It’s that time of the week again. If you’re not too busy scrambling for Spider-Man: Brand New Day tickets, there’s a lot of stuff you can watch from home, whether you’re renting or catching the latest streaming release.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is now available on Peacock. Based on the beloved video game franchise, the Super Mario movies are led by an all-star cast that includes Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Jack Black, and have been an enormous box office success. Galaxy follows our team of heroes as they band together to rescue series newcomer Rosalina.
Supergirl is also streaming. Newly available on VOD, the highly anticipated movie follows in the footsteps of Superman and establishes James Gunn’s burgeoning DCU. It was met with a lukewarm critical response, but it introduces a key player in this new generation of superheroes.
Happy watching!
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Supergirl
- Available on VOD
- Genre: Sci-fi
- Run time: 1h 48m
- Director: Craig Gillispie
- Cast: Milly Alcock, Jason Momoa, Eva Ridley.
Following her brief but memorable introduction in Superman, Kara Zor El is back for her own story. Presenting a much different world view than that of her sweet cousin and expanding the franchise’s map beyond the city of Metropolis, Supergirl follows Kara, her dog Krypto, and a new group of allies on an adventure across space.
Per our Polygon review:
If you squint, it’s hard to tell Supergirl from a pre-Superman James Gunn movie. Director Craig Gillespie (Cruella) and writer Ana Nogueira (a playwright and actor with several DC projects in preproduction) go all-in on Gunn’s signature style, from spinning-camera combat sequences to a Guardians-esque messy universe crammed with aliens to the snarky, subversive, but ultimately admiring and sentimental take on superheroes. The result isn’t exceptionally exciting, but it’s serviceable, good-natured, and frequently fun — particularly when the film rests in the hands of Milly Alcock as Supergirl.
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The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
- Available on Peacock
- Genre: Sci-fi
- Run time: 1h 38 minutes
- Director: Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic
- Cast: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is based on one of Mario’s most beloved games: the 2007 Super Mario Galaxy. The movie takes inspiration from its outer world setting, trailing Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and their friends as they go on a mission to save Princess Rosalina from Bowser Jr.
Per our Polygon review:
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie also takes some welcome swings at diverse animation styles, in the form of a convincing puppet show put on by Bowser; an illustrated flashback scene involving the Star Fox team; and homages to 8-bit Super Mario games. There’s more here than just the hyper-stylized Illumination animation style, and a potential peek at future Nintendo spin-offs with their own aesthetics.
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The Drama
- Available on HBO Max
- Genre: Black comedy
- Run time: 1h 45m
- Director: Kristoffer Borgli
- Cast: Robert Pattinson, Zendaya
To delve fully into the plot of The Drama would be to expose its wild twist, so we’ll keep it simple. The story follows Charlie and Emma, a happily engaged couple that make a disturbing discovery days ahead of their wedding. The incident changes the outlook of their relationship and prompts them to reevaluate what they truly want.
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The Devil Wears Prada 2
- Available on Hulu
- Genre: Comedy
- Run time: 1h 59m
- Director: David Frankel
- Cast: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci
Set and released 20 years after the original movie, The Devil Wears Prada 2 reunites its cast of beloved characters as they try to adapt to a shifting publishing world that threatens the viability of Runway magazine.
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Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle
- Available on Crunchyroll
- Genre: Anime
- Run time: 2h 35m
- Director: Haruo Sotozaki
- Cast: Zach Aguilar, Abby Trott
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is the latest movie from the Demon Slayer franchise, following a teenager who vows to protect his sister after the rest of their family are slaughtered by demons. Upon its release in the US, the movie became the highest-grossing international film in the country.
Per our Polygon review:
Demon Slayer’s secret is that it did not reinvent the wheel. The manga followed in the footsteps of classics such as Naruto and Bleach, where, even during the most apocalyptic duels, the action is interrupted to let the characters tell more about themselves and their motivations. It’s how you make them relatable, and Demon Slayer is a masterclass, making readers and viewers feel empathy even for flesh-eating monsters.
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Maddie’s Secret
- Available on VOD
- Genre: Comedy
- Run time: 1h 38m
- Director: John Early
- Cast: John Early, Kate Berlant, Eric Rahill
Maddie’s Secret is a must-watch for John Early’s very specific brand of comedy. The movie follows him as Maddie, a food influencer who experiences a sudden rise in popularity after one of her videos go viral, forcing her to confront her complicated relationship with food.
4
The Death of Robin Hood
- Available on VOD
- Genre: Action
- Run time: 2h 2m
- Director: Michael Sarnosky
- Cast: Hugh Jackman, Jodie Comer
Following Hugh Jackman as an old and weathered Robin Hood, the movie explores a different side of the myth, viewing him as a killer and not as the noble hero of legends.
Per Polygon’s interview with director Michael Sarnosky:
The Death of Robin Hood is a beautiful, slightly indulgent film full of S-tier acting, rugged scenery, stunning violence, and heavy themes of death and legacy.
3
Leviticus
- Available on VOD
- Genre: Horror
- Run time: 1h 28m
- Director: Adrian Chiarella
- Cast: Stacy Clausen, Joe Bird
Leviticus follows two teen boys in an Australian religious community. As they develop feelings for each other, they are submitted to a cleansing ceremony by their neighbors, meant to purge them of their desires. Instead, the ritual awakens a supernatural entity that shapeshifts and haunts them at their weakest.
2
Soulm8te
- Available on VOD
- Genre: Sci-fi
- Run time: 1H 39M
- Director: Kate Dolan
- Cast: Lily Sullivan, David Rysdahl, Claudia Doumit
A spin-off of the Megan movies, Soulm8te follows the beats of an erotic thriller, following an engineer who buys an android to keep him company following the death of his wife.
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Untitled Home Invasion Romance
- Available on Hulu
- Genre: Black comedy
- Run time: 1h 25m
- Director: Jason Biggs
- Cast: Jason Biggs, Meaghan Rath, Anna Konkle
Untitled Home Invasion Romance follows a guy who fakes a break-in in his home to save his marriage and come out as a hero to his wife. Things take a turn when his plan actually turns dangerous and a real murder investigation begins.
