We’re having a spooky season, and the best streaming services aren’t slowing down with their slate of new movies you can add to your watch list. But with so many shows out there, narrowing down what to watch can become quite difficult.
That’s why we’ve combed through the latest movies on Netflix, Max, and more to highlight the ones you won’t want to miss. Leading the pack this week is the live-action premiere of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” the long-awaited revival of the specter directed by Tim Burton. Meanwhile, Netflix is rolling out a new romantic drama “Lonely Planet,” and you can find M. Night Shyamalan’s latest mystery thriller “Caddo Lake” on Max.
So, without further ado, here are the best new movies that just arrived on streaming. For more streaming recommendations, be sure to check out our list of the best new TV shows to watch this week.
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” (PVOD)
Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara return for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the long-awaited sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 horror comedy classic. Also along for the ride this time is Newcomer Jenna Ortega has just come off her stint in “Wednesday,” an adaptation of Burton’s “Addams Family.”
Set several decades after the first “Beetlejuice” film, Lydia Dietz (Ryder) has amassed a devoted following as the host of her own ghost hunting show. Too bad her estranged daughter thinks all this supernatural hocus pocus is nothing more than smoke and mirrors for profit. After a family tragedy, Lydia returns to her old home of Winter River, where she is forced to confront her eccentric stepmother (O’Hara) and the wiles of the evil spirit Betelgeuse (Keaton). It’s a great scary adventure for the whole family, full of hilarious slapstick comedy and fun scares that are more entertaining than scary.
Buy or rent on Amazon now
“Lonely Planet” (Netflix)
If you’d rather stay away from the scares, Netflix has a hot new romantic drama from “Erin Brockovich” writer Susannah Grant, which pairs Laura Dern with Liam Hemsworth. Dern plays a down-on-his-luck novelist named Catherine who is stuck in a rut after separating from her cancer-surviving sculptor ex-husband. A sunny return to Morocco seems to be the only cure for my writer’s block.
There, she meets Owen (Hemsworth), a young man who has come to the resort with his girlfriend, and sparks fly despite their age difference. After a few chance encounters, their friendship blossoms into something more, beginning a love affair that changes their lives. Although it’s not likely to feature any narrative twists, Lonely Island looks like a nice drama with two amazing leads and an equally great setting that should be more than enough to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
Watch it now Netflix
“Last Women of the Sea” (Apple TV Plus)
From A24 and The Speed Cubers director Soo Kim comes a poignant documentary about a group of Korean divers often referred to as real-life mermaids who are determined to keep their vanishing culture alive.
“The Last of the Sea Women” tells the story of the haenyeo, famous divers from Jeju Island in South Korea who have been diving deep into the ocean for centuries without oxygen or other specialized equipment to harvest seafood for their communities. Today, most Haenyeo women are in their 60s and 70s, yet these resilient and determined women continue their craft, inspiring younger generations to protect their traditions and the surroundings that sustain them. This intimate documentary follows inspiring mothers and grandmothers as they explore the deep bonds of friendship within their close-knit community.
Watch it now Apple TV Plus
“Caddo Lake” (Max)
M. Night Shyamalan returns this time with a new mystery and suspense film from “Topside” directors Logan George and Selene Held. The film is set in the rural wetland community of Carnac, which has been rocked by the disappearance of an 8-year-old girl. Her half-sister Ellie (Eliza Scanlen) is determined to get to the bottom of things, where her path crosses with a local Parisian (Dylan O’Brien), a young man still reeling from the death of his mother, who suffered an epileptic seizure while she was there. The drive that sent them to Caddo Lake.
When strange things start happening, their investigation uncovers shocking discoveries and long-buried secrets about the lake. Much of the plot has been kept under wraps, but the trailer makes clear that there are some timely sci-fi elements at play. And since it’s a Shyamalan film, there are bound to be a lot of twists and turns.
Watch it now Top
“A Quiet Place Part 2” (Netflix)
If watching “A Quiet Place: Day One” has sparked your desire to revisit the series, you’ll be happy to know that “A Quiet Place: Part II” has just arrived on Netflix just in time for spooky season. Part Two picks up where Part One left off, with the Abbott family, led by Evelyn, Emily Blunt’s mother, setting out with her three children to search for survivors in a world filled with deadly aliens that hunt by sound.
Joining the cast this time around are Cillian Murphy as a tough survivor, an old family friend named Emmett, and Djimon Hounsou as the leader of an island colony of survivors, who we learned more about in “Day One.” Filled with thrilling moments and a cast of characters you can’t help but relate to, “A Quiet Place Part II” offers much more than just cheap thrills – it’s a horror film with depth and heart.
Watch it now Netflix
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