‘Black Bag' is a spy story with a marital twist
That three-star rating for the new Steven Soderbergh movie 'Black Bag' is a matter of personal preference. Kick it up by half a star if your tastes run to John le Carré espionage thrillers crossed with marital cage matches like 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' Dock it the same amount if you don't like talky, complex, fiendishly intelligent head games.
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Tom's Guide
6 days ago
- Tom's Guide
9 top new movies to stream this week on Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu and more (June 3-9)
I track the biggest new movies arriving across the best streaming services every week, so I speak from experience when I say the next seven days are truly packed with top new flicks. The likes of Netflix, HBO Max, Peacock and Hulu all have new movies to watch, but the biggest release is 'Sinners,' arriving on premium video-on-demand streaming. This horror-thriller is one of the smash hits of 2025 so far, and has become a rare original breakout in an era of safe sequels and tired franchise reboots. It's a must-watch and is definitely worthy of the rental fee. If you're looking to stream something new this week, I'm on hand to guide you through all the top new movies across streaming services. Plus, be sure to check out this article's twin, which covers all the top new TV shows you'll want to binge-watch this week. 'Presence' is a taut and tense supernatural thriller with an interesting wrinkle that sets it apart from other haunted house flicks. Yes, the movie centers on a family being disturbed by an unseen force, but rather than the entity being a mystery to viewers, it serves as our point of view. The entire movie is shot from the unseen entity's perspective. This unique POV livens up what is otherwise a fairly uninspired drama. The Steven Soderbergh movie opens with a family moving into a new suburban home, but as they get settled, they begin to sense they are not alone. Starring Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan and Callian Liang, 'Presence's' trailers might pitch it as an intense horror, but it's really more of a character-driven drama, with the focus placed on the family's dynamic. Still, the refreshing framing gives the movie a strong selling point, and the ending is a highlight. Watch on Hulu from June 3 'Sinner' has already secured its position as a modern classic after a wildly successful theatrical run and acclaim from both critics and audiences alike. It's likely to be one of 2025's biggest success stories and solidifies Ryan Coogler as one of Hollywood's most high-profile directors. If you somehow missed the boat, 'Sinners' arrives on premium streaming this week and is expected to rocket up the PVOD charts. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Set in the 1930s, 'Sinners' follows twin brothers (both played by Michael B. Jordan) who return to their Mississippi hometown to open a juke joint in an old sawmill. Opening night is a swinging success, that is, until a group of vampires arrive on the scene. This horror-thriller is a wild ride bursting with cinematic flair, incredible performances from the whole cast (Jordon especially), and one of the best musical scores of the 21st century. It's a real must-watch. Buy or rent on Amazon from June 3 Speaking of movies where the star plays dual roles, in 'The Alto Knights' Robert De Niro is on double-duty playing two 1950s mob bosses, Vito Genovese and Frank Costello. This crime drama, inspired by true events, is one of those projects that looks a lot more appealing in the trailer than it proves to be in reality. Unfortunately, it's a humdrum drama with an achingly slow pace. De Niro works hard to play both roles, but the movie fails to build up a suitable head of steam and instead peters out, failing to suitably reward viewers for their two-hour time investment. Still, if you just can't resist a period mob movie, you might find the old-school approach charming. But be warned, beyond De Niro's highly committed performance as the two former friends and now adversaries, there really is very little of note within 'The Alto Knights.' Watch on HBO Max from June 6 'The Ballad of Wallis Island' seems well on course to be one of 2025's hidden gems. Its limited theatrical release stateside means this one has really flown under the radar, but I encourage you to seek it out on Peacock, as it's something quite special. It's a quaint and charming British comedy with a tender musical soul and some delightfully funny writing. Watch out in particular for the genius comedic performance from stand-up Tim Key. The low-stakes movie centers on Charles (Key), a reclusive lottery winner who lives on the remote Wallis Island. The millionaire is a mega-fan of folk duo McGwyer Mortimer, a musical act comprised of Herb McGwyer (Tom Basden) and Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan), with more than a little bit of Fleetwood Mac about them. After being disbanded for 10 years, the pair agree to reunite to play a private show for Charles, but old tensions soon resurface. Watch on Peacock from June 6 One for the morbidly curious, 'Hurry Up Tomorrow' currently ranks as one of the worst-reviewed movies of the year with a miserable 14% on Rotten Tomatoes. It's a psychological thriller that only a Weeknd superfan could enjoy, and has been labeled little more than a vanity project for Abel Tesfaye. Having seen the finished result for myself, it's pretty hard to disagree with that assessment. But those who love a trainwreck might glean some perverse enjoyment from watching this movie quickly spiral into complete failure. Starring Tesfaye, as a fictional verison of himself (see what the critics meant about the vanity project problem?), alongside Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan, both of who are far too talented to be involved in this project, 'Hurry Up Tomorrow' sees its lead character slip into a hazy nightmare when a mysterious fan embeds themselves in his rapidly fracturing life. Buy or rent on Amazon from June 6 It's a good time to be a fan of the 'Predator' franchise. The follow-up to 2022's acclaimed 'Prey' arrives in theaters this November in the form of 'Predator: Badlands,' but to help pass the time, director Dan Trachtenberg (current steward of the sci-fi series) presents 'Killer of Killers' an animated anthology movie that presents three 'Predator' stories unlike any you've seen before. Split into three chapters, 'Killer of Killers' sees the eponymous alien hunter square off against three of the fiercest warriors in human history. There's a Viking raider, a Japanese samurai and a World War II pilot, all of whom encounter their ultimate opponent, the Predator. 'Predator: Killer of Killers' looks like it'll be the perfect time filler until 'Badlands" lands in theatres. Watch on Hulu from June 6 Tyler Perry's latest Netflix effort is 'Straw,' another dark thriller well within the filmmaker's wheelhouse. Given Perry's track record, I'm expecting this one to take a critical mauling, but despite that, it'll probably go instantly to No. 1 in the streaming service's top 10 most-watched list. Perry seems to have a knack for giving viewers exactly what they want, and 'Straw' looks no different. The logline reads, 'A single mother navigates a series of unfortunate events, leading her down an unforeseen path where she becomes embroiled in a situation she never envisioned, finding herself at the center of suspicion in an indifferent world.' Which is quite possibly the most generic and uninformative plot summary I've ever read, which is really saying something as I quite literally sort through several dozen movie loglines on a daily basis. Watch on Netflix from June 6 Nicolas Cage has been picking seriously interesting projects for a while now, and 'The Surfer' is yet another off-kilter movie that lets him showcase his unique talents for playing in warped sandboxes. 'The Surfer' is a psychological thriller that gets pretty twisted, and sees Cage drag viewers down a dark rabbit hole full of uncomfortable moments. It's more than a little bit weird, but it's also compelling and very well constructed by director Lorcan Finnegan. Cage plays a city slicker who dreams of moving back to the idyllic beach town where he was raised. Taking his son to the beach to surf the waves, the locals rebuff him and issue a stern warning that he's to stay away. Rather than leave, tail between his legs, the unnamed protagonist decides to stick around, leading to an ever-escalating conflict as the locals become increasingly hostile. And that's just the start, things soon get even more bizarre and surreal. Buy or rent on Amazon from June 6 'Becoming Led Zeppelin' isn't really a movie for me, considering my music taste is more landfill indie than classic rock. However, even casual fans of the beloved British band won't want to skip over this revealing documentary that charts the group's rise from the early 1960s through to Zeppelin becoming one of the biggest musical acts on the planet in the 1970s. Director Bernard MacMahon was given access to the band's personal archives for this project, which also includes never-before-seen footage from early concerts. 'Becoming Led Zeppelin' is a triumphant celebration of a hugely influential band. Naturally, fans of the group won't need convincing to give it a stream, but critics report even non-fans might find the insights interesting, so perhaps I'll need to give it a watch despite my personal musical preferences. Watch on Netflix from June 7
Washington Post
7 days ago
- Washington Post
What to Stream: Nintendo's Switch 2, Addison Rae album, 'Presence' and Ariana Madix returns to Fiji
NEW YORK — A Shaquille O'Neal docuseries about his time at Reebok's basketball division and Mario Kart World on Nintendo's Switch 2 are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time, as selected by The Associated Press' entertainment journalists : Ariana Madix returns to Fiji as host of a new season of 'Love Island USA.,' TikTok star Addison Rae offers her debut album 'Addison' and then there's 'Presence,' Steven Soderbergh's movie entirely from the perspective a ghost.
Associated Press
7 days ago
- Associated Press
What to Stream: Nintendo's Switch 2, Addison Rae album, 'Presence' and Ariana Madix returns to Fiji
NEW YORK (AP) — A Shaquille O'Neal docuseries about his time at Reebok's basketball division and Mario Kart World on Nintendo's Switch 2 are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time, as selected by The Associated Press' entertainment journalists: Ariana Madix returns to Fiji as host of a new season of 'Love Island USA.,' TikTok star Addison Rae offers her debut album 'Addison' and then there's 'Presence,' Steven Soderbergh's movie entirely from the perspective a ghost. New movies to stream from June 2-8 — 'Presence,' one of two excellent Steven Sodebergh-directed, David Koepp-scripted movies released this year, arrives Tuesday on Hulu. The film, a nifty, experimental little thriller, is filmed entirely from the perspective a ghost inside a home a family has just moved into. From a floating point-of-view, we watch as the mysterious presence, piecing together a past trauma while observing the unfolding a new one. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called 'Presence' 'a heady experiment that transcends the somewhat gimmicky-on-paper premise — something Soderbergh manages to do alarmingly well and regularly.' — Tyler Perry 's latest, 'Straw,' stars Taraji P. Henson as a struggling single mother who, desperate for money to pay for her daughter's prescriptions, robs a bank. The film, co-starring Sherri Shepherd, Teyana Taylor and Sinbad, debuts Friday, June 6 on Netflix. — For anyone still mourning the death of Gene Hackman, a new series streaming from Thursday on the Criterion Channel collects some of the late actor 's best films. That includes William Friedkin's seminal 1971 New York thriller 'The French Connection,' Francis Ford Coppola's 1974 masterpiece 'The Conversation' and Wes Anderson's 'The Royal Tenenbaums,' a movie in which Hackman's strained relationship with the director has been a subject of conversation following his death. But also don't miss Arthur Penn's 1975 'Night Moves,' a quintessential '70s neo-noir that gave Hackman one of his most indelible roles in the private eye Harry Moseby. — Film Writer Jake Coyle New music to stream from June 2-8 — Has there been a more seamless transition from TikTok social media star to full-fledged pop music force than that of Addison Rae? On Friday, June 6, she will release her debut LP 'Addison,' one of the year's most anticipated releases – from the Lana Del Rey-channeling 'Diet Pepsi' to the trip-hop 'Headphones On.' She's managed to tap into a kind of late-internet cool through a hybrid approach to pop music and a lackadaisical singing style. Could it be 'Addison' summer? Only time will tell. — Need your Cynthia Erivo fix between 'Wicked' films? She's got your back. The multihyphenate will release her sophomore LP, 'I Forgive You' on Friday, June 6, a collection of big belts and even bigger vulnerabilities, with gorgeous songs that sound as though they were ripped straight from Erivo's diary. Listen closely and carefully for maximum enjoyment. — Anyone who thinks the mainstream music listening world has lost interest in rock bands needs to simply look at Turnstile, the Baltimore hard-core punk band that could. They've largely left those harsh sounds behind and have opted for something more melodic and accessible — which is, arguably, part of the appeal for those curious parties — but they've maintained their hard-core ethos and edge. 'Never Enough' is gearing up to be the biggest release of their career so far, and we say it's time to get on board. And get in the pit. — Music Writer Maria Sherman New television to stream from June 2-8 — Ariana Madix has returned to Fiji as host of a new season of 'Love Island USA.' The new episodes have big shoes to fill. Last season was the top-rated reality series of 2024. It also broke through the cultural zeitgeist with social media memes and water cooler conversation. Madix says she's not worried about duplicating that success, and wants the contestants to focus on 'creating their own lane by being truly themselves and bringing themselves to it, you'll never lose by doing that.' The show premieres Tuesday and will air six nights a week on Peacock. — As a teenager, Kristin Cavallari was a breakout of the MTV reality series 'Laguna Beach' because of her unfiltered honesty. She's carried that with her throughout other reality shows and to her podcast 'Let's Be Honest.' Cameras rolled when Cavallari took the podcast on the road in March. That will air as the docuseries 'Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour' beginning Wednesday on E!. It streams on Peacock. — Shaquille O'Neal also has his own docuseries coming to Netflix Wednesday called 'Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal.' It's an inside look at his efforts as president of Reebok's basketball division. Allen Iverson is vice president. Both have a history with the brand. In 1992, O'Neal signed a deal with Reebok as a rookie playing for the Orlando Magic. Iverson famously inked a lifetime deal with the brand one year prior in 1991. The series will show the two pro ballplayers work to make Reebok Basketball cool and competitive in the sneaker market. It drops Wednesday. — Get your feel-good TV fix with Apple TV+'s new show, 'Stick.' It stars Owen Wilson as Pryce, a broke and divorced former pro golfer who could use a break. He finds it in a teen phenom named Santi and volunteers to be his coach. The show is about chosen family and second chances. 'Stick' premieres Wednesday. — Alicia Rancilio New video games to play week of June 2-8 — Nintendo fans worldwide are bracing themselves for the arrival of the Switch 2, a souped-up version of the eight-year-old console with new social features meant to draw players into online gaming. The highlight of the launch lineup is Mario Kart World, which features a Grand Prix for up to 24 drivers and introduces a sprawling open environment where 'everywhere is your racecourse.' Other Day One arrivals include upgraded versions of the last two Legend of Zelda adventures, and some popular third-party games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Split Fiction will be making their Nintendo debuts. The next generation takes the stage Thursday, June 5. — Lou Kesten
