The weekend is the perfect excuse to catch up on the latest movies everyone’s talking about. From big streaming premieres to under-the-radar releases worth discovering, this week’s lineup has something for every mood whether it’s action-packed, emotional, funny, or purely escapist. Grab the snacks, settle in, and let the movie marathon begin.
Backrooms
Backrooms is a horror movie adaptation of the viral internet horror concept created by YouTuber Kane Parsons. The film follows Clark, an unhappy furniture store owner who accidentally falls into a strange maze of endless pale rooms filled with unsettling supernatural occurrences.
Unlike the original web series, the movie focuses less on detailed lore and more on atmosphere, psychological dread, and the eerie feeling of “liminal spaces.” The slow pacing builds tension and unease, though some viewers may find it overly drawn out before the horror fully kicks in.
Critics generally praise its unique style and unsettling mood, even if it avoids becoming a conventional horror blockbuster. Overall, it’s presented as an experimental, atmospheric horror film aimed especially at younger audiences familiar with internet horror culture.
How to watch: Backrooms is now playing in theaters nationwide.
The Breadwinner
The Breadwinner is a family comedy starring Nate Bargatze as a mild-mannered Nashville salesman whose life falls apart when his wife (Mandy Moore) leaves for a month after launching a successful invention. He’s left alone to manage their three daughters—and quickly proves completely incapable of handling basic parenting and household tasks.
The film is a broad, slapstick comedy built around the “dad in over his head” trope, with chaotic situations and predictable jokes about domestic incompetence. Supporting roles include comedic appearances from entrepreneurs seen in shows like Shark Tank, plus a strong supporting cast.
While Bargatze’s clean, observational humor lands in a few moments, much of the movie leans on familiar sitcom-style chaos and exaggerated stereotypes about fathers.
Overall, it’s an easy, family-friendly watch with some laughs, but it’s criticized for being predictable and relying too heavily on the “inept dad” formula rather than deeper character work.
How to watch: The Breadwinner is now playing in theaters nationwide.
Desert Warrior
Desert Warrior is a historical action film set in seventh-century Arabia, starring Anthony Mackie and Sharlto Copley, directed by Rupert Wyatt.
The story follows Princess Hind, who refuses a forced political marriage and is forced to flee into the desert with her father. As she’s pursued by a brutal empire led by Emperor Kisra (Ben Kingsley), she joins forces with a mysterious bandit played by Mackie and gradually becomes a leader who unites rival tribes for a final battle.
Despite the unusual casting and premise, the film is praised for its strong visuals, large-scale action, and impressive production value, especially given its Saudi-backed budget. However, critics are mixed on the storytelling and performances, with some finding it uneven or uninspired.
Overall, it’s a visually ambitious historical epic that works better as a spectacle than as a deeply compelling drama.
How to watch: Desert Warrior is now available to rent or buy on Apple TV, Prime Video, and other VOD platforms.
Fuze
Fuze is a fast-paced thriller about an unexploded WWII bomb discovered on a busy London construction site, triggering a massive evacuation and citywide chaos.
What starts as a bomb-defusal crisis quickly shifts into a heist story, as criminals use the distraction to carry out a robbery nearby. The film cuts between the bomb squad and the thieves, building tension as both situations escalate at the same time.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson leads as the bomb expert, with Sam Worthington and Theo James among the criminals involved. Directed by David Mackenzie, the film is praised for its tight pacing, editing, and efficient storytelling.
Overall, it’s a sleek, high-energy genre thriller that focuses on momentum and tension more than depth, but delivers solid entertainment throughout.
How to watch: Fuze is now available to rent or buy on Apple TV, Prime Video and other VOD platforms.
Scream 7
Scream 7 continues the long-running slasher franchise, bringing back Sidney Prescott as she’s once again targeted by a new Ghostface killer—this time with her daughter also in danger.
The film had a rocky path to release, with major cast changes and behind-the-scenes shakeups, including departures and returns of key franchise actors. Kevin Williamson returns as director, and the movie leans heavily into the series’ trademark meta-commentary on horror tropes and fandom.
In the story, a new Ghostface emerges in Sidney’s quiet new life, triggering another wave of killings alongside a group of new teens and returning legacy characters like Gale Weathers and the Meeks-Martin twins. The film includes typical whodunnit structure, cold open kills, and commentary on modern horror trends like AI and nostalgia.
Critically, it’s considered uneven: while some set pieces and kills are effective, many feel the franchise has become too self-referential, struggling to balance satire with actually functioning as a horror movie. It’s widely seen as one of the weaker entries in the series, though still containing a few standout scary moments.
How to watch: Scream 7 is now streaming on Paramount+.
Dead Man’s Wire
Dead Man’s Wire is a Gus Van Sant-directed crime thriller based on a true hostage situation from 1977.
The film follows Tony Kiritsis, a man who takes a mortgage company executive hostage using a shotgun rigged with a “dead man’s wire” around his own neck. Over several days, the standoff becomes a media spectacle, raising questions about corporate greed, desperation, and how the public can turn criminals into unlikely folk heroes.
Bill Skarsgård plays Kiritsis in a tense, emotionally volatile performance, while Al Pacino appears in a supporting role. The film is styled like a 1970s thriller, drawing comparisons to classics like Dog Day Afternoon, with gritty cinematography and period-accurate production design.
Critics generally praise its atmosphere, performances, and relevance to modern ideas about media and economic frustration, even if the subject matter is unsettling. Overall, it’s a tightly made, retro-style crime drama about a real-life hostage crisis and its media fallout.
How to watch: Dead Man’s Wire is now streaming on Netflix.
