For the second week in a row, it’s set to be a thinner slate of new movies with major platforms like Netflix and Prime Video still on the bench. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t new arrivals worthy of your attention, and I’m rounding up the highlights across streaming services.
My top pick this week is “The Dog Stars.” This Ridley Scott-directed post-apocalyptic action-thriller is an uneven ride, but when it works, it’s great. It’s just a shame it lacks consistency across its two-hour runtime.
Other new movies include an intense doc on Paramount+, a surprisingly strong family movie on Peacock featuring those pesky Minions, and an action-thriller on Hulu; this one stars John Travolta and screams 2000s direct-to-DVD movie to me. Your call if that’s a positive or not!
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These are the most noteworthy new movies across streaming platforms this week, and be sure to check out our guide to the week’s top new TV shows for more watchlist options.
‘The Dog Stars’ (PVOD)
“Ignore ‘The Dog Stars’ 40% Rotten Tomatoes score,” those were words of advice from my colleague Malcolm McMillan. Ridley Scott’s new post-apocalyptic action-thriller received mixed reviews and was labeled a box-office bomb over the summer, but Malcolm has a point. It’s very much a movie of moments. Even if it doesn’t coalesce into a satisfying whole, there are some great scenes, and surprisingly strong world-building.
Based on Peter Heller’s 2012 novel, “The Dog Stars” is set in a near-future ravaged by a flu pandemic. Hig (Jacob Elordi) is a survivor living in a hangar outside Erie, Colorado, with his dog, Jasper, and gruff companion Bangley (Josh Brolin). Haunted by the early days of the pandemic and the personal loss he suffered, and dissatisfied with mere survival, he hops in his propeller plane to locate the source of a mysterious radio transmission. Also starring Margaret Qualley and Guy Pearce, “The Dog Stars” shows promise, but never fully builds on it.
Watch on Prime Video (buy/rent) starting October 27
‘Forgotten Island’ (PVOD)
The title of DreamWorks Animation’s new fantasy family flick might be rather fitting. This animated comedy looks on course to be largely forgotten. Less than a month after its theatrical debut, “Forgotten Island” is already swapping the big screen for streaming. But this adventure deserves a second look, as the 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes proves. Critics have showered it with praise for its “ode to friendship” and celebration of Filipino culture.
The colorful and vibrant movie centers on best friends Jo (voiced by H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano), who discover a magical portal to Nakali, a fantastical island filled with wondrous sights and magical creatures, some friendly, some less so. It’s all good fun until they discover that the price to return home is forgetting all memories of their close friendship. So, they embark on a quest to leave the island before they forget each other forever.
Watch on Prime Video (buy/rent) starting October 27
‘Hanging by a Wire’ (Paramount+)
On Aug. 23, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, a cable car used daily by local residents for commuting became the scene of a perilous rescue when one of the chair-lift cables snapped, leaving six children and two adults stranded more than 900 feet off the ground. The terrified passengers were literally hanging by a wire. This documentary chronicles the events, with insight into the urgent rescue operation mounted at a rapid pace.
“Hanging by a Wire” holds a strong 87% score on Rotten Tomatoes and has been selected as the Pakistani entry for the Best International Feature Film at the upcoming 99th Academy Awards. Combining footage shot at the scene with expert insight, it certainly looks like a thrilling but also stomach-turning watch. However, some critics were disappointed at the lack of testimony from the young schoolboys trapped in the suspended cable car cabin for multiple hours.
Watch on Paramount+ starting October 28
‘Minions & Monsters’ (Peacock)
Another one for younger viewers this week, but slightly older watchers shouldn’t so easily discount “Minions & Monsters.” I can’t believe I’m saying this about a movie starring those little yellow irritants, but the third installment in the “Despicable Me” spin-off series is actually a remarkably fond tribute to classic cinema. Kids will love the bright colors and slapstick gags, but grown-ups are catered to with genuinely chuckle-worthy nods to the golden age of the movies.
Set four decades before 2022’s “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” the animated family film follows a new tribe of Minions, who, in their quest to find a new master to serve, accidentally become stars of the silent movie era. Unsurprisingly, this doesn’t last long, and the Minions blow their chance to become Hollywood legends, all before having to defend Tinsel Town from an eyeball-covered creature they accidentally unleashed on Los Angeles. It’s still a Minions movie at its core, but it’s not just for kids.
Watch on Peacock starting October 28
‘The Gentleman Thief’ (Hulu)
“The Gentleman Thief” gives me major flashbacks to the direct-to-DVD era, when you’d stumble upon a movie you’d never even heard of in the media aisle at Walmart. I don’t know if that’s a compliment per se, but this new John Travolta-fronted action-thriller certainly appears to have that same B-movie quality. It’s also a sequel, part of the action franchise that started with 2024’s “Cash Out” and continued last year with “High Rollers.”
In the series, Travolta plays Mason Goddard, a retired master thief whose retirement seems to be in name only, considering he keeps getting dragged into new missions. This time he’s trying to protect his impulsive brother, Shawn (Lukas Haas), after a failed $100 million yacht heist. With old foes emerging, a ruthless kingpin on his tail, and a priceless painting to steal, Mason needs to deploy every trick in the book to stay one step ahead of his enemies.
Watch on Hulu starting October 30
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