Streaming services help pass the time with early theatrical releases
With COVID-19 closing movie theaters all over the world, many movies have been released early to video-on-demand and streaming services.
Here are the movies released early for you to enjoy during your quarantine.
“Bad Boys for Life”
Where to Watch: available now on YouTube, Prime Video, iTunes, Vudu and more
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%
Plot Summary: This comedy action film is the third installment in the “Bad Boys” franchise. Two old-school cop partners must team up with the newly formed, much younger elite team AMMO to take down a drug cartel.
“Birds of Prey”
Where to Watch: available now on YouTube, Prime Video, iTunes, Vudu and more
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%
Plot Summary: While on the run following her split from the Joker, Harley Quinn teams up with Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya to save a young girl with a target on her back in this female-led comedy action film from the DC Extended Universe.
“Bloodshot”
Where to Watch: available now on YouTube, Prime Video, iTunes, Vudu and more
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 30%
Plot Summary: In this sci-fi action film based on the bestselling comic book, an elite soldier killed in battle is brought back to life with super-strength and healing powers. He goes after the man who he believed killed his wife, but he soon realizes he has no idea what memories he can trust anymore.
“The Call of Wild”
Where to Watch: available now on Prime Video, iTunes, YouTube, Vudu and more
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 61%
Plot Summary: Buck is a big-hearted dog taken from his comfortable home in California and sold as a sled-dog during the 1890s gold rush. This family-friendly adventure film follows Buck’s adventures surviving in the Yukon as he answers the call of the wild.
“Downhill”
Where to Watch: available now on YouTube, Prime Video, iTunes, Vudu and more
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 37%
Plot Summary: While on a skiing vacation in the Alps, a married couple barely survives an avalanche. This near disaster forces the couple to evaluate their lives and their relationship in this comedy drama starring Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
“Emma.”
Where to Watch: available now as a 48-hour rental on Prime Video, iTunes, YouTube, Vudu and more
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
Plot Summary: Based on the novel by Jane Austen, this comedy drama follows the rich young woman Emma Woodhouse, who prides herself on her matchmaking abilities. Emma learns from her misguided meddling in the love lives of her friends to discover a love of her own.
“Frozen II”
Where to Watch: available now for streaming on Disney Plus
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%
Plot Summary: In this highly-anticipated sequel to the animated musical “Frozen,” a mysterious voice calls Queen Elsa to the enchanted forest where she— accompanied by Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven— must travel to save the kingdom and discover the origin of her powers.
“The Gentlemen”
Where to Watch: available now on Prime Video, iTunes, YouTube, Vudu and more
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74%
Plot Summary: This comedic crime film follows an American expatriate looking to sell his marijuana empire in London. Bribery and blackmail arise as a few shady “gentlemen” plot to steal his domain.
“The Hunt”
Where to Watch: available now as a 48-hour rental on Prime Video, iTunes, YouTube, Vudu and more
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 54%
Plot Summary: In this horror thriller known for its tagline, “the most talked about movie of the year is one that no one’s actually seen,” twelve strangers wake in a clearing with no knowledge that they have been chosen for the Hunt.
“The Invisible Man”
Where to Watch: available now as a 48-hour rental on Prime Video, iTunes, YouTube, Vudu and more
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Plot Summary: After Cecilia’s abusive ex-boyfriend takes his life and leaves her his fortune, Cecilia is being terrorized by an unseen presence. In this horror mystery, Cecilia must prove that she is being stalked by her invisible ex-boyfriend and not losing her grip on reality.
“I Still Believe”
Where to Watch: available to rent on Prime Video, iTunes, YouTube, Vudu and more
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 46%
Plot Summary: This romantic drama is based on the life of Christian music star Jeremy Camp and his wife who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer shortly before they were married, telling a story of faith in the midst of loss and suffering.
“Just Mercy”
Where to Watch: available now to rent or buy on Prime Video, iTunes, YouTube, Vudu and more
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%
Plot Summary: This biographical drama is the story of civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson. This film follows Stevenson as he fights for the life of Walter McMillian, an innocent man sentenced to death for a murder he did not commit.
“Never Rarely Sometimes Always”
Where to Watch: available now as a 48-hour rental on Prime Video, iTunes, Vudu and more
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%
Plot Summary: Autumn, a teenage girl who discovers she is mysteriously pregnant, is unable to get an abortion due to the conservative legislation in her home state. She and her cousin Skylar cross state lines to travel to New York to get help for Autumn in this drama film.
“Onward”
Where to Watch: available now for streaming on Disney Plus
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%
Plot Summary: In Pixar Animation Studios’ newest film, two teenage elf brothers set out on a magical quest across their suburban fantasy world to bring back their deceased father.
“Portrait of a Lady on Fire”
Where to Watch: available now for streaming on Hulu
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%
Plot Summary: A young female painter in 18th-century France is commissioned to paint a wedding portrait of a reluctant bride-to-be without her knowing. As the painter observes her by day and secretly paints her at night, the two become closer in the bride’s final moments of freedom.
“Sonic the Hedgehog”
Where to Watch: available now on Prime Video, iTunes, YouTube, Vudu and more
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 64%
Plot Summary: Based on the Sega video game franchise, this comedic family-friendly action film follows Sonic, a super-speedy hedgehog, embracing his new life on Earth and teaming up with a small-town cop to stop the evil Dr. Robotnik from achieving world domination.
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
Where to Watch: available now to buy or rent on Prime Video, iTunes, YouTube, Vudu and more
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 52%
Plot Summary: In the final installment of the Skywalker Saga, the Resistance faces off against a new Final Order brought about by Emperor Palpatine’s mysterious return from the dead. In a final confrontation between the Sith and the Jedi, Rey goes up against not only Kylo Ren and Palpatine, but the secrets of her past.
“Trolls World Tour”
Where to Watch: will be available on video-on-demand services on April 10
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71%
Plot Summary: In this sequel to the animated comedy “Trolls,” Poppy and Branch discover they are one of six tribes of trolls, each dedicated to a genre of music. When the hard-rock tribe attempts to destroy all other kinds of music, they set out to unify the tribes against the destruction of the hard-rockers.
“The Way Back”
Where to Watch: available now on Prime Video, iTunes, YouTube, Vudu and more
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%
Plot Summary: This sports drama is the story of Jack Cunningham, a high school basketball star who lost his chance at greatness. He is given a second chance when he is asked to coach the struggling basketball team at his alma mater.
—darcy.ritchie@aggiemail.usu.edu
@darcyrrose