Whether you want to rent something new or stick with the streaming services you already pay for, this week has good options: a sharp dinner-party comedy, a family-friendly Minions movie, a teen musical from the Sandler family, a Bob Odenkirk action movie and a Putin-era political drama. Here’s what’s new.
New to rent or buy
The Invite: Olivia Wilde directs and stars alongside Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton in a remake of a 2020 Spanish film, written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones. A couple with a rocky marriage invites their upstairs neighbors to dinner, and the evening falls apart as their problems, and the neighbors’ unusual relationship, come to light. It’s set almost entirely in one apartment and plays like a fast, funny stage comedy. On Prime Video from Aug. 10.
Jackass: Best and Last: Johnny Knoxville and crew say goodbye with new stunts, highlights from the earlier films and never-before-seen footage. It’s more of a victory lap than a finale, but longtime fans will enjoy it. On Prime Video from Aug. 10.
Minions & Monsters: A new crew of Minions become unlikely stars of the silent film era, then lose everything when talkies arrive. Its opening is a loving tribute to classic Hollywood, and it’s one of the franchise’s best entries. On Prime Video from Aug. 10.
Streaming
Don’t Say Good Luck (Netflix): Sunny Sandler stars as Sophie, a theater kid who lands the lead in her school’s production of Waitress while chaos builds at home. Melanie Lynskey, Max Greenfield, Stephanie Beatriz and Steve Buscemi co-star, and Julia Hart (Hollywood Stargirl) directs. Streaming from Aug. 14.
Normal (HBO Max): After the Nobody films, Bob Odenkirk plays Ulysses, a wounded cop filling in as sheriff in the small town of Normal, Minnesota. When a bank robbery goes wrong, he learns the Yakuza secretly run the town and decides to fight back. Early reviews call it bloody fun but forgettable. Streaming from Aug. 14.
The Wizard of the Kremlin (Hulu): Olivier Assayas adapts Giuliano da Empoli’s 2022 novel. Paul Dano plays a fictional TV producer who becomes the spin doctor for a rising Vladimir Putin (Jude Law) in 1990s Russia. Alicia Vikander and Jeffrey Wright co-star. It premiered in competition at Venice but got mixed reviews. Streaming from Aug. 14.
Our pick
The Invite is worth the rental for a smart, grown-up comedy with a great cast. If you’d rather not pay extra, Don’t Say Good Luck on Netflix and Normal on HBO Max are easy, no-extra-cost picks.
