New movies this week: Stream Hulu’s ‘Rosaline,’ watch ‘Till,’ skip ‘Halloween Ends’
Halloween is coming, and so is a “Halloween” flick for the season’s screamings.
This weekend, Jamie Lee Curtis concludes the journey of Laurie Strode – the “final girl” she first played in John Carpenter’s original 1978 slasher classic – in the latest installment of the Michael Myers horror franchise. Danielle Deadwyler stars as the mother of the murdered Emmett Till in a powerful historical drama, and Kaitlyn Dever headlines a Hulu comedy that flips the script on Shakespeare’s “Romeo Juliet.”
Here’s a guide to new movies that will satisfy every cinematic taste, plus some noteworthy theatrical films making their streaming and on-demand debuts:
‘Let’s go get it’:Jamie Lee Curtis says goodbye to ‘Halloween Ends’ and hello to Oscar buzz
If you want to see Jamie Lee Curtis vs. Michael Myers one last time: ‘Halloween Ends’
The diminishing returns for the current trilogy since the highs of 2018’s splendid “Halloween” result in this bottoming-out point. Aside from 1982’s “Halloween III: Season of the Witch,” it’s the installment that goes farthest afield from the franchise (for better and for worse) as Laurie (Curtis) befriends a fellow ex-babysitter/trauma survivor (Rohan Campbell) and also comes face to face with Michael for a gnarly throwdown.
Where to watch: In theaters and on Peacock
‘Halloween Ends’ review:It’s a bloody shame Jamie Lee Curtis didn’t get a better sendoff
If you dig Oscar-ready acting performances and/or historical dramas: ‘Till’
Deadwyler, who was dynamite in “The Harder They Fall,” gives a stirring, Oscar-worthy performance in a film chronicling the 1955 Mississippi lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till (Jalyn Hall) and how his mother channeled her grief into being a civil rights champion. The stunning, heartbreaking scene where Deadwyler’s Mamie Till-Mobley is overcome with sorrow over her son’s brutalized body is one you won’t soon forget.
Where to watch: In theaters
Danielle Deadwyler cautions against skipping ‘Till’:‘Do you want to turn a blind eye to history?’
If you didn’t think Romeo and Juliet were right for each other anyway: ‘Rosaline’
Carrying over some “Booksmart” sass, Dever is a hoot as the title character in this inventive romp that smashes modern humor into the Bard’s famous love story. Rosaline has a thing for Romeo (Kyle Allen), he falls for her younger cousin Juliet (Isabela Merced), and Rosaline sparks a feud trying to bust up the fledgling relationship as she also butts heads with a potential suitor (Sean Teale).
Where to watch: Hulu
Need a spooky season read?:10 new horror books to get into the Halloween spirit
If you adore a good mind-bending thriller: ‘Old Man’
Stephen Lang (“Don’t Breathe”) stars as the title character, a jittery sort living in a cabin in the woods visited by a lost hiker (Marc Senter) who randomly shows up at his door. Wary of each other, their awkward conversation turns revelatory as truths come out in an unsettling little gem about memories and past sins directed by Lucky McKee (“May”).
Where to watch: In theaters and on Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon
If you like the really witchy stuff: ‘The Accursed’
The only horror movie you’ll see this season with a former Power Ranger (Sarah Grey), ’90s mainstay (Mena Suvari) and 1980s fan favorite (Meg Foster). Grey plays a young woman asked by a family associate (Suvari) to care for an elderly woman (Foster). Flies spew from her mouth (eww) and things get demonic in a decent thriller with some nicely creepy visuals.
Where to watch: In theaters and on Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon
Horror movie preview:Peep these 15 new films to prep for Halloween, from ‘Smile’ to Hulu’s ‘Hellraiser’
If you’re all about family Zoom meetings: ‘The Same Storm’
Writer/director Peter Hedges crafted this anthology dramedy with 24 actors – including Sandra Oh, Mary-Louise Parker and Ron Livingston – during the early days of the COVID-19 lockdown. And it’s a mostly effective outing, too, with various personalities wrestling with political divisions, the Black Lives Matter movement and just trying to keep their sanity amid a pandemic.
Where to watch: In theaters
If you think Michael Myers is too ‘old school’: ‘Grimcutty’
A new internet meme takes a community by storm. However, teen Asha (Sara Wolfkind) discovers it’s all too real when her parents believe she’s cutting herself as part of a social media challenge but it’s actually the work of a terrifying cyber-monster come to life. Give the tech-tinged flick a C+ for the execution of a clever horror premise, and an A for cool creature design.
Where to watch: Hulu
Also on streaming
- The animated superhero comedy “DC League of Super-Pets,” with Dwayne Johnson voicing Krypto the Superdog and John Krasinski as his Man of Steel BFF, is now available on HBO Max as well as Apple TV and on-demand platforms.
- “Clerks III,” Kevin Smith’s latest comedy featuring characters from his 1994 indie breakthrough “Clerks,” is also streaming on digital platforms.