Morbius, Netflix’s Spiderhead, and more new movies to watch at home

Happy Friday, Polygon readers! This week brings a bevy of new movie releases on streaming services and for rent or purchase on VOD.

Leading the way this week is Netflix spider head, the new film by Joseph Kosinski. Kosinski directed Top Gun: Maverickone of our picks for the best movies of 2022, and Polygon readers may also remember his famous Gears of war 2006 commercial. This time around, he’s working with Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller and the writing team behind the Deadpool films and 6 underground in a cerebral science fiction.

We would be remiss not to mention morbius, which is now available at a reduced rental price of $5.99. Please Morb responsibly.

There’s also the long-awaited release of Phil Tippett’s Nightmare Horror. mad godtwo recent Oscar nominees making their streaming debut, a bunch of new Netflix action movies and more!

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spider head

Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix

Image: Netflix

“Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski and the screenwriters of Dead Pool come together to adapt a dystopian tale by George Saunders” is a true depiction of a real movie that actually exists. Set in a state-of-the-art penitentiary where inmates are forced to undergo a series of mind-altering drug tests in exchange for commuted sentences, spider head follows the story of Jeff (Miles Teller) and Lizzy (Jurnee Smollett), two test subjects who form an unlikely connection under the watchful eye of Steve Abnesti (Chris Hemsworth), an elusive technology visionary whose disturbed philosophy of “living better through of chemistry” threatens the sanity (and lives) of everyone in the facility.

From our review:

Despite the dystopian premise, Kosinski brings a light touch spider head. The colorful cinematography and witty editing contrast the characters’ tragic backstories and grim living conditions, and highlight the disparity between the chemically induced highs and lows of Abnesti’s experiments. Halfway through the film, Abnesti asks Jeff to describe the worst day of his life as the two of them tripping on a drug to feel good. Jeff remembers the day his father abandoned him, laughing hysterically the entire time. This general emotional whiplash vibe runs throughout spider headand Kosinski effectively exploits its sinister undertones.

morbius

Where to watch: Available to rent for $5.99 on Amazon, Apple and Voodoo

Image: Sony Pictures

Marvel’s latest Sony movie is another anti-hero story, as Jared Leto plays doctor-turned-vampire Michael Morbius. When he tests a cure for his rare blood disease on himself, he transforms into the ungodly creation you see above. And now you can rent it for the reduced price of $5.99.

From our review:

One of the important lessons of Poisonsuccess was that if unimaginative superhero franchise movies I must be produced, they can still feel valuable if they are fueled by smart and funny performances. Audiences show up for characters they love, but they also show up for characters played by peopleby actors who give them strange quirks and specific mannerisms. morbius is what happens when there is a studio desire for another Poisonbut without thinking too much about how Poison connected with anyone. It’s just there to plug into a growing crossover franchise. (As a couple of nonsensical scenes mid-credits indicate.)

the worst person in the world

Where to watch: Available to stream on Hulu

image: neon

The third film in what has been described as director Joachim Trier’s “Oslo trilogy”, the worst person in the world is a dark comedy romantic comedy centered on Julie (Renate Reinsve), a medical student who is faced with an overwhelming love life and a troubled career. Following her over the course of four years of her life, the film explores Julie’s delay in growing to maturity and her emotional issues with love, life and professional success.

From our roundup of the best movies of 2021:

Trier peppers in magical-realistic touches that further liven up an already irresistible script supported by nuanced three-dimensional characters. Reinsve’s groundbreaking performance gives the film its most defining element. She brings out her character’s conflicted state in a captivating way, with seductive effervescence and genuine personality. The ever-memorable actor Anders Danielsen Lie, a regular contributor to Trier, complements his work in a painful but still intellectually challenging role as one of his partners.

mad god

Where to watch: Available for streaming on Shudder

Image: Tippett Studio

Nearly 30 years in the making, artist and visual effects director Phil Tippett mad god is a nightmarish odyssey through a dystopian world of boschian grotesques and ghostly landscapes. While the film’s plot takes a backseat to the visuals, the story more or less follows a mysterious figure known as “The Assassin” who descends into a world of titans and monsters on an unspecified quest.

father of the bride

Where to watch: Available to stream on HBO Max

Image: HBO Max

The third film adaptation of Edward Streeter’s 1949 novel, this one stars Andy Garcia and Adria Arjona as the father and bride, respectively. Unlike the 1950 version with Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett and Elizabeth Taylor, or the 1991 film with Steve Martin, Diane Keaton and Kimberly Williams, the new adaptation focuses on a Cuban-American family.

Lunana: A yak in the classroom

Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix

Image: Dangphu Dingphu/Samuel Goldwyn Films

Nominated for Best International Feature Film at this year’s Oscars, Lunana: A yak in the classroom is a Bhutanese drama about a teacher with dreams of being a singer who is assigned to a classroom in a small village in the mountains.

Good luck to you, Big Leo

Where to watch: Available to stream on Hulu

Image: spotlight images

Director Sophie Hyde (Animals) and comedy writer Katy Brand team up for this sex comedy starring Emma Thompson as a retired widow who hires a sex worker (Daryl McCormack) in hopes of spicing things up and trying something new.

Jerry and Marge go further

Where to watch: Available for streaming on Paramount Plus

Photo: Jake Giles Netter/Paramount Plus

The devil Wears Prada director David Frankel directs this true-story comedy written by development stuck writer Brad Copeland. Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening star as a couple who win the lottery using math and then use the money to improve their town.

Soft Royal Cha Cha

Where to watch: Available for streaming on Apple TV Plus

Image: Apple TV Plus

This Sundance darling stars writer-director Cooper Raiff as a man working as a “party motivator” who befriends a mother (Dakota Johnson) and daughter (Vanessa Burghardt) at a bar mitzvah.

Collision

Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix

Image: Netflix

This South African crime thriller comes from French director Fabien Martorell, who has worked on documentaries and short films. Set in Johannesburg, the film follows the kidnapping of a young girl by a gangster and the efforts of her parents to save her.

Centaur

Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix

Image: Netflix

This Spanish crime thriller follows Rafa (Àlex Monner), a professional motorcyclist. When his mother gets in trouble with some bad people, he uses his unique set of skills to help her, but will it hurt his career in the process?

Downton Abbey: A New Era

Where to watch: Available to rent for $19.99 on Amazon, Apple, and Voodoo

Photo: Ben Blackall/Focus Features

The sequel to 2019 Downton Abbey movie, this new installment in the long-running franchise arrives on VOD for rent. In this one, the Crawley family travels to France in search of a mysterious inheritance.

Father Stu

Where to watch: Available to rent for $5.99 on Amazon, Apple and Voodoo

Photo: Karen Ballard/Sony Pictures

Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson star in this faith-based film about an ex-boxer who becomes a Catholic priest. It is now available for rent at a reduced price of $5.99.

kickback

Where to watch: Available to rent for $5.99 on Amazon, Apple and Voodoo

Image: Saban Films

Former UFC champion Randy Couture stars alongside Cam Gigandet and Louis Mandylor in this crime thriller about a thief seeking revenge on the team that betrayed him. There is also a cryptocurrency subplot, apparently.