This weekend offers a diverse selection of new films to stream at home, featuring the highly anticipated "Toy Story 5" and David Lowery's "Mother Mary." Audiences can also explore thrillers, horror, and dramas, with options available across Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, and video-on-demand services.
"Toy Story 5" is now available for rent, continuing the beloved Pixar franchise that has spanned three decades. Directed by Andrew Stanton, a key figure in Pixar's history, the film revisits familiar characters like Buzz, Woody, and Jessie as they navigate the modern world and a new tablet toy named Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee, which threatens to make physical toys obsolete. The narrative shifts focus to Jessie, exploring her emotional complexities, particularly her feelings of abandonment first established in "Toy Story 2." A flashback scene featuring Jessie and her original owner, Emily, echoes the poignant moments from the earlier film.
On HBO Max, "Mother Mary" presents a surreal pop dream from director David Lowery. The film delves into the intricate relationship between a famous pop star and her former costume designer as they collaborate on a comeback outfit, simultaneously processing the end of their partnership. Starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel, the movie offers stunning visuals and a story open to interpretation. Its setup resembles a stage play, with the pop star Mary seeking out her estranged creative partner Sam to design a dress for her crucial comeback concert.
Other notable releases include "Atlas King," a thriller available on VOD, featuring former MMA fighter Michael Bisping alongside Sarah Wayne Callies and Cuba Gooding Jr. The plot follows a fighter who returns home to his best friend's funeral and becomes entangled in a heist with his godson. The horror genre is represented by "Bury the Devil," also on VOD, which centers on a hospice nurse caring for an elderly patient whose behavior suggests a sinister cause. "Passenger," a horror film on Paramount Plus, follows a couple stalked by a shapeshifting demon after witnessing a car accident.
Steven Soderbergh directs "The Christophers," a comedy available on Hulu, which centers on an aging painter estranged from his children. His offspring hire a forger to infiltrate his home and complete a series of paintings after his death. "I Swear," a drama on Netflix, is based on the life of Scottish activist John Davidson and his journey dealing with Tourette's syndrome. "Rosebush Pruning," a thriller on MUBI, explores tensions within a wealthy American family in a Catalan village when a member decides to move his girlfriend in. "Buffet Infinity," a unique horror film on Shudder, is constructed entirely from 90s television commercials, news broadcasts, and PSAs, depicting feuding businesses grappling with the rise of an all-you-can-eat restaurant. Finally, Claire Denis's drama "The Fence," available on AMC Plus, unfolds over a tense night at a West African construction site where an American site manager and a local engineer confront a man seeking the body of his brother, who died in a workplace accident.