Netflix’s The Kitchen, The Marvels and all the new movies to watch

Greetings, Polygon readers! Each week we round up the most notable new releases coming to streaming and VOD, highlighting the biggest and best new films you can watch at home.

This week, The wonders, the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is finally available on VOD. But that’s not all: Taika Waititi’s sports comedy The next target wins is also available for purchase, along with several other new releases available to rent. The kitchenDaniel Kaluuya’s directorial debut, set in dystopian London, is streaming on Netflix along with Stupid moneythe comedy-drama based on the GameStop short squeeze of 2021. Not to mention all the other streaming releases on Hulu, Mubi, and AMC Plus this week!

Here’s everything new to see this weekend!

New on Netflix

Stupid money

Where to see: Available to stream on Netflix

Photo: Claire Folger/Sony Pictures

Genre: Biographical comedy drama
Duration: 1h 45m
Director: Craig Gillespie
Pour: Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Vincent D’Onofrio

Remember the GameStop short squeeze of 2021? NO? That’s fine – admittedly it was a very hectic and wild time, what with all the… everything continues. If you’re looking for a refresher, this film about a middle-class financial analyst who achieved great success during the financial crisis might be just what you’re looking for.

From our review:

Where The big short film was condescending, but still extremely entertaining and quite informative, Stupid moneyThe makers of GameStop don’t seem interested in explaining what the hell happened to the GameStop scenario or how the hell it happened. The script assumes that the audience is either already familiar with the story or doesn’t particularly care about the financial details and just wants to see the news reenacted by people they know. Most of the jargon is left unexplained, and the series of events that made the saga possible are simply shrugged off in favor of a simple “Isn’t that crazy?!” Volume.

The kitchen

Where to see: Available to stream on Netflix

Photo: Chris Harris/Netflix

Genre: Science fiction drama
Duration: 1h 47m
Directors: Daniel Kaluuya, Kibwe Tavares
Pour: Kano, Jedaiah Bannerman, Hope Ikpoku Jr

Daniel Kaluuya (Exit, Black Panther) teams up with filmmaker Kibwe Tavares for his directorial debut: a sci-fi drama set in a dystopian London where public housing has been abolished. The film tells the story of Izi and Benji, a father and son who struggle to survive as an impoverished community is beset by state-sponsored violence.

New on Hulu

Invisible beauty

Where to see: Available to stream on Hulu

Photo: Magnolia Pictures

Genre: documentary
Duration: 1h 55m
Directors: Bethann Hardison, Frédéric Tcheng
Pour: Tyson Beckford, Stephen Burrows, Naomi Campbell

This documentary chronicles the life and impact of Bethann Hardison, a pioneering model and activist who fought for racial diversity in the fashion industry.

New to AMC Plus

The origin of evil

Where to see: Available to stream on AMC Plus

Photo: Laurent Champoussin/IFC Films

Genre: theatre
Duration: 2h 3m
Director: Sebastien Marnier
Pour: Laure Calamy, Doria Tillier, Dominique Blanc

A twisty French thriller about a woman trying to reconnect with a rich family to which she supposedly belongs. The origin of evil was a late addition to our list of the best films of 2023.

As my colleague Tasha Robinson put it in her article there:

Unraveling all the lies and schemes in this film takes up every minute of its running time, and it’s guaranteed that the audience’s sympathies will change half a dozen times in the process. As a crime story it is a gem; As a character story it’s even better.

Mubi is new

Fallen leaves

Where to see: Available to stream on Mubi

Image: MUBI

Genre: Romantic comedy drama
Duration: 1h 21m
Director: Aki Kaurismäki
Pour: Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen, Janne Hyytiäinen

This romantic drama tells the story of Ansa (Alma Pöysti) and Holappa (Jussi Vatanen), two lonely singles who meet by chance in a karaoke bar in Helsinki. The two overcome several misadventures and their own island quirks and begin an awkward but endearing relationship.

New for rent or purchase

The wonders

Where to see: Available on Amazon, Apple and Vudu

Photo: Laura Radford/Marvel Studios

Genre: Superhero action
Duration: 1h 45m
Director: Nia DaCosta
Pour: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani

In the 33rd film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), also known as Captain Marvel, returns. This time, she teams up with the all-powerful Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) to save the universe from the threat of a vengeful Kree leader who wants to restore her homeworld.

From our review:

In his best moments, The wonders just throws wonderful ideas on the screen. There’s a planet full of people who just sing, a space station full of cats who happily devour furniture and people, an animated depiction of Kamala’s inner monologue – the film can feel like a mood board created by an over-caffeinated Star Trek fan A sense of imagination designed to remind audiences that comics can be cool the moment you read them, rather than for what they promise in the future.

The boys in the boat

Where to see: Can be rented from Amazon, Apple and Vudu

Genre: Sports biography
Duration: 2h 3m
Director: George Clooney
Pour: Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner, Jack Mulhern

When I think of the 1936 Summer Olympics, I think of Jesse Owens and the incredible things he accomplished in the sprint and long jump in front of a German crowd that passionately cheered him on. But another group of Americans also made history in the fight for Olympic glory – the University of Washington rowing team, a group of working-class athletes whose story is told in George Clooney’s latest directorial effort.

The colour purple

Where to see: Can be rented from Amazon, Apple and Vudu

Image: Warner Bros. Pictures

Genre: Coming-of-age musical
Duration: 2h 21m
Director: Lightning Bazawule
Pour: Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo

Based on the 1982 novel by Alice Walker, this musical adaptation follows the story of Celie (Fantasia Barrino), a woman in an abusive marriage in which she was separated from her sister and children and who is separated by her friendship with Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson), a singer with an indomitable spirit.

The next target wins

Where to see: Can be rented from Amazon, Apple and Vudu

Image: Searchlight Pictures

Genre: Sports comedy-drama
Duration: 1h 44m
Director: Taika Waititi
Pour: Michael Fassbender, Oscar Kightley, Kaimana

Michael Fassbender (The killer) stars in Taika Waititi’s sports film based on the real-life American Samoa national soccer team and their attempt to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Fassbender portrays Thomas Rongen, the Dutch-American coach who agrees to help mold the once notoriously poor team into a competitive qualifier.

From our review:

Win the next goalHe fails to fully capture what made the story of the American Samoa national soccer team so compelling, attempting to make a film so universal that it dismisses the sport itself as unimportant. This could be that the audience can identify with the team as an individual. But it’s such an underdog story that it rarely moves beyond the most superficial level of “care because this movie says you have to care.”