Best New Movies to Stream Right Now — HBO Max, Apple TV, Netflix, and Hulu Gems

Streaming platforms are having quite a time right now for movies as more and more award-worthy films are getting made or picked up by Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max. From incredible dramas to documentaries and biopics, these are the best new movies to stream right now.

Nomadland (Hulu)

Frances McDormand transforms herself for every part she plays — from Marge Gunderson in Fargo to Mildred Hayes in Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri — and she’s no different as a grieving widow in Nomadland. The new indie drama stars McDormand as Fern, a woman in her 60s who loses everything in the Great Recession and decides to set out on the open road, living in her van. Directed by Chloé Zhao, the film is a quiet and powerful portrayal of what grief can do to a person and eventually learning how to live again.

Minari (Amazon Prime)

Available to Rent on February 26

This weekend, this new highly-anticipated drama-comedy from Lee Isaac Chung will be available to stream (for $20 probably) on VOD. Starring Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead), Minari follows a Korean American family as they move to Arkansas in search of the American dream. An intimate depiction of the challenges of immigrant life, the dramedy received U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the U.S. Dramatic Audience Awardat the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

I Care a Lot (Netflix)

I have a love-hate relationship with this new psychological thriller on Netflix. Actress Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) puts on quite the performance as a con artist legal guardian who takes advantage of the elderly for her own benefit. The twist occurs when Marla Grayson (Pike) forces Jennifer Peterson (Dianne West) into guardianship, who unbeknownst to Marla, has some dangerous friends. Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) and Chris Messina (The Mindy Project) also star in this ridiculous thriller that focuses on bad people doing a lot of terrible things. But hey, it kept me entertained for a good two hours.

Framing Britney Spears (Hulu and FX)

The New York Times Presents documentary focusing on Britney Spears has gotten a lot of attention, but it does its job well. The approximately hour-long doc thoughtfully explains the details of Spears’ conservatorship battle (and the rise of the Free Britney movement), while laying out the brutal media coverage of the star (and young women in general) during the early 2000s. It may be a bit of an information retread for longtime fans, but the contextualization of it all is still affecting. Be warned though: the documentary will leave you very upset with Diane Sawyer.

Judas and the Black Messiah (HBO Max)

Based on the true story of Fred Hampton, Chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, and the infiltration of FBI informant William O’Neal, this new movie premiered at Sundance Film Festival just a couple of weeks ago. Already creating Oscar-buzz, the film stars Daniel Kaluuya (Hampton) and LaKeith Stanfield (O’Neal). Powerful and smart, this historical drama is a must-watch before its month-long run ends on the streaming platform.

Palmer (Apple TV +)

If you can set aside your Justin Timberlake feelings (he did apologize to Britney and Janet… about 20 years later), the performer is making a return to film in Palmer, a new drama about a former convict (Eddie Palmer) and an unexpected relationship he forms with a young boy who lives next door. After being in prison for 12 years, Palmer goes to live with his grandmother who takes care of a young boy from a troubled home. Also starring Juno Temple, Alisha Wainwright, and Ryder Allen, this film is a heartwarming story about when people look out for each other, they can turn things around.