Fancy a good movie to watch over the weekend? Well, Digital Spy is at hand to give the lowdown on some of the best new additions to streaming.
Among the highlights on the likes of Netflix and BBC iPlayer this week is a “perfect” noughties thriller from director David Fincher, as well as a few Margot Robbie hits and a ’80s family classic.
Here are five movies to add to your watchlists (plus a few more to keep an eye out for).
Warner Bros.
Best movie new to Netflix this week
Barbie: The live-action adaptation of the iconic doll became a cultural phenomenon when it was released in cinemas three years ago, forming one half of the Barbenheimer craze and becoming the highest-grossing movie of the year too.
Greta Gerwig’s comedy sees Margot Robbie play the titular character as she goes from Barbieland to the real world, leading to an existential crisis.
The movie also features a scene-stealing performance from Ryan Gosling as Ken, including the brilliant musical number ‘I’m Just Ken’, as well as turns from America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae and Will Ferrell in supporting roles.
Also new to Netflix this week: 20th Century Women, Airplane!, La La Land, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Warner Bros.
Best movie new to Prime Video this week
Zodiac: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr lead this 2007 film from David Fincher, which focuses on the hunt for San Francisco’s Zodiac Killer in the late ’60s and early ’70s.
Based on two books by Robert Graysmith, viewers follow the stars’ investigators and reporters as they become fixated on unmasking the serial killer and bringing him to justice.
While it wasn’t a massive box office success, the movie has garnered huge admiration since its release and is now considered a cult classic, with one fan on IMDb calling it “a perfect match of visionary director and hard to condense material”.
Also new to Prime Video this week: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Saipan, Candyman (2021), School of Rock, Saving Private Ryan
Mary Cybulski//Paramount
Best movie new to BBC iPlayer this week
The Wolf of Wall Street: Another Margot Robbie classic, the actor first made her name in this Martin Scorsese movie, which focuses on the true story of infamous stockbroker Jordan Belfort (played by Leonardo DiCaprio).
The 2013 film charts Belfort’s rise in Wall Street and fall as his company engages in fraud and corruption, and authorities close in on his criminal behaviour.
Also starring Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey and Kyle Chandler, The Wolf of Wall Street was called “a sprawling riot of bad taste and consumption” and “tremendously entertaining if you’re in the right mood” by The Times.
Also new to BBC iPlayer this week: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, The Imitation Game, Paddington, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, Gosford Park, Brooklyn
Universal
Best movie new to ITVX this week
ET: The Extra-Terrestrial: If you’re looking for something more family-friendly, then you can’t go wrong with this all time great sci-fi from Steven Spielberg.
Boasting a near-perfect 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes and described as a movie that “reminds us of human compassion and the eternal joy of cinema” by Cinematic Lovelies, the story tells the tale of boy Elliott as he befriends the titular alien.
With ET stranded on Earth, Elliott and his family and friends try to find a way to help him get home – ending with a scene that will have you bawling your eyes out. Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore feature as child actors in the film.
Also new to ITVX this week: Hot Fuzz, No Time to Die, Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw
Fox
Best movie new to Channel 4 this week
The Simpsons Movie: With a sequel now finally confirmed nearly two decades later, what better time to go back to the original Simpsons big screen outing?
The 2007 film sees Springfield residents dealing with the consequences of Homer’s actions after he accidentally causes the lake to become polluted, with the town imprisoned under a giant glass dome by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Variety wrote in their review that “if somebody had to make a Simpsons movie, this is pretty much what it should be – clever, irreverent, satirical and outfitted with a larger-than-22-minutes plot”.
Also new to Channel 4 this week: Top Gun: Maverick, Toy Story 3, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, Heat, Sexy Beast
The new edition of Living Legends, a 100-page all-colour celebration of Sir David Attenborough, is here! Buy Sir David Attenborough in newsagents or online.
Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every ‘t’ and dotting every ‘i’ as a sub-editor.