Top 9 New Movies to Watch on Netflix, Prime Video and More (July 9-15)

Top 9 New Movies to Watch on Netflix, Prime Video and More (July 9-15)

Once again, this week is packed with new movies from various streaming services, including Netflix and Prime Video.

But the highlight of the week, however, is the premium streaming category, where theatrically released hits like "Planet of the Apes" and "The Garfield Movie" will be available at home in a few days. So will the often overlooked gasoline drama "The Bikeriders," starring Tom Hardy and Austin Butler.

So if you're looking for something new to stream this week, here's a roundup of new movies to watch over the next seven days. In addition, be sure to check out our sister article covering the best TV shows available for streaming this week.

Loosely inspired by a real motorcycle club that formed in the 1930s and continues to this day, The Biker Riders is as subtle as a Harley-Davidson exhaust pipe, but an oil painting of 20th century American biker culture Snapshot is nonetheless strangely engaging. After watching it, I didn't think about switching my car for an oversized pig, but I did think briefly about buying a leather jacket (but I could never pull off that look).

Spanning decades, "Biker Riders" begins with the first meeting between Kathy (Jodie Comer) and Benny (Austin Butler), a member of the Vandals, a Midwestern motorcycle club. The group is led by respected founder Johnny (Tom Hardy). Cathy is new to this well-oiled world, but she is immediately drawn to Benny and caught up in the carefree camaraderie that is the Vandals' credo. But as the club grows in size, some of its younger members turn it toward violence and criminal activity, and Benny and Johnny are forced to contend with the rapidly changing times.

Buy or Rent Now on Amazon

"The Garfield Movie" is not to be confused with 2004's "Garfield": a film that introduces a whole new generation of viewers to the lasagna-loving, Monday-hating ginger fuzzball, but but longtime fans of this lazy cat may be a little disappointed. While the colorful, vivid animation is pleasant, it loses most of the ironic edge of Jim Davis's original cartoon. Still, if you want a safe distraction for young children, there are far worse options.

In "The Garfield Movie," the long-lost father, a stray dog named Vic (Samuel L. Jackson), is back, and the eponymous house cat (voiced by Chris Pratt) reluctantly embarks on his wildest adventure yet. Bringing his best friend's pooch, Ody (Harvey Guillen), along for the ride, Garfield turns from his pampered life to a life of crime.

Buy or Rent Now on Amazon

"Planet of the Apes" launches the Sick Fi franchise far into the future. The battle for Earth has long since ended, apes are now the dominant species, and only a few remnants of the former world remain. In this new society, the apes are divided into clans, and the protagonist, a young chimpanzee named Noah (Owen Teague), embarks on a journey to rescue the remnants of his tribe who have been taken prisoner in a vicious attack by a savage band of marauders. [Kingdom, the fourth film in the "Planet of the Apes: Neon Genesis Evangelion" series that began with 2011's "Planet of the Apes: Neon Genesis Evangelion," marks the beginning of a new trilogy, introducing a new world and a striking and compelling new character (both ape and human) that It succeeds. In some respects, however, the film looks a bit familiar, with a finale that is all too similar to 2014's "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," but it remains a thrilling blockbuster with spectacular CGI.

Buy or Rent Now on Amazon

Russell Crowe, who starred in last year's "The Pope's Exorcist," returns to battle the forces of evil in "Exorcism. Not to be confused with last year's "The Exorcist": this supernatural chiller draws clear inspiration from the legendary horror film, but does not belong to the same franchise (the titles are so similar that they are a bit confusing). Critics were less than favorable to the film, but if you're looking for a discarded horror flick that delivers cheap scares and clichéd thrills, you can do better.

In "Exorcism," Crowe plays Anthony Miller, a failed actor who plays a priest in a horror film (meta), whose mental state deteriorates on the set and his sanity and stability come into question. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) worries that the demons of Anthony's past addictions have returned, but Anthony assures her that something more sinister is going on. In the end, they have no choice but to call in an exorcism specialist.

Buy or Rent Now on Amazon

Director John Krasinski switches from the horror franchise "The Quiet Place" to "IF," a family-friendly film that brings imaginary friends to life. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Steve Carell, Emily Blunt, George Clooney, Bradley Cooper, Matt Damon, and a host of other recognizable voice actors lend their voices to the animation of fictional creatures.

In "IF," a young girl named Bea (Kaley Fleming) moves into her grandmother's New York apartment while her father (Krasinski) is in the hospital; after meeting the grumpy upstairs neighbor, Cal (Reynolds), Bea discovers that she can see imaginary friends in others. Realizing that her imaginary friends have been forgotten by their creator and have nowhere to go, she sets off on a journey with Cal to reunite her imaginary friends with their grown children. While "IF" is a little too childish for my taste, it's a relatively successful family-friendly feature.

Watch it now on Paramount Plus

If you can't tell by the name of the film, "Tyler Perry's Divorce in Black" is by writer/director Tyler Perry. Instead, Divorce in the Black is a very mature drama about the destructive nature of all-consuming love and the difficulties that come when trying to escape a toxic relationship.

The film centers on Ava (Meagan Good), a hardworking professional whose life is shattered when her husband Dallas (Cory Hardrict) suddenly leaves her. Ava fights desperately to save her marriage, but her resolve is tested when Dallas' past misdeeds come to light. If you enjoy romantic melodrama but also want a thrill ride, Tyler Perry's "Divorce in Black" will fit the bill.

Watch it on Prime Video starting July 11

"The Peasants" is the latest film from the directorial duo of DK and Hugh Welchman, creators of 2017's acclaimed animated "Loving Vincent." Unfortunately, "The Peasants" is not so universally acclaimed, but it is still worth seeing for its stunning art direction alone. The film was made to mimic the look of a classic painting by shooting a traditional film, having over 100 painters recreate the images on oil canvases, and then stitching them together.

The amount of painstaking work and artistic vision that went into each frame of "The Peasants" is truly remarkable and commendable. The film focuses on Janja (Kamila Urzedowska), a young woman living in a Polish village at the end of the 19th century. She desperately tries to make a life for herself, but is caught between gossip, family feuds, and the patriarchal system that is deeply rooted in the village. She tries to challenge the social conventions of the time, and is forced to clash with powerful and egotistical men in order to live her life as she sees fit.

Watch on Netflix starting July 11

Already a pretty great summer of sports (and with the Olympics still to come), Netflix's "The Long Game" looks to remind us again of the exuberance of (healthy) sports competition. This underdog story was released in April and, while it was not a box office smash, it was warmly received by critics. You don't have to be a golf fan to enjoy this historical drama.

Based on author Umberto G. Garcia's 2010 novel The Miracle of the Mustangs, The Long Game tells the true story of the San Felipe Mustangs, a group of young Mexican American men who built their own golf course in the South Texas desert. They had neither professional training nor quality equipment, but they were determined to prove their skills and compete against a wealthy white team in the 1957 Texas State Golf Championship. Described as "a 'Field of Dreams' set in the world of golf," this feel-good sports film is truly a hole-in-one hit.

Watch Netflix starting July 12

Max chose a relatively rare Saturday drop for its new original documentary "Faye." As its name suggests, the film explores the illustrious career of Oscar-winning actress and global icon Faye Dunaway. But beyond celebrating her pioneering professional life, the documentary also explores her behind-the-scenes struggles with mental health and exposes the unfair double standards she endured as a woman in the male-dominated era of Hollywood. With insights from her close friends and colleagues, "Faye" will be a fascinating, in-depth look at a true superstar.

Watch on Max starting July 13

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