New Releases Streaming This Weekend
Happy Friday, Polygon readers! Each week, we round up the most notable releases new to streaming and VOD, highlighting the biggest and best new movies for you to watch at home. This week, we have a Jackie Chan/John Cena action movie on Netflix, as well as the streaming debut of Disney’s live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid starring Halle Bailey. In addition, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts rolls out onto Paramount Plus after its VOD premiere last week. The satirical superhero comedy Smoking Causes Coughing comes to streaming on Hulu, while the biographical comedy The Beanie Bubble premieres on Apple TV Plus. There’s several new releases on VOD aside from the aforementioned Disney musical, like the psychological thriller Sympathy for the Devil starring Joel Kinnaman (Suicide Squad) and Nicolas Cage. Here’s the lowdown on everything new to watch this weekend!
New on Netflix
Hidden Strike
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Genre: Action adventure
Run time: 1h 43m
Director: Scott Waugh
Cast: Jackie Chan, John Cena, Pilou Asbæk
Jackie Chan and John Cena star as two ex-special forces soldiers who are tasked with escorting civilians across one of the most dangerous territories in the entire world in this explosive action adventure film. This movie has spent years in post-production, but we finally have the chance to see two of the most iconic action stars of their respective generations do their respective things together.
Happiness for Beginners
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Genre: Romantic comedy
Run time: 1h 43m
Director: Vicky Wight
Cast: Luke Grimes, Ellie Kemper, Ben Cook
This romantic comedy follows Helen (Ellie Kemper), a recently divorced woman who embarks on a survival course hiking the Appalachian trail alongside a group of strangers. While on her trip, she rediscovers not only her own capacity for resilience, but her desire to — as the Netflix official synopsis puts it — “live and love again.”
Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Genre: Musical superhero romance
Run time: 1h 45m
Director: Jeremy Zag
Cast: Cristina Valenzuela, Bryce Papenbrook, Keith Silverstein
Based on the French animated children’s show of the same name, this musical superhero movie follows two teenagers who transform into Ladybug and Cat Noir, a vigilante duo who join forces to protect the city of Paris from a group of supervillains led by their new nemesis, Hawk Moth.
New on Hulu
Smoking Causes Coughing
Where to watch: Available to stream on Hulu
Genre: Comedy anthology
Run time: 1h 17m
Director: Quentin Dupieux
Cast: Gilles Lellouche, Vincent Lacoste, Anaïs Demoustier
The new film from director Quentin Dupieux (Rubber), also known by his musical alias Mr. Oizo, is an irreverent parody of Japanese sci-fi tokusatsu (“special effects”) films and the iconic Super Sentai (aka Power Rangers) TV franchise. After getting their asses kicked by an alien turtle monster, the five superheroes known as “the Tobacco Force” are sent to a team-building retreat to improve their working relationships. Things, as you can probably expect, do not go exactly according to plan.
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New on Apple TV Plus
The Beanie Bubble
Where to watch: Available to stream on Apple TV Plus
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 1h 50m
Directors: Kristin Gore, Damian Kulash
Cast: Zach Galifianakis, Elizabeth Banks, Sarah Snook
Before non-fungible tokens and Bitcoin, there were Beanie Babies. This comedy stars Zach Galifianakis as Ty Warner, the billionaire toy manufacturer responsible for the iconic stuffed toy line, chronicling his meteoric rise to wealth and power as well as his subsequent fall.
New to Rent
The Little Mermaid
Where to watch: Available to purchase for $19.99 on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Genre: Fantasy musical
Run time: 2h 15m
Director: Rob Marshall
Cast: Halle Bailey, Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay
The latest live-action adaptation of an animated Disney classic puts singer Halle Bailey in the role of Ariel. One of the biggest box-office hits of the year so far, it’s finally available to watch at home.
Joy Ride
Where to watch: Available to rent for $19.99 on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 1h 35m
Director: Adrian Buitenhuis