This story was originally published 2020/03/20
1:07pm PDTon Mar 20, 2020 and last updated 2021/04/02
2:17pm PDTon Apr 2, 2021.
Movie theaters are slowly reopening, but most of the new releases are headed to streaming services rather than the big screen. Whether you’re staying at home to limit potential risks, or just saving a few bucks by watching from the couch, we’ve organized a huge list with many of the newly added films and some upcoming titles.
April 2
Godzilla vs. Kong
Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller | Streaming: March 31 | Theaters: March 31 | IMDb
Starring: Alexander Skarsgard, Eiza González, Adam Wingard, Terry Rossio, Kyle Chandler, Danai Gurira, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall
Concrete Cowboy
Drama | Streaming: April 2 | IMDb
Starring: Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome
Shiva Baby
Comedy | Streaming: April 2 | IMDb
Starring: Rachel Sennott, Molly Gordon, Polly Draper
Synopsis: A near college graduate, Danielle, gets paid by her sugar daddy and rushes to meet her neurotic parents at a family shiva. Upon arrival, she is accosted by various estranged relatives about her appearance and lack of post-grad plans, while her confident ex-girlfriend, Maya, is applauded by everyone for getting into law school. Danielle’s day takes an unexpected turn when her sugar daddy, Max, arrives at the shiva with his accomplished wife, Kim, and crying baby. As the day unfolds, Danielle struggles to keep up different versions of herself, fend off pressures from her family and confront her insecurities without completely losing it.
Say Your Prayers
Comedy, Crime, Drama | Streaming: April 2 | IMDb
Starring: Will Barton, Harry Melling, Tom Brooke
Witness Infection
Comedy, Horror | Streaming: March 30 | IMDb
Starring: Gary Anthony Williams, Tara Strong, Erinn Hayes
Cody’s Review: It’s funny, but not really in a good way. Witness Infection is the type of movie that exemplifies why it’s sad a trailer can be really good while the movie itself isn’t. The story centers around two Jersey mob families that were relocated to the same city for witness protection — though that’s barely even mentioned throughout the movie — and they’re still not on very friendly terms. In theory, a marriage between two of the adult children will bring peace, but these plans fall apart because he’s just not that into her… and there’s also an inconveniently timed zombie plague. If it’s not already obvious, the story is all over the place with problems, and the acting isn’t any better. It’s cheesy, campy, and objectively bad… but the level of badness can sometimes turn funny. I definitely laughed at times, but it was mostly AT the movie rather than with it. While all of this could fit well within an intentionally silly movie, the production quality is a dead giveaway for how poorly it was made. Audio quality changes between cuts because it wasn’t recorded properly, and many of the special effects look like they came straight out of the 80s. To put it bluntly, the best scenes are in the trailer. Verdict: If you’re the type of person that absolutely loves low-budget, campy, horror-themed comedies, Witness Infection is probably a winner for you. If anybody else watches it, they’ll begin to regret it almost immediately.
Amundsen: The Greatest Expedition
Adventure, Biography, Drama | Streaming: April 2 | IMDb
Starring: Pål Sverre Hagen, Christian Rubeck, Katherine Waterston
The Never List
Drama | Streaming: March 14 (or somewhat later) | Theaters: December 11 | Note: https://www.neverlistmovie.com/ | IMDb
Starring: Fivel Stewart, Michelle Mower, Keiko Agena, Jonathan Bennett, Andrew Kai, Brenna D’Amico, BooBoo Stewart
Every Breath You Take
Thriller | Streaming: April 2 | IMDb
Starring: Michelle Monaghan, Casey Affleck, Sam Claflin
The Oak Room
Thriller | Streaming: April 2 | IMDb
Starring: RJ Mitte, Peter Outerbridge, Ari Millen, Martin Roach, Nicholas Campbell, David Ferry
March 26
The Vault
Action, Adventure, Thriller | Streaming: March 26 | IMDb
Starring: Famke Janssen, Freddie Highmore, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey
Shoplifters of the World
Drama, Comedy | Streaming: March 26 | Theaters: March 26 | IMDb
Starring: Helena Howard, Ellar Coltrane, Elena Kampouris, Nick Krause, James Bloor, Thomas Lennon, Joe Manganiello
Cody’s Review: A payoff aways if you’ll pay the price of admission. Shoplifters of the World is set to the tune of The Smiths, both in pace and character — not to mention several songs. Even if you’re not familiar with the 80s English rock band, don’t worry, you don’t need to like or even know the music to get something from this film… but you do have to be patient. Events are set into motion when news circulates that The Smiths have broken up, an event that would mean little to the average person; however, it’s heartbreaking to those that idolized the band, and it sends our characters out seeking a night of drinking and partying to mourn the end of something special. Meanwhile, another character establishes the soundtrack by holding a radio station DJ hostage and demanding a continuous stream of The Smiths for all that would listen. While things will change, the first third of the 85-minute runtime comes across as shallow, indulgent, and flavorless. Characters with less depth than a sheet of paper were going through the motions of recycled movie plots from the 80s and 90s — I mean, it’s literally based on the urban legend that inspired the movie Airheads, but also steals from or directly references The Breakfast Club, High Fidelity, and even Reality Bites. It takes a while to become aparant, but this is a tribute to some of the messages The Smiths told through music and interviews. It’s not until the halfway point that the storyline grows up and sends our hapless players crashing headlong into their own personal battles, daring them to become honest with themselves. In the course of a few minutes, the dissociation and angsty oh-woe-is-me attitudes cease to define their personalities, and we get to see they’re fighting just to keep it together. Cult clichès of the time, such as radio stations, copying pop culture styles, and meaningless acts of rebelion become cultural establishments. However, it also portrays the people and lifestyle in ways that feel very true to life. I’ve been at the same parties, talking about the same things with the same people, albeit a little over a decade later — and while I know it wasn’t that great, I still remember those times fondly. Verdict: I started out thinking Shoplifters of the World would be a massive disappointment, but ended up loving it. Despite being overwrought and contrived, it brings to life a niche fantasy of an entire generation in a way that is neither niche or fantasy. It’s not a particularly joyful movie, but it leaves you feeling better by the end because we all want to care that much about something.
The Incredible 25th Year of Mitzi Bearclaw
Comedy | Streaming: March 23 | IMDb
Starring: MorningStar Angeline, Andrew Martin, Ajuawak Kapashesit, Gail Maurice, Gary Farmer, Billy Merasty, Vance Banzo, Roseanne Supernault
Donny’s Bar Mitzvah
Comedy | Streaming: March 23 (Amazon Prime and iTunes) | IMDb
Starring: Steele Stebbins, John DeLuca, Danny Trejo
Synopsis: Sex, drugs, and a dysfunctional family create the perfect storm for Donny Drucker’s Bar Mitzvah. We are catapulted back in time to the year 1998 as we follow a colorful array of characters from the perspective of a hired videographer. Donny tries to enjoy the evening while juggling his crazy mother, his teenage angst, and his new girlfriend, Handjob Hannah. Meanwhile Gerald, the MC of the party, is on a mission to stop the notorious party pooper Val Dho who is attempting to ruin the party. All that, plus: scandalous affairs, love triangles, spin the bottle, and a man with ranch dressing for hands. But as per tradition, all must be resolved before the big song at the end of the night.
Cody’s Review: What the **** did I just watch? Donny’s Bar Mitzvah is an outlandish twist on the found footage style, presented as if a 90s-era videographer with a VHS camcorder shot a bar mitzvah with an assortment of people we all wish we could un-meet. The whole thing feels like a series of Saturday Night Live sketches chopped up into a 70-minute movie, complete with unnecessary yelling, overused bits, and celebrity(-ish) cameos — including Danny Trejo and Noureen DeWulf. Most of the jokes are juvenille without being funny, but the few that do illicit a laugh will leave you feeling a little worse about yourself. The camcorder-style footage looks about as realistic as an early Instagram filter, and there are gimmicks like pop-out comments and exaggerated sound effects usually involving objects being pushed into or extracted from bodily orifices. Is it the worst thing I’ve seen? Well, no… I had to sit through Bridget Jones’s Baby last year, so the bar is set pretty low. But is there any time I recommend watching Donny’s Bar Mitzvah? Actually, yes. The next time you throw a big house party (with plenty of alcohol), set this to play on repeat. It’s full of weird conversation starters, not interesting enough to draw anybody away from the party, and dumb enough that you can plant drunks in front of it to veg out. Verdict: Yikes.
Six Minutes to Midnight
Drama, Thriller | Streaming: March 26 | IMDb
Starring: James D’Arcy, Judi Dench, Eddie Izzard
The Father
Drama | Streaming: March 26 | Theaters: March 12 | IMDb
Starring: Rufus Sewell, Olivia Colman, Imogen Poots, Florian Zeller, Christopher Hampton, Anthony Hopkins, Mark Gatiss, Olivia Williams
The Good Traitor
Biography, Drama | Streaming: March 26 | IMDb
Starring: Zoë Tapper, Denise Gough, Burn Gorman
A Week Away
Drama, Family, Musical, Religion | Streaming: March 26 | IMDb
Starring: Kevin Quinn, Bailee Madison, Jahbril Cook
The Seventh Day
Horror | Streaming: March 26 | IMDb
Starring: Guy Pearce, Keith David, Stephen Lang
The Toll
Horror, Thriller | Streaming: March 26 | IMDb
Starring: Jordan Hayes, Max Topplin, James McGowan
March 19
Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Action, Adventure, Fantasy | Streaming: March 18 (HBO Max) | IMDb
Starring: Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot
Happily
Comedy, Crime, Romance | Streaming: March 19 | IMDb
Starring: Natalie Morales, Kerry Bishé, Natalie Zea
Last Call
Comedy | Streaming: March 19 | Theaters: March 19 | IMDb
Starring: Jeremy Piven, Taryn Manning, Bruce Dern
SAS: Red Notice
Action | Streaming: March 16 | IMDb
Starring: Sam Heughan, Ruby Rose, Andy Serkis
Cosmic Sin
Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | Streaming: March 12 | IMDb
Starring: Frank Grillo, Bruce Willis, Brandon Thomas Lee
Exodus
Sci-Fi | Streaming: March 19 | IMDb
Starring: Jimi Stanton, Janelle Snow, Charles Andrew Gardner
Rose Plays Julie
Drama | Streaming: March 19 | IMDb
Starring: Ann Skelly, Orla Brady, Aidan Gillen
Deadly Illusions
Drama, Thriller | Streaming: March 18 | IMDb
Starring: Kristin Davis, Dermot Mulroney, Greer Grammer
Abandoned: Angelique’s Isle
Thriller | Streaming: March 16 | IMDb
Starring: Julia Jones, Stephen McHattie, Tantoo Cardinal
Operation Varsity Blues
Documentary, Crime | Streaming: March 17 (Netflix) | IMDb
Starring: Sarah Chaney, Leroy Edwards III, Wallace Langham
Phobias
Horror, Thriller | Streaming: March 19 | IMDb
Starring: Leonardo Nam, Martina Garcia, Hana Mae Lee, Lauren Miller Rogen, Macy Gray, Ross Partridge
March 12
Dark Web: Cicada 3301
Action, Comedy, Thriller | Streaming: March 12 | IMDb
Starring: Jack Kesy, Ron Funches, Conor Leslie, Alan Ritchson
Cody’s Review: It feels like forever since the last great MacGuffin chase, but Dark Web: Cicada 3301 delivers in spades. Start with the structure of National Treasure, mix in the tone and clever repartee of Lucky Number Slevin, toss with a heavy dash of True Lies story archs, and sprinkle with a bit of The Usual Suspects — now you have a recipe for a great ride with plenty of laughs, intrigue, action, and most importantly, characters. The cast list isn’t as prolific as those other titles, but everybody plays wildly distinct and enjoyable personalities with many moments to shine. The core trio is so fun that makes me wish this were a TV series rather than a standalone film, or at least it should lead to some sequels. The story is fast paced, but manages to slip in computer hacking, art history, and the Illuminati without languishing on anything long enough to become dull. Dialog is swift and clean, with good comedic timing. It doesn’t have the staying power to become a classic, but it’s one of the few movies I can confidently say I’ll rewatch in the next year or two. Verdict: If it’s not already obvious, Dark Web: Cicada 3301 is a winner. The title sucks, but just about everything else is good.
Vanguard
Action | Streaming: March 2 | Theaters: November 20 | IMDb
Starring: Jackie Chan, Yang Yang, Miya Muqi
Yes Day
Comedy, Family | Streaming: March 12 | IMDb
Starring: Jennifer Garner, Edgar Ramírez, Jenna Ortega
Supernova
Drama, Romance | Streaming: January 29 | IMDb
Starring: Colin Firth, Sarah Woodward, Ian Drysdale, Stanley Tucci, Pippa Haywood, Peter MacQueen, James Dreyfus, Lori Campbell
Trust
Drama | Streaming: March 12 | IMDb
Starring: Katherine McNamara, Victoria Justice, Matthew Daddario
Blood Brothers: Civil War
Mystery | Streaming: March 9 | Theaters: March 5 | IMDb
Starring: Christopher James Baker, Jacqueline Bisset, Gordon Clapp
Cherry
Crime, Drama | Streaming: March 12 | Theaters: February 26 (limited) | IMDb
Starring: Tom Holland, Ciara Bravo, Jack Reynor
Land
Drama | Theaters: February 12 | IMDb
Starring: Robin Wright, Demián Bichir, Sarah Dawn Pledge
The Last Vermeer
Drama | Streaming: February 23 | Theaters: November 20 | IMDb
Starring: Guy Pearce, Claes Bang, Vicky Krieps
Zappa
Documentary, Biography, Music | Streaming: March 2 | IMDb
Starring: Frank Zappa, Arsenio Hall, David Bowie, Kathie Lee Gifford
Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan
Documentary, Biography, Music | Streaming: March 9 | IMDb
Starring: Shane MacGowan, Johnny Depp, Siobhan MacGowan
Upcoming
Here are some of the movies that are scheduled to come out soon. Links are added when possible, but many services won’t have pages for these services until they go live. Release dates may change without notice, so not all of these dates will turn out to be accurate.
The Grounds
Comedy, Drama | Streaming: April 6 | IMDb
Starring: Michael Welch, Trevor Morgan, Ashley Hinshaw
Space Dogs: Tropical Adventure
Animation, Action, Adventure | Streaming: April 6 | IMDb
Starring: Mauriett Chayeb, Maria Antonieta Monge, Paula Andrea Barros
Giants Being Lonely
Drama, Sport | Streaming: April 6 | IMDb
Starring: Alejandro Castro Arias, Tal Chatterjee, Amalia Culp
Thunder Force
Action, Adventure, Comedy | Streaming: April 9 | IMDb
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Jason Bateman
Voyagers
Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller | Streaming: April 9 | IMDb
Starring: Colin Farrell, Lily Rose Depp, Archie Madekwe, Tye Sheridan, Fionn Whitehead, Isaac Hempstead Wright
My True Fairytale
Drama, Mystery, Thriller | Streaming: April 9 | IMDb
Starring: Emma Kennedy, Anthony Richard Pagliaro, Morgan Lindholm, BJ Mitchell, Joanna Cassidy, Bruce Davison, Warner Adachi, Alyshia Ochse
Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on the Exorcist
Documentary | Streaming: April 13 | IMDb
Starring: William Friedkin
Honeydew
Horror | Streaming: April 13 | Theaters: March 12 | IMDb
Starring: Sawyer Spielberg, Malin Barr, Barbara Kingsley
Night of the Sicario
Action, Thriller | Streaming: April 16 | IMDb
Starring: Natasha Henstridge, Manny Perez, Costas Mandylor
Theatrical releases
If you’re up for hitting the theaters, here’s a list of releases that just made it to the big screen. Only titles from the last two weeks will be listed here.
Nobody
Action, Thriller, Crime | Theaters: March 26 | IMDb
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Aleksey Serebryakov, Connie Nielsen
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway
Adventure, Comedy, Family | Theaters: April 2 | IMDb
Starring: James Corden, Elizabeth Debicki, Lennie James
French Exit
Comedy, Drama | Theaters: April 2 | IMDb
Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer, Lucas Hedges, Tracy Letts
Assault on VA-33
Action, Thriller | Streaming: April 6 | Theaters: April 2 | IMDb
Starring: Sean Patrick Flanery, Michael Jai White, Mark Dacascos
The Unholy
Horror | Theaters: April 2 | IMDb
Starring: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Cricket Brown, William Sadler
We’ll keep this list updated frequently, so keep coming back to see what’s new.
Image credit: Mc Jefferson Agloro
