Each week, we round up the most notable releases to streaming and video rental, highlighting the biggest and best new movies for you to watch at home. This week’s biggest debut is Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which is now streaming on Netflix. That’s not all, as Insidious: The Red Door — the fifth installment in the Insidious horror franchise — also arrives on the platform this week alongside Jawan, one of the biggest Indian action movies of the year. There’s plenty more exciting releases this week too, with A Haunting in Venice now streaming on Hulu, the Italian superhero movie Freaks vs. the Reich on Prime Video, plus the premiere of The Kill Room and Outlaw Johnny Black from director-star Michael Jai White on VOD. Here’s everything new to watch this weekend!
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Image: Sony Pictures Animation
Genre: Superhero action
Run time: 2h 20m
Director: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
Cast: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac
The highly anticipated follow-up to 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse sees Miles Morales facing off not only against a dimension-hopping nemesis in the form of the Spot, but a whole multiverse of Spider-Mans, Spider-People, and even a Spider-Dinosaur as he attempts to save the day once again.
From our multiversal review: Not every theme and plot and moment in Across the Spider-Verse lands, particularly with the other part of this story still most of a year away. But in the end, the theme of the Spider-Verse movies is shaping up to be a story about people trying to be bigger and bolder themselves, trying to reach beyond what they’re told they’re capable of, and do more. It’s no wonder that every part of Across the Spider-Verse is an attempt to outdo the first movie. The idea of growing, of surpassing and ignoring everyone else’s limits, is the heart of this series’ heroes and their individual journeys. It looks like the movies themselves are designed to follow suit.
Jawan
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Image: Red Chillies Entertainment
Genre: Action thriller
Run time: 2h 50m
Director: Atlee
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi
The biggest Indian movie of the year has landed on Netflix. Directed by Atlee (Mersal), Jawan features megastar Shah Rukh Khan (between this and Pathaan, he is truly back) and is basically “Robin Hood meets Charlie’s Angels.”
Insidious: The Red Door
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix Saturday
Image: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Genre: Supernatural horror
Run time: 1h 47m
Director: Patrick Wilson
Cast: Ty Simpkins, Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne
The fifth movie in the Insidious franchise is the directorial debut for star Patrick Wilson. It’s also a sequel to Insidious: Chapter 2, as the last two movies in the franchise were prequels.
From our review: As a director, Wilson isn’t as effortless a horror ringmaster as Wan or Whannell: He favors more actor-centric scares than wild imagery. But he makes great use of expressive close-ups (often of himself) and shallow focus, with a few creepy It Follows-like shots of blurry figures approaching from the distance, and a terrifically claustrophobic scene inside an MRI machine. Dalton’s college story, meanwhile, occasionally borders on campus-prank zaniness: It includes what can only be described as a puke ghost, and there’s one amusing use of the horror movie cliche about the haunted little kid who makes terrifying drawings of the ghouls only he can see. (Naturally, that kid grows up to become a star pupil in an insufferable freshman art class.)
Sly
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Image: Netflix
Genre: Documentary
Run time: 1h 35m
Director: Thom Zimny
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Quentin Tarantino
This documentary takes a close look at the life of one of the great American movie stars and film writers: Sylvester Stallone.
Nyad
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Photo: Liz Parkinson/Netflix
Genre: Biographical sports drama
Run time: 2h 1m
Directors: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
Cast: Jodie Foster, Annette Bening, Rhys Ifans
Nyad tells the (questionably) true story of swimmer Diana Nyad, who swam from Cuba to Florida at 64 years old, among many other swimming accomplishments.
Wingwomen
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Photo: Gael Turpo/Netflix
Genre: Action
Run time: 1h 56m
Director: Mélanie Laurent
Cast: Mélanie Laurent, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Isabelle Adjani
Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds) is both behind and in front of the camera in this action comedy about women thieves on the run looking to pull off one last job.
A Haunting in Venice
Where to watch: Available to stream on Hulu
Image: 20th Century Studios
Genre: Horror mystery
Run time: 1h 43m
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Dornan
Kenneth Branagh’s Poirot adaptations have generally been a fun time, even when they have problems (looking at you, Death on the Nile). A Haunting in Venice is his best yet, as Branagh’s confidence as director and performer in this mode only continues to grow. It’s perfect fall viewing.
Quiz Lady
Where to watch: Available to stream on Hulu
Image: Hulu
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 1h 39m
Director: Jessica Yu
Cast: Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, Will Ferrell
Sandra Oh and Awkwafina play a pair of estranged sisters who try to win big on a game show to pay off their mom’s debts. The supporting cast includes Will Ferrell, Jason Schwartzman, Tony Hale, and the late Paul Reubens.
Freaks vs. the Reich
Where to watch: Available to stream on Prime Video
Image: VMI Releasing
Genre: Superhero/circus war movie
Run time: 2h 21m
Director: Gabriele Mainetti
Cast: Claudio Santamaria, Aurora Giovinazzo, Pietro Castellitto
This offbeat Italian superhero movie follows a group of circus performers in World War II who are sought after by the Nazis and team up to stop them. I have heard it’s funny, sweet, and has strong action — definitely on my weekend watchlist.