Surprise Oscar nominees from last year, fun new take on the crime genre and the biggest movie of 2022 all make their debut on streaming this week. Whether you’re looking for a heartfelt drama, a clever comedy, or a blockbuster moment, you’re more than covered.
What to watch on Netflix
To Lesley
The film that set awards season on fire thanks to the Hail Mary campaign to get Andrea Riseborough nominated for an Oscar is finally coming to streaming. To Lesley got an extraordinarily limited release last fall, but A-list word-of-mouth about the lead actress made it the hottest niche ticket in town. The film centers on Riseborough’s Leslie, an alcoholic single mother who wins the local lottery to squander her wealth, leaving her destitute and a disappointment to her family and friends. It’s a heartbreaking tale of addiction and redemption, and it’s a showcase for a largely unsung actress. To Lesley premiere at the beginning of the month.
To live
Another little-known Oscar nominee from this year’s ceremony premiering on streaming this week is To live. Starring veteran actor Bill Nighy and a screenplay written by Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro, the film follows a gruff public works bureaucrat who takes on a new outlook on life after receiving a terminal diagnosis. While the premise may sound cliche, To live is a rare contemporary drama, one that is small in scale but massive in how it stalks an audience. Soft, sweet and sad, it’s an emotional watch with a masterclass from Mr. Nighy. To live premieres on Monday, June 5.
What to watch on Hulu
Baby Ruby
The hot new trend in horror seems to be pregnancy like psychological thrillers False positive And Clock to the artfully weird titanAnd Baby Ruby is no different. The movie stars Noémie Merlant and Kit Harington as an Instagram-ready couple eager to welcome their first child. Merlant’s lifestyle influencer Josephine is excited to enter her mommy-blogger phase, but the experience of giving birth leaves her jittery and anxious. She is soon haunted by her own worst parenting fears, and her bundle of joy brings a bundle of nerves. Baby Ruby streams from Saturday 3 June.
What to watch on Amazon Prime
Dead end
This new Aussie comedy follows a frantic murder investigation in a small beach town on the island of Tasmania. Dead end features a strange group of detectives: a rigid local sergeant, a wild outsider and an eager junior cop. They must work together to crack the cases before the town’s annual cultural festival brings everyone – including the killer – together. Though it’s a small town murder story washed in the faded grays of the genre, it’s imbued with a knowing wit and a willingness to poke fun at all things crime drama. Dead end premieres on Friday, June 2.
What to watch on Max
I, Tonya
Although from Greta Gerwig Barbie promises some summer fun in July, why not check out a colder turn from Margot Robbie? I, Tonya sees the actress do some of her best work to date as the disgraced American figure skater Tonya Harding. From the highest highs (the first American woman to land the triple axel) to the lowest lows (banned from the sport for her alleged involvement in the attack on Nancy Kerrigan), the film takes her story with humor and sympathy. Allison Janney won an Oscar for her role as Tonya’s mother, LaVona, and it’s an Olympic-level performance from the veteran actress. I, Tonya started streaming at the beginning of the month.
What to watch on Disney Plus
Avatar: the way of the water
Last year’s top-grossing film hits streaming this week. Avatar: the way of the water has it all: an endless amount of blue people, incredibly inventive visual effects, whales talking through papyrus subtitles – and that’s not even half of it. It’s a movie that’s committed to its greatness in every way, making for a fun and rewatchable viewing experience. Few filmmakers take cinematic risks as great as James Cameron, and even fewer have the ability to pull it off brilliantly. Avatar: the way of the water premieres on streaming Wednesday, June 7.
What to see on Peacock
Based on a true story
For fans of all things true crime, Based on a true story puts a new comedic spin on the genre. The series is a bit like Nightcrawler meets Only kills in the building, as a couple (Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina) embark on a true-crime podcasting journey to pay the bills and secure their marriage. As a serial killer stalks sunny Los Angeles, the two delve a little too deep as they try to come up with the perfect pod. Tom Bateman, Natalia Dyer and Liana Liberato also star. Based on a true story premieres on Thursday, June 8.
What to watch is a regular endorsement of movies and TV worth your streaming time.
