Labor Day is over, but the new movies to watch online this week include a huge summer blockbuster and one of Disney’s latest live-action remakes. Yes, first up in this week’s roundup of the biggest movies to watch is Thor: Love and Thunder, which debuts on Disney Plus alongside sing-a-long versions of Frozen and Frozen 2.
On the same day, Disney also debuts its live-action remake of Pinocchio. Packed with big stars like Tom Hanks, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Keegan-Michael Key, this remake is the first of two new Pinocchio movies coming out this year. And, no, his live puppet doesn’t look as scary as Guillermo Del Toro’s (due in December).
Elsewhere in the streaming world, Netflix is debuting a pair of documentaries. The former is a story of Australian underdogs in yacht racing and the latter is a chilling tale of an Indian serial killer. There’s also a controversial blockbuster that’s finally coming out on video-on-demand, and HBO Max is offering a global blockbuster starring Halle Berry.
Do they want more? Check out our guide to all of the fall’s biggest TV debuts and our Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power review to see why we think it’s great — and divisive.
Where the Crawdads Sing
The summer’s most controversial box office hit is now on premium video-on-demand. Where the Crawdads Sing, if you didn’t know, is about a young girl named Kya Clark (Daisy Edgar-Jones), who was mockingly referred to in her North Carolina community as “Marsh Girl.” And during that time, she was surviving alone on the NC coast. Once she becomes a teenager, she soon becomes romantically involved with two men. And then, before you know it, she’s connected to a murder trial in 1969 where one of her guards is found dead. The film, which was a smash hit, attracted the wrong kind of headlines after its release thanks to connections to a real-life murder case. It is also accused of perpetuating racist stereotypes.
Buy it Amazon Prime Video (opens in new tab) and other retailers right now
Untold: The Race of the Century (Netflix)
Everyone loves an underdog and — yes — there are even underdogs in the rich and royal world of professional yacht racing. Netflix’s Untold: The Race of the Century is a deep dive into one of the sport’s classic annals, where the royal New York Yacht Club was trying to extend its 132-year winning streak. And who could stop them? The crew of this documentary sat down with some of the Australian team that managed to do the impossible. Members of the US team are also being interviewed.
Stream it Netflix (opens in new tab) right now
Indian Predator: The Diary of a Serial Killer
Netflix knows you (or someone you know) loves true crime documentaries — especially about serial killers. So, of course, someone raised the question, why limit ourselves to only English-speaking countries? Indian Predator: The Diary of a Serial Killer, which explains the horrific crimes of Raja Kolander, arrives this week to show audiences that there are even deeper depths of corruption than you might know. The teaser announcement video above, which explains how he confessed earlier than you might expect, will have you watching ASAP.
Stream it Netflix (opens in new tab) from tomorrow (Wednesday 7 September)
Thor: Love and Thunder (Disney Plus)
In Thor: Ragnarok, we have not one – but two – Thors. The story behind Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) gaining the powers her ex-boyfriend had is pretty emotionally complex, especially for a Marvel movie. That’s part of why the fourth Thor film (Taika Waititi’s second at the helm) is such a hotly debated film. Admittedly, Love and Thunder had a high bar to reach, as Thor: Ragnarok (just like the recent Avengers movies that featured the Asgardian prominently) is highly regarded. And, having seen it, I can say that it doesn’t quite reach the same heights as its predecessor. This is probably due to expectations, as Ragnarok was the sequel to Thor: Dark World, one of the most disliked Marvel movies ever.
However, Thor: Love and Thunder is coming to Disney Plus this week as part of Disney Plus Day, and I’d say that’s the perfect way to watch the movie. At home, where your expectations can be properly adjusted (plus, you didn’t have to pay $18 for a ticket, or go to a movie theater that overcharges for concessions). Here, you’ll see Thor seek personal reinvention and go on a journey that will see him meet Zeus (Russell Crowe) and fight Gor, the butcher god (Christian Bale), who has some good points to make. say.
Stream it Disney Plus (opens in new tab) from Thursday (September 8)
Pinocchio (Disney Plus)
Death, taxes, and live-action Disney remakes are the three most reliable aspects of our lives these days, so it’s no shocker to see Pinocchio on the loose. Here, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth voices the boy-turned-puppet and Tom Hanks plays Geppetto’s adored father figure. You probably know the story, so I’ll limit myself to the all-star cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays/voices Jiminy Cricket, Cynthia Erivo is the Blue Fairy, and Keegan-Michael Key is “Honest” John. Lorraine Bracco is still here to play the new character Sophia the Seagull.
Stream it Disney Plus (opens in new tab) from Thursday (September 8)
Moonlight
Again, it’s the end of the world as we know it – and it’s actually seemingly too late to stop it all. Halle Berry and Patrick Wilson star in Moonfall, a big budget disaster and alien invasion movie. Yes, somehow there is both a cataclysmic event threatening the Earth and a secret entity that has been in our shadows for longer than we know. It even has John Bradley, who you may remember as Samwell Tarley in Game of Thrones. Moonfall admittedly wasn’t a big hit during its theatrical run. Maybe that’s because it’s not a Marvel movie or it’s not a Tom Cruise movie. Either way, Moonfall has been on my “I should check that out” list for a while, as it’s directed and co-written by Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow).
Stream it HBO Max (opens in new tab) from Friday (September 9)
End of the Road (Netflix)
Moving cities isn’t fun when you’re young. But, End of the Road asks, what if you and your family witnessed a murder? Would that shake things up enough? Well, one day Brenda (Queen Latifah), her two children and her brother Reggie (Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges) are about to find out. At a random motel near the New Mexico desert, this family somehow becomes the target of a killer. Before you ask why, you know that Reggie thought it was a good idea to keep a bag full of money. Has anyone seen No Country For Old Men?
Stream it Netflix (opens in new tab) from Friday (September 9)
