Looking for something great to watch at home??? ??? ?? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, Max, Disney+, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each one!
Don't be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services trying to determine what to watch! We've got your back whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, animation, and more.
But if you're seeking something brand spanking new (or new to streaming), we've got you covered there, too.
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Mashable's entertainment team has scoured the streaming services to highlight the most buzzed-about releases of this week and ranked them from worst to best — or least worth your time to most watchable. Whether you're looking for musical bliss, kooky animated-comedy, heart-rattling humor, brilliant buffoonery, or sharp scares, we've got you covered.
Here's what's new on streaming, from worst to best.
7. Slingshot
Sci-fi drama can make for great cinematic moments. Slingshot doesn't. Directed by Mikael Håfström, Slingshot centers on a trio of astronauts on a mission to Saturn's moon, Titan. But paranoia begins to overcome this lean crew, threatening their mission and their lives.
In his review for Mashable, Siddhant Adlakha wrote, "A psychological thriller with few thrills and a weak grasp of psychology, Mikael Håfström's Slingshotsees three capable actors monologuing in space about nothing in particular. The sci-fi drama has logical start and end points, but meanders aimlessly along the way, desperately searching for anything resembling plot or thematic meaning."
Simply put, this one's a skip.
Starring: Casey Affleck, Laurence Fishburne, Emily Beecham, Tomer Kapon, and David Morrissey
How to watch:Slingshot is now streaming on Paramount+.
6. The Front Room
A24 is known for hits like Lady Bird, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Talk to Me, and Midsommar. They also released The Front Room.
SEE ALSO: Brandy and Kathryn Hunter break down the nuanced realism and "fairy tale" aspects in 'The Front Room'Written and directed by Sam Eggers and Max Eggers, this horror thriller stars Brandy Norwood as a pregnant wife whose life is turned upside down when her demanding and devout mother-in-law (Poor Things' Kathryn Hunter) moves in and takes over. It's more than a battle of wills. It's a battle for the future of her child.
Critics weren't thrilled by The Front Room. In her review for Mashable, Kimber Myers praised Hunter's villainous portrayal as "devilishly good," but concluded, "The movie itself often feels like a grueling ordeal...It’s a good enough bad time, worth it for Hunter's performance alone — if you can stomach the rest."
Starring:Brandy Norwood, Kathryn Hunter, Andrew Burnap, and Neal Huff
How to watch:The Front Room is now streaming on Max.
5.A Quiet Place: Day One
The third film of the Quiet Place universe is a prequel to John Krasinski's 2018 horror hit. Set in New York at the start of the alien invasion of Death Angels that hunt by sound, A Quiet Place: Day Onefollows Samira (The Wild Robot's Lupita Nyong'o) and Eric (Stranger Things' Joseph Quinn), strangers brought together by their drive to survive. Plus, they've got a cat.
SEE ALSO: Does the cat die? Your top 'A Quiet Place: Day One' question answeredWithout A Quiet Place's original director or screenwriters, writer/director Michael Sarnoski (Pig) takes his own swing at this dystopian terrain, creating a story that's equal parts horror and a NYC love story. However, this prequel disappoints in both. As I wrote in Mashable's review, "A Quiet Place: Day One doesn't equal the sum of its parts. The love story at its core can't shine amid the required carnage and urban devastation demanded by the prequel's promise. The performances — while earnest — can't find footing in the crude plotting. The scares, which once were grounded in character and uncertainty, lose their luster without either. With all this movie tries to wedge in, it's just not enough."
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Djimon Hounsou, and Joseph Quinn
How to watch:A Quiet Place: Day One is now streaming on Prime Video.
4. Cunk on Life
Philomena Cunk is back. The earnest but atrociously uneducated interviewer who gave us Cunk on Earth returns with Cunk on Life. This time around, comedian Diane Morgan brings her silly-while-serious schtick to the quest to understand life itself.
SEE ALSO: The 33 best British TV shows of 2024, and where to watch themThis short-ass movie (or as Cunk calls it "landmark documentary special") clocks in at only one hour and 11 minutes, yet includes interviews with various academics, philosophers, and "professional mammals," who not only try to untangle the confusion around the meaning of life, but also the confusion of speaking with the eternally dim Philomena Cunk.
Starring: Diane Morgan, Michelle Greenidge, Charles Aitken, Ruth Adams, Rory Bray, Jerry Wilder, Jim Al-Khalili, Ruth Chang, Stephen Case, and Gregory Dart
How to watch:Cunk on Life is now streaming on Netflix.
3. A Real Pain
Written, directed by, and starring Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain follows an odd couple of cousins on a trip to Poland, where they hope to reconnect to their late grandmother's roots and their Jewish heritage. Where David (Jesse Eisenberg) is tightly wound and repressed, Benji (Kieran Culkin) is a charmingly chaotic chatterbox, who's quick with a hug, a witticism, and an out-of-pocket revelation.
The clever title A Real Pain plays on both the grief these cousins grapple with over the loss of their grandmother — and their decaying bond — as well as a cheeky way to allude to brash Benji. "Despite its title, A Real Painis genuinely funny," Monica Castillo cheered in her review for Mashable, celebrating Culkin's incredible performance. "It's a level of unpredictability that can be funny yet sincere, and Culkin threads the needle between emotions with surprising acuity."
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy, and Daniel Oreskes
How to watch:A Real Pain is available for purchase on Prime Video.
SEE ALSO: The best Netflix TV shows of 20242. Wicked
Easily the most "popular" of new to streaming releases this week is Wicked.
Ahead of the Golden Globes, enjoy this four-time nominated hit, which unfurls the shocking and music-filled story of the Wicked Witch of the West. Before Dorothy and her little dog landed in Oz, there was a green-skinned girl named Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), who faced fear, bullying, and prejudice while learning witchcraft. What would change her life for good was the unexpected friend she found in the glittering, blond Galinda (Ariana Grande). But can their bond survive the challenges thrown down by the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum)?
SEE ALSO: How to watch 'Wicked' at home: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are coming to the small screenThis tale of friendship, rivalry, and defiance first won fans as a novel by Gregory Maguire, then as a hit Broadway show. And now, you can see director Jon M. Chu's vision of Oz from the comfort of your couch. (But don't forget, this is a flashy musical, with special sing-a-long showtimes to boot!)
Starring:Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum
How to watch:Wicked is now available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
1. Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Claymation's most charming duo is back! Cheese-loving inventor Wallace and his loyal beagle Gromit return in Vengeance Most Fowl, a delightful film that sees the return of classic Wallace & Gromit villain Feathers McGraw. After years locked away in prison (aka a zoo), the criminal penguin mastermind is ready to take down Wallace and Gromit for good. And luckily for him, Wallace's latest invention — the "smart gnome" — proves to be the perfect tool to enact his dastardly plan.
SEE ALSO: 'Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl' review: A delightful romp with an anti-AI streakVengeance Most Fowl proves that the Wallace & Gromit franchise is as inventive (and pun-filled) as ever. In my review, I praised its humor and creativity, writing, "Silliness reigns supreme here, with Vengeance Most Fowl's smallest details — including a deluge of puns and a cheese-themed captcha — just as likely to send you into orbit as its madcap set pieces, which involve everything from boats to office chairs." But that's not all: Vengeance Most Fowl also offers up some insightful commentary on the rise of AI. So what are you waiting for? Pour yourself some cheese, grab a cup of tea, and enjoy. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter
Starring:Ben Whitehead, Peter Kay, Lauren Patel, and Reece Shearsmith
How to watch:Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is now streaming on Netflix.
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