We're in the full swing of summer now, and some of the biggest streaming services are serving up new movies to watch, including Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video and more. Leading the pack this week is "Project Hail Mary" on MGM+, Ryan Gosling's sci-fi blockbuster that's charming as all get out. Seriously, it lives up to the hype, though I'm not sure if its dazzling space sequences will make the same impression on the small screen.
For some lighter fare, Netflix just got a breezy new rom-com, "Voicemails for Isabelle," starring Zoey Deutch and Nick Robinson, while families looking for a weekend movie night pick can find the latest Spongebob Squarepants movie new on Prime Video. Over on Hulu, you can check out "Never Change!," an unconventional high school comedy with a premise that'll make anyone over 30 break out in a cold sweat. Lastly, Netflix also got a more dramatic comedy romance movie, "Drinking Buddies," that's stuck with me for over a decade. Plus, it has "New Girl's" Jake Johnson, who's just as swoon-worthy as Ryan Gosling to a small sub-sect of weirdos (namely, me).
So without further ado, let's dive into the best new movies on streaming to watch this weekend.
‘Project Hail Mary’ (MGM+)
Amaze! Amaze! Amaze! This year's biggest sci-fi sensation, "Project Hail Mary," is now streaming. Ryan Gosling proves he can charm the socks off of audiences even in space as the woefully out of his league Ryland Grace, a disgraced scientist turned middle school teacher turned humanity's reluctant savior.
Upstaging him is Rocky, an endearing alien brought to life through James Ortiz's voice work and puppetry. Rocky's a chattering little ball of chaos that tests Grace's last nerve, and their friendship forms the heart of the film as these two dorks rush to save their respective planets from sun-eating bacteria. That levity helps to balance out the nail-bitingly tense space walks that had me watching through my fingers in theaters.
Watch "Project Hail Mary" on MGM+ now
‘Voicemails for Isabelle’ (Netflix)
It's hardly summer without a splashy new rom-com from Netflix, and "Voicemails for Isabelle" has all the makings of a breezy weekend watch, if not the next Netflix No. 1 hit. Zoey Deutch stars as a grieving woman struggling with the loss of her sister, who keeps leaving voicemails on her late sibling's phone. (Listen, grief is weird like that, ok?)
When those messages unexpectedly reach a stranger (Nick Robinson), it kickstarts a cross-country meet-cute that could blossom into just the kind of relationship that they both need to heal. While the premise has all the makings of a rom-com, its exploration of grief and sisterhood gives the story a warmer emotional center than your standard fare.
Watch ‘Voicemails for Isabelle’ on Netflix
'Never Change!' (Hulu)
Hulu's new original comedy "Never Change!" realizes every adult's worst nightmare: being forced to go back to high school years after the fact. Written by and starring John Reynolds, it follows a group of former classmates who must return home and finally complete their senior year after a tornado abruptly ended it the first time around.
Though they may be grown up now, returning to the halls of their old high school quickly brings old rivalries, old crushes, and plenty of teenage drama rushing back to the surface. With a cast that includes Sofia Black-D’Elia, Carmen Christopher, Jo Firestone, Topher Grace, and Ana Gasteyer, it looks like the kind of delightfully chaotic reunion that I'd never want to attend but am delighted to watch from the safety of my couch.
Watch "Never Change!" on Hulu now
'The Spongebob Movie: Search for Squarepants' (Prime Video)
Are ya ready, kids? This week, "The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants" made the jump to Prime Video from one of the smaller platforms, MGM+ (though it could see an influx of subscribers with the arrival of "Project Hail Mary"), and it should make for a crowd-pleasing family favorite this weekend.
In SpongeBob's fourth big-screen adventure, the beloved fry cook (voiced by Tom Kenny) is determined to shake off his reputation as a scaredy-cat. To prove his mettle, he sets out on a swashbuckling journey with the Flying Dutchman (Mark Hamill), a ghostly pirate whose promises are about as trustworthy as you'd expect. It's a goofy, action-packed underwater adventure packed with the franchise's signature humor.
Watch "The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants" on Prime Video now
'Drinking Buddies' (Netflix)
"Drinking Buddies" is a comedy-drama that's stuck with me over the years because it feels like people watching: the movie. It captures the beauty of a mundane life, not in the usual polished Hollywood sense, but in a way that feels lived-in and authentic. There are no sweeping romantic resolutions or dramatic confrontations that magically tie everything up in a neat little bow. The characters work through their problems the best they know how, messiness and all, and simply keep on keeping on.
At the center are Kate (Olivia Wilde) and Luke (Jake Johnson), two slackers who share an easy chemistry built on long workdays and a concerning amount of day drinking. Both already have partners (Ron Livingston and Anna Kendrick, respectively) and dutifully ignore their mutual attraction. That is, until one fateful weekend, when a getaway drags up everything they've left unsaid.
Watch "Drinking Buddies" on Netflix now
More from Tom's Guide
- 'The White Lotus' collides with 'Midsommar' in this psychedelic thriller you can stream for free on Tubi
- 3 new to Prime Video thriller movies to stream this week — including a forgotten crime mystery with Denzel Washington and Eva Mendes (June 16-22)
- Fox just bought Roku for $22 billion, and it could be a disaster for streaming
