The best new movies to watch on streaming this week include some of the biggest blockbuster movies of the year, the latest originals from the top streamers, and some smaller movies audiences might have missed in theaters. Movies from all types of genres are available on streamers like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Max, Peacock, and Paramount+ — including many that have only recently left theaters. There are also some streaming releases gaining award-season buzz.
In only the second week of November, those viewers who are already looking for Christmas content can find the first new Netflix holiday rom-com of the season arriving. There are also some small indie movies that made a lot of buzz at festivals this year, including Aubrey Plaza’s unique coming-of-age story My Old Ass and Demi Moore’s body horror movie The Substance. Audiences can also find titles with big stars ranging from Tom Hanks to Chris Pine as well as some overlooked movies from earlier in the year.
10 Time Cut (2024)
Available October 30 On Netflix
A teenage girl goes back in time to the early 2000s to save her sister from a dangerous killer.
- Director
- Hannah Macpherson
- Release Date
- October 30, 2024
- Cast
- Madison Bailey , Megan Best , Michael Shanks , Antonia Gentry , Griffin Gluck
- Runtime
- 95 Minutes
As with the surprise hit Totally Killer, there seems to be a rise in teen horror movies with a time travel twist. Such is the case with the new Netflix horror movie Time Cut, which has drawn a lot of comparisons to Totally Killer for a nearly identical premise only separated by a couple of decades. While that movie follows a high schooler who’s transported back to the 1980s with the chance to save her teen mother from a serial killer, Time Cut sees its hero going back to the early 2000s to save her sister from a serial killer.
It is hard to ignore just how similar the movies are, but Time Cut can still be enjoyed on its own. There will be some fans shocked by the idea that the 2000s are ripe for parody, but there are some funny references throughout the movie. There are also the typical fish-out-of-water time travel shenanigans mixed with the sweet story of a sisterly bond. Despite poor reviews, Time Cut is the most popular movie on Netflix right now.
9 Poolman (2024)
Available November 8 On Hulu
Poolman, directed by Chris Pine, follows Darren Barrenman, an optimistic Los Angeles native who manages the Tahitian Tiki apartment’s pool while striving to improve his city.
- Release Date
- May 9, 2024
- Runtime
- 100 Minutes
Chris Pine is an actor known for some beloved movies, including the Star Trek franchise, Hell or High Water, and Dungeons and Dragons. He becomes the latest actor-turned-director with his debut behind the camera, Poolman. Pine also stars in the movie as Darren Barrenman, an optimistic yet naïve man who dedicates himself to doing the best work he can while cleaning people’s pools in Los Angeles. However, he inadvertently finds himself mixed up in a conspiracy involving crooked politicians and greedy landowners.
Poolman made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, where it received largely negative reviews. The poor reception led to the movie’s delayed release, but now more audiences can discover Poolman and judge it for themselves. Pine is joined on screen by Jennifer Jason Leigh and Danny DeVito in a movie that seems heavily influenced by The Big Lebowski.
8 Black Cab (2024)
Available November 8 On Shudder And AMC+
Black Cab: A thriller about a couple whose cab ride takes an unexpected turn when their seemingly friendly driver diverts them to a desolate, haunted road, ultimately revealing his sinister intentions. Released in 2024, the film delves into themes of trust and deception in a chilling narrative.
- Director
- Bruce Goodison
- Release Date
- October 25, 2024
- Cast
- Nick Frost , Synnøve Karlsen , Luke Norris , George Bukhari
- Runtime
- 87 minutes
The Halloween season may indeed be over but there are still some new horror movies to enjoy, including the British supernatural thriller Black Cab. The movie follows a newly engaged couple who celebrate on the town and take a cab ride home. While the driver (Nick Frost) initially seems friendly, he soon begins driving them off course and it is revealed that he has no intentions of taking the couple home. As startling as that revelation is, it becomes more terrifying when it becomes clear he is answering to something otherworldly.
The big draw of the movie is Frost’s performance. While he is mostly known for his terrific comedic roles, he turns that persona on its head with this sinister and unsettling performance. His villain is even more frightening because he doesn’t seem to be taking any of this seriously. It is an effective small-scale horror movie worth seeking out.
7 Meet Me Next Christmas (2024)
Available November 6 On Netflix
A woman, driven by romance, frantically searches New York City for a way into a sold-out Pentatonix Christmas show, believing it may help her meet her ideal partner.
- Director
- Rusty Cundieff
- Release Date
- November 6, 2024
- Cast
- christina milian , Devale Ellis , Kofi Siriboe , Kalen Allen , Mitch Grassi , Scott Hoying , Kirstin Maldonado , Kevin Olusola , Matthew Sallee , Priyanka
- Runtime
- 105 Minutes
While it seems like Halloween just ended, the Christmas movies are already on their way with Netflix dropping its first holiday offering for the season. Meet Me Next Christmas stars Christina Milian as Layla, a woman who meets and forms a connection with a stranger while in the airport for their holiday travels. Heading in their respective directions, the two make a plan to meet next year at the Pentatonix Christmas Eve Concert. However, as the big date approaches, Layla has to go on in search of a ticket to the sold-out show.
Meet Me Next Christmas offers the kind of holiday rom-com fun and coziness that so many viewers are looking for this time of the year. There is comedy surrounding the charming story as well as a romance that offers more surprises than audiences might be expecting. It’s the perfect way to kick off the holiday season.
6 Back To Black (2024)
Available November 5 On Prime Video
Back to Black is a biographical drama centering on the life of Amy Winehouse. The movie shows her rise to fame from a young age to adulthood and also covers her struggles with addiction. Marisa Abela stars as Amy Winehouse, with Sam Taylor-Johnson directing the biopic.
- Director
- Sam Taylor-Johnson
- Release Date
- May 10, 2024
- Cast
- Marisa Abela , Jack O’Connell , Eddie Marsan , Lesley Manville , Juliet Cowan
- Runtime
- 122 Minutes
While there have been some notable musical biopics in recent years, Back to Black has established itself as one of the most controversial. The movie takes a look at celebrated singer Amy Winehouse’s incredible rise to fame and the tragedy of her career being cut short with her ultimately death. The movie follows the typical format of a music biopic, following Winehouse from her adolescence and the discovery of her love of music through her rise to fame and into the years of tabloid mayhem.
Ever since her death, Winehouse has been viewed as one of the most tragic figures in music history. Based on the fact that the pressures of fame and media attention are often seen as contributing factors to her downfall, there are some who find a biopic depicting her death in poor taste. However, audiences have to decide for themselves as Winehouse’s story is a fascinating one and Back to Black showcases that.
5 Pedro Páramo (2024)
Pedro Páramo, directed by Rodrigo Prieto, follows Juan Preciado as he fulfills his mother’s dying wish to meet his father in the town of Comala. Upon arrival, he discovers Comala is inhabited by spectral characters, revealing its ghostly nature.
- Director
- Rodrigo Prieto
- Release Date
- November 6, 2024
- Cast
- Manuel Garcia-Rulfo , Tenoch Huerta Mejía , Dolores Heredia , Ilse Salas , Hector Kotsifakis , Mayra Batalla , Roberto Sosa , Giovanna Zacarías , Noé Hernández , Yoshira Escárrega , Santiago Colores , Gilberto Barraza , Ari Brickman , Horacio Garcia Rojas , Sarah Rovira , Gabriela Núñez , Ishbel Bautista , Ana Celeste , Irineo Alvarez , Sebastián García , Mayra Hermosillo , Julieta Egurrola , Fernanda Rivera , Mariel , Doris Olimpia Araujo Delgado , Osvaldo Sánchez , Luis Rosete , Lorena Valdés , Jessica Toledo , Albida Villanueva , Martín Rodríguez Cañas , José Concepción Macías , Conrado Mercado , Jesús Sida , Lorenzo Jacome , Carlos Balderrama , Tulio Villavicencio , Paco Peralta , Guillermo Nava , Eduardo Humaran , Waldo Facco
- Runtime
- 130 Minutes
Another horror movie offers an intriguing option for fans of the genre on Netflix now. Pedro Páramo is based on the novel of the same name by Juan Rulfo and tells the story of a young man who fulfills a promise to his dying mother to travel to the town his father is from and learn about the man. When he arrives, he discovers a deserted place filled with dark memories as the ghosts of the past begin to shed light on the history that involved the man’s mysterious father, Pedro Páramo.
Manuel García Rulfo has found a lot of success recently with his starring role on the hit Netflix series The Lincoln Lawyer as well as his upcoming role in Jurassic World: Rebirth. He makes another impressive performance in the titular role here, playing a complex and frightening character. The movie brings to life the magical realism of the novel and tells the complicated story in a gripping way.
4 Look Back (2024)
Available November 7 On Prime Video
Confident artist Fujino and reclusive Kyomoto bond over their shared passion for drawing manga. As they navigate the challenges of growing up and pursuing their artistic dreams, their friendship deepens. The story beautifully explores themes of creativity, dedication, and the impact of personal connections on their journey.
- Director
- Kiyotaka Oshiyama
- Release Date
- June 28, 2024
- Cast
- Yumi Kawai , Mizuki Yoshida
- Runtime
- 58 Minutes
Look Back is a new anime movie from Japan that takes a grounded yet mesmerizing approach to the genre. This charming story follows two young girls who seem to be as different as can be. One is an overly confident and popular girl while the other is a shy and isolated shut-in. However, they share a love of creating manga which brings them together to create and improve their shared passion.
While many people picture big fantasy and action stories when they think about anime, Look Back is a perfect example of how the art form can also be used for beautiful human stories. The animation is stunning even with the sequences happening in the real world, such as a young girl running through the rain. The story itself is also engrossing and makes for a beautiful love letter to people who create, as well as the importance of extroverts and introverts coming together.
3 A Man Called Otto (2023)
Based on the New York Times Best Seller “A Man Called Ove,” A Man Called Otto follows Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks), who is considered the world’s grumpiest man. After losing his wife and job, Otto’s overwhelming dissatisfaction with life leads him to contemplate suicide. However, several encounters with his new neighbors derail his attempts at every turn. This friendly and happy young family also harbors the sharp-minded Marisol, who redirects his path of self-destruction through a blossoming new friendship and helps him rediscover family once again.
- Director
- Marc Forster
- Release Date
- December 30, 2022
- Cast
- Tom Hanks , Mariana Treviño , Rachel Keller , Manuel Garcia-Rulfo , Cameron Britton , Mike Birbiglia
- Runtime
- 126minutes
Just as Tom Hanks reunited with his Forrest Gump team in the new movie Here, the actor’s last movie arrives on streaming for audiences to check out. Based on the best-selling Swedish novel, A Man Called Ove, Hanks stars in this American take, A Man Called Otto, as the titular character. Otto is a widower living in a small close-knit community but is deadset on keeping to himself. That all changes when a new family moves in and gradually begins to pull him out of his grumpy solitary existence.
Hanks’ loveable persona makes him an unusual choice for a character who’s made it his mission to dismiss the entire world around him. However, that is what makes the casting perfect as the audience is still charmed by Otto and waits for that softer side to shine through. While the entire cast of A Man Called Otto is excellent, the movie’s surprise box office success is a sign of Hanks’ lasting appeal.
2 My Old Ass (2024)
Available November 7 On Prime Video
My Old Ass is a 2024 comedy film written and directed by Megan Park. When Elliot Labrant has a strange encounter with her future self, warning her to avoid falling in love. Despite her best efforts, however, love remains on the table when the boy her future self warns her about enters the picture in the present day.
- Director
- Megan Park
- Release Date
- January 20, 2024
- Runtime
- 88 Minutes
Following her standout performance in Agatha All Along, Aubrey Plaza returns to the movies with another acclaimed performance. My Old Ass stars Maisy Stella as Elliott, a typical young girl who goes on a mushroom trip where she meets her older self (Plaza). As the two bond, the older version of Elliott shares some information that has her younger self questioning many aspects of her life, relationships, and future.
The movie comes from filmmaker Megan Park, serving as a follow-up to her directorial debut, The Fallout. This is a more comedic story, but one that shows Park’s talents for writing complex and real characters even in a bizarre setting like this. It makes for a truly unique and effective approach to the coming-of-age story as it addresses the idea of what someone would say if they could speak to their younger self but takes its own unexpected approach.
1 The Substance (2024)
Available October 31 On MUBI
Elisabeth Sparkle, a fading celebrity, turns to a mysterious drug that promises to restore her youth by creating a younger, more beautiful version of herself. But splitting time between her original and new body leads to horrifying consequences as her alternate self, Sue, begins to unravel her life in a disturbing body-horror descent.
- Director
- Coralie Fargeat
- Cast
- Demi Moore , Margaret Qualley , Dennis Quaid , Gore Abrams , Hugo Diego Garcia , Olivier Raynal , Tiffany Hofstetter , Tom Morton , Jiselle Burkhalter , Axel Baille , Oscar Lesage , Matthew Géczy , Philip Schurer
- Runtime
- 140 Minutes
While Mubi is not one of the more common streaming services, The Substance continues to carve out a strong audience now that it is available at home. The twisted horror movie gained a lot of buzz over the months following its enthusiastic reception at various film festivals. Now that it is available to a wider audience, the truly shocking nature of the movie has made the buzz grow even stronger.
A rich satire of beauty standards and pharmaceutical greed, The Substance stars Demi Moore as Elisabeth Sparkle, a beautiful former movie star who now hosts an aerobics TV show. Upon getting fired when she turns 50, Elisabeth begins taking an experimental drug that allows her to return to her youthful appearance (as played by Margaret Qualley). However, the horrific effects of the drug soon become clear. It is one of the wildest movies of the year and not an advisable watch for the faint of heart.
