A holiday week may mean fireworks outside, but the biggest new movies to watch online also offer action and spectacle. Leading the pack is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the latest Marvel movie fresh out of the theater.
Over on Netflix, you'll find a solid range of films, including a documentary about a famous pop duo, a comedic-action movie and a sci-fi action-adventure pitting man against dinosaurs. With those options, you might think I'm crazy for suggesting you could cancel Netflix this month.
Meanwhile, Hulu subscribers get a recent release drama that was a hit with critics. All in all, this week offers enough to keep you watching movies home, at least until Mission: Impossible 7 and the rest of the biggest movies of July hit theaters.
WHAM! (Netflix)
Netflix's latest celebrity documentary dives into the history of Wham!, the duo otherwise known as George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. Much like the service's recent Pamela Anderson and Arnold Schwarzenegger docs, this movie lets the two pop icons tell their own story, with new interviews with Ridgeley combined with George Michael's archival interviews.
Michael's estate has denied any involvement with the project, so the film may not be as biased towards him as Anderson's glossy film was for her. Netflix has promised "unprecedented access to both George and Andrew’s personal archive including remarkable and never-before-seen footage," though.
Watch on Netflix starting Wednesday (June 28)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Digital)
James Gunn's run in the MCU ends here, along with this version of the Guardians of the Galaxy. In Vol. 3, Star-lord (Chris Pratt) may be depressed about the Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) in his timeline — she's a variant pulled in from Avengers: Endgame — but he's got bigger fish to fry.
After a run-in with the dim but strong Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), the gang discover they must find evil tinkerer The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) in order to save Rocket (Bradley Cooper). That's because Mr. Evolutionary is a psychopath who is trying to "improve" beings with his own tests.
A bit dark, but one of the best Marvel movies in years, Vol. 3 threads the needle of humor and darkness excellently. We're still trying to figure out when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits Disney Plus.
Buy digitally on Amazon and others starting Friday (July 7)
The Out-Laws (Max)
Owen (Adam Devine) is a slightly-quirky bank manager, and he's so excited that he's going to marry Parker (Nina Dobrev) that he's been a bit too-willing to accept some oddities about her parents (Pierce Brosnan, Ellen Barkin). Like how they've been off the grid for a while. And when Owen's bank gets robbed, he figures out that her parents actually pulled off the heist.
Hilariously, this is when things get complicated, as Owen's new in-laws need his help in saving Parker, and we get a team of mismatched allies with a common goal of rescuing a woman they love. Also co-stars Michael Rooker.
Watch on Netflix starting Friday (July 7)
Biosphere (Digital)
Not to be confused with Bio-Dome, Biosphere looks like a comedic Black Mirror movie. Billy (Mark Duplass) and Ray (Sterling K. Brown) live in the titular domed structure, and appear to be the final two men on Earth.
Their new home is supposed to give them what they need to survive, but things get difficult when resources start running low. While Billy wallows, Ray pledges to find a way to survive. Critics are praising Mel Eslyn's directorial debut, applauding it for being unique while offering superlatives for Duplass and Brown's performances.
Buy digitally on Amazon and others starting Friday (July 7)
The Quiet Girl (Hulu)
Nine-year-old Cait (Catherine Clinch) is sent to live with distant relatives in the Irish countryside, in a foster family of sorts, after her actual family fails to provide an adequate living situation. And while she is closed off upon arrival, the love and support from her new family slowly helps her open up.
Critics love The Quiet Girl, which currently sports a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score based on 135 reviews, for telling a powerful story modestly, with nuanced performances.
Watch on Hulu starting Friday (June 30)
The Blackening (Digital)
Horror satire is back in The Blackening, which focuses on a group of Black friends who took the Juneteenth holiday as a chance to get away to a cabin in the woods. Little did they know that they were setting themselves up to be the prey of a killer.
Arguably the offspring of Scary Movie and Get Out, The Blackening is getting great reviews for subverting a ton of tropes. Expect it to be funnier than it is scary.
Buy digitally on Amazon starting Friday (July 7)
65 (Netflix)
Netflix's partnership with Sony Pictures brings Adam Driver's prehistoric sci-fi tale to the big red streaming machine this week. 65 million years ago, Mills (Driver) takes a big mission to try and help both his family and humanity. Unfortunately, his ship crash-lands on a planet, and he runs into many a dinosaur that sees him as a tasty treat.
While Mills tries to escape this planet, he has one other big goal: to protect himself and a small child named Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), who also survived the crash.
Watch on Netflix starting Saturday (July 8)
