New movies this week: Watch crazy and campy ‘M3GAN,’ stream Netflix’s ‘The Pale Blue Eye’
Christian Bale stars in a Netflix period murder mystery that involves Edgar Allan Poe (played by “Harry Potter” alum Harry Melling) as a young detective, and Nicolas Cage brings action-movie mojo to a pistol-packin’ new Western flick as a vengeful dad.
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:
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An evil robot doll kicks off the 2023 movie year
January kicks off the cinematic year with A-listers and a freaky toy girl:
- “M3GAN” is more black comedy than scary movie but you won’t mind.
- Bale headlines an old-timey mystery with “The Pale Blue Eye.”
- With “The Old Way,” Cage takes on his first Western.
If you grew up with Teddy Ruxpin and other toy companions: ‘M3GAN’
Produced by horror fiends Jason Blum and James Wan, the thriller doles out more laughs than scares with the story of a robotics engineer (Williams) who creates a cutting-edge android doll, “pairs” it with her 9-year-old orphaned niece, and comes to find that wasn’t a great idea. M3GAN herself is a hoot as a 21st-century mean-girl version of Chucky amid a sharply satirical take on parenting and modern technology.
Where to watch: In theaters
If you saw ‘Glass Onion’ and need more mystery: ‘The Pale Blue Eye’
This 19th-century whodunit is full of dark, moody flair and a nifty literary bent. A weathered detective (Bale) is called to West Point circa 1830 to solve a grisly murder, and needing a man on the inside, he recruits Poe (Harry Melling), an oddball cadet years away from becoming a goth icon. One of the “Harry Potter” movie kids, Melling has grown up to have an interesting career, and he brings an eccentric magnetism to the twisty thriller.
Where to watch: Netflix
If you want to see a gunslinging Nic Cage: ‘The Old Way’
Colton Briggs (Cage) went from cold-blooded outlaw to devoted family man, but when a gang of miscreants brings tragedy to his home, Briggs and his 12-year-old daughter Brooke (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) head off on a quest for vengeance. The straightforward Western leans cookie-cutter with its characters, especially the bad guys, but not with its parent-kid dynamic, where Brooke is way more like her dad than one might expect.
Where to watch: In theaters (and on demand Jan. 13)
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If you’re wistful for the nostalgic days of VHS: ‘LandLocked’
This lo-fi indie horror film is a cleverly unsettling do-it-yourself delight. Director Paul Owens weaves in footage from his actual home movies and casts family members, including his brother Mason as a young man who returns to his childhood home before it’s scheduled to be demolished. He finds an old video camera that supernaturally brings past episodes back to life but also unlocks a presence that tells a disturbingly dark tale.
Where to watch: In theaters and on Apple TV, Google Play
If you dig horror movies with creepy cults: ‘Candy Land’
There’s a grimy, old-school grindhouse vibe to this solidly brutal thriller starring Olivia Luccardi as a naive young woman cast out from a weird religious group who finds herself befriended by a tight-knit community of truck-stop sex workers. The situation goes awry with her new family when bodies start dropping courtesy of a mysterious serial killer.
Where to watch: In theaters and on Apple TV, Google Play
If you’re a science nerd: ‘The Invisible Extinction’
Crafted in a breezy but informative fashion, the documentary investigates the importance of microbes, how antibiotics have lessened the bacteria in our bodies, and why that might be playing a role in the rise of chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. The film looks at experimental therapies as well as personal stories, and at the very least you’ll learn a ton about fecal transplants.
Where to watch: In theaters and on Apple TV, Google Play
Also on streaming
- “The Menu,” the horror-tinged culinary satire starring Golden Globe nominees Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes, is now available on HBO Max as well as Apple TV, Vudu and Amazon.
- The journalism drama “She Said,” with Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan as the reporters who broke the story of Harvey Weinstein’s history of sexual harassment in Hollywood, is streaming on Peacock Friday as well as Apple TV and on-demand platforms.
- The Korean war drama “Devotion,” starring Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell as friends and wingmen, is playing on Paramount+ starting Sunday and will also be available via on-demand platforms.