The Little Mermaid, Oldboy, and every new movie to watch at home

Polygon readers, happy Friday!

Every week we highlight some of the most exciting new films available on VOD and streaming.

This week there are The Little Mermaid, the latest live-action adaptation of one of Disney’s most beloved animated classics, starring singer-actress Halle Bailey. Martin McDonagh’s Academy Award-nominated tragicomedy Banshees Of InisherinHulu has finally made the movie “The Conjuring” available for streaming.Blood FlowerThis weekend, Shudder will debut the new film “The Revenant” by Park Chan-wook. That’s not all; there’s also exciting new releases on VOD this week as well, like the the remastered re-release of Park Chan-wook’s seminal revenge thriller Oldboy starring Choi Min-sik.

Here’s everything new to watch this weekend!

Disney Plus has something new to offer

The Little Mermaid

You can watch the following:Disney Plus offers a wide range of streaming content

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

Genre:Music romantic fantasy
Run time: 2h 15m
Director: Rob Marshall
Cast: Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs

Halle Bailey plays Ariel in Disney’s latest live action adaptation. One of the biggest box-office hits of the year so far and one willing to change the original, it’s finally available to stream on Disney Plus.

Review:

What is the Difference Between The Little Mermaid isn’t whether the fish look good, or what exactly fuels Triton and Ursula’s feud. The central romance between Ariel and Eric is what drives Ariel’s journey. Just because Ariel falls in love doesn’t mean she’s not a strong and beloved protagonist, and just because Eric is a handsome and dashing prince doesn’t mean he lacks the substance behind that charming smile. In updating their love story, 2023 Little Mermaid makes the love story more satisfying — and resonant for a new generation.

Hulu – New Releases

Banshees Of Inisherin

You can watch the following:Hulu offers streaming on demand

Image: Searchlight Pictures

Genre:The Tragicomedy
Run time: 1h 54m
Director: Martin McDonagh
Cast: Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson

Martin McDonagh makes his return to the British Isles with this tragicomedy period drama about Pádraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson), two lifelong friends whose sudden acrimonious split sends ripples throughout the close-knit community on the isle of Inisherin, which forces both men to consider what the value and purpose of friendship even is.

Review:

Banshees Of InisherinThe writer/director Martin McDonagh returns to familiar terrain: This film is like a spiritual follow-up to the 2008 pitch-black thriller-comedy. In Bruges. That film, McDonagh’s feature debut, stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as hitmen hiding out in a version of Bruges designed to feel like Catholic purgatory. Farrell and Gleeson are also the leads in McDonagh’s feature debut. BansheesIn this wryly humorous, smart tale, existential terror is the driving force. This time around, they play much simpler men — a farmer and a musician, respectively — but they have the same anguish as their assassin counterparts, resulting in a film that maintains a spiritual vice grip over its audience, in spite of the charming setting.

Shudder Introduces New Features

Blood Flower

You can watch the following:Accessible on Shudder Plus or AMC Plus

Image: XYZ Films

Genre:Fear Not!
Run time: 1h 42m
Director:Dain Said
Cast: Idan Aedan, Bront Palarae, Remy Ishak

Iqbal is the protagonist of this supernatural horror film. He’s an apprentice exorcist, healer and healer. Iqbal tries to hide his abilities to detect the spirits in the grave to be able to have a regular life. When a malevolent spirit escapes from his apartment and begins to wreak havoc, Iqbal must call upon all his training and talent to dispel the vengeful entity while uncovering his family’s own dark history.

New to Rent

The Invisible Hand in Landscape

You can watch the following:You can purchase the movie on Amazon.com, Apple.com, and Vudu

Lynsey weatherspoon/MGM

Genre: Sci-fi comedy-drama
Run time: 1h 45m
Director: Cory Finley
Cast: Asante Blackk, Kylie Rogers, Tiffany Haddish

Aliens have taken control of the Earth. The good news is that two teenagers have devised a way to save Earth. Another bad news: the plan to divert the aliens is by having the two teens share their love lives. The teenagers are now starting to dislike each other.

That’s the setup for the offbeat sci-fi comedy The Invisible Hand in LandscapeThe. Thoroughbreds Cory Finley, writer/director. Add in Tiffany Haddish and William Jackson Harper, and you’ve got the makings for a very fun time.

Oldboy Remastered

You can watch the following:Apple rents out its products

Photo: NEON

Genre: Neo-noir revenge drama
Run time: 2h
Director: Park Chan-wook
Cast: Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jung

Park Chan-wook’s indelible cult-classic noir thriller returns with an all-new 4K remaster. Oldboy is the story of Oh Daesu, a Korean Businessman (Choi Minsik) who has been abducted for 15 years and kept in captivity. Daesu is released and searches out the person responsible for abducting him to learn why it was he who was being targeted. In his search for answers, Oh Dae-su will be confronted with answers and revelations far darker than any he could’ve imagined.

Strays

You can watch the following:You can rent movies on Amazon.com, Apple.com, and Vudu

Genre:Adventure Comedy
Run time: 1h 33m
Director: Josh Greenbaum
Cast: Will Ferrell Jamie Foxx Isla Fish

It’s a dog comedy… but this time, they talk like filthy adults. If you’ve seen any ads for this movie (and if you haven’t, where have you been and how can I get there?) You will be aware that this movie is R-rated. It follows Will Ferrell’s dog, abandoned by its owner. He then joins forces with other stray dogs to exact revenge. It’s written by American Vandal The following are some examples of how to get started: You can also find out more about the Players co-creator Dan Perrault and Jamie Foxx is in it, so there’s a good chance some of the many jokes are quite funny.