If the heat is getting you down and you fancy sitting indoors this weekend (we don’t blame you), then what better way to spend the time than with a good movie. Luckily, there’s plenty of new additions to streamers such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer and more.
From an “electric” lesser-known Tom Cruise flick to Hugh Jackman’s sheep-centric murder mystery, there’s a lot to get stuck into.
Digital Spy has rounded up five of the best, plus a few more to keep an eye out for.
Universal
Best movie new to Netflix this week
American Made: Tom Cruise has had quite the career of big hits such as Top Gun and Mission: Impossible, so you’d be forgiven for not being as familiar with this 2017 action comedy.
However, American Made is worth your time, with Village Voice describing it as “electric”, while the movie attracted an impressive 85% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The story is based on the life of real-life airline pilot Barry Seal, who is recruited by the CIA to provide reconnaissance on the communist threat in Central America, and ends up in charge of one of the biggest ever CIA operations.
Also new to Netflix this week: Dead Again, Blood Diamond, Cuckoo, Moulin Rouge!, Ready Player One
Sony Pictures
Best movie new to Prime Video this week
The Sheep Detectives: If you didn’t catch Hugh Jackman’s murder mystery with a twist in cinemas earlier this year, then you’re in luck as it has just landed on Prime Video.
Based on the book Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann, the story follows a shepherd who is found murdered, with his flock of sheep banding together to solve the mystery, helped by the fact that he used to read murder mysteries to them.
Alongside Jackman, the impressive cast includes Nicholas Braun and Nicholas Galitzine, and the voices of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Patrick Stewart, Regina Hall and Bella Ramsey.
Also new to Prime Video this week: Mike Bassett: England Manager, Now You See Me, Now You Don’t, The Big Short, Christy, From Dusk Till Dawn, The Assistant
Amazon Prime
Best movie new to BBC iPlayer this week
Sound of Metal: This 2019 drama drew huge acclaim, landing a near-perfect 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes as the Irish Times described it as “visceral and hard-hitting”.
The story follows Riz Ahmed’s character Ruben, a metal drummer who starts to experience hearing loss, as the film immerses viewers into his world with its sound design.
Directed and co-written by Darius Marder, the film also features Olivia Cooke and Paul Raci in supporting roles, and won two technical Oscars.
Also new to BBC iPlayer this week: The Phantom of the Open, My Darling Clementine, The Producers (1967), Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
Film4
Best movie new to ITVX this week
Shaun of the Dead: Regarded as a modern classic, this 2004 movie kicked off the Cornetto trilogy and helped launch Simon Pegg and Nick Frost into the stratosphere with its brilliantly comic take on zombie movies.
The story follows down on his luck Shaun, who has just been dumped by his girlfriend. However, it’s just then that the undead start to take over the world, and Shaun and a group of others band together to get to his favourite pub the Winchester to wait the apocalypse out.
Rotten Tomatoes called it a “bloody good zombie movie with loads of wit”, with the movie sitting at a near-perfect 92% fresh score on the site.
Also new to ITVX this week: Coyote Ugly, Goldfinger, Madagascar
Utopia
Best movie new to Channel 4 this week
Shiva Baby: Rachel Sennott leads this excellent and underrated comedy, which sees her play a young bisexual Jewish woman called Danielle who attends a traditional shiva with her parents.
However, as the mourners gather, things get increasingly uncomfortable for Danielle with the presence of her ex-girlfriend as well as the sugar daddy she is seeing – who is there with his wife and baby.
Directed and written by Emma Seligman, who would go on to make Bottoms with Sennott, the cast also features Molly Gordon, Fred Melamed, Dianna Agron and Jackie Hoffman, and was called “an extremely witty comedy that will have you both laughing hysterically and writhing with discomfort” by The Reel Roundup.
Also new to Channel 4 this week: Military Wives, Sleepless in Seattle, Broker, Animal Farm (1954), Jackass Forever
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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.