Somehow 2022 is halfway there, which means that Australian streaming services have already amassed more original movies this year than anyone can easily keep up with.
With winter in full swing and the couch calling, here are 20 new movies (including a few that are imminent) for you to pick from, whatever you’re in the mood for.
Discover the following TV series, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Have The Watchlist delivered every Thursday†
All old knives
Spy Thriller, Amazon Prime
Chris Pine’s icy blue eyes and Thandiwe Newton’s coolly disruptive gaze are a match made in conspiracy heaven in this labyrinthine tale, which pairs the two as CIA agents and former lovers who are forced to reconnect when he’s commissioned. to investigate a controversial case they were both working on. Love and betrayal are the currencies of this contemporary drama, which makes the most of the wary chemistry of the protagonists.
Beavis and Butt-Head do the universe
Animated Comedy, Paramount+
Beavis: “he, heh, heh.” Butt head: “Uh-huh-huh.” It gives me great pleasure to say that in the 26 years since Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, these teenage horrors have not changed one iota. They’re still glorious morons, and with creator Mike Judge back from his comedy series silicone valley, the duo soon find themselves in a Bill & Ted-esque adventure with alternate dimensions. Note to fans: Yes, Beavis’ alter-ego Cornholio makes an appearance.
the bubble
Comedy, Netflix
As Judd Apatow comedies go, this is no Whipped or Train wreck, but this COVID-era comedy about a Hollywood franchise production that takes place in chaotic lockdown has such an enjoyable and unexpected ensemble cast – Karen Gillan, David Duchovny, Keegan-Michael Key, Kate McKinnon, Pedro Pascal and Peter Serafinowicz plus some insane cameos – it’s not that hard to find nice scenes, because everything derails. Alternate Take: This is secretly what any big budget shoot looks like.
Cha Cha Really Smooth
Romantic Comedy, Apple TV+
Dakota Johnson puts her spin further away from the fake kink rubble of the fifty shades franchise with a stellar performance, hopeful and overwhelmed in turn, in this independent feature that pulled Apple out of the Sundance Film Festival. Writer-director Cooper Raiff plays a wandering university graduate who bonds with a betrothed woman (Johnson) and her autistic daughter. The lineage of the film goes back through Garden state until the graduatebut it has a welcome mix of eccentricity and empathy.
Cheaper per dozen
Family comedy, Disney+
Speaking of Garden state, the creator and star of that film, Zach Braff, has now graduated to play the father in the third edition of this ode to oversized families, taking over the reins from Steve Martin in the 2003 version. It’s a pleasant, heartfelt comedy about the difficulties of reconciling work and family when you have 12 children in the house. If you have 12 kids, you can fact check this movie. Otherwise, enjoy it.
Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers
Animated Comedy, Disney+
This is a strange, wonderful mix of ’90s kids’ television, meta-commentary, and the comedic talents of Andy Samberg and John Mulaney. In a mix of animation and live-action performances, the pair portray a grown and estranged Chip and Dale, chipmunks who were television stars in the 1990s and were originally created by Disney in 1943. A kidnapping plot allows them to hang out with all sorts of characters in a strange comedy that owes a lot to Who framed Roger Rabbit?† Maximum idiosyncrasy.
Gold
Dystopian thriller, Stan*
Set in the scorching depths of the Australian outback, this succinct survival story is set in an undetermined place and future, stripped of strange details: names, backstories, and very soon hope. Zac Efron’s sculpted main character looks like a temporary worker who, along with a taciturn driver (director Anthony Hayes), finds a huge stash of gold. If he chooses to stay and guard it while help is called for, circumstances spiral out of control.
the gray man
Action, Netflix (July 22)
This is an action movie so impressive it’s meant to kick off the Netflix version of the 007 franchise, but despite Avengers: Endgame Directors Joe and Anthony Russo reportedly spent $290 million, the trailer’s best special effect being the “trash ‘stache” worn by former Captain America Chris Evans. He is a CIA sociopath who hunts down a former colleague, a master assassin played by Ryan Gosling. With the help of Ana de Armas, who was actually in the last Bond movie, they create a lot of rubble.
Rush
Drama, Netflix
Adam Sandler’s Netflix Originals Have a Disorienting Range – Uncut Gemstones and The Ridiculous 6 belong on different planets, but in this sports redemption story, he puts in a solid performance as a frustrated basketball scout for the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers who stakes his ragged career on an unknown European prospect (former Utah Jazz player Juancho Hernangomez). You don’t have to be a hoop fan to follow the familiar story, but fans will pick up a whole host of famous cameos.
I want you back
Romantic Comedy, Amazon Prime
Charlie Day and Jenny Slate strike sparks in this sloppy independent rom-com, with a touch of Hitchcocks Strangers on the train based on a story of two recently dumped bachelors who not only bond with their shared state, but decide to befriend each other’s exes and sabotage their new relationships. It’s a frisky concept, albeit somewhat unevenly developed, and the ending certainly stays true to the genre.
Jerry and Marge are going big
Comedy, Paramount+
Directed by David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada) and based on real events, this comedy makes the most of Annette Bening and Bryan Cranston, who play retirees who find a loophole and use the winnings to breathe new life into their ragged Michigan town. It’s a sweet, if small movie, complete with some Harvard students as booing opponents.
nude tuesday
Subtitled comedy, Stan
Nothing about this sex farce is normal. Set in a fictional island nation in the Pacific Ocean, it is the story of a couple with a troubled marriage (Damon Herriman and co-creator Jackie van Beek), who seek help from an eccentric sex therapist (Jemaine Clement). But everyone is talking gibberish, which means the subtitles can say anything. The film actually has three sets that viewers can choose from, including a version written by comedians Celia Pacquola and Ronny Chieng.
Persuasion
Period Romance, Netflix (July 15)
“It’s often said that if you’re a five in London, you’re a ten in Bath.” I’m pretty sure this isn’t a line from Jane Austen’s revered 1817 novel about romantic loss and longing, but it is in this film adaptation, so devotees be warned. Starring Dakota Johnson, this is a historical drama with modern caveats such as direct-to-camera commentary. Sign of hope: Richard E. Grant in the supporting cast.
To get up
Family drama, Disney+
This biopic also presents as an NBA story, but the basketball is second only to the love and hopeful struggle of family in telling the story of how the world’s greatest player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, found his way to success in America. as the child of Nigerian refugees struggling to survive in Greece. His parents’ stamina and the family’s dignity and resilience in the face of discrimination create an uplifting, albeit familiar, arc.
Heaven is everywhere
Coming-of-age romance, Apple TV+
Josephine Decker is one of the most intriguing filmmakers in the American independent scene (see Madeline’s Madeline and Shirley), so she brings clear vision and intricate threads to this coming-of-age drama about a teenage musician (Grace Kaufman) grieving for her lost sister and dealing with romantic choices. This is a young adult novel adaptation that avoids the tropes of the genre.
spider head
Science Fiction, Netflix
Chris Hemsworth does a reverse Superman in this experimental investigative thriller, donning glasses and setting aside his Thor character to play a charming amoral scientist who uses prisoners as guinea pigs for his emotion-laden drugs. Top Gun: Maverick‘s Joseph Kosinski directs, with Miles Teller and Jurnee Smollett as subjects forming a bond. Shoutout for Hemsworth’s dedication: his nefarious nerd has some sweet dance moves.
The Tender Bar
Drama, Amazon Prime
As a director, George Clooney has tried everything from academics in a World War II drama to post-apocalyptic science fiction, but he finds a comfortable groove in this 1970s coming-of-age drama about a boy with divorced parents who finds himself Surrogate finds father in an uncle (Ben Affleck), who runs a Long Island bar stocked with all kinds of liquor. Based on JR Moehringer’s memoir, it’s a generous film that captures the final act.
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Shakespeare Drama, Apple TV+
Joel Coen stepped aside from brother Ethan—the first divorce in their five-decade partnership—for this reinterpretation of William Shakespeare’s play, and he made the most of it: Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand simmer in the lead roles, firing in black-and-white. white on soundstages and a boxy screen ratio. It is a very atmospheric vision of both the original text and film history, stripped of strange details.
To blush
Animated Comedy, Disney+
One of Pixar’s best films of the past five years went straight to Disney+, where you can enjoy Domee Shi’s fantasy comedy about a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian college student (Rosalie Chiang) who discovers that when she experiences strong emotions, she turns into a giant Red panda. It’s a film about being who you want to be as an adolescent and understanding your cultural heritage, with a little boy band spice to it.
windfall
Thriller, Netflix
This gnarly three-hander for the age of inequality sneaked quietly onto Netflix earlier this year, but it’s worth seeking out. When a tech tycoon (Jesse Plemons, fresh off) The power of the dog) and his privileged wife (Lily Collins) arrive at their vacation home, they are held hostage by an evil intruder (Jason Segel) who holds a grudge against the digital tycoon. Accusations and revelations play out during Charlie McDowell’s film, which builds to a compelling conclusion.
* Stan is owned by Nine, the owner of this masthead.
Discover the following TV series, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Have The Watchlist delivered every Thursday†
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