George A. Romero famously used the zombie movie as a lens for American consumerism and racial politics. His daughter, Tina Romero, takes a similarly pointed approach in her feature debut, Queens of the Dead, which examines fracturing dynamics within the queer community. The horror-comedy lands on VOD this weekend. Also arriving for home viewing is Shelby Oaks, the directorial debut from YouTuber-turned-filmmaker Chris Stuckmann, which lets you explore an abandoned amusement park from the safety of your couch.
Paul Thomas Anderson revisits Thomas Pynchon’s themes with One Battle After Another, a wild ride featuring Leonardo DiCaprio as a faded activist on the run — now available to rent. Eddington, a Neo-Western set against the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, takes on the era’s political tensions and is streaming on HBO Max. And if you’re still buzzing from Pluribus and want to see familiar faces from the Better Call Saul family in robust physical roles, check out Nobody 2.
Below is a curated list of notable streaming and VOD arrivals — the biggest, most talked-about, and most worthwhile movies you can watch at home right now.
New on Netflix
In Your Dreams
- Genre: Animated adventure comedy
- Run time: 1h 31m
- Director: Alex Woo
- Cast: Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Elias Janssen, Craig Robinson, Omid Djalili
When Stevie (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and Elliot (Elias Janssen) fear their parents may be splitting up, they open a magical book that transports them to the realm of dreams. Guided by the Sandman (Omid Djalili) and aided by a misplaced toy (Craig Robinson), they traverse surreal landscapes to face their deepest fears and try to mend their family.
New on Disney Plus
Freakier Friday
- Genre: Fantasy comedy
- Run time: 1h 51m
- Director: Nisha Ganatra
- Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Julia Butters, Manny Jacinto, Sophia Hammons
The sequel to 2003’s Freaky Friday ratchets up the generational chaos. Anna (Lindsay Lohan) and Harper (Julia Butters) swap bodies right before Anna’s wedding, while Anna’s mother (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Eric’s daughter Lily (Sophia Hammons) also switch—setting off a chain of comedic misunderstandings as everyone scrambles to understand one another before the ceremony.
New on HBO Max
Eddington
- Genre: Neo-Western
- Run time: 2h 29m
- Director: Ari Aster
- Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Luke Grimes
Ari Aster, the writer-director behind Hereditary and Midsommar, probes pandemic-era unrest in a small New Mexico town. Eddington centers on an anti-mask sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) who runs for mayor against Pedro Pascal’s incumbent, and the campaign spirals into conspiracy and violence.
New on Hulu
Sovereign
- Genre: Crime thriller
- Run time: 1h 40m
- Director: Christian Swegal
- Cast: Nick Offerman, Jacob Tremblay, Dennis Quaid, Joe Kane
Sovereign draws from real incidents to tell the story of Jerry Kane (Nick Offerman), who travels the country with his son promoting sovereign-citizen ideology to people who feel abandoned by institutions. As Kane’s rhetoric escalates into violence, law enforcement initiates a tense manhunt led by Dennis Quaid’s character.
New on Peacock
Nobody 2
- Genre: Action thriller
- Run time: 1h 29m
- Director: Timo Tjahjanto
- Cast: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, John Ortiz
The sequel to 2021’s kinetic revenge film Nobody finds Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) attempting a quiet family getaway. A day at an amusement park draws Hutch into a violent conflict involving a bootlegging network and a crooked sheriff, forcing him back into action to protect his loved ones.
New on Prime Video
Play Date
- Genre: Action comedy
- Run time: 1h 34m
- Director: Luke Greenfield
- Cast: Kevin James, Alan Ritchson, Benjamin Pajak, Banks Pierce
Brian Jennings (Kevin James) hopes to bond with his stepson when a trip to the park turns into an invitation to a playdate with Jeff (Alan Ritchson) and his son CJ (Banks Pierce). But when armed attackers ambush the group, Brian discovers that Jeff may not be who he seems — and the outing becomes a fight for survival.
New to rent
Deathstalker
- Genre: Sword and sorcery
- Run time: 1h 43m
- Director: Steven Kostanski
- Cast: Daniel Bernhardt, Patton Oswalt, Christina Orjalo
A modern reimagining of James Sbardellati’s 1983 cult fantasy, Deathstalker follows a fallen knight (Daniel Bernhardt) trying to shake a cursed amulet while an ancient necromancer pursues him. With an original score featuring Slash, the film is full of monsters and brutal swordplay.
Mr. K
- Genre: Surrealist mystery
- Run time: 1h 34m
- Director: Tallulah H. Schwab
- Cast: Crispin Glover, Sunnyi Melles, Fionnula Flanagan
Magician Mr. K (Crispin Glover) checks into a hotel and wakes to find himself trapped. As the building’s inhabitants behave with eerie indifference and the structure seems to shrink around him, he begins to map the labyrinthine corridors in a bid to escape the surreal, claustrophobic nightmare.
Murder at the Embassy
- Genre: Murder mystery
- Run time: 1h 30m
- Director: Stephen Shimek
- Cast: Mischa Barton, Mido Hamada, Kojo Attah
The follow-up to Stephen Shimek’s Invitation to Murder sends detective Miranda Green (Mischa Barton) from England to Cairo to investigate a slaying at the British Embassy. As she probes deeper, she uncovers infiltration and a conspiracy tied to a stolen classified document.
One Battle After Another
- Genre: Action thriller
- Run time: 2h 42m
- Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
- Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Chase Infiniti
Pat Calhoun (Leonardo DiCaprio) must go on the run when his radical past with the French 75 resurfaces. Forced into a rescue mission to save his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti), he contends with Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw and a bizarre white-supremacist threat. The film blends absurdist humor with high-stakes action.
Queens of the Dead
- Genre: Horror comedy
- Run time: 1h 41m
- Director: Tina Romero
- Cast: Katy O’Brian, Jaquel Spivey, Riki Lindhome
Tina Romero retools the zombie template in her directorial debut. When an outbreak sweeps Manhattan and a warehouse party becomes a lockdown zone, performers and partygoers must improvise to survive the night in this satirical, blood-spattered comedy-horror.
Roofman
- Genre: Crime comedy
- Run time: 2h 6m
- Director: Derek Cianfrance
- Cast: Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, LaKeith Stanfield
Inspired by true events, Roofman chronicles Jeffery Manchester (Channing Tatum), a meticulous thief who studies daily routines to carry out daring escapes. After breaking out of prison and hiding in a Toys “R” Us, he risks everything when a romantic attachment leads him to steal toys for a local drive.
Shelby Oaks
- Genre: Supernatural horror
- Run time: 1h 31m
- Director: Chris Stuckmann
- Cast: Camille Sullivan, Brendan Sexton III, Keith David, Sarah Durn
Mia (Camille Sullivan) sets out to uncover what happened to her younger sister Riley (Sarah Durn), a YouTuber who vanished while investigating an abandoned amusement park near Shelby Oaks, Ohio. Mixing found-footage aesthetics with conventional cinematography, the film slowly reveals a malevolent presence tied to the derelict park.
From our review:
Stuckmann’s first film is a confident genre piece from a filmmaker steeped in horror history. With support from indie distributor Neon and producer Mike Flanagan, the movie — which debuted at the 2024 Fantasia International Film Festival — shows clear cinematic promise and an appetite for dark, unsettling set pieces.
Source: Polygon
