It’s a busy week! In theaters, you can catch Austin Butler in Caught Stealing, as well as the long-awaited remake of Troma cult classic The Toxic Avenger, starring Peter Dinklage. At home, body-horror flick Together, starring real-life couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco, is now available to rent, as is the family-friendly Sketch.
On streaming services you’re likely already paying for, The Thursday Murder Club debuts on Netflix and Marvel’s Thunderbolts* finally makes its way to Disney+. If you’ve managed to make it this far without having the meaning of that asterisk spoiled, now’s your chance!
Read on, because there’s something here for everyone!
Contents
🎥 What to watch in theaters
My recommendation: Caught Stealing
Why you should watch it: Darren Aronofsky’s Caught Stealing is about as fun as it is deeply unpleasant. Many innocent people die throughout! It’s a bizarre mix tonally that absolutely should not work but does, thanks to the director elevating familiar crime caper material with his signature bombastic style and interest in self-destructive characters who are their own worst enemies. Aronofsky is plenty familiar with unpleasant — Requiem for a Dream was his big breakout, after all — but the fun part feels new and exciting for a filmmaker who has thus far demanded to be taken seriously.
Based on the book of the same name, the movie is set in New York City in 1998 and stars Austin Butler as an ex-baseball player turned bartender who was once set for a career playing professional ball before his alcoholism got in the way. He hasn’t stopped drinking since that setback, which seems to define his life. While looking after his neighbor’s cat, some gangsters show up and beat the hell out of him, and he’s thrust into a criminal underworld he wants no part of, and has no business being involved in, as everybody seeks a pile of money his neighbor hid somewhere.
What makes the film stand out is that it’s not just that wacky plot driving the narrative; it’s the fact that we care about Butler’s journey and want him to survive the night. There are many funny side characters and situations he encounters: Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio as a pair of Hasidic Jewish gangsters are a highlight, Zoë Kravitz is great as Butler’s love interest and Regina King hasn’t had this much fun onscreen in ages.
The movie is ultimately more about Butler’s character trying to come to terms with the trauma of his past and move on. It ends with such a glimmer of hope, I had to stick around for the credits and make sure I was watching the work of twisted auteur Aronofsky.
It’s certainly dour throughout, but it’s all in service of reminding the viewer we have the power within ourselves to affect change no matter how bad the circumstances. Butler is absolutely sensational here, again proving he’s got real movie-star power, if Elvis didn’t already convince you. The role involves a lot of physical comedy in addition to making us care about him as a person, and he does a terrific job of selling both the big laughs and the more emotional moments.
Caught Stealing is somehow both an exciting change of pace for Aronfosky and a film that fits comfortably within his oeuvre of movies about sad protagonists with some sort of addiction that gets the better of them. It’s a mainstream crowd-pleaser — with some tonal bumps along the way, including one potential movie-ruining choice for some viewers — with a bit more on its mind than the usual flick that will open on 3,000 screens.
What other critics are saying: There’s a mixed bag of responses, but they skew positive. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw clocked it as “very enjoyable spectacle.” Indiewire’s Kate Erbland, however, writes that “it doesn’t pop, at least until the film’s final act, which finally brings together Aronofsky’s disparate parts and shows an inkling of what the filmmaker was attempting to capture.”
How to watch: Caught Stealing is now in theaters nationwide.
Bonus recommendation: The Toxic Avenger
Why you should watch it: The long-awaited remake of the Troma cult classic is finally here after a multiyear delay and rumors that the film would never see the light of day. Written and directed by actor/filmmaker Macon Blair, The Toxic Avenger stars Peter Dinklage in the titular role alongside Jacob Tremblay as his teenage son.
A horrible accident transforms downtrodden and terminally-ill janitor Winston Gooze (Dinklage) into a new evolution of hero: the Toxic Avenger. Now wielding a glowing mop with super-human strength, he must race against time to save his son and stop a ruthless and power-hungry tyrant (Kevin Bacon!) bent on harnessing toxic superpowers to strengthen his polluted empire.
It’s about as good as a bigger-budget, studio-backed version of Toxie could ever be, retaining the over-the-top and cheap-looking gore, even if it’s marred by cheap CGI. The way heads so easily explode in this movie is something I won’t soon forget, though, so that’s not nothing. I also appreciated that it’s more of a total reimagining than a straight one-to-one redo, allowing for some surprises. I didn’t know I needed to see a guy forced to eat his own beard.
In addition to going after evil politicians, the movie sets its sights on American health care and its Byzantine insurance system, even going so far as to weave this idea into the marketing of the film.
Though it’s nowhere near as charming as its no-budget inspiration, The Toxic Avenger retains both the wild gore and the goofy evil henchmen of the original, with Troma Easter eggs sprinkled throughout for superfans to geek out over. Elijah Wood and Taylour Paige are both having a lot of fun in their supporting roles, too, which goes a long way, as Bacon goes as big as possible. It’s silly, self-aware and made with such affection for the series that it’s easy to be won over.
What other critics are saying: They dig it! Katie Rife, writing for Indiewire, calls the film “agreeably stupid,” adding “the film packs in winking diversions that undermine every moment of suspense, tension or anything resembling an authentic human emotion. It’s a deliberate choice on the filmmaker’s part — one that will alienate much of the film’s potential audience, but will appeal to those already primed to snicker their way through it.” The Daily Beast’s Nick Schager calls it “goofier and grosser than ever,” which he means to be compliments.
But that’s not all…
-
The Roses: This new take on The War of the Roses, a book that was already adapted in 1989 in the memorable bonkers Danny DeVito film starring Kathleen Turner and Michel Douglas, features Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular couple whose divorce get … let’s say homicidal. What it lacks in expressionistic direction, a highlight of the DeVito version, it makes for in silliness, but I’m not sure the extra time spent getting to know these characters and their relationship adds anything other than discomfort once things get messy. It has its moments but its far from memorable. Olivia Colman is terrific and very funny, as always. Get tickets.
💸 Movies newly available to rent or buy
My recommendation: Together
Why you should maybe watch it: When it hit theaters, I wrote that Together works on its own terms well enough, but it’s hard not to think of all the other genre movies it’s referencing throughout, especially if you’re aware of the litigation currently ongoing regarding the potential theft of the story idea.
Alison Brie and Dave Franco star in this body-horror rom-com skewering toxic codependence in relationships and modern fears of monogamy.
The real-life married couple play a twosome moving to the countryside, which tests the limits of their relationship. A supernatural encounter begins an extreme transformation of their love, their lives and (gulp) their flesh.
The actual body horror stuff is nasty and fun. You watch a metaphor turn literal as the couple decides it’d be easier to “split” now than to let things fester. In relationships, two halves are meant to become a single whole, and that idea gets taken here to its most horror-movie extreme. It’s a fun and wild ride, and that ending is sure to be divisive.
What other critics are saying: David Rooney at the Hollywood Reporter says “the movie’s final escalation slaps on the prosthetic disfigurements to hilarious gross-out effect,” and Variety’s Owen Gleiberman writes, “audiences should have fun withTogether, a body-horror movie about a serious thing — love — that never takes itself too seriously.
How to watch: Together is now available to rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV and other VOD platforms.
Bonus recommendation: Sketch
Why you should watch it: When it hit theaters, I wrote that this live-action fantasy adventure movie for kids is a breath of fresh air as far as family-friendly flicks are concerned. It’s an original idea, though it sports a premise that’s essentially “what if Harold and the Purple Crayon was Jumanji?”
When a young girl’s sketchbook falls into a strange pond, her drawings come to life — chaotic, real and on the loose. As the town descends into chaos, her family must reunite and stop the monsters they never meant to unleash.
Sketch harkens back to an era of children’s movies that actually starred kids instead of animated blobs — think The Goonies — and the kids being so charming and laugh-out-loud funny takes it far. It’s a real gem the whole family can enjoy.
What other critics are saying: It’s beloved! Kristy Puchko at Mashable calls it “terrific” and writes that it’s a “fantastically fun and heartwarming movie with a slathering of weird that makes it a real treat.” The Daily Beast’s Nick Schager calls it the family film of the summer and says “it’s a full-bodied triumph bursting with humor, tenderness, and imagination.”
How to watch: Sketch is now available to rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV and other VOD platforms.
But that’s not all…
-
She Rides Shotgun: Taron Egerton stars in this gritty crime thriller, based on the bestselling book of the same name, about a little girl on the lam with her dangerous father. Is her dad a threat, or is he a good guy who got mixed up with some bad people? The performances are strong enough to make up for a script that’s largely cliché. The focus on the Ana Sophia Heger’s character’s journey and how she’s forced to reckon with her father’s mistakes also helps render it a cut above similar fare. Rent or buy.
-
I Know What You Did Last Summer: When it hit theaters, I wrote that I Know What You Did Last Summer is full of references to modern memes and pop culture staples in such a way that it feels even more like a Scream clone than it ever did. Worst of all, though, is it’s poorly directed and awkwardly assembled. The key takeaway here is that Madelyn Cline of Outer Banks fame is a rising star worth watching. Skip it! Rent or buy.
📺 Movies newly available on streaming services you may already have
My mixed recommendation: The Thursday Murder Club
Why you should maybe watch it: Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie and Naomi Ackie star in this OK-enough senior citizen murder mystery. It’s based on the novel of the same name written by English muilti-hyphenate Richard Osman. Sadly, the film lacks the comic verve of the beloved book series.
It’s about four retirees that spend their time solving cold case murders for fun. Their casual sleuthing takes a thrilling turn when they find themselves with a real whodunit on their hands. The issue here is that there’s only a certain number of characters onscreen who are credible as culprits, and the mystery lacks punch as a result.
Sadly it all unfolds in a rather perfunctory manor with zero room for surprises. The performances are charming but the film never even strives to be anything other than mildly amusing, and it has that awful over-lit and uncinematic quality that straight-to-Netflix movies almost always have, which is a shame considering Real Director Chris Columbus helmed it.
The Thursday Murder Club has a premise ripe for a fun franchise that could star some of our finest actors of a certain age — let’s hope the next one is a bit more inspired.
What other critics are saying: The response is mixed-positive! Time’s Stephanie Zacharek writes that the movie “is so good-natured, and so gorgeous to look at, that to carp about it just seems churlish.” On the other hand, Matt Goldberg at TheWrap says “Chris Columbus’ movie wants to evoke cozy British whodunits but has only polish in place of a personality.”
How to watch: The Thursday Murder Club is now streaming on Netflix.
Bonus recommendation: Thunderbolts*
Why you should watch it: When it hit theaters, I wrote that the bar for the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been so dramatically lowered in recent years, the fact that Thunderbolts* nails basic things like having a coherent storyline, building emotional stakes for its characters and doesn’t play like it was poorly cobbled together in the editing room feels like a minor miracle.
It’s a very familiar movie, treading similar ground to The Suicide Squad or even Marvel’s own Guardians of the Galaxy, following a ragtag group of B-list, decidedly non-Avengers group of superheroes forced to band together as they all face imminent death. The biggest surprise is that the plot weaved in some big themes around mental health, like feeling as if the world sucks and you have no place in it, and it really works!
Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova in the lead certainly helps — she’s charming, funny and gives a deeply felt performance despite the MCU trappings — and Lewis Pullman’s villain origin story of “what if Captain America-style serum was used on an unstable former meth addict with bipolar disorder instead of a guy like Steve Rogers” is particularly inspired. By the time he starts disappearing people into “the void,” inspired by harrowing images from Hiroshima, I couldn’t believe the level of ambition I was seeing in a 2025 Marvel movie.
David Harbour as Red Guardian, a knockoff Soviet Captain America and standout from Black Widow, returns and steals the show. Black Widow was better than most Marvel movies because it wasn’t afraid to get dark and have actual stakes; thankfully, Thunderbolts* keeps that tradition alive. “It’s pretty good!” feels like a ringing endorsement after Captain America: Brave New World and even several that came before that.
What critics are saying: With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 88%, those who’ve seen it mostly agree: This is one to watch. As Peter Debruge put it in Variety, it’s the movie that “got the hobbling MCU franchise back on track.” Want a second opinion? The Telegraph’s Robbie Collins wrote that “even Pugh can’t save this morose Marvel yawn-fest.” Yikes.
How to watch: Thunderbolts* is now streaming on Disney+.
But that’s not all…
-
Stans: This documentary about Eminem and how he feels about fandom is a compelling-enough look at the relationship between artists and the people that support their work, though it leave you wishing that the scope was expanded beyond just one artist. Now streaming on Paramount+.
-
Hell of a Summer: A horror-comedy, emphasis on the comedy, made by and starring the very young Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk. It doesn’t really work as horror, but it’s a funny enough comedy for fans of the genre, and it gets the small details about teens right. Now streaming on Hulu.
That’s all for this week — we’ll see you next week at the movies!
Looking for more recs? Find your next watch on the Yahoo 100, our daily updating list of the most popular movies of the year.
