The best new movie on every streaming service (March 2023)

The streaming landscape is vast and hard to keep track of. The rush of new movies onto streaming services (and the rush of new streaming services on our devices) is more than any one person to keep up with, and not all of them can be winners.

That’s what we’re here for. We’re going to keep this post updated with the most recent movie on each of the major streaming platforms that we liked, as well as some other options if our pick doesn’t sound like your particular jam.

So, below, find the best new movies on Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, HBO Max, Disney Plus, Paramount Plus, Apple TV, Peacock, Shudder, Mubi, and the Criterion Channel. Our latest update added Inu-Oh on Hulu.

The best new movie on Netflix

Thunivu

Genre: Crime thriller
Run time: 2h 26m
Director: H. Vinoth
Cast: Ajith Kumar, Manju Warrier, Samuthirakani

Ajith Kumar stars as Dark Devil, a genius criminal operative who infiltrates a bank heist in progress and takes control of it himself. A fast-paced narrative with its fair share of twists, turns, and explosions, Thunivu is a fun crime thriller with a strong social message, exciting action sequences, and plenty to keep you guessing.

But the real selling point is Ajith, who is impossibly charismatic in the lead role. Always smiling and always in control, he lights up the camera and the room in every single sequence. Ajith’s Dark Devil is “cool” personified, completely unflappable and winning over everyone he could possibly win over, audience included. If you’re looking for a fun time at the movies this week, you could do a lot worse than Thunivu.

Also good: An Action Hero, a Bollywood meta action comedy about a movie star whose life turns into a real action movie; JUNG_E, the new sci-fi action movie from Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho; The Big Four, an offbeat Indonesian action comedy from the twisted mind of Timo Tjahjanto (The Night Comes for Us); Lost Bullet 2, France’s answer to the vehicular mayhem of the Fast and Furious series; Athena, a French crime thriller that was the single best Netflix original of 2022; Emily the Criminal, an Aubrey Plaza-led crime thriller; Hustle, Adam Sandler’s basketball dramedy co-starring real NBA players.

The best new movie on Hulu

Inu-oh

Image: Science Saru/GKIDS

Genre: Fantasy
Run time: 1h 38m
Director: Masaaki Yuasa
Cast: Avu-chan, Mirai Moriyama, Tasuku Emoto

There’s so much anime out there that it can tend to blur together a bit, which gives Lu Over the Wall and Mind Game director Masaaki Yuasa an advantage few other creators can boast: His anime movies just don’t look like anyone else’s. His latest, Inu-Oh, is a case in point: His extreme angles and taffy-like, expressively stylized characters give the film a unique energy and emphasis that fits perfectly into the strange story.

Set in 14th-century Japan, Inu-Oh chronicles the meeting between a blind biwa player and a dancer who’s been dramatically mutated by ancestral spirits. Those spirits want their stories to be heard, so the two young men, Tomona and Inu-Oh, start doing public shows together, and wind up with a following — and a performance style — suitable for a modern rock band. Much of the movie is given over to their wild, expressive shows, and the absolute mania that follows them as their fandom grows and threatens the reigning establishment.

There’s a grim moral in Yuasa’s movie about who controls history, and why the powers that be have always been afraid of the power of art. It’s an ambitious movie, and in some ways a cynical and angry one. It’s also an immense thrill, as Yuasa fills the screen with explosive imagery and song, delivered in a signature style that gives it a hypnotic power. It’s like nothing else in the animation field, except, to some degree, Yuasa’s previous work. —TR

Also good: Prey, Dan Trachtenberg’s revival of the Predator franchise in 18th-century Comanche territory; Crimes of the Future, David Cronenberg’s latest body horror masterpiece; Fire Island, a modern gay adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

The best new movie on Prime Video

Catherine Called Birdy

Image: Alex Bailey/Prime Video

Genre: Historical comedy
Run time: 1h 48m
Director: Lena Dunham
Cast: Bella Ramsey, Billie Piper, Andrew Scott

A coming-of-age story equal parts funny and touching, Catherine Called Birdy is an adaptation of the novel set in 13th-century England. Bella Ramsey (now in the Last of Us show) is transcendent as Birdy, a young girl faced with the expectations of the world around her — expectations she’s not at all interested in. Ramsey brings a tangible teenage energy to the dreary medieval setting, and along with a brilliant turn by Andrew Scott (Fleabag) as her father, the two lead performances carry this adaptation from Lena Dunham.

Also good: Hansan: Rising Dragon, a massive Korean naval war epic; Thirteen Lives, Ron Howard’s dramatic retelling of the Thai cave rescue; Ambulance, Michael Bay’s intense LA crime thriller; The Outfit, a single-location crime drama with Mark Rylance; The Lost City, an outrageously silly adventure rom-com with Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum; Pushpa: The Rise – Part 1, a thrilling Telugu crime drama.

The best new movie on HBO Max

Barbarian

Image: 20th Century Studios

Genre: Horror/thriller
Run time: 1h 42m
Director: Zach Cregger
Cast: Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, Justin Long

One of 2022’s most outrageous horror movies was also one of the year’s funniest. It’s hard to talk too much about Barbarian without spoiling things, but the basic setup is: A young woman arrives at her Airbnb rental only to find a mysterious man already staying there. Things go… in directions! Writer-director Zach Cregger’s (The Whitest Kids U’ Know) background in sketch comedy comes through in this hilarious, surprising solo directorial debut. You’ll never look at [REDACTED] the same way again.

Also good: The Banshees of Inisherin, Martin McDonagh’s award-winning black comedy; The Menu, a black comedy at an elite restaurant starring Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy; Kimi, a modern take on Rear Window from Steven Soderbergh and starring Zoë Kravitz.

The best new movie on Disney Plus

Turning Red

Image: Pixar/Walt Disney Pictures

Genre: Fantasy/comedy
Run time: 1h 40m
Director: Domee Shi
Cast: Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse

A return to form for Pixar, Turning Red celebrates the awkwardness of being a teen in a warm, exciting coming-of-age story. Director Domee Shi was inspired by some classic anime while making Turning Red, and it shows: The movie is vibrant, fun, weird, and unapologetically itself.

Also good: Fire of Love, an award-winning documentary about volcanology pioneers Katia and Maurice Krafft.

The best new movie on Paramount Plus

Top Gun: Maverick

Image: Paramount Pictures

Genre: Action/drama
Run time: 2h 10m
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Cast: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Miles Teller

Before Avatar: The Way of Water came along, Top Gun: Maverick was the only smash box—office hit of 2022. It’s for good reason: The movie is a thrill ride unlike any other, with Tom Cruise’s typical devotion to jaw-dropping stunts applied to stunning aerial battles and dogfights. The cast went through real training to fly the fighter jets, which allows director Joseph Kosinski to show the movie’s action from within the cockpits themselves — a revolutionary step in action cinema that makes Maverick a unique experience sure to be mimicked for years to come.

Also good: Orphan: First Kill, the deliriously fun prequel to the 2009 horror movie; The Lost City, an outrageously silly adventure rom-com with Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum.

The best new movie on Apple TV Plus

The Tragedy of Macbeth

Image: A24/Apple TV

Genre: Thriller
Run time: 1h 45m
Director: Joel Coen
Cast: Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Kathryn Hunter

Joel Coen’s adaptation of the classic play is driven by a powerhouse performance from Denzel Washington as well as striking set design and cinematography, bringing the stark black-and-white images to life. Kathryn Hunter, who plays the witches, also delivers an unforgettable performance.

Also good: Coda, last year’s Best Picture winner, which I haven’t seen but we liked!

The best new movie on Peacock

M3GAN

Image: Universal Pictures

Genre: Horror comedy
Run time: 1h 42m
Director: Gerard Johnstone
Cast: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Jenna Davis

Much more comedy than horror, M3GAN is a hilarious Child’s Play-style send-up of tech culture at a time where conversations around AI are reaching a fever pitch. A roboticist (Allison Williams) at a fancy toy company in Seattle suddenly finds herself as the caretaker of her niece after the death of the child’s parents. Not at all prepared to care for a child (or willing to say no and let the child’s grandparents take care of her), the roboticist instead sees her “burden” as a lightbulb moment for an invention she’s been working on — M3GAN, a childlike robot intended to be a companion for kids. You will be shocked to hear things don’t go according to plan.

Riotously funny with complete control over its tone at all times, M3GAN sings (literally) in part because of the performances. Allison Williams, M3GAN voice actor Jenna Davis, and the rest of the cast perfectly nail the tone of the movie, never stooping to play it as parody. As a result, the played-straight tone of M3GAN makes it one of the funniest horror comedies in recent memory, and rightly enshrines M3GAN herself as an icon for the ages.

Also good: Sick, John Hyams’ tense COVID-era thriller; Nope, Jordan Peele’s excellent new sci-fi horror, Violent Night, the R-rated Santa action comedy; Tár, Polygon’s No. 6 movie of 2022 and a masterful study of a celebrity conductor’s life collapsing.

The best new movie on Shudder

Saloum

Image: Shudder

Genre: Horror/thriller
Run time: 1h 24m
Director: Jean Luc Herbulot
Cast: Yann Gael, Roger Sallah, Mentor Ba

A breakout 2022 surprise from Senegal, Saloum is a genre-bending thriller packed with memorable images, charismatic characters, and plenty of surprises. Directed by award-winning music video director Jean Luc Herbulot, Saloum follows three mercenaries who crash-land in Senegal on their way home from a mission. As they try and make their way to safety, everything is not as it appears.

Also good: Skinamarink, an experimental horror movie that has turned into a viral sensation; Resurrection, a psychological thriller with one of the year’s best performances from Rebecca Hall; Hellbender, a family-made low-budget movie about a young girl who discovers she comes from a family of witches; A Wounded Fawn, a grimy serial killer thriller shot on 35mm; and The Last Thing Mary Saw, starring Isabelle Fuhrman as a young girl suspected of murder.

The best new movie on Mubi

Decision to Leave

Image: Mubi

Genre: Mystery/romance
Run time: 2h 18m
Director: Park Chan-wook
Cast: Park Hae-il, Tang Wei

Park Chan-wook’s latest masterpiece was our No. 2 movie of 2022, and for good reason. Decision to Leave is an ambitious thriller, blending mystery and romance together in an uncanny fusion that only Park could pull off. A gorgeous movie with plenty of mystery to unwrap after you’re done, Decision to Leave is also a flat-out good time, with excellent lead performances and captivating images around every corner.

Also good: Shadow, Zhang Yimou’s stunning wuxia epic, and Faces Places, Agnès Varda’s thoughtful and charming documentary.

The best new movie on Criterion Channel

I Was a Simple Man

Image: Criterion Channel

Genre: Drama
Run time: 1h 40m
Director: Christopher Makoto Yogi
Cast: Steve Iwamoto, Constance Wu, Tim Chiou

A beautiful ghost story that doubles as a slow-burn meditation on death and memory, I Was a Simple Man is a gorgeous family tale set in Hawaii, centered on the approaching death of the family’s aging patriarch (Steve Iwamoto, who is incredible). As family living and dead alike come to visit him, intergenerational tensions arise as old squabbles get renewed. Featuring gorgeous images of Hawaii and evocative use of dream aesthetics, I Was a Simple Man is one of the most beautiful movies of 2022.

Also good: Infinite Football, an offbeat and charming soccer-related documentary from Corneliu Porumboiu.