Another hot summer week, another excuse to stay indoors and watch a movie.
An ample amount of exciting films and TV shows are releasing this summer, and this week sees some of our favorite gems finally hitting in theaters or on streaming, including the latest from Adam Driver, Stephanie Hsu, and Justina Machado.
Whether you’re in the mood for R-rated jokes, something spooky, something wild, or a bloody good time, here’s everything new to streaming and theaters this week that you don’t want to miss.
Joy Ride
Credit: Ed Araquel /Lionsgate
In the mood for a raunchy comedy? Add Joy Ride to your weekend watch list. Adele Lim’s feature directorial debut follows Audrey (Ashley Park), Lolo (Sherry Cola), Kat (Stephanie Hsu), and Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), four friends who travel to China to look for Audrey’s birth mother. But their journey isn’t as smooth sailing, with hilarity and mayhem joining them every step of the way, including somehow getting involved with smuggling drugs, one-night stands, and even masquerading as K-pop idols.
What we thought: “Joy Ride is a sex comedy that takes full advantage of its R rating, reveling in saucy punchlines, provocative gags, and a full-frontal funny. Lim and her collaborators kick down the gender barriers of this genre while challenging Asian-American stereotypes. The cast cracks jokes that invite audiences not only to laugh but also to cackle and cringe. And good! An R-rated comedy worth its salt shouldn’t be comfortable. It should make us gasp even as we giggle. Joy Ride achieves that.” — Kristy Puchko, Film Editor
How to watch: Joy Ride is now playing in theaters.
Insidious: The Red Door
Credit: Sony Pictures
Set 10 years after the second Insidious film, Insidious: The Red Door brings back the franchise’s original cast for a final face-off against a swarm of demonic foes. Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, and Ty Simpkins all return as the Lambert family who find that their son’s send-off to college may be plagued by a group of vengeful demons.
If you haven’t seen any of the previous Insidious films or if you’re just looking for a refresher, check out our franchise recap and buckle up for a night of scares.
What we thought: “Insidious: The Red Door thankfully stays true to its mission statement, one of life and death being a marathon race of good ol’ family bullshit, ripping a hole through the fabric of reality so our parent’s demons can nibble on our toes. We wouldn’t want it any other way.” —Jason Adams, Contributing Writer
How to watch: Insidious: The Red Door is now playing in theaters.
Biosphere
Credit: IFC
Have you ever thought of what it would be like if you and your best friend were the last two people on Earth? Well, Biosphere reveals how that might shake out. This sci-fi comedy stars Mark Duplass and Sterling K. Brown as two bros, who find themselves stuck in their apartment-sized biosphere as the rest of the world no longer exists. While all is fun and games for a while, Biosphere has a couple of twists under its belt which makes this post-apocalyptic bromance story worth a watch.
What we thought: “Biosphere might be the best movie of the year that you won’t hear enough about.” — K.P.
How to watch: Biosphere is now playing in theaters.
The Horror of Dolores Roach
Credit: Courtesy of Prime Video
What if Sweeney Todd made empanadas? So goes the premise for The Horror of Dolores Roach, a spooky comedy that centers on a masseuse-turned-murderer and her best bud, a cannibal chef with a killer empanada recipe. After serving an unjust prison sentence, Dolores (Justina Machado) is adamant about turning her life around, so she sets up a masseuse station underneath her friend Luis’s (Alejandro Hernandez) empanada shop. But after one session goes awry, Dolores’s clients start making their way up to the shop’s kitchen — and yes, the recipe is to die for.
What we thought: “If you’re looking for gross-out horror-comedy and some cheeky musical theater references, you’ll find it here. Just… maybe don’t eat any meat while watching.” — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: The Horror of Dolores Roach is now streaming on Prime Video.
65
Credit: Patti Perret/Sony Pictures Entertainment
Adam Driver vs. a whole bunch of dinosaurs, what more do you need to know to watch 65? After his spaceship crashes on an unknown planet, pilot Mills (Driver) quickly realizes that he’s stranded on Earth, 65 million years ago, where every prehistoric beast you can think of is running amok. To escape, Mills has to make his way through the unruly terrain, and if we’ve learned anything from Jurassic Park, it’s that dinosaurs aren’t necessarily the kindest to strangers.
What we thought: “Is 65 ridiculous? Absolutely. Is it trope-y and occasionally too self-serious for its own good? Also yes. But did I still have the time of my life? You’re darn right I did.” — B.E.
How to watch: 65 is streaming on Netflix starting July 8.
