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.

One of the most acclaimed directors of the last decade teams with a stellar cast in the college campus psychological thriller After the Hunt, an enticing 2025 new movie that is sure to generate buzz (general and of the awards variety). So let’s skip any preamble and get right into everything you need to know about After the Hunt.

After the Hunt release date

After the Hunt premieres exclusively in movie theaters in October. In the US the movie will first have a limited release in Los Angeles and New York on October 10 before expanding nationwide on October 17.

At this time we don’t have any information on a UK release date for After the Hunt.

After the Hunt cast

Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield and Ayo Edebiri are the main trio leading the cast of After the Hunt, as their three characters are caught in a scandal involving sexual assault allegations.

Roberts is one of the most well-known movie stars of the last 30-plus years, particularly with rom-coms like Pretty Woman and Notting Hill, and an Oscar winner for Erin Brockovich. Most recently, she starred in the Netflix thriller Leave the World Behind.

Garfield is a two-time Oscar nominee (Hacksaw Ridge and tick, tick… Boom!) and former Spider-Man who most recently starred in 2024’s We Live in Time.

Edebiri, meanwhile, is one of the more acclaimed young actors working today, as she is an Emmy winner for The Bear. This will be one of her bigger movie roles to date, though she previously starred in Opus, Inside Out 2 and Bottoms.

Also in the After the Hunt cast are Luca Guadagnino regulars Michael Stuhlbarg (Bones and All, Call Me By Your Name) and Chloë Sevigny (Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, Bones and All).

After the Hunt plot

From an original script by Nora Garrett, her first screenplay, here is the synopsis for After the Hunt:

“From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, After the Hunt is a gripping psychological drama about a college professor (Roberts) who finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a star student (Edebiri) levels an accusation against one of her colleagues (Garfield), and a dark secret from her own past threatens to come into the light.”

After the Hunt trailer

Watch the After the Hunt trailer right here:

Luca Guadagnino movies

Italian director Luca Guadagnino has become a staple in Hollywood with a number of acclaimed movies, ones that often push audiences. While he has earned an Oscar nomination, surprisingly it has not come for his direction (it was for being a producer on Call Me By Your Name). But Guadagnino’s work has made him one of the more renowned directors working today.

Here’s a rundown of his feature directing credits to date:

• The Protagonists (1999)
• Mundo civilizado (2003)
• Cuoco contadino (2004)
• Melissa P. (2005)
• I Am Love (2009)
• Bertolucci on Bertolucci (2013)
• A Bigger Splash (2015)
• Call Me By Your Name (2017)
• Suspiria (2018)
• Bones and All (2022)
• Challengers (2024)
• Queer (2024)

After the Hunt behind the scenes

Amazon MGM Studios is backing After the Hunt, in association with production companies Big Indie Pictures, Frenesy Film Company and Imagine Entertainment. Producers on the movie are Guadagnino, Brian Grazer, Jeb Brody and Allan Mandelbaum.

Netflix has a brand new movie that may have people rethinking how bad their apartment really is, as Brick is a psychological thriller about a group of people who become trapped in their apartment building and need to find a way out. The new Netflix original movie debuted on the streamer on July 10 and could be the next big international movie on the platform.

A noticeable trend on Netflix this year has been US and UK subscribers embracing more foreign-language movies. Previously this year Ad Vitam, Bogota: City of the Lost, Honeymoon Crasher, Counterattack, iHostage, Bullet Train Explosion, Exterritorial, Bad Influence, A Widow’s Game and KPop Demon Hunters all appeared in the weekly top 10 of most watched titles in the US, with many enjoying at least a little bit of time as the most-watched movie on Netflix. Whether they’re opting for dubbed versions or embracing subtitles, it’s nice to see Netflix subscribers giving international movies a shot.

They can do so again with Brick, which hails from German director Philip Koch and stars Matthias Schweighöfer, whose other credits include Netflix’s Army of the Dead, Army of Thieves and The Swimmers, as well as Oppenheimer and Pixar’s latest movie, Elio. Also starring in the German-language movie are Ruby O. Fee, Frederick Lau, Salber Lee Williams, Murathan Muslu, Sira-Anna Faal, Axel Werner, Alexander Beyer and Josef Berousek.

Here is the official synopsis for the German-language movie from Netflix:

“When a mysterious black wall encloses their apartment building overnight, Tim and Olivia must unite with their wary neighbors to get out alive.”

Viewers will have the option to watch the movie in German with subtitles or to watch a dubbed English version. If the movie doesn’t start in whichever way you prefer, you can change it by getting the play bar to pop up and selecting the icon that looks like a dialogue box, which will allow you to select your preferred option.

This is the latest Netflix original movie to premiere on the platform. Other recent entries have included The Old Guard 2 and Straw. Also releasing this week is Madea’s Destination Wedding. We'll see if any of these movies end up cracking our best Netflix movies list.

Get a sneak peek of Brick by watching the trailer directly below.

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.

After a summer of secrets coming to light, We Were Liars episode 7 reveals what happened in the lead-up to Cady’s (Emily Alyn Lind) accident. The catastrophic event was so devastating that Cady still can’t remember everything before she was found washed up on the beach, but she is getting closer to the truth.

At the heart of the discontent during Summer 16 is the games the mothers — Penny (Caitlin FitzGerald), Carrie (Mamie Gummer) and Bess (Candice King) — continue to play as they stab each other in the back for a bigger slice of the Sinclair family inheritance. However, Cady, Johnny (Joseph Zada) and Mirren (Esther McGregor) refuse to join in with their petty antics.

When Cady confronts Harris (David Morse) about his racist views, an accident allows The Liars to spend time on Beechwood alone. Gat (Shubham Maheshwari) returns, and together they devise a plan to end the inheritance madness.

Vying for Harris Sinclair’s attention

Back in Summer 16, Cady is moping about thinking of Gat. Penny tells her daughter to get it together as the family dinner is the last opportunity to influence Harris before he revises his will. The Liars defying the recent Lemon Hunt rattled the mothers, who each want their child to be on their best behavior.

The first disapproving comment from Harris comes when Bess (Candice King) says her disgraced husband took the twins (as well as Carrie’s other son, Will) to horse camp. Harris mentions the criminal activity and bad judgment of character, immediately putting Bess on the defensive.

Bess reveals that Blake’s mother phoned her to tell her about the video of Johnny assaulting another teen. Bess also has dirt on Penny as she brings up the fixer that Penny has added to her divorce team, suggesting her sister has something to hide.

In return, Carrie (Mamie Gummer) brings up the scratches on Bess’ back that she got from having sex with Salty Dan (Tim Rozon) at the tennis court earlier that day. The dogs bark from the other room, and Penny is sent to calm them down. While Penny laces their food with their anxiety medication, she tells Cady to “stay the course” while Bess and Carrie destroy each other.

The Liars refuse to play the game

Cady has other plans. Rather than turn an anecdote about missing her grandmother into point scoring, Cady brings up that lemons symbolize colonization, which she learned from Gat. “That boy” is how Harris angrily refers to Gat when Cady says she wants to travel with Gat next summer.

Another source of contention occurs when Johnny realizes that Harris made Carrie choose between covering up Johnny’s crime and getting married to the man she loves. Mirren thinks that Harris is making everyone act crazy, causing Harris to tell them all that the inheritance is no longer in play. They will each get what they have earned, and it seems like no one will be named heir to Beechwood.

A bloody confrontation

Cady follows Harris outside and calls him out for not liking Gat or Ed (Rahul Koli). Harris claims he has high standards. “White standards?” Cady responds. She points out that they would ruin his perfect blonde family portrait. Harris rejects the notion that he is a racist, but he slips on the stairs and hits his head. The emergency helicopter at the end of episode 6 was for Harris, not Cady.

On a happier note, Gat did make it back to Beechwood, and everyone is thrilled to see him. Cady sent the entire staff home because of everything they had dealt with that day, meaning for the first time ever, they have the whole island to themselves.

First, they clean up the mess left from the big dinner, and while they are doing this, Cady sneaks off to look for the will in Harris’ office (as her mother instructed). Outside, Cady talks to Gat about why he came back. He says that he loves Beechwood. Cady worries that reality has seeped into their idyllic paradise, but she sees Gat now in a way she hadn’t before.

Gat writes “Never surrender to the devil you know best” on the back of Cady’s hands, matching what was written the night of her accident.

Inside, Johnny is recreating the Tom Cruise dance scene from Risky Business using one of the ivory elephants as a microphone. Johnny slips and accidentally smashes the elephant (worth $100,000). Mirren walks in and smashes the other one, saying it is symbolic, like the much shorter haircut she has just given herself.

The Liars want to make a statement

Penny phones with an update that Harris has a concussion and needed a few stitches, but he also needs to be transferred to Boston due to abnormalities on his CT that aren’t from the fall. The teens wonder if this is why he has been acting so erratically. However, Gat thinks Harris has always been like this.

Cady calls Harris a “racist piece of s***” and thinks it's way too late to impact his views. They wonder if their mothers are so screwed up because Harris has been playing inheritance games for a long time. Cady then reveals she found the will.

Outside by the fire, Cady tells her cousins that Bess gets the Boston house, and Carrie and Penny get a sizable quarterly stipend as long as neither remarries. Cady throws the will on the fire and doesn’t tell The Liars that Beechwood is bequeathed to Cady.

Johnny suggests they trash the house and crash Harris’ boat to give a message. Cady thinks whatever they do, Harris will cover up, but maybe they should do something bigger, like get rid of all the material things, as their moms need a lesson.

An image of Clairmont in Summer 16 cuts to Cady in the present. “There was a fire. I remember it now. We burned this place to the ground,” Cady tells Mirren and Johnny.

All episodes of We Were Liars are streaming exclusively on Prime Video.

Summers on Beechwood Island are marked by familiar events like Father’s Day and the Fourth of July, but the Sinclairs also celebrate unique traditions. As shown in We Were Liars episode 6, one such annual extravaganza is Tipper’s Lemon Hunt, which goes ahead even after her untimely death. However, Harris (David Morse) ups the stakes, making his daughters more competitive than ever.

In the present, Gat (Shubham Maheshwari) and Cady (Emily Alyn Lind) spend the day together on Martha’s Vineyard as Cady defies her mother, Penny’s (Caitlin FitzGerald), orders to stay in her room. But the perfect date is not what it seems, and Cady is concerned about her mental health.

Cady also remembers more from Summer 16, including that Gat left the island. What made him return?

Looking for answers

In Summer 17, Gat and Cady are basking in their post-coital glow, but Cady’s questions about the previous year are a reality check. She wants to know if Harris scared Gat away: is this why he didn’t visit? Before discussing this further, a furious Penny orders Cady to return to Clairmont. Penny grounds Cady as one of Penny’s friends saw Cady jump off Sunset Bluff, which is incredibly dangerous.

Cady explains she was trying to trigger memories because Penny won’t tell her what happened. However, Penny told Cady the truth in the hospital. Every time, Cady would have “an episode” and not remember when she woke up again. “It is your own broken brain you’re raging against,” Penny tells her daughter.

Rather than listen to her mom, Cady decides to take the boat to Martha’s Vineyard to use the internet there because Google won’t gaslight her; Gat agrees to go with her.

A Lemon Hunt surprise

In Summer 16, tension simmers between the different generations. Harris requests to see Gat, asking what his intentions are with Cady, with the motive to get Gat away from his oldest grandchild, Cady. Harris has another surprise for Gat: his mother, Maya (Karen David), is there.

Harris hasn’t managed his goal, as Gat and Cady are going strong in Summer 17. But when Cady looks for more about her accident online, she sees flashes of the past, and another migraine is coming on. Gat catches her, saying they should look this up when she feels better. For now, ice cream and kisses are an antidote as they enjoy their first real date. Cady wonders if her mother is right that she is losing her mind, but Gat thinks she just needs more time to heal.

They return to talking about Summer 16, with Gat saying his mother’s arrival meant seeing Beechwood through her eyes. Maya can’t quite believe the pomp and circumstance on display. Gat says this isn’t a regular Tuesday, but what follows surprises the entire family.

The Lemon Hunt is similar to an egg hunt at Easter. In the past, the person with the most lemons (of 200 hidden) won a bookstore gift card, and the one who found the single lime was given fudge as the prize. Harris has changed Tipper’s rules, and the lemon champion will win the deed to the Boston house. The person who finds the lime will be named the sole recipient of Beechwood when Harris dies. Not a regular Tuesday.

Stiff competition

Each of the moms desperately wants to win the prizes on offer. Gat is one of the only people not running around the island. He tells his mother he found the lime in Summer 8, but Harris said there must have been cheating and split the fudge with Johnny. On Beechwood, Gat cannot win. Maya calls Beechwood “Knives Out meets Get Out,” and is disturbed by Gat’s code-switching. However, Gat doesn’t care because Cady is here.

Meanwhile, the Sinclairs do what they can to win. Penny brings up Salty Dan (Tim Rozon) in front of Carrie, who didn’t know about this dalliance. They all turn on each other, with Carrie’s addiction getting made fun of. Bess and Penny claim they are happy and know exactly who they are before it descends into teary and shouting chaos, with Gat witnessing the embarrassing mess.

Gat then sees Harris locking the lime in his desk drawer; the Sinclair patriarch had zero intention of bequeathing the island to anyone. The rest of The Liars argue about lemons and secrets, with Gat coming upon this scene and telling them they are like their moms. This comparison snaps the trio back to reality, and they say sorry to each other. Gat reveals he has the lime but knows he can’t win.

A lemon loophole

The Liars are the last to return to have their lemons counted. Cady, Johnny (Joseph Zada) and Mirren (Esther McGregor) have empty baskets because they gave all their lemons to Gat (who still has the lime). Harris says their collusion means the prizes are void.

However, Harris offers Gat a chance to win a spot on Tipper’s scholarship program. Gat will have to go to New York immediately, and the internship will keep him away next summer. It all feels very convenient. Gat accepts this opportunity, leading to Cady’s confusion in the present timeline because Gat should be abroad as part of the scholarship and not at Beechwood.

The neurological incident while going online was worse than Cady knew, as she is not sitting on the dock of Martha’s Vineyard like she thought she was, but is in bed. There was no ice cream or first date as Penny had to collect Cady after she took a turn after she went on the internet.

Something happened before Gat could attend the interview, explaining why he is still there. Back in Summer 16, Gat and Maya meet Ed on Martha’s Vineyard, and Gat is disturbed to hear that Harris sent the private jet to collect his mom. Gat asks Ed if it is too late for The Liars not to become like their mothers, and Ed thinks they are different; they have all the time in the world to do things.

Gat realizes he needs to return to the island, but is told only emergency boats are running as an incident has occurred on Beechwood.

All episodes of We Were Liars are streaming exclusively on Prime Video.

As we learn in We Were Liars episode 5, summer on Beechwood is far from the sun-dappled paradise of Cady (Emily Alyn Lind) and the rest of The Liars' youth. But a literal storm in Summer 16 and a near-death experience for Johnny (Joseph Zada) and Gat (Shubham Maheshwari) leads to the teens burying the hatchet. If only the adult Sinclairs would follow in their footsteps, as Penny (Caitlin FitzGerald) is thrilled when she discovers Bess (Candiace King) has been unfaithful.

The past is full of painful memories coming to light for Cady. Still, it isn’t all bad when she recalls a romantic encounter with Gat during Summer 16. This passion boils over in the present as it becomes clear that these feelings remain despite Cady’s anger that none of the Liars came to visit her in the hospital. Perhaps they can begin to move forward with their lives.

The approaching storm

In the present, Cady is still in bed after having a seizure during the Fourth of July fireworks. Penny and Gat watch over her, but can do little about the nightmares. Back in Summer 16, the teens are being used as pawns by their parents to regain Harris’ (David Morse) approval.

Johnny is angry that Ed (Rahul Koli) left after Carrie (Mamie Gummer) rejected Ed’s proposal; he wants to make it right. However, Carrie forbids him from telling anyone what she paid to cover up. They must make it right with Harris, as he is their only chance of weathering the scandal. Johnny sucks up to his grandfather at lunch when Cady objects to the ivory elephants in the collection and Harris’ racist language.

Afterward, Johnny tells his cousin that their grandfather isn’t racist, just old. Tension remains, yet Johnny and Gat cannot refuse to work together when Harris asks them to secure the boats before the storm hits.

Mirren (Esther McGregor) is absent as she has been painting at the lighthouse. She runs into new beau Ebon (Dempsey Bryk), who is sheltering in place, giving the pair another chance to hook up away from the prying eyes of the Sinclairs. Mirren shows Ebon what she has been working on, mentioning not to touch as the canvas takes weeks to dry. Ebon calls her “technically skilled,” which she takes to mean they lack creative flair. In her anger, she hits one of the pieces, smudging the paint and unlocking how to make them stand out. Mirren does this to all her work, but hesitates regarding her “masterpiece.” It is a beautiful painting of The Liars on the beach. But when she smudges the colors, it creates a more evocative image.

Sister secrets

Johnny thinks they would not become friends if he met Gat now because they have nothing in common. This argument ceases to be important when they realize a boat is missing and that his younger brother, Will (Brady Droulis), must’ve taken it out after Johnny blew him off that morning. The storm is now raging, and they have to act fast.

A different furor is brewing inside the main house when Penny confronts Cady for calling out Harris in front of everyone. Penny then brings up what Bess said about seeing Cady and Gat flirting on the beach, saying that Cady needs more discretion. “She’s one to talk about discretion,” Cady responds. Penny won’t let this comment go and gets her daughter to spill the tea.

It doesn’t take long for Penny to find Bess and tell her that Mirren saw her mother having sex with Salty Dan (Tim Rozon). Bess is already smarting from the dressing down her father gave about her husband’s failure. When Bess finds Mirren at the lighthouse with Ebon, she orders Ebon to leave and unleashes her anger at her daughter by punching a hole through Mirren’s favorite painting.

Looking for Will

Harris realizes Will must have gone out on the water when the twins say they cannot find him anywhere, and that Gat and Johnny are missing too. When Carrie is alerted to her sons’ disappearance, she asks someone to call Ed.

Gat and Johnny find Will but cannot get close to him, so Johnny dives into the choppy water to reach him. He gives his little brother a life vest, but as they approach their boat, Johnny becomes overwhelmed with tiredness and goes under. Gat dives in, getting both Will and Johnny to safety.

There is a tearful reunion when Ed brings the boys back. Johnny tells Gat he “would’ve been f***ed without you.” In the present, Johnny still won’t tell Cady exactly what he did (other than it having nothing to do with her), but he admits to Gat in Summer 16 that a revenge plan against the opposing tennis team turned violent.

Carrie paid off everyone who knew about him beating up the teen who walked in on the prank. Blake has a video of this and is using it as blackmail. Johnny says he saw red when it happened, a phrase Carrie uses about Johnny’s birth dad. Johnny admits to being privileged in all the wrong ways.

Later during Summer 16, when Harris praises Johnny for being a hero, Johnny tells his grandfather that it was his fault, as he forgot all the vital rules about storms, and that Gat and Ed saved the day.

Triggering memories

Cady remembers arguing with Mirren because Cady told her mother about Bess sleeping with Salty Dan. But in the present, the rupture is not an issue. However, Cady is annoyed that the other Liars jumped off Sunset Bluffs without her. They think it is too dangerous for her (Johnny doesn’t), but Cady leaps into the water anyway.

But it isn’t FOMO that Cady was feeling. Instead, she tells Gat she thought this might trigger memories of why she was in the water the night of her accident. Gat is angry that she took that risk, while Cady is still furious they didn’t visit her in the hospital.

Anger turns into passion, revealing that Gat and Cady previously slept together during Summer 16. They recreate this moment in the present timeline. Will this heightened emotion unlock more secrets?

All episodes of We Were Liars are streaming exclusively on Prime Video.

Like most American families, fireworks are a Fourth of July tradition that the Sinclairs enjoy. However, this celebration turns ugly in both the present and past when Johnny’s (Joseph Zada) secrets bubble to the surface in We Were Liars episode 4

Now that Cady (Emily Alyn Lind) knows what happened on the day of her grandmother Tipper’s (Wendy Crewson) funeral, she is more determined than ever to find out if there is a connection between Johnny’s lies and her accident. In the past, the three moms, Penny (Caitlin FitzGerald), Carrie (Mamie Gummer) and Bess (Candice King), keep up their competitive dynamic as they vie for their dad’s approval.

Pie and parties

In Summer 16, Gat (Shubham Maheshwari) thinks it’s odd that Harris (David Morse) is pretending he didn’t just lose his wife, but that’s the Sinclair way. Meanwhile, Carrie accuses Penny of wanting to keep up their mother’s Fourth of July pie-baking tradition as a power move to get back in their father’s good graces. It turns petty again when Bess reminds her two sisters that she hasn’t touched a cent of her trust fund.

Meanwhile, The Liars throw a teens-only party at the Windemere house with plenty of booze and a slip & slide. The moms are aware of this “secret” rager, finding it amusing that their kids are following in their footsteps.

Mirren (Esther McGregor) didn’t want Salty Dan (Tim Rozon) to deliver the supplies for their bash. Still, she is unhappy with his replacement, Ebon (Dempsey Bryk) — especially when Ebon mentions he knows about her mom’s affair.

Johnny runs into Ed (Rahul Koli), who is grabbing something from the house and wants to run his proposal plans by his future stepson. Johnny is thrilled but distracted. Ed asks if he has something else on his mind; Johnny lies, saying he is fine.

Baking and blackmail

Back in the Clairmont kitchen, the pie baking becomes a bonding session as the sisters start singing “Linger” by The Cranberries. But when Carrie ends up covered in flour thanks to a blender blunder, it leads to tears because she is furious she didn’t make time to learn how to make a pie with Tipper. Penny launches into the “chin up” directive, immediately killing the mood.

Carrie then puts her foot in it when Cady and Gat come in to grab a few things, as she mentions that she ran into Gat’s girlfriend earlier. Cady has told Gat that everything is fine between them and says Gat should invite Raquel. Of course, Cady doesn’t want him to do this.

Penny’s pie comes out of the oven looking perfect, but the other two are burned. Bess thinks Penny purposefully sabotaged them, destroying the only edible one. Penny has a panic attack, which Bess thinks she is faking. “You have no idea what it feels like to be a failure in Dad’s eyes,” Carrie says.

At the teen party, Johnny is furious when he sees that Mirren has invited the guys on his tennis team. This angry outburst is something that Cady is focused on in Summer 17. Gat says he has never paid attention to Johnny’s rich kid drama, and when Cady pushes him further, he points out that maybe her mind is trying to protect her.

Gat gives her nothing, so Cady searches Johnny’s bedroom and finds Johnny’s phone. She sees a threatening text from Blake with an attached video; Blake’s message says that keeping him quiet will cost a lot.

Heartbreak and hooking up

In Summer 16. Harris continues to be disappointed by his daughters. He tells Carrie that Penny is spending twice her budget, Bess has nothing (despite what she said about her trust) and he knows Carrie needs something. Carrie explains she did have savings with Ed, but an incident at Johnny’s school has drained their accounts. Carrie took care of it, and Ed doesn’t know. Carrie needs her dad because whatever Johnny did could smear the Sinclair name.

On the beach, Johnny finds Ed setting up the proposal picnic. Ed knows something is up with Johnny, but before he can find out what, a teary Carrie asks Johnny to leave so they can have one-on-one time. Carrie tells Ed she can’t marry him. Ed doesn’t understand why, and Carrie can’t explain. Ed says Johnny’s problems are his problems, yet that isn’t enough. It appears that Harris made Carrie a deal that led to this breakup.

At The Liars' party, Mirren is having more romantic success as her annoyance at Ebon turns into flirtation. She has also collected rich people's secrets and feels as invisible as Ebon. This common ground leads to kisses and more.

Apologizing and angry attacks

Cady spends the whole party drinking too much and trying to make Gat jealous. When she sobers up, she apologizes for her behavior. Gat didn’t even bring Raquel to the party; he went to Martha’s Vineyard to break up with her in person. The fireworks begin, and their reconciliation is interrupted by Johnny standing on the cliff's edge, throwing bottles and crying.

In the present, Cady connects Johnny’s phone to the Wi-Fi so she can play the video that shows Johnny beating someone to a pulp. In the previous episode, Blake said Johnny nearly killed someone. Carrie walks in on Cady watching this and gets upset when she sees what Cady has found. Johnny begs his mother to return his phone, but the damage is done. Carrie knows what Johnny did, but this might be her first time seeing it.

Cady runs outside, where the fireworks are going off. Johnny yells at her for going through his phone; he is sick of her playing the victim card. There is a lot of shouting as Cady collapses and starts having a seizure. The doctor said screens are triggering, and the stress of the argument with Johnny hasn’t helped. Did Johnny have something to do with her accident?

All episodes of We Were Liars are streaming exclusively on Prime Video.

Having now remembered events leading up to the death of her beloved grandmother Tipper (Wendy Crewson), Cady (Emily Alyn Lind) turns to the rest of The Liars to fill in the blanks of Tipper’s memorial in We Were Liars episode 3. Johnny (Joseph Zada), Mirren (Esther McGregor) and Gat (Shubham Maheshwari) are reluctant to dredge up the past, as they are forbidden to tell Cady about the previous summer. Cady says she needs closure, so the trio reluctantly agrees to recount the roller coaster events of that particular day.

But Cady has an ulterior motive beyond getting a play-by-play, underscoring how shaky trust is when memories are gone — or at least slowly coming back. This insight also reveals that their three moms, Penny (Caitlin FitzGerald), Carrie (Mamie Gummer) and Bess (Candice King), are no longer holding back now that their mother is no longer available to referee their squabbles.

Meanwhile, in Summer 17, Cady uncovers a hard truth about someone close to her that could change everything.

Following the Sinclair rules

In the present, Cady sees her grandfather Harris (David Morse) for the first time since returning to Beechwood. Cady tells him she knew Tipper was dead, but there is a difference between knowing and remembering. While she recalls the night Tipper died, Cady asks Harris to tell her about the memorial. But he refuses. In response, Cady can’t help but get frustrated regarding the major renovations the main house, Clairmont, has undergone. Cady is forthcoming in voicing her opinion that Tipper would hate the style, while Cady is also angry she didn’t get a chance to say goodbye before the contractors came in.

Bess interrupts the heated argument, telling Cady to go to the rose garden if she wants to feel close to Tipper. But when Cady does this, she collapses with another painful migraine.

The previous year, Penny had told Cady that the key to getting over something is not to think or talk about something painful. She will never fall apart if she follows these rules to make her heart a small target. Of course, her mother’s advice is flawed; Cady’s lack of memories is causing her to spiral.

Asking The Liars

The Liars have moved into the vacant Cuddledown vacation home because Bess is now in Clairmont with the twins to be close to Harris. The trio says Cady passed out due to a “painkiller bender” and wonders if Harris's yelling at her was the cause. Cady is desperate to find out what happened at the memorial, and they agree to share this part of Summer 16.

On the day of the funeral, unsurprisingly Carrie is the most visibly upset, as her two sisters have perfected the steely look. Cady follows her mother’s lead and gives Gat the cold shoulder. The church is full of friends and family, but Johnny looks concerned about seeing tennis rival Blake Beaumont (Cale Ambrozic). There is much more to their shared history than he is telling.

Back at Beechwood, Mirren tells her cousins that the guy she has been sexting is there. It turns out it’s Blake, but Johnny doesn’t let on that Mirren has been talking to someone he loathes.

Meanwhile, Penny reveals to Carrie that she took the beloved black pearls their father wanted Tipper buried in. Carrie is furious about this. Not because Penny defied her father’s wishes, but because she wanted the pearls for herself. Penny makes an addiction jab at Carrie (who is now sober), and Bess quickly gets involved in this petty squabble.

Ulterior motives

On the beach, Blake tells Mirren he has no agenda, he just wanted to see her. Mirren was nervous because she thought he expected sex, but his lack of expectations leads her to want to lose her virginity to him. Mirren asks Cady to entertain Blake before sending him to the Cuddledown house, where Mirren will be ready. At this point in the story, Johnny wants to stop, and Cady quickly learns why. She overhears Johnny accusing Blake of using Mirren to get to him, then walks in on the two men kissing.

Blake never made it to Cuddledown. After their passionate argument, Blake left on the water taxi. Mirren discovers that Blake was bragging about “bagging a Sinclair” in front of the water taxi driver, Ebon (Dempsey Bryk). She is angry at Ebon for listening in on a customer conversation and telling her about it, even if he is trying to be helpful.

Meanwhile, Cady is still doing the ice queen bit. Gat explains this is why he didn’t tell her in the first place; he didn’t want to be exiled. Cady is mad because he was right about what he said about her privilege, and she felt stupid for thinking the flower letter was for her.

The sisters continue their petty squabbling about various heirlooms in front of their father. None of this is endearing, and he knows they treated their mother like a checkbook without limits. Harris is deeply ashamed of their behavior even before he realizes Penny is wearing the pearls (that he takes back). There will be no more handouts.

A blackmail plot

While the adults are more fractured than before, the four teens have come back together to drink to Tipper’s memory. Cady forgives Gat; Gat and Johnny make up. Cady says the four of them feel like heaven to her.

However, she is less sure in Summer 17 because she knows Johnny lied to her. She tells Gat that she remembered Tipper’s memorial while she was in the rose garden. Cady explains this subterfuge because she needed to find out who was lying about last summer, she now knows Johnny is because the kiss with Blake never happened. Cady actually walked in on Blake threatening Johnny about having proof of Johnny nearly killing someone.

Gat brushes it off as “prep school rivalry s***,” with nothing to do with her accident. Cady is desperate for answers and needs Gat’s help figuring out why she was alone in the water. Rather than leap at the opportunity, Gat calls her out for becoming a liar herself because this whole thing was a test of loyalty. Who can Cady turn to now?

All episodes of We Were Liars are streaming exclusively on Prime Video.

It has been nearly a whole year since Cady’s (Emily Alyn Lind) accident, which she still has zero recollection of, when We Were Liars episode 2 begins. Given how close she is to her cousins, Johnny (Joseph Zada) and Mirren (Esther McGregor), and family friend Gat (Shubham Maheshwari), it’s a surprise that none of them have spoken to her since the mysterious incident.

Cady is determined to return to Beechwood to start remembering what everyone else wants her to forget. The last thing she recalls is the perfect kiss with Gat. The next thing she remembers is waking up in the hospital in August, meaning there is a lot to fill in.

On the island in the present, Cady has an emotional reunion with the rest of The Liars (Johnny, Mirren and Gat) and begins to remember, including the events from the Father’s Day festivities that end with a devastating loss.

Back on Beechwood

The Cady of Summer 17 looks nothing like the previous year. She has dyed her blonde hair black, and her infectious enthusiasm is replaced by amnesia and migraines. Cady and her mother, Penny (Caitlin FitzGerald), are greeted upon their arrival by Penny’s sister Carrie (Mamie Gummer). Cady is aghast that Clairmont (the main house) has undergone significant renovation.

Regardless, Cady is hopeful she will unlock the secrets of Summer 16. Cady recalls getting a letter from Gat the day after their passionate first kiss. Inside is a candy, not the flower she was expecting. During this flashback to Summer 16, Cady tells Mirren about having a moment with Gat the night before. Mirren, like Johnny, is concerned that The Liars' dynamic will change.

Mirren is also distracted because she saw her mother, Bess (Candice King), sleeping with Salty Dan (Tim Rozon) the night before. Guilt continues to eat at Mirren when her father, Brody (Dylan Bruce) makes his late arrival, and she tells the Liars about her mother’s infidelity. The secrets of the past keep piling up.

Reuniting with The Liars

Cady nervously approaches The Liars in Summer 17. Johnny and Mirren immediately embrace her while Gat hangs back. Cady says she can’t remember what she did wrong to warrant them giving her the cold shoulder. Even if they had texted, Cady wouldn’t know, as Cady’s parents took away her phone because screens worsen her migraines. The Liars claim they weren’t with Cady the night of her accident and don’t know how she ended up in the water. The waking nightmare continues.

Another flashback to Summer 16 shows Gat avoiding being alone with Cady. Tensions flare when Johnny tells Gat he is bored of hearing his friend discuss the “evils of colonization.” Later, when looking for books in the attic, Cady confronts Gat about not knowing how to act around each other. It’s awkward at first, but then they kiss again. However, they are interrupted when Harris (David Morse) comes to collect his golf clubs. Harris clocks the tension between the teens and disapproves of this development.

The thinly veiled hostility from the Sinclair patriarch is also on display when Ed (Rahl Koli) approaches Harris about proposing to Carrie. Harris reluctantly admits that Ed is an improvement on the junkie Carrie eloped with (and then abandoned with two kids). Still, Carrie’s mother, Tipper (Wendy Crewson), is excited by this development and even offers a family heirloom as the engagement ring.

Gat’s secret

In the present, Cady tells Gat she replays the memory of their kiss whenever she is scared or feels sick, but worries she has warped the reality of what happened. Gat says it was also perfect for him. But if this is the case, then why didn’t he call her?

Gat tells Cady that Penny told everyone they can’t talk to her about Summer 16 as it could trigger her migraines. Gat wants her to let it go because he says, “that night f***ed me up as well.” He won’t elaborate but tells her the kiss was his favorite moment, too. The issue? Cady doesn’t remember if she can trust Gat.

Another flashback to Summer 16 on the eve of the Father’s Day celebrations offers some clarity when Johnny and Gat fight about Johnny’s privilege and lack of consideration for the Beechwood staff. Johnny suggests Gat is a hypocrite, but doesn’t explain why. On Father’s Day, Cady discovers that Gat has a girlfriend at home in Brooklyn. Johnny knew and was trying to protect her.

Cady drowns her sorrows on Father’s Day, and her grandmother Tipper reminds Cady that the Sinclairs don’t show their emotions. Meanwhile, Harris’s three daughters are vying for his approval with their choice of gifts. Whoever is deemed the best will wear their mother’s black pearl necklace (the same necklace Cady holds in her hand when she washes up on the beach).

More memories return, including Gat apologizing for not letting her know he had a girlfriend. Gat says he met Raquel in India, and she lives in Brooklyn. He finally felt seen, bringing up how much discomfort he experiences at Beechwood. Everyone is white and rich except for him, Ed and the staff. Cady says that none of that matters to her, which is the issue because she has no idea that their antics have led to staff losing their jobs.

Father’s Day tragedy

In the present, Cady asks her mother if she tried to kill herself? Penny definitively tells her this isn’t the cause of her trauma. Cady then wonders if her amnesia is because someone attacked her.

There are no answers in the flashback to Summer 16, but Johnny does tell Cady not to let Gat’s dishonesty ruin her summer. Meanwhile, Penny, Carrie and Bess gather by an outdoor fire with Tipper to reflect on the day, including who has been deemed the favorite daughter. Bess notes that none of them stand a chance against their sister Rosemary, who died when they were kids.

When they call it a night, Penny tries to wake up her mother, who has drifted off. Except Tipper isn’t asleep, she’s passed away. There is no pretending this pain away, and as the Sinclairs suffered a colossal loss before Cady’s accident. How did Tipper’s death impact the rest of the summer?

All episodes of We Were Liars are streaming exclusively on Prime Video.

Spending every summer break on a private family island is a fairy tale come to life for the ultra-wealthy Sinclair family. Or it was until 16-year-old Cadence “Cady” Sinclair Eastman (Emily Alyn Lind) nearly died. We Were Liars episode 1 opens on the mystery in progress, with Cady as a narrator who can’t remember what led to this near-death experience. “Something terrible happened last summer, and I have no memory of what or who hurt me,” Cady says.

Based on the best-selling twist-filled novel by E. Lockhart, the eight-episode psychological thriller begins with a bang: the picture-perfect Martha’s Vineyard setting hides the many secrets of the three generations vacationing on Beechwood Island. At the helm is Harris Sinclair (David Morse) and his wife Tipper (Wendy Crewson), who are the proud parents of three beautiful daughters, Penny (Caitlin FitzGerald), Carrie (Mamie Gummer) and Bess (Candice King). But even in the first episode, the cracks are visible.

The adult sisters try to outdo each other over whose life is the least chaotic, with Penny’s fresh divorce being the talk of the group. The Sinclair grandchildren seem impervious to this, but by the end of We Were Liars episode 1, “Tell Me Sweet Little Lies,” it’s clear that the teenagers on this island are aware of the Sinclair flaws.

In the present, Cady’s family won’t tell her how she ended up unconscious on the beach dressed only in her underwear. Did someone attack the oldest grandchild?

Meet “The Liars”

Affectionately known as “The Liars” by their family (on account of childhood pranks), Cady and her cousins, Johnny (Joseph Zada) and Mirren (Esther McGregor) and best friend Gat (Shubham Maheshwari) have a deep bond. To understand what happened to Cady means revisiting what she can remember about Summer 16, but also going back to Summer 8, when Gat first came to Beechwood (the number denotes the age of the Liars at the time).

Gat is the nephew of Ed (Rahul Koli), who is in a long-term relationship with Johnny’s mother, Carrie, and is an honorary member of the Sinclair family — even if he doesn’t always feel like it. Neither Gat nor Ed is present during the big family photo, and Mirren’s dad, Brody (Dylan Bruce), isn’t there either. However, Bess ensures everyone knows Brody is busy at work and her marriage is fine. The lady doth protest too much.

New feelings

Cady and Gat have always been close, but something else bubbles beneath the surface. After visiting his extended family in India, Gat tells Cady it has changed his perspective on the world. Cady is enraptured with everything Gat says, and it isn’t just because his physique has changed since the last time she saw him.

Only when Cady sees Gat writing her a letter and placing a flower inside does she realize she now has romantic feelings for Gat. Later, she asks Gat if he wants to watch the meteor shower without Johnny and Mirren? He says yes. However, when Johnny clocks this closeness, he delivers a thinly veiled warning about the dangers of crossing the line from friendship to more.

Johnny talks about hooking up with his tennis partner and how it ruined their team, doubling as a coming-out moment of sorts (Johnny says he is still figuring things out). The key takeaway is that Johnny is worried that if Cady and Gat become a couple, it will have consequences for The Liars.

Party boats and meteor showers

Elsewhere, Harris asserts his dominance over Ed by asking him to sort out the parked party boat in the bay, blocking his view. While Ed tries to figure out how to please his girlfriend’s father, he tells Gat that falling for a Sinclair woman has its drawbacks. Johnny is also obsessed with the party boat but wants to get on board to enjoy everything it offers.

After planning a late-night meteor shower picnic, Cady gets an unwelcome surprise when Johnny announces he has found them a way onto the “booze cruise.” Cady reluctantly joins her cousins and Gat, but leaves early. Carrie invites her niece Cady to spend the meteor shower with her and the younger kids known as “The Littles” (there are six grandchildren in total: Bess also has twin girls, and Carrie has another son).

While Tipper tells more fairy tales, Johnny’s brother Will (Brady Droulis) spots what he thinks is a shark in the water. It is actually Gat, who swam back to Beechwood because he wanted to be with Cady instead of partying. Cady tells Gat he made her feel stupid. He apologizes, which Cady accepts.

Kisses and more

At the dock, Bess waits for her husband’s arrival, but Salty Dan (Tim Rozon) — the harbor service person — tells her no one is coming. Bess is furious that her husband is ruining the flawless image she has cultivated. She asks Dan for a cigarette before it turns into something hot and heavy. Unfortunately for Bess, her daughter Mirren sees her mother mid-romp with Salty Dan.

In happier news, after Johnny and Mirren leave Gat and Cady alone, Gat and Cady kiss. It’s a life-changing smooch, and it was the last thing Cady remembers from Summer 16 for a long time.

“We were happy. We wanted for nothing,” Cady recalls. Soon this would change: two months later, Cady is shown on the beach clutching a black pearl necklace. It’s a mystery that will only be solved if Cady can regain her memories or if one of The Liars tells her what happened. Either way, Cady’s summer paradise became a nightmare.

All episodes of We Were Liars are streaming exclusively on Prime Video.

The cliche is drama is easy, comedy is hard. But let’s not overlook the difficulty of horror, a genre that can often swing from hauntingly great to comically bad. In the case of The Damned, a less exaggerated example of that swing came within the movie’s runtime, as I was on board with just about everything until the final moments of the movie that, while not ruining the experience, left me unsatisfied.

The Damned is directed by Thordur Palsson, an Icelandic filmmaker making his directing debut with the 2025 new movie. The story (from Palsson with a script written by Jamie Hannigan) takes place in 19th century Iceland, where a widow leads a fishing crew during a harsh winter. When they make the difficult decision not to rescue men whose ship sinks just beyond their bay, they soon realize their decision may come back to haunt them (literally). Odessa Young leads the ensemble that also features Joe Cole, Lewis Gribben, Francis Magee, Turlough Convery, Mícheál Óg Lane, Siobhan Finneran and Rory McCann.

Palsson, who previously directed the Netflix series The Valhalla Murders, has the goods, crafting a handsome-looking movie and effectively imbuing it with a lingering sense of dread, one that can chill you as much as the frozen landscape of the movie’s setting. Where Palsson, and the movie overall, struggles is landing that final punctuation; hitting the audience with a definitive moment that will linger after the credits roll.

The movie wastes no time in getting viewers in the right mindset, as the story opens in the middle of a harsh winter that has completely isolated the bay where the story takes place and one character’s ghost story portends what is coming for these characters. Palsson’s ability to create and maintain this overall sense of unease throughout while not relying on cheap scares (i.e. jump scares) is what gets me excited about his potential as a filmmaker.

Beyond the tone, style and some lovely cinematography (by Eli Arenson), The Damned also features an ensemble of no big names (the most recognizable is likely McCann, who played The Hound in Game of Thrones), but who all understood the assignment and executed it very well. Chief among that is Young, who plays the widowed Eva now in charge of leading this group of men. Though Eva is in a position that she never expected to be, Young gives her a level of composure that helps her grow into the authority as the world around her descends into darkness, but her own fear — in both the decision she is making as the leader and with the ghostly entity that begins to haunt them — is always just underneath the surface.

All of this is great and will have you interested in the story unfolding on screen, but you end up waiting for a payoff that never comes. And I’m not necessarily talking about a big scare, that’s clearly not the style that Palsson is using here. But (without getting into spoilers) the ending just kind of happens, to the point when the screen faded to black I literally thought, “wait, that’s it?”

That’s not to criticize the story or message of The Damned; it feels rich in Icelandic lore and its message is clear. But how that final message is revealed to us feels inconsistent and jarring to the movie we just watched.

While the ending could have clinched this as an incredibly strong debut, don’t miss the forest for the trees, as for the most part The Damned is an effectively chilling psychological horror from a clearly talented filmmaker.

Watch The Damned exclusively in US movie theaters. The movie premieres in the UK on January 10.

While many may still be catching up with a number of 2024 new movies, we do not have to wait long for our first official 2025 new movie — The Damned. The horror movie is now playing, but where and how can you watch The Damned? We’re here to help you with that.

The Damned has built a nice little bit of buzz around it after premiering at some film festivals in 2024, backed up by its “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of publication (read What to Watch's The Damned review). But movie fans can now judge the movie themselves.

Here’s how to watch The Damned right now.

Is The Damned streaming?

The Damned is not available as part of a streaming service's library, but you can watch the movie at-home via digital on-demand platforms.

You can buy or rent The Damned on Prime Video, Fandango at Home, Google Play and Apple TV.

When we have more details on The Damned’s streaming plans we’ll update this guide.

How to watch The Damned in movie theaters

The Damned is no longer playing in movie theaters.

What else to know about The Damned

The Damned was directed by Thordur Palsson, a filmmaker who hails from Iceland, which serves as the setting for The Damned. Palsson came up with the story, while Jamie Hannigan wrote the script. Here is The Damned’s official synopsis:

“In this atmospheric period drama set in the 19th century, Eva, a young widow, faces an impossible choice when a ship sinks off the coast of her isolated fishing village during a cruel winter. With their food supplies dwindling, Eva and her town must decide whether to rescue the shipwrecked sailors or let them perish to ensure their own survival. As the consequences of their actions begin to manifest, the villagers find themselves grappling with the weight of their decisions and the mounting unease that permeates their close-knit community.”

Odessa Young leads the movie as Eva, with a supporting cast that includes Joe Cole, Siobhan Finneran, Lewis Gribben, Francis Magee, Turlough Convery, Mícheál Óg Lane and Game of Thrones veteran Rory McCann.

Watch the trailer for The Damned right here:

Nicole Kidman is one of the leading figures in Hollywood as an Oscar-winner and prolific producer, but what if she had other desires that run counter to her perceived status? That is in general one of the various dynamics in Kidman’s new movie, the psychological drama Babygirl.

Written and directed by Halina Reijn (Bodies Bodies Bodies), Babygirl stars Kidman as Romy, a CEO at a tech company who risks everything she has — her career and her family — as she begins an affair with a young intern, Samuel (Harris Dickinson). But part of the appeal for Romy is not just that Samuel is younger, but that she cedes some of her power to him, allowing him to take control and tell her what to do.

Much like Romy, Babygirl can struggle at times with what it wants to be. It teeters between a psychological drama, a dark satire about power dynamics and at times is oddly farcical. It feels like Reijn is trying to get across multiple ideas about women’s roles in today’s society, ones that will almost certainly elicit numerous think pieces about the movie. That can put it at a bit of a distance for audiences, but there is something alluring about the movie that made me still enjoy it overall.

Notice I did not describe Babygirl as a “sexy” psychological drama. While many may think because of its subject matter that Reijn would lean into the idea of this being a sexy movie, at least from my perspective the opposite is true. The situations we are presented with are mostly unsexy and uncomfortable, as the characters and audience must deal with what it is they are doing and why. That changes little by little throughout the movie as Romy and Sameul better understand what they want out of their illicit relationship, but it’s never not awkward.

To their credit though, Kidman and Dickinson help keep you as willing viewers of this story. That should be little surprise for Kidman, who is her usual exceptional self here; we really shouldn’t take that for granted, but she’s just so consistently good it’s hard to appreciate what she does fully. For Dickinson, this is one of his better performances in his young career, as he creates an intriguing character in Samuel. However, we don’t get quite enough into his own psychology for us to fully understand the character (in fairness, this isn’t his story).

Babygirl is meant to challenge audiences, primarily by the expectations that people have in place for Kidman’s Romy. She is a CEO in a relationship with an intern, which has obviously been the beginning of many scandalous headlines; but does she really have the power if she is the one that actually stands to lose more if the affair is discovered? She’s also an aspirational figure for other women in her company/industry, who want and expect her to continue lifting fellow women up; but is it her responsibility to be an unassailable figure in order to do that?

They are intriguing ideas, and credit to Reijn for attempting to tackle them, but they can overtake the emotion of the story. Meanwhile, the supporting cast, which includes Antonio Banderas, Sophie Wilde and Esther McGregor, are mostly superfluous, there to occasionally challenge Kidman’s position in what her role needs to be but not be overly deep characters in their own right.

Babygirl is probably going to be divisive for many; it’s definitely not one I’d recommend seeing with the family over Christmas. For myself, I mostly liked it, but it did feel like it was as (if not more) interested in asking questions of the audience as it was in telling its story.

Babygirl releases exclusively in movie theaters on December 25 in the US and January 10, 2025, in the UK.

The 2025 movie calendar started off with a scare with horror movie The Damned one of the first movies released in the new year. It's probably an introduction for many to director Thordur Palsson, who made his feature directing debut with the frightening tale.

The Damned first screened at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, where it earned some solid buzz, which it hopes will help drum up interest in moviegoers for this Iceland-set haunt featuring a few up-and-coming talents and a familiar face from the Game of Thrones cast.

If you’re intrigued, read on for everything you need to know about The Damned.

The Damned how to watch

The Damned is currently available to watch via digital on-demand platforms in the US and UK.

Here are all the details you need to know about how to watch The Damned.

The Damned cast

As with many horror movies, The Damned has a female lead. In this case, a character named Eva is played by Odessa Young. TV miniseries The Stand and The Staircase, as well as 2024 movie The Order, are among the biggest previous credits for Young.

Another up-and-comer, Joe Cole stars in the movie. He is previously known for Nightsleeper, A Small Light and Gangs of London.

The rest of the cast includes Siobhan Finneran (Downton Abbey), Lewis Gribben (Masters of the Air), Francis Magee (The Tourist), Turlough Convery (Slow Horses season 4), Mícheál Óg Lane (Calvary) and Rory McCann (Game of Thrones).

The Damned plot

Here is the official synopsis for The Damned:

“In this atmospheric period drama set in the 19th century, Eva, a young widow, faces an impossible choice when a ship sinks off the coast of her isolated fishing village during a cruel winter. With their food supplies dwindling, Eva and her town must decide whether to rescue the shipwrecked sailors or let them perish to ensure their own survival. As the consequences of their actions begin to manifest, the villagers find themselves grappling with the weight of their decisions and the mounting unease that permeates their close-knit community.”

Palsson is credited with the story, with the script written by Jamie Hannigan.

The Damned trailer

Watch the eerie trailer for The Damned right here:

The Damned reviews

Reviews for The Damned gave the movie a 90% “Certified Fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Read WTW's The Damned review.

The Damned director

As mentioned, The Damned is the feature-directing debut for Thordur Palsson, who hails from Iceland. He is the creator behind the Netflix series The Valhalla Murders, for which he also directed four episodes. His other directing credits to date are for short films.

Vicky McClure leads the new Paramount Plus drama Insomnia, which follows a successful career woman who inexplicably stops being able to sleep, leading her to unravel some troubling events.

The drama centers on a woman named Emma Averill (Vicky McClure), who is career-driven, a wife and a mother, whose life is turned upside down when she begins to suffer from severe insomnia a few weeks before her 40th birthday.

This is a particular cause for concern because her mother went through the exact same thing before suffering a violent psychotic breakdown on the night of her own 40th birthday, so she's scared of history repeating itself and is convinced she's losing her mind.

First look images have now been released for the six-part drama, seeing Vicky in the role of Emma, alongside a supporting cast including Tom Cullen as Emma’s loving husband Robert, with Smylie Bradwell and India Fowler as their children Will and Chloe.

There is a particularly disturbing image here, with Emma standing outside in her pyjamas, in a pond, looking scared so it will be interesting to see what happens in the new thriller!

Speaking about taking on the role, Vicky McClure said: "Myself and BYO Films are really excited to be working alongide Left Bank on Insomnia. It’s a very different role for me, Sarah Pinborough has written such an exciting script. We have a fantastic cast, crew and production team all set for a very fulfilling few months ahead!"

Insomnia is based on the bestselling novel by Sarah Pinborough, who is also known for writing other hits such as Behind Her Eyes, which was adapted for Netflix in 2022. 

That series followed a woman named Louise, who ended up falling for her successful, charming psychiatrist boss David. But everything grinds to a halt when she meets his wife, and realises everything is not as it seems.

It's looking like Insomnia will be just as gripping, with reviews of the novel calling it "Another mind-twisting, genre-bending rollercoaster" and "One crazy sleepless ride".  We can't wait...

Insomnia premieres on Paramount Plus in the UK on Thursday, May 23. We don't have a confirmed US release date yet.

Ready to see the Locked In cast in action in this twisty thriller that's now on Netflix?

Locked In is a brooding romantic movie hat centers on the battle between an unhappy newlywed young woman called Lina and her once-famous brittle mother-in-law, Katherine. 

Katherine has been hospitalized after a serious traffic incident, and the nurse who's caring for her is determined to get to the bottom of exactly what happened to her. But when she tries to uncover the truth, she discovers the bitter rivalry, infidelity, betrayal, and murder behind her injuries. 

Below, you can find out some more info about the Locked In cast, including who they play in the movie and where else you might have seen our stars before...

Locked In cast: meet the stars of the Netflix thriller

Famke Janssen as Katherine 

Famke Janssen stars as Katherine, the lady of the manor. She is a once-famous actress who took in Lina after her mother's death. Unfortunately, tension sprung up between the mother and daughter-in-law once Lina got engaged to her son, Jamie. At the start of the film, she's in hospital and being treated for serious injuries and is diagnosed with locked-in syndrome after being hit by a car.

Where else have you seen Famke Janssen? Janssen is probably known to many for playing Jean Grey in the X-Men movie franchise, though she's also starred in GoldenEye, Then You Run, Knights of the Zodiac, Long Slow Exhale, Redeeming Love, How To Get Away with Murder, The Capture, and The Blacklist, among others.

Rose Williams as Lina Carter

Rose Williams plays Lina, a young woman who moved in with Katherine and Jamie as a girl. She grew up in the house and went on to marry Jamie, becoming both the lady of the manor and Jamie's primary caregiver (freeing Katherine of the responsibility) in the process.  

Where else have you seen Rose Williams? Williams is likely best known for playing Charlotte Heywood in Sanditon and as Reign's Princess Claude. She's also appeared in That Dirty Black Bag, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, The Power, Medici and Curfew.

Georgia Thorne played a younger version of Lina at points throughout the film.

Alex Hassell as Doctor Lawrence

Alex Hassell stars as Doctor Robert Lawrence. He's a close friend of the family who also manages Jamie's treatment as the family doctor. 

Where else have you seen Alex Hassell? Hassell was most recently seen in Everything Now, and has also appeared in His Dark Materials season 3, Violent Night, Cowboy Bebop, The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Boys, and Suburbicon.

Finn Cole as Jamie

Finn Cole plays Jamie, Lina's husband. He's dealing with a long-term illness and rarely leaves the manor, using Katherine and Lina to care for him instead. 

Where else have you seen Finn Cole? Finn Cole is best known for playing Michael Gray in Peaky Blinders, and has also appeared in Offender, Slaughterhouse Rulez, F9, An Inspector Calls, and was a main star in TNT's Animal Kingdom.

Toby Ryan played the younger version of Jamie in the movie, too.

Anna Friel as Nurse Mackenzie

Anna Friel is also part of the Locked In cast. She plays Nurse Mackenzie, the kind nurse who is overseeing Katherine's treatment at the start of the movie. 

Where else have you seen Anna Friel? You might know Anna Friel from Marcella, though she has also appeared in The Box, Monarch, Deep Water, The Girlfriend Experience, Odyssey, The Saboteurs, and Pushing Daisies.

Locked In is available to watch on Netflix from Wednesday, November 1, 2023. 

If you're a fan of psychological horror movies, you should check out Nocebo, an Irish film distributed by the horror streaming service Shudder which has been getting pretty good reviews.

Nocebo is about a woman who gets infected by a parasitic illness; when a woman mysteriously arrives to work as a caregiver, her family is suspicious but the carer's treatments work in weird ways.

If you're interested in watching Nocebo, it's on Shudder and DirectTV in the US and Netflix and Shudder in the UK. But if you've seen the movie and are wondering why you recognize the stars, we'll run you through the big names now.

Eva Green as Christine

Christine is the main character of the movie, and she's the mother of Bobs and the wife of Felix. She's a children's fashion designer, but during work, she gets bitten by a flea and subsequently succumbs to a strange illness. Symptoms include body shakes, pains and amnesia.

Eva Green is an actress likely best known for playing Bond girl Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale, but she's also been in quite a few more big projects.

You may have also seen Green in movies like Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Kingdon of Heaven, Dark Shadows and Dumbo. In the TV world, she's held recurring roles in Camelot, Penny Dreadful and in 2023 Liaison.

Mark Strong as Felix

Felix is Christine's husband and Bobs' father, and he's cynical of the enigmatic caretaker who arrives to look after his wife. However he's not exempt from this woman's strange effect.

Mark Strong is a prolific and distinctive British actor. You may recognize him from the recurring character Merlin in the Kingsmen movies, in Shazam!, Stardust, Sunshine, Kick-Ass or Zero Dark Thirty, or recently in Oscar-nominee Tar. 

He has a particular penchant for historical roles like in 1917, Sherlock Holmes, Robin Hood, The Eagle, Oliver Twist, and has also lent his voice to many, many video games including Total War: Rome 2, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, Battlefield V and many tie-ins for movies he's been in.

Chai Fonacier as Diana

Diana is a carer who mysteriously shows up to help Christine, and lives with the family to do so. She's shown to have a troubled past and unknown intentions, and possibly-mystical powers.

Chai Fonacier is a Filipina actress who's largely stuck to playing roles within the country, so unless you're an aficionado for film and TV from the Philippines, you may not have seen her in much. If you have, she's been in Born Beautiful, Respeto, Jesus is Dead and Asuang.

Billie Gadson as Bobs

Bobs (or Roberta, to people who aren't her friends) is the young child of Christine and Felix. She's initially wary of Diana but they slowly form a bond.

Billie Gadson is a young actress but she's already been in Hollywood movies, having played a younger version of the main character in Disney's live-action 101 Dalmations prequel Cruella. You have have also seen her in The Midwich Cuckoos, The Spanish Princess and Quiz.

Don't Worry Darling's streaming date has been set for just over six weeks after the movie first hit theaters.

Don't Worry Darling was one of the most talked-about new movies this year. It first hit theaters on September 23 after a scandalous press tour and we have now learned that the film will be made available to stream in the US exclusively on HBO Max from Monday, November 7. (via Variety)

At the time of writing, a UK streaming location has not yet been revealed, though the film is available to buy or rent at home on premium video-on-demand services including the Sky Store and Amazon.

• Meet the Don't Worry Darling Cast
• What To Watch's Don't Worry Darling review

For those not in the know, Don't Worry Darling is a psychological thriller directed by Olivia Wilde (Booksmart). Set in an apparently utopian community of Victory in the 1950s, it follows Alice (Florence Pugh) and her husband Jack (My Policeman's Harry Styles). All the men in the town work on the elusive "Victory Project", and as long as everyone in town commits to the top-secret work, their every whim is met. But when Alice starts to notice that things in Victory aren't what they first seem, problems soon start to arise.

The full synopsis from Warner Bros. reads: "Alice and Jack are lucky to be living in the idealized community of Victory, the experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project and their families. The 1950s societal optimism espoused by their CEO, Frank (Chris Pine) — equal parts corporate visionary and motivational life coach — anchors every aspect of daily life in the tight-knit desert utopia.

"While the husbands spend every day inside the Victory Project Headquarters, working on the 'development of progressive materials,' their wives—including Frank’s elegant partner, Shelley — get to spend their time enjoying the beauty, luxury and debauchery of their community. Life is perfect, with every resident’s needs met by the company. All they ask in return is discretion and unquestioning commitment to the Victory cause.

"But when cracks in their idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the attractive façade, Alice can’t help questioning exactly what they’re doing in Victory and why. Just how much is Alice willing to lose to expose what’s really going on in this paradise?"

The Don't Worry Darling cast is packed full of famous faces and has become one of the most talked-about new movies coming in 2022.

Olivia Wilde's follow-up to teen comedy Booksmart couldn't be more different if it tried. Don't Worry Darling transports us to Victory, an experimental 1950s utopian community where all the men are employed on something called the Victory Project.

Every resident's needs are met, with the only caveat being that every resident remains completely committed and supportive of the Victory Project's cause. However, star Florence Pugh begins to spot the cracks in the facade, and starts to unravel as she attempts to get to the bottom of what's going on below the surface.

Read on to find out which stars you can expect to see showing up in Don't Worry Darling... 

• What To Watch's Don't Worry Darling review

Here are the big stars in the Don't Worry Darling cast

Florence Pugh as Alice Chambers

Florence Pugh leads the cast of Don't Worry Darling as Alice Chambers. Alice is married to Jack and the pair live together in their utopian company town. On the surface, she the perfect housewife, but she starts to notice things aren't quite what they seem in Victory, and becomes obsessed with unraveling the town's secrets.

Where else have you seen Florence Pugh? Florence Pugh has become a breakout leading star in recent years, with notable performances in Midsommar and Greta Gerwig's 2019 adaptation of Little Women (the latter of which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress). 

Viewers will also likely recognize her as Yelena from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having played the character in Black Widow and Hawkeye. In 2023, she will feature in Oppenheimer and Dune: Part Two.

Harry Styles as Jack Chambers

Superstar singer Harry Styles features opposite Florence Pugh as her partner, Jack Chambers. Jack is clearly loyal to the Victory Project and his boss, Frank, and seems very determined to resist Alice's investigations into their perfect life.

Where else have you seen Harry Styles? Harry is undoubtedly known for his music both from his time with One Direction and his solo career; Don't Worry Darling is only his second feature film after having played a soldier in Christopher Nolan's war epic, Dunkirk, back in 2017. He also made a small cameo in a credits scene for Eternals, suggesting he'll be joining the MCU later down the line.

Later this year, Styles will star as Tom Burgess  in the romantic drama My Policeman, which is coming to select theaters and Prime Video this fall.

Chris Pine as Frank

Chris Pine plays the villain of the piece, Frank. Frank is the leader of the Victory Project, which all the men in town are working on... though what they're working towards remains a well-kept secret.

Where else have you seen Chris Pine? Chris Pine is likely best known for playing Captain Kirk in the rebooted Star Trek film series, though he's also had major roles in both Wonder Woman movies, Into the Woods, and is due to front Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves next year.

Olivia Wilde as Bunny

Olivia Wilde isn't just behind the camera on Don't Worry Darling, as she also stars in the film. She plays Bunny, one of Alice's closest friends inside the Victory community. 

Where else have you seen Olivia Wilde? Olivia Wilde has starred in a variety of projects including TRON: Legacy, Cowboys & Aliens, Vinyl, The Lazarus Effect, House and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. Don't Worry Darling is her second feature film, after making her debut with Booksmart in 2019.

Gemma Chan as Shelley

Gemma Chan plays Shelley, another of the devoted housewives living in Victory. Little is known about her character right now, though her marriage to Frank is sure to play into the movie's narrative.

Where else have you seen Gemma Chan? Gemma Chan is perhaps best known for starring in Crazy Rich Asians, but she also starred in the sci-fi drama, Humans, Eternals and Let Them All Talk. She's due to star opposite Tenet star John David Washington in Gareth Edwards' sci-fi romance, True Love, in 2023.

Nick Kroll as Bill

Nick Kroll plays Bill, another one of the men working towards the future of the Victory Project in the film.

Where else have you seen Nick Kroll? Nick is mostly known for his work in comedy. He's lent his voice to a number of animated comedies including Sausage Party, the Sing movies, The Bob's Burgers Movie, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie and was the co-creator of Netflix's popular comedy, Big Mouth (and its spin-off, Human Resources). He's also known for creating and starring in Kroll Show and the FX comedy series, The League.

Kiki Layne as Margaret

Kiki Layne plays another one of the women who live in Victory. Like many of the other characters, we don't know too much about her role, either, though you can see her ominously standing on a roof in the trailer. This seems to be one of the things that leads Alice to start questioning their way of life.

Where else have you seen Kiki Layne? Kiki Layne has appeared in Coming 2 America, If Beale Street Could Talk, and recently played Ellie Steckler in Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers. She's also returning to play Nile Freeman for the second time in The Old Guard 2.

Who else stars in Don't Worry Darling?

We'll be seeing plenty more faces crop up alongside the likes of Florence Pugh and Chris Pine. Also starring are:

• Asif Ali 
• Timothy Simons 
• Kate Berlant
• Dita Von Teese 
• Sydney Chandler 
• Douglas Smith
• Alisha Heng
• Marcello Julian Reyes
• Mariah Justice

Don't Worry Darling is now in movie theaters.

Olivia Wilde made a splash with the first movie she directed, Booksmart, which makes her second outing, Don’t Worry Darling, one that many have been eagerly awaiting among the slate of 2022 new movies. The actress/director isn’t resting on her laurels either, as Don’t Worry Darling looks to be a bold and big swing.

An original idea written by Katie Silberman (Booksmart), Carey Van Dyke & Shane Van Dyke (The Silence) and featuring a fantastic ensemble highlighted by Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, there’s a lot to be excited about with Don’t Worry Darling. 

Here’s everything you need to know about the movie.

When is the Don’t Worry Darling release date?

Don’t Worry Darling has a release date of September 23 for the US, UK and other global markets. It plays exclusively in movie theaters to start.

What is the Don’t Worry Darling plot?

Billed as a thriller, Don’t Worry Darling centers on husband and wife, Alice and Jack, who live in an experimental 1950s utopian society, or so it seems. Alice begins to fear that there is more to their surroundings than meets the eye. Here is the official synopsis from Warner Bros.:

"Alice and Jack are lucky to be living in the idealized community of Victory, the experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project and their families. The 1950’s societal optimism espoused by their CEO, Frank (Pine) — equal parts corporate visionary and motivational life coach — anchors every aspect of daily life in the tight-knit desert utopia.

"While the husbands spend every day inside the Victory Project Headquarters, working on the 'development of progressive materials,' their wives—including Frank’s elegant partner, Shelley — get to spend their time enjoying the beauty, luxury and debauchery of their community. Life is perfect, with every resident’s needs met by the company. All they ask in return is discretion and unquestioning commitment to the Victory cause.

"But when cracks in their idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the attractive façade, Alice can’t help questioning exactly what they’re doing in Victory and why. Just how much is Alice willing to lose to expose what’s really going on in this paradise?"

What is Don't Worry Darling rated?

Don't Worry Darling is rated R for US audiences for "sexuality, violent content and language." The movie is rated 15 in the UK.

How long is Don't Worry Darling?

Don't Worry Darling has a runtime of two hours and two minutes.

Who is in the Don’t Worry Darling cast?

Playing the main couple of Alice and Jack are Florence Pugh and Harry Styles. 

Pugh is an Oscar-nominated actress (Little Women) who has truly broken out over the last couple of years. In addition to Little Women she has starred in Black Widow and appeared in the Disney Plus original series Hawkeye, as well as Midsommar, Fighting with My Family and the TV mini series The Little Drummer Girl. 

Most will know Harry Styles as the singing superstar (formerly of pop group One Direction, now solo), but he has been scratching his actor itch over the last couple of years. He made his acting debut in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk and, like Pugh, has joined the MCU, appearing in an Eternals post-credits scene as Eros. He has another 2022 movie coming outside of Don’t Worry Darling called My Policeman.

While Pugh and Styles headline Don’t Worry Darling, the rest of the cast is incredibly impressive as well. Chris Pine (All the Old Knives, Star Trek) is set to play Victory Project CEO, Frank. There’s also Gemma Chan (Eternals) as Shelley, Nick Kroll (Big Mouth) as Bill, Timothy Simmons (Veep) as Dean, Kiki Layne (The Old Guard) as Margaret, Douglas Smith (Clarice) as John and Olivia Wilde, pulling double duty in front of and behind the camera, as Mary.

Don't Worry Darling reviews — what the critics are saying

The reaction to Don't Worry Darling hasn't been great. As of September 22, the movie has a 31% "Rotten" score on Rotten Tomatoes, which classifies it as "Rotten;" it scores a little better on Metacritic, 48, which puts it in the "average/mixed" range.

WTW's Don't Worry Darling review praises the lead performance by Florence Pugh, but admits the mystery at the center of the story isn't too tough to crack for the audience, which can make it a frustrating watch.

Don’t Worry Darling trailer

Don’t Worry Darling shared its first look trailer as part of the 2022 CinemaCon convention at the end of April for movie theater owners, but it is now available for all to watch. It addition to Styles and Pugh getting hot and steamy, the big mystery at the center of Don’t Worry Darling looks very intriguing. Watch the full trailer directly below. 

Below is another trailer for Don't Worry Darling, which plays up even more of the psychological elements that the movie is going to dive in to.

Olivia Wilde, Don’t Worry Darling director

As mentioned above, Don’t Worry Darling is Olivia Wilde’s second directing job following 2019’s Booksmart. Wilde was highly praised for her work on Booksmart, which earned a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature.

Wilde isn’t slowing down as a director either. She has signed on to direct the movie Perfect, which tells the story of famous US Olympics Kerri Strugg, and is in line to direct an Untitled Sony/Marvel movie, expected to be a female-centric story.

Olivia Wilde and her rise as a director was the focus of a cover story from Variety.

Of course, before she broke out as a director, Wilde was a well known actress, whose credits include House, Tron: Legacy, Cowboys & Aliens, Drinking Buddies and Richard Jewell. She’s also set to appear in another 2022 movie, Damien Chazelle’s Babylon.

Harry Styles' original song for Don't Worry Darling

Harry Styles not only lent his acting talents to Don't Worry Darling, but the world famous musician also contributed an original song to the movie.

Reported by Variety, Styles composed what is being described by director Olivia Wilde as "the trigger song," something that Florence Pugh's character hums and is a kind of theme for the movie. Styles describes the song as both "sweet and creepy, entirely dependent on the context."

It's not clear at this time if there are lyrics to the tune or if we can expect any kind of music video for it. If not, we'll probably have to wait until either a soundtrack is released or the movie has begun playing.

Don't Worry Darling off-screen drama

Unfortunately, the off-screen drama around Don't Worry Darling has seemed to grasp more of the attention than the actual movie. While we won't go into too much detail, some of it has been centered around star Florence Pugh and Olivia Wilde at odds, reportedly over the director beginning a relationship with co-star Harry Styles during filming.

Wilde recently addressed a few of the other buzzy topics on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, including whether Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine and the debate regarding Shia LaBeouf's exit from the movie:

Olivia Wilde’s second outing as a director following 2019's coming-of-age comedy Booksmart brims with drama and mystery — and that’s just a description of Don’t Worry Darling’s scandal-rich promotional tour.

Did Wilde fall out with star Florence Pugh, conspicuously absent from a number of the film’s red-carpet events? Did she sack original leading man Shia LaBeouf because of his "combative" acting style? Or did he quit of his own accord?

There is, even more, to puzzle over when it comes to the film itself, a psychological thriller set in a seemingly idyllic 1950s American town belonging to the enigmatically utopian Victory Company. Pugh and Styles' young married couple, Alice and Jack, appear to live a picture-perfect life in this suburban oasis in the Southern Californian desert, where the men set off for work each day in their pastel-colored, big-finned cars while their adoring wives spend their time contentedly dusting and polishing and cooking, or shopping, taking dance classes and gossiping at the local pool. 

On the surface, it is a world of chic glamour, but if you are picking up a Stepford Wives vibe you are not alone. Alice also thinks there is something wrong with this picture. What exactly do Jack and the other husbands do at the Victory Project headquarters each day? Working on the "development of progressive materials" says Victory’s charismatic boss Frank, played with Rat Pack cool and a hint of menace by Pine. 

What are the earthquake-like tremors that occasionally ruffle Victory’s daytime calm? And why is Alice experiencing hallucinatory visions in black-and-white of female dancers performing Busby Berkeley routines? Is she cracking up, the fate that befell Alice's troubled neighbor Margaret (KiKi Layne)? That, at least, is what everyone maintains after Margaret began questioning the rules of life in Victory.

In all likelihood, you will probably be ahead of Alice when it comes to working out what is going on and frustrated when Wilde and screenwriters Katie Silberman, Carey Van Dyke and Shane Van Dyke finally show their hand. Before then, Wilde and her cohorts take big swipes at patriarchy and hit us over the head with some heavy-handed symbolism. Watch out for the scene in which Alice, feeling increasingly oppressed by her lot, wraps her head in suffocating clingfilm. 

The film's look, however, can’t be faulted. Cinematographer Matthew Libatique (previously Oscar-nominated for Black Swan and A Star Is Born) and production designer Katie Byron give the film’s world a high-gloss perfection — Wilde has cited high-society photographer Slim Aarons’ sleek images of midcentury Palm Springs as a visual reference for the film. The impossible luster only adds to the pervading sense of unease. 

But the film's biggest asset is the terrific Pugh, who draws us into Alice's gathering paranoia and her all-consuming determination to uncover Victory's secrets. She predictably outclasses Styles (in only his second film following his debut in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk and, to be fair, better here than you may have heard) but is well-matched in her scenes with Pine, who brings a chilling, cult-leader edge to the man at the heart of the film’s mystery.

Don't Worry Darling is in theaters from Friday, September 23.

Movie theater owners got their first look at Don't Worry Darling at CinemaCon 2022, and it sounds like Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Black Widow) and Harry Styles (Dunkirk, My Policeman) will be getting hot and heavy in director Olivia Wilde's latest flick!

Although the trailer for Wilde's upcoming psychological thriller hasn't been released to the public, Variety reported what the footage contained. The film is set in the 1950s and sees Styles and Pugh playing a young married couple who live out in the Californian desert.

Pugh's character is a happy housewife, but she gradually grows suspicious that the company her husband works for could be harboring some deep secrets.

The footage opened with the pair snuggled up together in bed but starts to unravel from there. Pugh questions whether her husband has really investigated what the mysterious "Victory Project" he's working on really is; the more she questions Styles' work, the more people begin to mistrust her.

Elsewhere, the trailer showed the couple getting intimate in and around the house; one scene in particular even saw the pair together, right in front of Chris Pine's character!

The sneak preview was part of the Warner Bros. presentation. During the event, director Olivia Wilde also shared some of the ideas behind Don't Worry Darling. 

She claimed the movie was "a love letter to movies that push the boundaries of our imagination" and told the crowd: "I want you to imagine a life where you have everything you could want. 

"Not just material, tangible things... like a beautiful house, perfect weather and gorgeous cars. But also the things that really matter, like true love or the perfect partner or real trusted friendships and a purpose that feels meaningful", she added.

"What would it take for you to give up that life, that perfect life. What are you really willing to sacrifice to do what's right? Are you willing to dismantle the system that's designed to serve you? That's the big question at the center of Don't Worry Darling", Wilde teased.

She then went on to heap praise on her two stars, describing pop star Harry Styles as "nothing short of a revelation in this part", and Florence Pugh as "brilliant, sexy, fierce and tough".

Don't Worry Darling is currently scheduled for a theatrical release on September 23, 2022. For more info about the year's biggest releases, check out our guide to the new movies coming in 2022.

Freeform is getting a much-anticipated new psychological thriller this spring in the form of Cruel Summer, which premieres with a two-hour event on April 20, 2021.

The mystery sees the disappearance of a young, popular woman, and a less-cool woman accused of the crime. The series takes place over three summers in the 1990s, and the trailer makes it pretty clear that there's going to be a fair amount of time shifting in this one, so get ready to bounce around a bit.

Here's the official take from Freeform:

“Cruel Summer” is a psychological thriller that follows two young women; Kate Wallis, the popular girl with a charmed life who one day goes missing, and Jeanette Turner, the nerdy wannabee who is accused of being connected to Kate’s disappearance. All signs point to Jeanette’s guilt, but is Kate really who she seems to be? Set over three summers and told through shifting points of view, the series challenges perception and follows how one girl can go from being a sweet outlier to the most despised person in America. 

Cruel Summer premieres April 20 on Freeform. New episodes also will be available the day after they air on Hulu on demand.

Freeform is available on every major streaming service in the United States, including FuboTV, Hulu With Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling TV and AT&T TV. (And that's not going to do anything to help you decide between YouTube TV vs. Hulu.)

Sling TV is going to be your least-expensive option, with Freeform on the Sling Orange track, which can be had for $35 a month. (That's after the Sling free trial, of course.) Or you can get Sling Orange and Sling Blue together for $50 a month.