With the Fourth of July weekend behind us, our attention now turns to a new crop of movies on streaming. My top pick is an adaptation of a novel that features William Shakespeare, his wife, Agnes, and an emotional ending. Plus, it features one of the best acting performances of 2025.
As for the other movies, Paramount+ will premiere a crime movie starring Dane DeHaan. Other picks this week include an effective Stephen King adaptation, a Colleen Hoover romance movie, and a Netflix documentary that will certainly find a spot in the weekly top 10.
5
Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea
A cruise becomes a fight for survival
Credit: Netflix
Netflix loves documentaries about cruises. Both Trainwreck: Poop Cruise and Amy Bradley Is Missing captivated Netflix. I’m calling my shot now — Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea will attract those same viewers. How could it not? The promotional image for the documentary features a cruise ship on its side.
In 2012, the Costa Concordia embarked on a voyage in the Mediterranean Sea. The cruise ship struck a submerged rock on the sea floor and capsized on its side. Unfortunately, the crash ended in tragedy for numerous passengers. The documentary features eye-opening footage of the disaster along with interviews with those who survived.
Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea premieres on Netflix on July 10.
Subscription with ads
Yes, $8/month
Simultaneous streams
Two or four
4
Reminders of Him
Another Colleen Hoover romance movie
It’s Colleen Hoover’s world; we’re all just living in it. The prolific author has become one of Hollywood’s top stars recently due to her novels’ romantic undertones and thrilling twists. 2024’s It Ends with Us became a box office sensation, and 2025’s Regretting You was a moderate success. Her latest movie, Reminders of Him, was a modest hit, grossing $89 million worldwide on a $25 million budget.
After being incarcerated for six years, Kenna Rowan (Maika Monroe) hopes to start a new life with her daughter, whom she gave birth to while incarcerated and who has raised outside of prison. Kenna struggles to acclimate to life on the outside until she meets the kind bar owner, Ledger (Tyriq Withers). Hoover’s movies always deliver on the melodrama, so expect some emotional climaxes.
Reminders of Him begins streaming on Peacock on July 10.
3
Wardriver
A hacker gets in too deep with a girl
Ever since I watched him in Chronicle, Dane DeHaan has always been a fascinating onscreen presence. He has such an intense presence for someone not built like a Marvel character. DeHaan thrives playing morally conflicted characters who slowly spiral out of control. Wardriver is an ideal movie for DeHaan’s skills.
Cole (DeHaan) is a talented hacker who becomes hypnotized by the seductive Sarah (Sasha Calle). Cole agrees to help Sasha out of a difficult situation by undertaking a million-dollar cyberheist. With that much money on the line, it’s difficult to trust anyone. Before you know it, Cole finds himself in a bleak situation, where his odds of coming out on top are slim.
Wardriver premieres on Paramount+ on July 8.
2
The Long Walk
Walk or die
Stephen King movies and shows from the last decade have a so-so hit rate. If you’re lucky enough to get adaptations like It or The Life of Chuck, you’re in great shape. On the other hand, Firestarter and The Dark Tower are examples of unsuccessful King adaptations. I would put The Long Walk in the same camp as It and The Life of Chuck.
In a dystopian United States, the militaristic regime established “The Long Walk,” a contest where 50 teenage boys must walk at a pace of three miles per hour. If a boy stops, they receive three warnings before being executed. The lone winner gets a wish. Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson are terrific as the two leads, and putting Mark Hamill as the villain is a good example of casting against type. Be warned that some of the death scenes are devastating.
The Long Walk streams on HBO Max on July 10.
1
Hamnet
A movie that will bring you to tears
When I saw Hamnet last winter, I had heard it was an emotional movie. Things take a dramatic turn about an hour in, and then the last 30 minutes is an out-of-body experience. A natural cynic, I pushed back on that prediction before entering the theater. I’m here to report that the rumors are true. I couldn’t move for five minutes after the movie, and I shed tears later that night. Hamnet will move your soul.
Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s novel of the same name, Hamnet stars Jessie Buckley as Agnes, a mysterious woman who falls in love with William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and they build a family together. An unspeakable tragedy rocks the family to its core, inspiring William to write one of his greatest works. Seriously, those final moments will give you goosebumps, and Buckley deserved that Oscar for her tour-de-force performance.
Hamnet is now streaming on Netflix.
More movies to watch this week
The streaming services are packed with movies in a variety of genres. Netflix’s July slate has several new movies, including Enola Holmes 3 and Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea. Elsewhere, check out Wonder Woman or Superman on HBO Max if you liked Supergirl.