a streaming release date for Apple TV Plus two weeks later. But there is no information on when F1: The Movie will be streaming on Apple TV Plus.

Other past collabs between Apple Original Films and studios that got a major theatrical release before heading to Apple TV Plus included Napoleon, which arrived on the streamer four months after it premiered in theaters; and Fly Me to the Moon, which hit Apple TV Plus six months after its wide release. The shortest wait was Killers of the Flower Moon, which arrived on the streamer three months after its premiere.

So, we’ll keep our eyes peeled for any information on F1: The Movie’s streaming plans, but expect it to be a few months before it becomes available on streaming. Likely, the movie will be made available via digital on-demand prior to that.

What else to know about F1: The Movie

Here is the official synopsis for F1: The Movie:

“Dubbed ‘the greatest that never was,’ Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) was Formula 1’s most promising phenom of the 1990s until an accident on the track nearly ended his career. Thirty years later, he’s a nomadic racer-for-hire when he’s approached by his former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), owner of a struggling Formula 1 team that is on the verge of collapse. Ruben convinces Sonny to come back to Formula 1 for one last shot at saving the team and being the best in the world. He’ll drive alongside Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), the team’s hotshot rookie intent on setting his own pace. But as the engines roar, Sonny’s past catches up with him and he finds that in Formula 1, your teammate is your fiercest competition — and the road to redemption is not something you can travel alone.”

In addition to the aforementioned Pitt, Bardem and Idris, F1: The Movie stars Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Sarah Niles, Kim Bodina and Samson Kayo.

WTW's F1: The Movie review calls the movie "a winner," and other critics appear to agree, as the movie is “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes.

Get a sneak peek at what to expect by watching the F1: The Movie trailer right here:

Formula 1 is not one of the sports that I typically follow, as I never found it all that compelling to watch on TV. Watching F1: The Movie on the big screen though (in my case on an IMAX screen), yeah, I was riveted by the on-the-track action as the movie places you right in the driver’s seat.

That’s a similar strategy that F1: The Movie director Joseph Kosinski took with his previous movie, Top Gun: Maverick, and it works again here. The director and his team filmed during real F1 events, allowing them to authentically capture what it’s like to compete in one of the fastest sports in the world; and for extra authenticity to do so among so many of F1’s actual competitors and personalities.

On the track, F1: The Movie is an absolute winner. When we’re not focused on the racing is when a few bumps in the road come up. And it’s not that the story or the all-star cast led by Brad Pitt are bad, they just don’t elevate the movie in any notable way. Still, none of that is enough to keep F1: The Movie from being one a worthy summer blockbuster.

F1: The Movie follows Sonny Hayes (Pitt), a nomadic racer-for-hire whose F1 dreams were dashed years ago after a horrific crash. He gets another shot when an old friend (Javier Bardem) wants him to help save his struggling F1 team. Forced to contend with a hot-shot rookie driver (Damson Idris) and to redesign a car that can effectively compete with the top teams with their technical director (Kerry Condon), Sonny puts everything on the line for a last shot at redemption.

If you’re like me and barely know anything about F1 racing, the movie does a good job guiding you along with key aspects so you can effectively understand the stakes and the strategies of the races. The movie could very well be a primer for a new wave of F1 fans, which was certainly one of its goals with F1 legend Lewis Hamilton and the racing league itself helping to produce the movie.

At the same time, it’s not a dumbed down version of the sport. I watched the movie with one of my friends who is a major F1 fan and he had a blast seeing real-life F1 figures make appearances, their personalities and racing styles being effectively captured on screen. And even if there are instances of movie magic/convenience, to paraphrase, he said any inaccuracies were small enough it didn’t prevent him from enjoying the movie.

So credit to Kosinski, who once again proves he is a master of putting audiences in high-octane positions that make for great entertainment on the big screen.

While the main attraction is the racing, the overall story of Sonny and his team isn’t bad, it just has a hard time keeping up the highs we get from the track. Notably, the relationship between Sonny and Joshua, the rookie driver, has a weird flow to it; a plot line revolving around Sonny’s injury history proves inconsequential; and the movie has some struggles bringing the ending in for a landing, dragging on longer than it needs to.

Still, Pitt brings the swagger of a wily, wildcard driver, having good chemistry with Idris, Bardem and Condon, who are all solid.

There are probably better movies about why people would choose to risk their lives driving cars at such speeds and the cost of those pursuits, but I don’t know if there’s been a movie to date that has captured the actual feel of the sport as well as F1: The Movie. I’m not sure I’ll be an F1 convert after it, but I definitely have a greater appreciation for the sport.

F1: The Movie is now playing exclusively in movie theaters.

We’ve had numerous Supermen, Batmen and Spider-Men, but prior to 2025, we’ve only had one Toxic Avenger, the cult favorite superhero from the 80s. That changes as Peter Dinklage takes on the role in what is being promised as an “unrated” and bloody 2025 new movie.

The Toxic Avenger actually was made back in 2023 with screenings at Fantastic Fest and Beyond Fest, but it has taken until now for the movie to get a release. But there has been plenty of buzz about the movie from those screenings (it has a 92% “Fresh” score from critics who have seen the movie) that have gotten fans excited.

So, when is The Toxic Avenger coming out, who else stars in it and is there a trailer? Find out all the info about those details and more directly below.

The Toxic Avenger release date

The Toxic Avenger is set to hit movie theaters on August 29 in the US, UK and Ireland.

The Toxic Avenger cast

Peter Dinklage is taking on the role of the Toxic Avenger, aka Winston Gooze. Dinklage is best known for his Emmy-winning role as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones, but more recently he has appeared in Dexter: Resurrection, Wicked and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

Other notable members of The Toxic Avenger cast include Elijah Wood (Yellowjackets), Kevin Bacon (Sirens), Taylour Paige (Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F) and Jacob Tremblay (The Life of Chuck).

The Toxic Avenger plot

Based on the original The Toxic Avenger movie by Lloyd Kaufman and Joe Ritter, Macon Blair penned the adaptation for this new version. Here is the official synopsis:

“When a downtrodden janitor, Winston Gooze, is exposed to a catastrophic toxic accident, he’s transformed into a new kind of hero: The Toxic Avenger. Now, Toxie must rise from outcast to savior, taking on ruthless corporate overlords and corrupt forces who threaten his son, his friends, and his community. In a world where greed runs rampant… justice is best served radioactive.”

The Toxic Avenger trailer

Watch the “official uncensored” trailer for The Toxic Avenger right here (the violence/gore is the primary reason it’s being dubbed “uncensored,” as an FYI).

The Toxic Avenger director

In addition to writing the script, Macon Blair is the director of The Toxic Avenger.

Blair is better known as an actor, with roles in Blue Ruin, Logan Lucky, The Hunt, Oppenheimer and Reservation Dogs.

The Toxic Avenger is his second feature directing credit, with the other being Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore back in 2017. He’s also directed an episode of the TV anthology series Room 104.

The Toxic Avenger behind the scenes

Legendary Entertainment and Troma Entertainment are the production companies on The Toxic Avenger, while Cineverse and Bloody Disgusting (who recently teamed on the cult horror hit Terrifier 3) are US distributors. The movie is being distributed by Signature Entertainment in the UK.

Producers on the movie are Alex Garcia, Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman and Mary Parent.

Happy 50th anniversary to Jaws, the classic Steven Spielberg movie that helped usher in the blockbuster era and made plenty of people cautious about going into the water. Today, June 20, is the exact day Jaws was released in movie theaters, and to celebrate, you can watch it on TV tonight.

Specifically, NBC is going to have a three-hour broadcast of Jaws starting at 8 pm ET/PT, allowing anyone with a traditional pay-TV subscription, TV antenna or live TV streaming service (i.e., Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV or YouTube TV) to tune in and watch Jaws. Not only that, but to commemorate the anniversary, NBC’s broadcast is also going to feature a special introduction from Spielberg.

Jaws, for anyone that needs a refresher, takes place in a small beachside town that becomes terrorized by a great white shark. It falls on the local sheriff, a marine biologist and an old seafarer to hunt the killer shark. Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw star.

Jaws was a massive success upon its release. It became the first movie to gross more than $100 million at the box office and held the title of highest-grossing movie of all time for a couple of years (until Star Wars came along). It also had award success, with the movie earning four Oscar nominations and three wins, only missing out on Best Picture. The movie’s critical reception heralds it as an all-time great — earning spots on the American Film Institute’s 100 greatest American movies of all time list, Sight & Sound’s greatest movies of all time list and WTW’s own best movies of all time rankings.

While it is the movie that is credited as Spielberg’s breakout, it was not actually Spielberg’s first big-screen movie. That was The Sugarland Express, which came out a year prior. But Jaws took the young director (he was 29 at the time of the release) to a whole new level.

There are plenty of iconic moments from the movie that make Jaws such a great watch: the opening shark attack, the classic John Williams’ score and the iconic (yet often misquoted) line “you’re gonna need a bigger boat.”

If you’re excited to watch Jaws for its 50th anniversary but aren’t able to tune in to NBC’s broadcast of the movie on June 20, it is currently streaming on Peacock, along with all four movies from the franchise and Spielberg’s special introduction.

This is not the only special programming centered around Jaws’ 50th anniversary. National Geographic is going to air the behind-the-scenes documentary Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story on Friday, July 11, at 8 pm ET/PT; it will also stream on Disney Plus the same day.

Again, Jaws airs on NBC at 8 pm ET/PT on Friday, June 20.

Fans of the zombie genre are likely going to be running to try and watch 28 Years Later, the first entry in the franchise since 2007, and sees the return of original creators Danny Boyle and Alex Garland. If you’re one of those eager to catch the 2025 new movie, we’ve got all the details on where, when and how to watch 28 Years Later for you.

Boyle directed the Garland script for 28 Days Later, which is one of the most acclaimed zombie movies of all time. Then, in 2007, a sequel, 28 Weeks Later, continued the story of the viral outbreak in the UK, though with different creatives. Now, Boyle and Garland are back, with a story that picks up nearly three decades after the initial outbreak and with all-new characters at the center.

Here is everything you need to know about how to watch 28 Years Later right now.

How to watch 28 Years Later in movie theaters

28 Years Later is still playing in movie theaters in worldwide.

To find exact locations and showtimes for 28 Years Later, you can check out the movie’s official website or visit Fandango. Each option will show you all of the locations where the movie is playing in your area as well as available showtimes. You can also purchase your 28 Years Later tickets ahead of time with either option.

If you have a particular movie theater that you frequent, you may want to look into movie theater subscriptions and memberships. In addition to giving you all the information on what movies are playing, these programs (available with various US and UK movie theater chains) also allow you to potentially save some money, as they offer free, discounted and monthly allotment of movie tickets. Plus, there are other moviegoing perks available, often including deals on concessions.

Is 28 Years Later streaming?

28 Years Later is not a part of major streaming service lineup just yet, but the movie is available to watch at home via digital on-demand in the US.

Buy or rent 28 Years Later from Prime Video, Fandango at Home, Google Play and more.

At some point in the near future, 28 Years Later will premiere on a major streaming platform, most likely Netflix, as the streamer and Sony (the studio behind 28 Years Later) have a streaming deal in place.

We’ll update this post as more information about 28 Years Later’s streaming and on-demand plans is announced. In the meantime, 28 Days Later is available via digital on-demand in the US, while it’s streaming on Sky TV and NOW Cinema in the UK; 28 Weeks Later is streaming on Hulu and for free on Tubi in the US, and streaming on Disney Plus, Prime Video and Netflix in the UK.

What else to know about 28 Years Later

Boyle directed and Garland wrote the screenplay for 28 Years Later, which has an official synopsis that reads:

“It’s been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily-defended causeway. When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well.”

Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Alfie Williams star in the movie (those Cillian Murphy rumors aren’t true, at least for this first movie in a planned trilogy).

You can read What to Watch’s 28 Years Later review to see our thoughts on the movie. Also, check out the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes’ score to see what the critical consensus is for it.

Or you can watch the 28 Years Later trailer for yourself to see if it’s one that you want to see:

Just about any list of the greatest zombie movies of all time is sure to include Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s 28 Days Later. So naturally there was a lot of excitement around the two returning for the latest sequel in the series, 28 Years Later. But does the 2025 new movie live up to its predecessor?

Meh. 28 Years Later is an up and down experience. It features some of the gruesome zombie action that many fans likely desire, as well as a handful of sincerely beautiful moments. However the movie's highs don’t quite reach the same level of the original movie, while some of the lows are either a bit boring or outright baffling (the ending being the biggest evidence of the latter).

28 Years Later takes place nearly three decades after the outbreak depicted in the first movie, focusing on an entirely new set of characters (rumors that Cillian Murphy would appear in this one were shot down, though he is reportedly set to appear in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, coming out in 2026). In this one, 12-year-old Spike (Alfie Williams), who has spent his entire life on an island protected from the infected, makes his first trip to the UK mainland with his dad (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). When Spike learns that a mysterious doctor (Ralph Fiennes) is close, he decides to take his ailing mother (Jodie Comer) to see if he can help; if they can survive the infected first.

Williams’ Hollywood debut is a memorable one, as the young actor steals the movie as Spike. It’s an effective choice to reintroduce this world through the eyes of a child, with Williams’ effectively portraying Spike’s growth as he comes to understand real horrors and hard truths.

Fiennes also gives a good, supporting performance, bringing the emotional heart of the movie. Comer has a few touching moments, but I wouldn’t rank this among her best.

In terms of the movie’s action, those who want to see gore will get a good bit of it in 28 Years Later, both humans killing zombies and zombies killing humans. Boyle and his editors also kept some of that gritty, hectic style for the action that the first movie had. Though in some instances, they may have taken it too far.

Mostly relevant in the movie’s first half, there are editing choices (both visually and audially) that don’t make a whole lot of sense. They add a creepy, unsettling element to the movie, sure, but they don’t fit naturally with the story that we are seeing unfold, or are unnecessary, jarring jumps that take you somewhat out of the moment.

And if we’re talking about being taken out of the moment, the ending is the chief culprit. I won’t get into the details, but the movie feels like it is settling on a natural and generally satisfying conclusion before it introduces something completely off the wall that is wholly inconsistent with what we’ve just watched. It left me scratching my head as I was leaving the theater.

28 Years Later has the basis of a solid story and characters, with a few standouts in Williams and Fiennes. But the movie only reaches its highest potential in a few moments, while a number of the stylistic choices from Boyle are more curious oddities than compelling features. All in all, 28 Years Later opens the door for a potentially interesting story to be continued with its set follow-up and a potential third movie, but judging just on its own, it’s a middling start.

28 Years Later opens exclusively in movie theaters on June 20.

There's a general formula for most movie releases these days. A movie gets an exclusive run in movie theaters, which can be as short as two weeks, then it becomes available to buy or rent through digital on-demand platforms before it eventually becomes a part of a major streaming service. But it appears that's not what's happening with 2025 new movie Fight or Flight starring Josh Hartnett that is "Certified Fresh."

Lovingly touted as an action B-movie, Hartnett stars as an ex-government agent given a chance to redeem himself by tracking down a mysterious, high-value asset on a flight from Bangkok to San Francisco. However, he's not the only one, as the plane is filled with assassins on missions of their own. In addition to Hartnett, the movie also stars Charithra Chandran, Marko Zaror, Katee Sackhoff, Julian Kostov and JuJu Chan Szeto. Fight of Flight was directed by James Madigan.

If that sounds interesting to you and you want to watch Fight or Flight right now, well that's not really possible. As of publication, Fight or Flight is not playing in movie theaters, nor is it available to watch at home through either digital on-demand platforms or a streaming service for US audiences.

Fight or Flight premiered in US movie theaters on May 9. However, according to Box Office Mojo, the last day that it recorded any box office revenue was May 22. The movie’s short run in theaters isn't overly surprising, even despite generally good reviews, as it grossed just over $3.5 million in its two weeks on the big screen. But the fact that the movie was not immediately made available to buy or rent at home via digital on-demand is surprising.

As of right now, the only on-demand option for Fight or Flight in the US is to pre-order the movie on Fandango at Home, but there is no available timeline for when it will become available to actually buy or rent digitally. You can also find the movie on Google Play, but there's no pre-order options, just "add to wishlist," while there is no option like that available at all on Prime Video.

What to Watch reached out to Vertical Entertainment, which handles US distribution for the movie, to ask if there was any information available on Fight or Flight's on-demand release date. As of publication we have not heard from the company.

Meanwhile, Fight or Flight is available on-demand in select countries, including the UK.

All assumptions are that Fight or Flight will eventually make its way to digital on-demand, and at some point a streaming service, this delay is a bit perplexing in today's environment.

In the meantime, watch the trailer for Fight or Flight directly below:

Ana de Armas is ready to kick some major butt for your entertainment in Ballerina, a new action movie that is a spinoff set in the John Wick universe. If you’re excited to check it out, we’ve got all the info you need to watch Ballerina right here.

The John Wick movies have been some of the most popular action movies of the last 10-plus years, but Ballerina is the first official movie spinoff (there was the TV show The Continental). And while Ballerina primarily follows de Armas’ young assassin Eve, John Wick himself, Keanu Reeves, does pop up, as this movie takes place between John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4.

Primed to be a big 2025 summer blockbuster movie, here are all the details on how to watch Ballerina.

How to watch Ballerina in movie theaters

Ballerina is now playing in movie theaters worldwide.

To find out exactly where the movie is playing in your area, you can check out the Ballerina website, or you can visit Fandango. In each case, you can see all of the movie theaters in your area where Ballerina is playing and what available showtimes there are. You can also purchase your Ballerina ticket directly through these sites before you head out to the theater.

If you’re a frequent moviegoer who has a particular theater you like to attend, then you may want to take a look at a movie theater subscription or membership programs. Offered by a number of US and UK movie theater chains, these programs allow you to save some money with free, discounted or allotments of monthly movie tickets, as well as providing deals on concessions and other moviegoing perks.

Is Ballerina streaming?

No, you cannot stream Ballerina right now, but the movie is available via digital on-demand platforms.

Buy or rent Ballerina via Fandango at Home, Google Play, Prime Video and more.

There are still no details on when Ballerina will make its debut as part of a major streaming platform.

We’ll update this post as more info about Ballerina’s streaming strategy is announced.

What else to know about Ballerina

Directed by veteran action movie director Len Wiseman, and from the co-writer of John Wick: Chapter 4, Shay Hatten, Ballerina begins a new tale of revenge in the world of assassins that we have come to know. Here is Ballerina’s official synopsis:

“The world of John Wick expands with Ballerina, which follows Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro — a ballerina-turned-assassin trained in the traditions of the Ruska Roma — as she seeks revenge for her father's death.”

In addition to de Armas and the aforementioned Reeves, franchise regulars Ian McShane, Lance Reddick and Anjelica Huston star in Ballerina. Then there are notable newcomers, including Gabriel Byrne, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus and Sharon Duncan-Brewster.

You can read WTW’s official Ballerina review right here. As for the critical consensus, the movie is rated “Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes.

Watch the trailer for Ballerina right here if you need any final convincing on whether or not to check the movie out:

The John Wick franchise has become one of the most popular and successful action franchises of the last decade, with the titular assassin turning into an iconic role for Keanu Reeves. With Ballerina (official title From the World of John Wick: Ballerina), for the first time we get to see this world on the big screen from another character’s perspective, a young assassin named Eve played by Ana de Armas (in actuality this is the second John Wick spinoff, though The Continental was a TV series).

The result: thanks to action sequences that are similarly creative and well choreographed as ones from John Wick and a solid performance from de Armas, Ballerina punches, kicks and shoots its way to being an entertaining movie, even as its story and antagonists are just barely passable.

Ballerina takes place between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4. It focuses on Eve, who has been training with the Ruska Roma tribe, led by Anjelica Huston’s The Director, since she was a child after her father was murdered by a secretive and dangerous cult. Once her training is complete, Eve seeks out the cult to avenge her father’s death.

It’s the basic formula that got the John Wick franchise going, where a trained killer is driven by a deep personal desire for revenge. However, what is different is that John Wick began with a simple plot and target for Wick’s (and the audiences’) anger. Ballerina, on the other hand, attempts to drop us deep into a complicated history, but one that is not nearly developed enough to be fully satisfying.

But before I get more into that, let’s start off with the positive, because despite any of its flaws, John Wick and action movies fans are going to have a blast with Ballerina. Director Len Wiseman has handled big action movies before with the likes of Underworld, Live Free or Die Hard and Total Recall (2012), and he adeptly meets expectations with the fight scenes here.

A big part of the draw of the John Wick movies are the creative ways that Wick has to dispatch enemies (see our list of the best John Wick kills for examples). Eve gets to a slew of her own ridiculous kills, with some memorable fights involving a TV remote, dinner plates and a flamethrower. The fight scenes are what really make this movie work.

At least some credit for that has to go to de Armas. She’s already proved she has the action chops in movies like No Time to Die and Ghosted, but she raises her physical game up for Ballerina and it pays off. Her actual acting, meanwhile, carries the movie perfectly well; she may not have the most emotionally challenging role, but she gives Eve an intensity and drive that make her a character that’s easy to follow on this journey.

All that is enough to make Ballerina a fun watch. What keeps it from being great, though, is everything else around the action is half-baked, particularly the lore and threat of the villains at its center.

We’re told that the movie's villains are a dangerous, evil group, but what we get doesn’t live up to the hype. They’re a well-armed enemy for Eve to take on, for sure, but evil? The movie sets up so much with this group and then completely drops the ball in paying any of it off. Then when they try pay something off, they don’t let it have any real impact.

It’s similar with the main theme of the movie, which centers around whether or not life is determined by fate or if we actually make choices. That idea is brought up constantly, but it’s just words, it’s not effectively developed or presented as a strong moral quandary for Eve.

You may be asking do the main John Wick movies really have any deep themes? I would say yes. The first movie deals with grief, and then the subsequent sequels primarily focus on Wick trying to reconcile with his desire to leave his life of violence behind, but the only way to do that is by enacting more violence. Ballerina is trying to work in that same area, but it doesn’t do it nearly as well.

Yet that did not deter my ultimate enjoyment of Ballerina. In terms of butt-kicking, Ballerina is everything you could want from an action movie. That’s enough in this case.

Ballerina premieres exclusively in movie theaters worldwide on June 6.

I hope most of you took advantage of seeing Sinners on the big screen — and in IMAX and/or 70mm if possible — as that experience is truly what helped make the Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler movie the best movie of the year so far in my book. But if you haven’t been able to see the movie in theaters, well, things have gotten a bit easier for you, as you can now watch Sinners at home via digital on-demand platforms.

As of Tuesday, June 3, you can buy or rent Sinners through Prime Video and other digital on-demand platforms. Sinners is still playing in movie theaters if you want to try and catch it on the big screen, but admittedly, watching Sinners at home makes it easier to catch up with the movie.

Sinners takes place in the Mississippi Delta of the 1930s, where twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both played by Jordan) return home looking to start their own club. However, on opening night, they have some unannounced visitors who bring unparalleled chaos to the proceedings. In addition to Jordan, Sinners stars Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, Miles Caton, Wunmi Mosaku, Delroy Lindo, Li Jun Li, Omar Benson Miller and Jayme Lawson.

In my Sinners review, I called the movie “the first truly great movie of 2025,” and a month and a half later, it is still the best movie I’ve seen this year. While the movie theater experience was definitely special, the performances, the storytelling and the craftsmanship of Sinners will have the movie play well on whatever size screen (though I’d still recommend watching it on the biggest TV you have).

I’m not alone in my praise, as Sinners is “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes with a critics’ score of 97% and “Verified Hot” on the platform with an audience score of 96%. It’s also pulled in the dough, with it ranking as the third highest-grossing movie at the US box office as of publication and top 10 worldwide.

In summation, Sinners has become something of a phenomenon for moviegoers. So anyone who likes to be caught up with the latest movies and hasn’t seen Sinners yet — or if you want to watch the movie again — well, now you have multiple options to do so.

To be clear though, Sinners is not available as part of a major streaming service at this time, you have to buy the movie or pay a rental fee to watch it at home. We’re still waiting on an official streaming release date for Sinners, but as a Warner Bros. movie, we all but know where it is going to be available to stream first — on Max (or perhaps it will be HBO Max again by the time Sinners arrives on the platform).

If you need any final convincing, here is the Sinners trailer to give a quick preview:

As a big fan of Westerns, I'm always complaining about how hard it is to watch many of the classics online. That might change though as Amazon MGM is looking to reinvigorate some of its older properties and that includes releasing The Magnificent Seven along with two of its sequels.

On Sunday, June 1, Amazon added a big list of hit movies to Prime Video including Brokeback Mountain, 12 Angry Men and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (the list is long and interesting so I'll copy and paste it at the bottom of this article).

• 13 best Prime Video Channels you need to try out

(This is in the US, with Prime Video UK not having released a full list of its June uploads at the time of writing).

To me, the stand-out is The Magnificent Seven, not just because it's a legendary movie which everyone needs to see, but because it's fundamental in Amazon's schedule going forward.

Hailing from 1960 and loosely a remake of noted Western fan Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, The Magnificent Seven is about seven cowboys who put aside their own personal drives or plans to protect a village of farmers from an outlaw who's shaking them down.

While it wasn't a smash-hit in the US at the time, The Magnificent Seven has gone down in history as one of the most famous Westerns of all time, always showing up on AFI lists and round-ups of the genre. According to Wikipedia, it's the second-most-shown movie on American TV of all time after The Wizard of Oz, but take that with a pinch of salt since the reference link is broken.

It oozes "cool" and does a good job of exploring and deconstructing the morality of the archetypal cowboy and its mythical status. It also makes you empathize with the characters a staggering amount given that there are seven of them.

• Amazon Prime free trials: how to get Prime Video for free

Hit Westerns were guaranteed a forgettable sequel and The Magnificent Seven managed to get three (plus a despised TV version, plus a 2016 remake). The first two of these, The Return of the Seven from 1966 and Guns of the Magnificent Seven from 1969, were also added to Prime Video.

Of these two only the first is worth a watch; it contains the only returning character of any of them (Yul Brynner as the leader of the band) and a similar premise, though it's certainly a retread of the first. After that, things went off the deep end and I wouldn't recommend watching Guns or beyond.

Another reason to watch The Magnificent Seven is that it's getting another remake (which is ironic given that it itself is one). In 2023 Amazon confirmed that it was working to reboot a list of its IPs including, of course, Mag 7.

The full list includes Stargate, Robocop and Pink Panther, and they straddle film and TV, but apparently the seven cowboys will be turned into another TV show.

It's not known when The Magnificent Seven TV show will hit screens, but three of said reboots, based on Creed, Barbershop and Legally Blonde, were recently confirmed by Amazon. And Prime Video's list of movie uploads includes the originals of another franchise that's getting a reboot: The Thomas Crowne Affair.

In the meantime, I'd recommend watching the original if you haven't already. The remake is on Prime Video already if you haven't seen the Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke 2016 version and while it's not quite as good as the original, it's still decent.

Now as promised, here's a full list of everything added to Prime Video on Sunday, June 1, according to Amazon's own website.

• 12 Angry Men (1957)
• Annie (2014)
• At First Sight (1999)
• Bad Teacher (2011)
• Benny & Joon (1993)
• Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991)
• Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020)
• Billy Madison (1995)
• Bloodsport (1998)
• Brokeback Mountain (2006)
• Capote (2006)
• Chips (2017)
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
• Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
• Daddy Day Care (2003)
• Dead Man Walking (1995)
• Fled (1996)
• Godzilla (2014)
• Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969)
• Half Baked (1998)
• Happy Feet (2006)
• Happy Feet Two (2001)
• Heartbreakers (2001)
• Letters From Iwo Jima (2007)
• Life (1999)
• Masters of the Universe (1987)
• Midnight Cowboy (1969)
• Mississippi Burning (1989)
• Moneyball (2011)
• Nanny McPhee (2006)
• Oblivion (2013)
• Platoon (1987)
• Pixels (2015)
• Red Corner (1997)
• Return of the Seven (1966)
• Rings (2017)
• Road House (1989)
• Ronin (1998)
• Serenity (2005)
• Stargate (1994)
• Some Like It Hot (1959)
• The Birdcage (1996)
• The Brothers (2001)
• The Greatest Showman (2017)
• The Magnificent Seven (1960)
• The Perfect Guy (2015)
• The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
• The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
• The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014)
• Twins (1988)
• Valkyrie (2008)
• White
• Chicks (2004)

The Karate Kid franchise was revitalized with the Netflix original series Cobra Kai, but with Karate Kid: Legends, it is getting another movie to add to its legacy. But is Karate Kid: Legends streaming? Is it playing in movie theaters? We’ve got everything you need to know about how to watch Karate Kid: Legends right here.

Premiering in the 80s with Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita headlining the movies, The Karate Kid became an iconic part of 80s culture (and beyond, as Gen X and Millennials embraced the movies). Macchio and Morita starred in three movies together, while Morita then continued the franchise with The Next Karate Kid, which also starred Hilary Swank. Then the franchise went dormant for a while, until a 2010 reboot, with martial arts legend Jackie Chan taking on the mentor role. All of that will culminate in this 2025 new movie.

So whether you’re looking for the nostalgia of the original Karate Kid movies or are new to the franchise, here’s how, when and where to watch Karate Kid: Legends.

How to watch Karate Kid: Legends in movie theaters

Karate Kid: Legends is no longer playing in movie theaters.

Is Karate Kid: Legends streaming?

No, you cannot stream Karate Kid: Legends right now, but it is available to watch it at home via digital on-demand, including Prime Video, Fandango at Home and more.

When Karate Kid: Legends is eventually made available on a major streaming platform, Netflix is most likely spot, where it can be paired with Cobra Kai, as Sony Pictures has an agreement with the streamer.

We’ll update this post as more information about Karate Kid: Legends’ at-home viewing plans is announced.

What else to know about Karate Kid: Legends

As we’ve discussed, Karate Kid: Legends is bringing back two notable members of its franchise in Macchio and Chan. Together they will work to train the latest karate kid, played by Ben Wang, for a big martial arts tournament in New York.

Here is the official synopsis for Karate Kid: Legends, from a script by Rob Lieber:

“When kung fu prodigy Li Fong relocates to New York City with his mother to attend a prestigious new school, he finds solace in a new friendship with a classmate and her father. But his newfound peace is short-lived after he attracts unwanted attention from a formidable local karate champion. Driven by a desire to defend himself, Li embarks on a journey to enter the ultimate karate competition. Guided by the wisdom of his kung fu teacher, Mr. Han, and the legendary Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso, Li merges their unique styles to prepare for an epic martial arts showdown.”

Jonathan Entwistle is the director of Karate Kid: Legends.

Check out what critics are saying about Karate Kid: Legends on Rotten Tomatoes. But also see what’s in store yourself by watching the movie’s trailer right here:

ITV is showing From Russia with Love today, which star Sean Connery described as his favourite of the James Bond films he made.

Connery made seven Bond movies, including the unofficial Never Say Never Again, but it was his 1963 second outing that he enjoyed making the most.

Talking about From Russia With Love, which is being shown today, Sunday, May 25, on ITV1 from 4.20 pm to 6.30 pm, Connery once said: "The first one [Dr. No] I think was shot very well under the circumstances [in the] the time we had. I think Terence Young directed it marvellously. I think the second one is the best of them all. That's my opinion."

Connery felt that after the first two movies, the Bond films became more formulaic and less fun to make. Interestingly, he also only read two of Ian Fleming's novels, "Dr. No" and "From Russia With Love".

There's plenty of humour in From Russia with Love, especially between Connery and actor Pedro Armendáriz, who plays Kerim Bey, the head of Station T in Istanbul whom Bond teams up with. Connery spoke about how he told Fleming he wanted to get humour into the films.

"I felt there was a lack of humour about them and I raised this point with Ian, who I became quite friendly with and admired tremendously. What I admired about Fleming more than anything else was his curiosity. He had a tremendous curiosity about everything.

"When I mentioned the business of humour, he was quite surprised because he felt he was quite humorous. He was as a man, humorous himself. But in writing the character of Bond, he wasn't. One of the first things one had to do was imbue a humorous aspect on a realistic basis. Therefore, one would get an upbeat ending to scenes and situations, therefore they [the audience] could acknowledge and accept the violence.”

From Russia With Love, which is also in our opinion the best Bond movie, sees 007 sent to steal a top-secret Soviet decoding machine and ends up helping its operator defect to the West. However, he eventually discovers the mission is really a trap set by the international crime syndicate SPECTRE, and struggles to evade his would-be assassins.

Among the many great scenes is Connery's fight with SPECTRE agent Donald "Red" Grant (Robert Shaw) on the Orient Express. It's raw, powerful, and one of the best fight scenes you’ll ever see.

If you’ve never seen From Russia with Love or just want to enjoy it again, it’s on ITV1 today at 4.20 pm (see our TV guide for full listings).

Guy Ritchie meets Indiana Jones? OK, he's made films about Sherlock Holmes, King Arthur and Aladdin, but this is a surprising move from somebody whose stock in trade is the geezer movie.

Yet his latest, Fountain Of Youth, added today [Friday, May 23] on Apple TV Plus, has no sign of his current Statham/Grant/Hartnett crew, and the mythical quest of the title has more than a few echoes of Indy about it.

Leading the cast are John Krasinski and Natalie Portman as a pair of estranged siblings who set off in search of the fountain, the ultimate in anti-aging for anybody who drinks from it.

Krasinski is a treasure hunter, Portman a gallery curator, and their hunt for the magical spring takes them all over the world. At the same time, they struggle to get on with each other and come up against people who are on the same mission but for their own, very different, ends – and that includes one of their own crew.

For Ritchie, however, it’s an unexpected deviation from his usual style of movie, yet one which seems to suit him, making the most of his extensive directorial experience. There’s no war setting this time, or serious criminal shenanigans, and, in the main, any violence is bloodless, so he’s clearly aiming for something softer that will appeal to families.

And he’s brought together a quality cast, with just one actor who's worked with him before. She’s Eiza Gonzalez, who plays Krasinski and Portman’s nemesis in the search for the mythical spring and was in last year’s The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare. With a role in the director’s forthcoming In The Grey (as yet without a release date after being dropped from the schedule at the start of the year) there’s a better than even chance we can expect to see her in more of his productions.

The Wicked Bible

High speed car chases and crashes, glamorous globetrotting — even the sewers made famous by The Third Man in a fleeting appearance during a stopover in Vienna — and kick-ass fights are all part of the recipe for a treasure hunting adventure and here Ritchie beefs them up with myths, legends, and a few history lessons along the way.

Heard of The Wicked Bible? If you haven’t — and it genuinely exists — you’ll learn about it here, although somehow the film has also acquired its very own copy. And, while the journey to the fountain is full of twists, turns and occasionally frustrating false starts, the climax itself and the intricate visuals that go with it are worth the wait.

Back in front of the camera in between A Quiet Place duties, but without Indy’s fedora, Krasinski adds a schoolboy charm to his usual nice guy persona, so there are plenty of opportunities for barbed banter between him and his estranged and disapproving sister, as played by Portman. Stanley Tucci puts in an all-too-brief appearance, masterminding Gonzalez and her gang in their efforts to find the fountain, but from Vatican City. Again.

All the elements are there for an appealing treasure hunt/heist flick and Ritchie executes it with a wry wit and a twinkle in his eye. There’s a real sense of him enjoying working with a different cast and generally moving outside of his comfort zone, especially as there’s more than a whiff of a new franchise as the movie draws to a close. But there’s no sign of one on the horizon. Look at the director’s list of forthcoming projects, and it reads like he’s back to his usual stomping ground. Road House 2 is in the works, with Jake Gyllenhaal back in the lead role and reuniting with Ritchie after true-life war drama The Covenant (2023).

The Young Sherlock TV series is destined for Prime Video and could be on our screens this year, while The Gentlemen season 2 is lined up for 2026.

Whether it gets a sequel or not, Fountain Of Youth shows there’s more to Ritchie than tough guy movies. His Sherlock Holmes franchise and the unexpectedly successful Aladdin (2019) remake for Disney pointed towards that, and it’s risen to the surface again. Could we be in for a Ritchie-ssance? We’d love to see it ……

Fountain Of Youth is on Apple TV Plus now.

Tom Cruise risks his life for our entertainment yet again in one of the most anticipated blockbuster movies of 2025. You can quell that anticipation as you can now watch Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning for yourself.

For almost 30 years, Cruise has led the Mission: Impossible franchise, with this most recent entry marking the eighth time Cruise’s Ethan Hunt has made it his mission to save the world. This also is widely expected to be the final Mission: Impossible movie, so you know that they are going to pull out all the stops to make this one to remember.

So, should you choose to accept, here is everything you need to know about how to watch Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.

How to watch Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning in movie theaters

Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning is now playing exclusively in movie theaters around the world. Not only that, the movie is also being shown on IMAX screens where available, making the action literally larger than life.

In order to find when, where and in what format Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning is playing near you, check out the movie’s official website or Fandango. Either option will be able to show you all of the movie theaters in your area where Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning is playing, at what time and if IMAX is available. You can also buy your tickets for the movie online ahead of time.

Frequent moviegoers, especially those who have a favorite movie theater to visit, you may want to also look at movie theater subscription and membership programs. In addition to sharing all the information on what movies and playing at the theater and when, these programs (offered by a range of US and UK movie theater chains) allow movie fans to get free, discounted and monthly allotment of movie tickets, as well as deals on concessions and other perks.

Is Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning streaming?

No, you cannot stream Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning right now.

For the time being, the only place to watch Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning is at a movie theater. While nothing is confirmed about The Final Reckoning’s at-home plans, we can assume that it will first be made available via digital on-demand platforms before it debuts on a major streaming service.

As for what streaming service that will end up being, since Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning is a Paramount Pictures movie, it’s all but certain that the movie will stream first on Paramount Plus.

We’ll update this post as more information about Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning’s streaming plans are announced.

What else to know about Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning

Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning is a continuation of the story that began in Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning (the eighth movie was originally titled Dead Reckoning Part 2 before it was reworked to The Final Reckoning).

The movie’s synopsis just reads, “Our lives our the sum of our choices,” but based on what happened in the Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning ending, we know that Ethan Hunt and his time are in a race against an incredibly dangerous artificial intelligence, known as The Entity, as they try to find a sunken submarine that holds the key to defeating The Entity before it can gather another power to bring the world under its digital thumb.

In addition to Cruise, the movie brings back Mission: Impossible regulars Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Angela Basett and Henry Czerny, and Dead Reckoning stars Hayley Atwell, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham and Greg Tarzan Davis. New additions to the cast include Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, Nick Offerman, Hannah Waddingham and Tramell Tillman. Christopher McQuarrie directs, as he has every Mission: Impossible move since Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation.

Read What to Watch’s Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning review for our thoughts on the action movie, but if you want to know what the general consensus among critics is, as of May 22 The Final Reckoning is “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes.

Watch the trailer for Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning to get a sneak peek of the movie if you need any final convincing:

After 30 years of death-defying stunts, thrilling missions and various hair styles, Tom Cruise has shepherded one of the most recognizable movie franchises in Hollywood history and accomplished his mission of keeping audiences entertained. The same can be said for Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, the expected last entry in the franchise, as it ultimately grabs you and will have you anxiously waiting to see how Cruise’s Ethan Hunt saves the day, but there are some pretty significant bumps along the way.

A continuation of the storyline from Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning, The Final Reckoning continues Ethan’s mission of trying to prevent the dangerous artificial intelligence system known as The Entity from total world domination. That actually has turned into world annihilation, as its task in this movie is to gain control of all the world’s nuclear missiles and wipe out humanity and start fresh. Ethan and his team are determined to destroy The Entity, while others are attempting to gain control over it to empower themselves.

If that all sounds straightforward enough, that’s really only thanks to the endless amount of exposition the movie dumps on us to make sure we can keep up with its plot, which you're just barely able to make sense of in the moment. Of course, that description can be attributed to just about every Mission: Impossible movie, though it feels especially true here. Thankfully, what makes this series work are the spectacular stunts and action sequences, and there are enough of those to outweigh the lackluster narrative interspersed between each set piece.

Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie (who has directed every Mission: Impossible movie since Rogue Nation) know how to create something that will maximize the potential of the big screen (including the biggest screen, as a lot of the movie was filmed in IMAX and plays well in the format). Their execution of these sequences is nearly flawless and so much fun to watch — while Cruise’s stunt of hanging off the propeller planes has been getting a lot of the attention, my favorite stunt from the movie is a tense underwater sub sequence.

The physical commitment from Cruise does a lot of the heavy lifting in the franchise, but it’s worth mentioning his seemingly effortless charisma as Ethan Hunt. While it’s hard to fully see where Cruise ends and Hunt begins, especially in these latter movies, Cruise has given Hunt an entertainingly manic quality that adds some humor to the role, but also helps him stand out from other iconic, more cool-headed movie spies like James Bond and Jason Bourne.

But I was most impressed with the performances from members of the supporting cast. Particularly Simon Pegg’s Benji, Ethan’s long-time tech guru, who gets some of his most substantial work to date in the series, and Pom Klementieff’s Paris, a new ally that doesn’t talk much (and when she does it’s in French), but has a magnetism and wildness to her that always keeps you transfixed on what she’s going to do next. Then Severance’s Tramell Tillman shows up for just a minute, but gives a stand-out performance that makes the most of his screen time.

There’s also a supporting performance that I loved that is a callback to the very beginnings of the franchise, but I don’t want to spoil it here so you all can enjoy it in the movie.

Unfortunately, The Final Reckoning is overly reliant on callbacks, which is ironic considering McQuarrie called “fan service” poison in a Hollywood Reporter article on May 19. And aside from the one I allude to above, none of them really add anything of value to the movie, they are just there to show that all these movies are in fact all connected by a few story threads (except for Mission: Impossible II apparently, which gets no real mention).

That’s just part of what bogs down The Final Reckoning. In fact the movie is slow out of the gate as it has to set up what has happened in the two months between the end of Dead Reckoning, the basics of the plot and a quick “best-of” clip from the franchise before things really get going.

The person most impacted by all that is Angela Bassett, who reprises her role as Erika Sloane from Mission: Impossible — Fallout but has the actual impossible task of trying to make the most of scenes that are primarily exposition dumps. Outside of one necessary plot point, they could have been lifted out of the movie and nothing of value would have been lost. I can’t blame Bassett, or any of the notable actors assigned to these eye-rolling scenes, they had next to nothing to work with.

Taking another step back, the intended message of the movie — from what I was able to guess a combination of the dangers of misinformation/trusting AI, a global need recognize that we’re all humans and not necessarily enemies and that no one person can be trusted with immense power — gets drowned out by the action.

Taking all this into account makes you realize that this might not actually be all that well-written of a script.

Yet the action is the point of Cruise and McQuarrie’s Mission: Impossible movies, as these are entertainment-first projects. So while the parts of Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning may be among the weakest in the franchise, the total sum of it all is still a big, ultimately satisfying blockbuster.

Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning is now playing exclusively in movie theaters worldwide.