Death still has friends at the theater. Final Destination Bloodlines, the franchise’s first entry since 2011, ruled the box office with a $51 million domestic opening. Thanks to good reviews and an impressive box office, expect more Final Destinations for years to come.
This weekend, Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning are the two biggest attractions for Memorial Day. If you can’t make it to the theater, there are plenty of free options on FAST services. One of our recommendations is Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol. Our other two picks involve basketball and college parties.
We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
Hoosiers (1986)
The NBA playoffs are in full swing. The unpredictability of the games means upsets are bound to happen. One of the greatest basketball upsets at the high school level is dramatized in Hoosiers. The late Gene Hackman stars as Norman Dale, a college coach who flamed out and gets to coach basketball again at Hickory High School.
The small Indiana town loves its basketball team but hates Coach Dale, who implements drastic disciplinarian measures in his coaching methods. However, Dale’s coaching and the return of star player Jimmy Chitwood (Maris Valainis) allow Hickory to experience a magical run in the 1951 state tournament. Hoosiers is the perfect underdog story and expertly captures the essence of small-town sports.
Stream Hoosiers on Prime Video.
Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol (2011)
After the so-so reception to Mission: Impossible 3, Tom Cruise and Ethan Hunt needed a reset. Cruise brought in animation veteran Brad Bird to direct the fourth entry, Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol. The gamble worked, as the movie reignited the Mission movies and set the blueprint for future movies.
After being blamed for the Kremlin bombing, the IMF is disavowed, forcing Ethan (Cruise) to go on the run. To clear his name and restore the IMF, Ethan must team with other IMF fugitives to find those responsible for the bombing. Ghost Protocol leaned into set pieces and practical effects, highlighted by Cruise’s scaling of the Burj Khalifa, which might go down as his most memorable stunt.
Stream Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol for free on Pluto TV.
S#!%house (2020)
Cooper Raiff understands young adults. Not since Richard Linklater has a new filmmaker captured the ethos of a coming-of-age film like Raiff did in S#!%house. (We’re going with the marketing title, but by all means, pronounce it with the swear words.) Homesick college freshman Alex (Raiff) struggles to adjust to his new life.
One night, Alex attends a party at the “S#!%house” fraternity and meets Maggie (Dylan Gelula), his sophomore residential advisor. Alex and Maggie spend the rest of the night together walking and talking as they form a genuine bond. Alex wants more in this relationship, while Maggie looks for the exit ramp. Don’t let the vulgar title fool you. S#!%house is all heart and a fantastic directorial debut.
Stream Escape Room for free on Tubi.