The Pope’s Exorcist on Netflix, Elemental, and every new movie to watch

Polygon Readers, Happy Friday!

We highlight the best and biggest new releases each week for streaming and on demand. We have Russell Crowe’s new supernatural horror movie, Jennifer Lawrence in a raunchy comedy, plus much more.

The Pope’s ExorcistNetflix now offers the full series of “The Walking Dead” after its premiere in April The Monkey KingdomThe director of The Boxtrolls. Miguel is ready to fight Hulu launches the brand new crime thriller, Serial Killer. To Catch a killerShalene Woodley stars alongside Ben Mendelsohn. Then there’s all the new releases on VOD this week, like the romantic comedy There are no hard feelings and Pixar’s latest animated film, Elemental.

Let’s dive in!

Netflix: New Releases

The Pope’s Exorcist

What to Watch:Netflix offers a wide range of streaming content

Image: Sony Pictures

Genre: Supernatural horror
Run time: 1h 43m
Director: Julius Avery
Cast: Russell Crowe Daniel Zovatto Alex Essoe

Netflix has released one of the best horror movies in 2023, which is a combination of exorcisms and hilarious jokes that only Russell Crowe can bring. And when you’re done, we ranked movie exorcists in celebration of this event.

Review:

It’s a big surprise! The Pope’s ExorcistThis film has been made with great care, featuring Avery’s consistently creative shots and set-ups. Avery is known for turning B movie material into something fun. (See: 2018’s Overlord.) Crowe’s Italian accent is full on prosciutto. The scares and the inventiveness are great. And by the time the demons really arrive, they look and sound great — the latter thanks to the reliable, gravelly voice of Green Knight’s Ralph Ineson.

The Monkey Kings

What to Watch:Netflix offers a wide range of streaming content

Image: Netflix

Genre:Fantasy action comedy
Run time: 1h 32m
Director: Anthony Stacchi
Cast: Jimmy O. Yang, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Nan Li

The Boxtrolls director Anthony Stacchi takes on the classic Chinese tale of the Monkey King in this co-production between Netflix and China’s Pearl Studio, which worked with DreamWorks on Kung Fu Panda 3. Jimmy O. Yang is the Monkey King, while Bowen Yang (also known as Stephanie Hsu), BDWong (aka BD) and Hoon-Lee are amongst the other voices featured.

Hulu – New Releases

Miguel is ready to fight

What to Watch:Hulu offers streaming on demand

Image: Hulu

Genre:Comedy about Coming of Age
Run time: 1h 15m
Director: Oz Rodriguez
Cast:Tyler Dean Flores Christian Vunipola Imani Lew

The new coming of age comedy is about Miguel (Tyler Dean Flores), an anime-loving teenager that loves to hang out with friends. After learning his parents plan on moving away from his hometown, Miguel becomes self-conscious over the fact that he has never gotten into a fight — a common occurrence in his neighborhood that’s seen as an unofficial rite of passage. Miguel is determined to fight and win, so he begins his training. But the truth of getting into a real fight can be much more difficult than it appears.

To Catch A Killer

What to Watch:Hulu offers streaming on demand

Vertical Entertainment

Genre:Crimson thriller
Run time: 1h 59m
Director: Damián Szifron
Cast: Shailene Woodley, Ben Mendelsohn, Jovan Adepo

Shailene Woodley (Divergent) stars in this new crime thriller as Eleanor, a promising yet troubled Baltimore police officer. After a series of sniper attacks and bombings rocks the city, Eleanor is tapped by the FBI’s chief investigator (Ben Mendelsohn) in order to track down the culprit and bring them to justice.

Peacock – New and Improved

The Body

What to Watch:Peacock offers streaming of the film.

Photo: Matt Licari/Invision/AP

Genre: Documentary
Run time: 1h 32m
Director: Julie Cohen
Cast: Sean Saifa Wall, Alicia Roth Weigel, River Gallo

Julie Cohen’s latest documentary centers on the stories of three intersex individuals who reject societal stigma and come out to openly advocate for the rights of the intersex population.

New on Shudder

Bad Things

Where to watch: Available to stream on Shudder and AMC Plus

Image: Shudder

Genre: Horror
Run time: 1h 23m
Director: Stewart Thorndike
Cast: Gayle Rankin, Hari Nef, Annabelle Dexter-Jones

This new horror film follows a group of friends who stay at a hotel for a free weekend getaway, only to realize that the history of the hotel is riddled with stories of women who unexpectedly lose their minds and do, well, bad things. The trailer gives off the vibe of “The Shining, but make it about female intergenerational trauma,” which is an interesting premise to say the least.

New to rent or buy

No Hard Feelings

Where to watch: Available to purchase for $19.99 on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu

Photo: Macall Polay/Sony Pictures Entertainment

Genre: Comedy
Run time: 1h 43m
Director: Gene Stupnitsky
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Laura Benanti

Jennifer Lawrence stars in this raunchy, hilarious sex comedy as Maddie, a frustrated and financially insecure bartender and Uber driver in New York. When Maddie responds to an unusual Craigslist ad to “date” Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman), the socially awkward son of a wealthy couple, in an effort to boost his confidence ahead of college, she pulls out all the stops to become the boy’s new beau.

From our review:

Mostly, No Hard Feelings is a reminder that Lawrence — an actor who exploded in popularity thanks to the strength of unforgettable dramatic roles in films like Winter’s Bone, Silver Linings Playbook, and the Hunger Games series — is extremely funny. Whether it’s the physical comedy of Maddie’s over-the-top come-ons, her quippy and sweary put-downs directed toward ex-boyfriends and other teenagers, or her barely simmering rage at the rich vacationers that flood her hometown every year, Lawrence is funny in several registers, and the entire movie is held together by her sheer charisma.

Elemental

Where to watch: Available to purchase for $19.99 on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu

Image: Pixar/Disney

Genre: Romantic comedy-drama
Run time: 1h 41m
Director: Peter Sohn
Cast: Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Ronnie Del Carmen

Set in a world inhabited by the anthropomorphic manifestations of the four elements, Pixar’s latest animated comedy centers on Ember (Nancy Drew’s Leah Lewis) and Wade (Archive 81’s Mamoudou Athie), a fire and water element, respectively, who unexpectedly meet and fall in love despite their cultural differences.

From our review:

The core of Elemental is about cross-cultural relationships and the pressure of being a second-generation immigrant living up to parental expectations, while trying to figure out what you actually want out of life. The characters and their relationships are vibrant and fully fleshed out. Visually, Elemental is up there with Inside Out in just how dang cool it looks. But every tender, heartfelt moment in Elemental immediately raises a million world-building questions. While fantasy movies certainly don’t have to address every single wrinkle of their settings, there comes a point where the cool aesthetic and zany elements erode the heart of a story.

Kokomo City

Where to watch: Available to rent for $7.99 on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu

Image: Magnolia Pictures

Genre: Documentary
Run time: 1h 13m
Director: D. Smith
Cast: Daniella Carter, Koko Da Doll, Liyah Mitchell

The first film from Grammy-nominated producer D. Smith follows the stories of four transgender sex workers living in New York and Georgia. Shot in black and white, the film offers insight into the embattled nature of not only their profession, but the cultural fault lines of gender and identity that intersect with their daily lives.