January is in full swing and we have some great new movies coming this week on Netflix, Hulu, and other major streaming services.
One streaming service we won't see on this list though is Disney Plus. That's because "The Marvels" is hitting paid video-on-demand streaming services rather than Disney's subscription streaming service. It's a bit of an eyebrow-raising move, but Disney quietly put the past two Marvel movies on PVOD streaming before Disney Plus as well. Seems like CEO Bob Iger has made some changes behind the scenes when it comes to the streaming strategy.
Aside from the latest from Marvel though, we also get George Clooney's newest directorial film "The Boys in the Boat." And the movie "Dumb Money" starring Paul Dano is one of a few movies hitting Netflix this week.
Some of these titles are newly available via digital release, so you can purchase them for a premium price, but for others, all you need is the right streaming subscription. So without further ado, here are the top new movies streaming this week.
'The Boys in the Boat' (PVOD)
Based on the true story of the 1936 University of Washington rowing team, "The Boys in the Boat" stars Callum Turner as Joe Rantz, one of the members of the men's eight (eight rowers in the boat) team at the University of Washington. This team of inexperienced rowers led by coach Al Ulbrickson Sr. (Joel Edgerton) not only would beat some of the most prestigious programs in the U.S. but would go on to compete in the 1936 Summer Olympics.
The critical consensus is that director George Clooney doesn't manage to make anything groundbreaking, but does produce a well-crafted inspirational sports movie. Audiences seem more than satisfied with that, as the audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes is an astonishing 96% "fresh."
Buy or rent on Amazon starting Jan. 16
'The Marvels' (PVOD)
Another movie where critics and audiences disagree, "The Marvels" is the latest Marvel movie from Disney and the follow-up to both the "Captain Marvel" movie and the "Ms. Marvel" TV show. Returning Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau (previously seen in "WandaVision") and Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, this movie has the three superheroes fighting the next threat from the Kree — when they're not accidentally switching places across the galaxy.
"The Marvels" may not be the next great superhero movie but it is by many accounts a fun, enjoyable movie. Plus, at just 105 minutes, it's refreshingly brief compared to the trend of two-and-a-half to three-hour epics that has taken over Hollywood. You'll be forgiven if you wait for it to hit Disney Plus, but the movie does seem worth a watch.
Buy or rent on Amazon starting Jan. 16
'Next Goal Wins' (PVOD)
"Next Goal Wins" is based on the true tale of the world's worst soccer team. The movie stars Michael Fassbender as journeyman football club manager Thomas Rongen, who after being dismissed from his position as head of the U.S. Mens National Team U-20 team, becomes the head coach of American Samoa. At the time, American Samoa is a team most famous for its 31-0 loss to Australia — the worst in international football history.
This Taika Waititi movie is another example of critics and audiences disagreeing. While the Rotten Tomatoes critical consensus pans the film for missing the mark, audiences agree that, while not groundbreaking, this comedy about a band of misfits led by Fassbender is an enjoyable, heartwarming sports movie.
Buy or rent on Amazon starting Jan. 16
'Invisible Beauty' (Hulu)
Model. Activist. Pioneer. All three words could be used to accurately describe Bethann Hardison, one the first major Black models in the high fashion world. In 1973, she would be one of 11 Black models to feature for American designers at the Battle of Versailles Fashion Show, which would become a landmark moment for the industry. Since then, Hardison has gone on to be an activist for Black models, whose work is considered essential in ensuring diversity in the field.
Originally, Hardison — fittingly — did not want "Invisible Beauty" to be about her. In an interview with CBC Radio, she said that she wanted to initially make a film about the fashion industry but was told time and time again the film should be about her instead. Ultimately, she realized that to make a documentary that shared the message she wanted about Black representation in fashion, she needed to tell her story.
Stream on Hulu starting Jan. 18
'Dumb Money' (Netflix)
Remember when GameStop and the WallStreetBets subreddit dominated the conversation during the COVID-19 pandemic? Well, the people behind "Dumb Money" do, because that's exactly what this movie is about.
In this Craig Gillespie-directed film, Paul Dano stars as Keith Gill, the YouTuber who started the trend of buying GameStop shares. That trend goes supernova when people like Jenny (America Ferrera), Riri (Myha'la Herrold), Harmony (Talia Ryder) and Marcos (Anthony Ramos) start buying the stock too, making them all millions. This causes hedge fund managers Steve Cohen (Vincent D'Onofrio), Gabe Plotkin (Seth Rogen) and Ken Griffin (Nick Offerman) to start hemorrhaging money, and they start using their influence behind the scenes to stop the bleeding. Also starring Pete Davidson, Shailene Woodley and Sebastian Stan, this loaded ensemble cast is worth watching, regardless of the story.
Stream on Netflix starting Jan. 21
