What’s Streaming This Week (5/25 - 6/1)
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 next week’s highlights:
Tuesday, May 27th, 2025
FIGHT OR FLIGHT - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Synopsis: A mercenary takes on the job of tracking down a target on a plane but must protect her when they're surrounded by people trying to kill both of them.
What we like:
At 46, Josh Hartnett is back in a big way. He performed nearly all his own stunts during the film’s intense 25-day shoot, and trained rigorously for seven major fight sequences and ended up “bruised from head to toe.”
Though the story unfolds on a flight from Bangkok to San Francisco, the movie was filmed in Hungary, including at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport. The production team built a full-scale airplane set to capture the claustrophobic action.
What we don’t like:
We thought this might be a sleeper early summer success story, but it only pulled in about $3.5M at the domestic box-office. At least it got a theatrical release here in the US. In the UK, it went straight to SVOD service Sky Cinema.
JULIET & ROMEO - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Synopsis: Set in 1301 at the end of Medieval times, our most famous star-crossed lovers turn the tides on the history Shakespeare based his own story on, as they reveal the truth to the very future of the Empire. But the biggest twist in this most beloved of tales, is leaving the poetry of Iambic Pentameter in the past, for the original pop music that rockets these ever-present themes right to the heart of our characters in the most surprising, and perhaps most powerful way that has ever been seen, or heard, before... The greatest love story of all time, set to the greatest music of our time.
What we like:
Written and directed by Timothy Scott Bogart, the film features original music by Grammy-winning songwriter Evan "Kidd" Bogart and Justin Gray.
While the title characters are played by relative unknowns, the supporting cast features a slew of talented actors: Rebel Wilson, Rupert Everett, Jason Isaacs, Dan Fogler, Derek Jacobi, Rupert Graves, and Ferdia Walsh-Peelo (from Sing Street!).
What we don’t like:
Hoo-boy, this was rejected by audiences and critics alike. The Washington Post described it as "a prom theme rather than a proper Shakespearean adaptation," which is a pretty funny takedown.
THE KING OF KINGS - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental (Apple TV & Fandango at Home Exclusive)
Synopsis: Charles Dickens tells his young son Walter the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice.
What we like:
Director Seong-ho Jang dedicated 10 years to bringing the film to life. It’s production spanned multiple countries: while it was produced by South Korea's Mofac Studios, visual effects were handled by Animost Studio in Vietnam, and post-production took place at SunJive Studios in Adelaide, Australia.
The film has an absolutely stellar voice cast: Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, Mark Hamill, Pierce Brosnan, Roman Griffin Davis, Forest Whitaker, Ben Kingsley, and Oscar Isaac.
Do you know this film made a quiet $60M at the US box office?? When Angel Studios hits…they HIT.
What we don’t like:
Mariah Carey will not be happy: Upon its release, The King of Kings achieved a $19 million opening weekend in North America, setting a new record for animated faith-based films. That surpassed the previous record held by The Prince of Egypt since 1998.
THE PROSECUTOR - $12.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Synopsis: A young man wrongfully charged with drug trafficking, pleads guilty under undue influence from his defense lawyer, letting the actual convict escaped from penalty. Fok (Donnie Yen), an unconventional prosecutor assigned to the case, firmly believes the case is full of doubts & decides to conduct a private investigation on his own. Fok risks his life and career to uncover the truth and bring the real culprit to justice.
What we like:
The film is loosely based on a 2016 drug-trafficking case, where a police detective-turned-prosecutor risked his career to help a wrongly accused defendant entangled with a crime syndicate led by a law-educated drug lord.
One of the standout scenes is a nightclub fight filmed at a private club in Hong Kong's Quarry Bay. The sequence involved 40 to 50 stunt performers and utilized aerial drones to capture dynamic shots, all executed without CGI enhancements.
What we don’t like:
Critics were generally positive, but David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a B-, lamenting that the legal case "struggles to match the same intensity" as the action sequences and fails to adequately explore the systemic corruption harming Hong Kong's lower class in a "hurried and ham-fisted" narrative.
THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG - Hulu
Synopsis: Investigating judge Iman grapples with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran. When his gun vanishes, he suspects his wife and daughters, imposing draconian measures that strain family ties as societal rules crumble.
What we like:
Premiering at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, the film received a nearly 15-minute standing ovation and was honored with multiple awards, including the Special Jury Prize and the FIPRESCI Prize. It was nominated for Best International Feature at the Oscars.
To enhance authenticity, the film integrates actual footage from the 2022 Iranian protests, particularly those related to women's rights and the compulsory hijab.
Mohammad Rasoulof directed the film clandestinely in Tehran between December 2023 and March 2024, during a period of significant political unrest. He managed the production in secrecy, often coordinating remotely via FaceTime, to avoid detection by Iranian authorities.
What we don’t like:
Lead actress Soheila Golestani faced legal consequences in Iran for her involvement in the film and her activism, including a sentence of 74 lashes. Other cast members, such as Setareh Maleki, Mahsa Rostami, and Niousha Akhshi, were compelled to flee Iran due to their participation in the project.
Wednesday, May 28th, 2025
CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD - Disney+
Synopsis: After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.
What we like:
We love Anthony Mackie and hope he can parlay this high-profile Marvel role in to some meaty dramas…comedies…action films…whatever he wants to do.
Director Julius Onah drew inspiration from political conspiracy thrillers like The Day of the Jackal (1973), Le Samouraï (1967), Point Blank (1967) and Clear and Present Danger (1994) in an effort to capture the paranoia of trying to uncover a mystery within a corrupt political and military establishment. Those are all great movies!
What we don’t like:
We need to be honest here. We tapped out on the Marvel films a while ago, so there’s not much we have to offer to the discourse. Red Hulk is not the way we want to remember Harrison Ford. We are excited to check out The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which looks unique and interesting. Brave New World just seemed stale and tired.
Friday, May 30th, 2025
BONO: STORIES OF SURRENDER - Apple TV+
Synopsis: Through words, music, and mischief, Bono pulls back the curtain on his deeply personal experiences that have shaped him as a son, father, husband, activist, and U2 frontman.
What we like:
A cinematic adaptation of Bono’s 2022 memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, and his subsequent one-man stage show, Stories of Surrender: An Evening of Words, Music and Some Mischief…. It blends storytelling with stripped-down musical performances, featuring Bono accompanied by a string ensemble instead of his usual bandmates.
The documentary is directed by Andrew Dominik, best known for his films The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and Blonde.
Premiering at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the documentary received a seven-minute standing ovation. Cannes standing ovations are a 100% bellwether of quality. Everyone knows that.
What we don’t like:
The doc is the first feature-length film available in Apple Immersive Video format. This version, designed for the Apple Vision Pro headset, offers an 8K resolution with Spatial Audio, creating a 180-degree video experience that places viewers onstage with Bono. We don’t like that we’re too poor to afford an Apple Vision Pro headset.
DOG MAN - Peacock
Synopsis: When a faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are injured together on the job, a harebrained but life-saving surgery fuses the two of them together and Dog Man is born. Dog Man is sworn to protect and serve—and fetch, sit and roll over. As Dog Man embraces his new identity and strives to impress his Chief, he must stop the pretty evil plots of feline supervillain Petey the Cat.
What we like:
Both a spin-off and a story within a story of Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017), this DreamWorks Animation hit is the second film in the Captain Underpants franchise.
Keeping in line with the source material, Dog Man does not speak, although voice actor Peter Hastings still provides his barks and expressions. Hastings also voices Officer Knight, a police officer whose body from the neck down is used to create Dog Man.
What we don’t like:
An epidemic of ____ Man titles. First it was Wolf Man, then Better Man, A Working Man and of course Dog Man. Still to come in 2025: , Superman, Roofman, and The Running Man.
SHADOW FORCE - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Synopsis: Kyrah and Isaac were once the leaders of a multinational special forces group called Shadow Force. They broke the rules by falling in love, and in order to protect their son, they go underground. With a large bounty on their heads, and the vengeful Shadow Force hot on their trail, one family's fight becomes all-out war.
What we like:
Kerry Washington and Omar Sy team up for an action thriller, and we’re always up for checking out these appealing stars.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph follows up her Oscar-winning performance in The Holdovers with a supporting role here. Let’s get this woman some lead roles please!
Joe Carnahan directs, so if you like his brand of meat-and-potatoes action (The Grey, Narc), this may be your flavor.
What we don’t like:
Unfortunately, this was another Lionsgate flop. On a reported $40M budget, the film failed to reach $5M at the domestic box-office. That’s brutal.
Could it be the absolutely tired and played out premise that kept people away? Washington and Sy deserve so much better.
Saturday, May 31st, 2025
MOUNTAINHEAD - HBO Max (8p ET)
Synopsis: A group of billionaire friends get together against the backdrop of a rolling international crisis.
What we like:
Mountainhead is the first feature film directed by Jesse Armstrong, the Emmy-winning creator of Succession.
The comedy was filmed in just five days. Armstrong pitched the idea in December, wrote the script, and completed filming by March.
Composer Nicholas Britell, known for his iconic work on Succession, also provides the musical score here.
What we don’t like:
Initial reviews have been mixed, though encouraging enough to keep our enthusiasm sky high. We can’t wait to check it out.
Happy Streaming Everyone!
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Coming this week…