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Rory Mellon

7 top new movies this week on Netflix, Max, Hulu and more (April 15-21)

Anthony Mackie in "Captain America: Brave New World".

It’s set to be another busy week for new movies arriving across the best streaming services with platforms including Netflix, Max and Hulu offering subscribers new additions to watch.

Perhaps the biggest newcomer of the next seven days comes in the premium streaming space as the latest slice of the MCU, “Captain America: Brave New World,” swaps theaters for at-home streaming. It may not be vintage Marvel, but it’s action-packed enough to hold your attention.

Other highlights include the twisting sci-fi thriller “Companion” on Max and the highly underappreciated “The Room Next Door” on Netflix.

I’m picking out the top new movies you can watch across streaming services below. Also be sure to check the top new TV shows this week and the 7 new shows and movies worth streaming on Netflix.

‘Captain America: Brave New World’ (PVOD)

The fourth “Captain America” solo movie sees Sam Wilson aka Falcon (Anthony Mackie) step into the star-spangled boots once inhabited by Steve Rogers.

Frankly, “Captain America: Brave New World” represents the Marvel Cinematic Universe at its most mundane. Still, after a string of skippable duds (such as “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”), it’s a perfectly acceptable entry in the comic book franchise that's no longer the dependable blockbuster machine it once was.

In this new world full of sinister threats originating from Earth and beyond, Sam is still finding his footing now that he’s taken up the Captain America mantle. But he’s forced to learn on the job as he’s drawn into a major international incident when freshly elected U.S. president Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) is targeted in a mysterious assassination attempt.

What follows is the usual MCU hijinks with plenty of CGI-stuffed action sequences and a very flimsy villain. It's fun but extremely forgettable.

Buy or rent on Amazon from April 15

‘Woman in the Yard’ (PVOD)

“Woman in the Yard” can be filed as a movie I hoped I’d enjoy more than I ultimately did. The pre-release trailers seemed pleasantly spooky, and the central hook of a creepy figure clad in a black veil gave me big “The Woman in the Black” vibes, a seminal horror novel for me growing up.

Sadly, this Blumhouse production never reaches those heights, but it does have a couple of creepy moments and will just about suffice if you keep your expectations in check.

Ramona (Danielle Deadwyler) is a recently widowed mother dealing with injuries sustained in the car accident that killed her husband. Left to care for their two children (Peyton Jackson and Estella Kahiha), she is struggling to keep her head above water.

If grieving her loss wasn't enough, a strange woman dressed in black appears on the lawn of their farmhouse, warning that “today’s the day.” From there, things get increasingly chilling until a very odd ending scene.

Buy or rent on Amazon from April 15

‘Small Things Like These’ (Hulu)

Last year, I declared that Cillian Murphy gave his best performance ever in the Irish drama “Small Things Like These.” And it’s an assessment I stand by today.

The Oscar-winning actor is phenomenal in the leading role and is the best reason to give this somber movie a watch now that it’s arrived on Hulu. I’ll warn you, the pacing is slow, but stick with it, and you’ll be rewarded with a movie that bares its soul and explores a very dark period of Irish history.

Set in 1985, Murphy plays Bill Furlong, a hardworking coal merchant and family man with a troubled childhood. In the lead-up to Christmas, Bill discovers a teenage girl locked in the coal shed of a local convent while completing his deliveries.

This leads to disturbing secrets coming to light as the Catholic Church’s iron grip on the town is revealed, and Bill faces the prospect of being ostracized by the community for standing up to the powerful institution.

Watch on Hulu from April 15

‘A Working Man’ (PVOD)

The team behind last year’s surprisingly enjoyable action flick “The Beekeeper” reunites as Jason Statham stars in director David Ayer’s “A Working Man.”

Unfortunately, while the former movie was silly but equally self-aware with plenty of intentional comedy, this one is played much straighter leading to a largely by-the-numbers action movie. Still, if you’re a fan of Statham movies like “The Mechanics,” you’ll get exactly what you expect here.

In “A Working Man,” Statham plays Levon Cade, a salt-of-the-earth type working on a construction site after a previous life as a decorated black ops agent. The ex-military man is trying to put his violent past behind him and be a good father to his young child, but when human traffickers kidnap his boss's daughter, he slips back into his old ways.

Embarking on a one-man mission to bring her home, Levon puts his own family at risk and stumbles into a criminal world much more ruthless than he’s ever faced.

Buy or rent on Amazon from April 15

‘Companion’ (Max)

"Companion” is one of the most enjoyable movies of 2025 so far, and after arriving on PVOD platforms in February, it’s now making its way over to Max this week.

The tricky thing about this sci-fi thriller is that talking about why I enjoyed it could only serve to spoil some of its best moments. This is very much a movie where the less you know, the better. I’d even go as far as to say that you might want to consider skipping the trailer embedded above and just stream it.

Starring Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid, it sees a young woman named Iris (Thatcher) travel to a remote lake house with her boyfriend Josh (Quaid). The plan is to spend a romantic weekend in the isolated setting along with Josh’s friends, but what starts as a relaxing vacation soon goes totally off the rails.

I’m being deliberately extremely vague in my write-up, as I strongly implore you to watch this one with as little prior knowledge as possible.

Watch on Max from April 18

‘Wolf Man’ (Peacock)

After his phenomenal reimaging of “The Invisible Man,” Leigh Whannell returns to the Universal Monsters stable for a new spin on “The Wolf Man” with disappointingly mixed results.

Much like “The Woman in the Yard” above, this is another horror flick that I wanted to enjoy more than I did. While there are a few pleasantly spooky moments, overall, “Wolf Man” is a routine horror flick with an unimaginative setup, bland characters, and an extremely underwhelming transformation scene. Oh, and the unsatisfying ending is the real kicker.

Blake Lovell (Christopher Abbott) returns to the Oregon wilderness where he was raised following the death of his reclusive father. With his wife (Julia Garner) and young daughter (Sam Jaeger) in tow, Blake’s homecoming becomes a nightmare when a vicious animal attacks.

After being scratched by the unseen creature, Blake begins to transform into a hideous beast of the night himself, forcing his family into a battle to survive until sunlight. I’ve included “Wolf Man” in this roundup as it is one of the bigger movies heading to streaming this week, but I’d say it’s only one for the Universal Monsters completionists.

Watch on Peacock from April 18

‘The Room Next Door’ (Netflix)

One of last year’s most underrated movies is arriving on Netflix, and I’m delighted that “The Room Next Door” may get its deserved flowers very soon.

This offbeat drama, with just enough comedy to keep its serious subject matter from getting too dark, is a real treat. It’s reflective, thoughtful, and spearheaded by strong performances from Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore. And there’s even a lovely supporting role for John Turturro as well.

Ingrid (Moore) and Martha (Swinton) are old friends who have fallen out of touch but are reconnected under the cloud of a terminal cancer diagnosis and rekindle their relationship.

Subsequently, Martha makes an unusual request of Ingrid: To be there when she decides to take her life before passing away from the illness. While “The Room Next Door” is deeply melancholic, it also has a hopeful spirit and will leave viewers deeply touched.

Watch on Netflix from April 19

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