What’s Streaming This Week (8/3 - 8/10)
Welcome to When To Stream’s Weekly Preview! Every week, we take a closer look at the major film streaming releases scheduled to launch in the next 7 days. As always, release dates are subject to change.
One note: We provide links to Amazon pre-orders (when available) and do receive a very small commission for any purchases made from this website. If you’d like to support our work, and you’re looking to buy through Amazon, we’d appreciate it if you’d click through.
Here are this week’s highlights:
Tuesday, August 5th, 2025
ABRAHAM’S BOYS: A DRACULA STORY - $14.99 Sale / $6.99 Rental
Synopsis: Following the events of Dracula, Abraham van Helsing moves his two sons, Max and Rudy, to the US in an attempt to escape their past. It does not work.
What we like:
The film is based on a Joe Hill short story originally published in 2004’s The Many Faces of Van Helsing and later in his 2005 anthology 20th Century Ghosts.
Titus Welliver (from Bosch) plays Abraham Van Helsing, portrayed as a father whose trauma may be the real monster.
Writer-director Natasha Kermani previously directed a segment of Shudder’s 2023 anthology film V/H/S/85, and this film will hit that platform later in the year.
What we don’t like:
Unfortunately, critics did not respond to this gothic chiller. It currently sits at a 39 on Metacritic.
BOB TREVINO LIKES IT - Hulu
Synopsis: Lily Trevino unexpectedly befriends an online stranger who shares her self-centered father’s name. This new Bob Trevino’s support could transform her life.
What we like:
Writer-director Tracie Laymon drew inspiration from her own life for the film. While attempting to reconnect with her estranged father on Facebook, she mistakenly friended a stranger with the same name. This unexpected connection blossomed into a meaningful, years-long friendship, forming the emotional core of the movie.
The film made a significant impact at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, securing both the Grand Jury Award and the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. Its acclaim continued with accolades from various other festivals, including the Hamptons, Denver, and Valladolid International Film Festivals.
The film's score was composed by Jacques Brautbar, a founding member of the band Phantom Planet.
What we don’t like:
It continues to be tough out there for indie films. Despite good reviews and festival prizes, pretty much no one went to see this in theaters. It grossed about $500K in the US.
CAUGHT BY THE TIDES - $19.99 Sale / TBD Rental / The Criterion Channel (8p ET)
Synopsis: Years after her boyfriend left her for the big city and promised to bring her there after he’s settled down, a Chinese woman sets out on a journey to be reunited with him.
What we like:
Master filmmaker Jia Zhangke’s latest was crafted almost entirely from 22 years of Jia’s archival footage, including DV clips, outtakes, and unused material from films like Unknown Pleasures (2002), Still Life (2006), and Ash Is Purest White (2018). It also incorporates newly shot pandemic-era scenes.
Originally conceived years earlier, the project came together during the COVID-19 lockdown, when Jia revisited and recontextualized his unused footage into a new narrative form.
The film world premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival to terrific reviews. It’s currently 99% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
What we don’t like:
It’s not necessary to be familiar with Jia’s previous films to enjoy this one, but it’s probably not the place you want to start on his filmography if you’ve never seen his work. The Criterion Channel has helpfully programmed a selection of his films.
JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH - $29.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Synopsis: Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, covert operations expert Zora Bennett is contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material from the world's three most massive dinosaurs. When Zora's operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized, they all find themselves stranded on an island where they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that's been hidden from the world for decades.
What we like:
Rebirth is directed by Gareth Edwards (Rogue One, Godzilla) and written by David Koepp, the screenwriter of the original Jurassic Park (1993) and The Lost World (1997), marking his return to the franchise after nearly 30 years.
The film was shot entirely on 35 mm film with anamorphic lenses to recapture the visual tone of the early Jurassic films. It also features fewer CGI shots, favoring practical effects and animatronics for creature realism.
One of our favorite current actors, Jonathan Bailey, not only acts in the film, he also plays a clarinet solo in Alexandre Desplat’s orchestral score, performing in the scene where his character first touches a dinosaur.
What we don’t like:
The film introduces a new dinosaur, the Distortus rex (“D‑Rex”), a grotesque mutant T. rex with six limbs. We don’t know why the Jurassic filmmakers insist on making these dinos look more and more like aliens. It doesn’t make them scarier, it makes them less real, and it needs to stop.
SORRY, BABY - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Synopsis: Something bad happened to Agnes. But life goes on… for everyone around her, at least. When a beloved friend visits on the brink of a major milestone, Agnes starts to realize just how stuck she’s been, and begins to work through how to move forward.
What we like:
The directorial debut from Eva Victor, the film world premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for Victor’s script.
Lucas Hedges is back! The actor, who took a brief hiatus from film roles during the pandemic, has a memorable supporting role in this one.
Critics have been raving about this dark comedy. The film currently sits at 96% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
What we don’t like:
After the film’s gangbusters premiere at Sundance, A24 acquired worldwide distribution rights to the film for a reported $8 million after a bidding war with studios including Searchlight Pictures, Neon and Mubi. Unfortunately, the distributor will have to hope it makes it’s money back on PVOD. The film has earned less than $2M at the box-office to-date.
Wednesday, August 6th, 2025
THE PICKUP - Prime Video
Synopsis: A routine cash pickup takes a wild turn when mismatched armored truck drivers Russell and Travis are ambushed by ruthless criminals led by savvy mastermind Zoe.
What we like:
Directed and Produced by Tim Story, who has some fun comedies under his belt, including Ride Along and Barbershop.
The film’s cast is stacked: Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson, Keke Palmer, Eva Longoria, Marshawn Lynch, Roman Reigns, Andrew Dice Clay, and Ismael Cruz Córdova.
The runtime is 94 minutes, which is the right length for a comedy. Actually, we need more movies under 2 hours in general.
What we don’t like:
On April 20, 2024, a second-unit stunt involving an armored truck and car ended in a rollover crash that injured several crew members. No main cast were present, and the union later reported no safety violations were found.
Thursday, August 7th, 2025
THE MONKEY - Hulu
Synopsis: When twin brothers find a mysterious wind-up monkey, a series of outrageous deaths tear their family apart. Twenty-five years later, the monkey begins a new killing spree forcing the estranged brothers to confront the cursed toy.
What we like:
Longlegs director Osgood Perkins’ latest is based on Stephen King’s 1980 short story in his collection Skeleton Crew.
Its trailer shattered records: over 43 million views in 24 hours, surpassing 100 million in under 72 hours, making it the most-watched independent horror movie trailer ever.
Stephen King himself hailed it as “bat‑shit insane.”
What we don’t like:
Due to copyright issues (Disney owning the monkey-cymbal toy from Toy Story 3), Perkins changed the toy to a drum-playing monkey. We think there was a crossover opportunity here, and choose to believe The Monkey is part of the Toy Story Cinematic Universe.
Friday, August 8th, 2025
CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD - Shudder
Synopsis: Quinn and her father have just moved to the quiet town of Kettle Springs hoping for a fresh start. Instead, she discovers a fractured community that has fallen on hard times after the treasured Baypen Corn Syrup Factory burned down. As the locals bicker amongst themselves and tensions boil over, a sinister, grinning figure emerges from the cornfields to cleanse the town of its burdens, one bloody victim at a time.
What we like:
Based on Adam Cesare’s 2020 young adult horror novel of the same name, this adaptation was announced even before the book's release. Cesare's novel is the first in a trilogy, with the third installment, Clown in a Cornfield 3: The Church of Frendo, released in August 2024.
The film earned $3.6M over its opening weekend, marking a record for longtime indie distributor IFC Films.
Director Eli Craig is best known for the horror-comedy Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, which we thought was pretty good!
What we don’t like:
Despite the film’s record-breaking start, it failed to out-gross IFC’s 2024 horror hit Late Night With the Devil, which topped over $10M total. Clown in a Cornfield ended its run at $7.2M (still a huge indie success!).
FREAKY TALES - HBO Max
Synopsis: In 1987 Oakland, a mysterious force guides The Town's underdogs in four interconnected tales: teen punks defend their turf against Nazi skinheads, a rap duo battles for hip-hop immortality, a weary henchman gets a shot at redemption, and an NBA All-Star settles the score.
What we like:
Talented filmmakers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck deliver an ambitious film with four interconnected stories, each taking place at real locations and during real historical events in 1987 Oakland, California.
The film’s stacked cast includes Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis, Dominique Thorne, Jack Champion, Marshawn Lynch, Tom Hanks, and the singer Normani, who makes her film debut.
What we don’t like:
This is the last film released in theaters featuring Angus Cloud, who died in July 2023. The film is dedicated to him.
HARVEST - MUBI
Synopsis: Over seven hallucinatory days, a village with no name, in an undefined time and place, disappears. Townsman-turned-farmer Walter Thirsk and befuddled lord of the manor Charles Kent are childhood friends about to face an invasion from the outside world: the trauma of modernity.
What we like:
Filmmaker Athina Rachel Tsangari is back with her newest directorial effort since 2015’s Chevalier. It is her first English-language feature.
The movie was shot entirely on grainy 16 mm film by cinematographer and frequent Alex Ross Perry collaborator Sean Price Williams, who made his own directorial debut a few years ago with The Sweet East.
Our favorite movie dirtbag (complimentary) Caleb Landry Jones plays the central character, a silent outsider who seems more in love with the land than the people.
What we don’t like:
Reviews on the film were mixed, with some critics praising its visual splendour but critiquing its slow pacing and emotional detachment.
Happy Streaming Everyone!
*We are an Amazon affiliate, and do receive a very small commission for any purchases made from this website. If you’d like to support our work, and you’re looking to buy through Amazon, we’d appreciate it if you’d click through.
