It’s Valentine’s Day weekend, and love is in the air, so figuring out what to watch this weekend is probably the last thing on your mind. Thankfully, the best streaming services are serving up plenty to love this weekend.
Leading the pack this week is “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” on Peacock and the action-packed romance “The Gorge” on Apple TV Plus. Meanwhile, you can find more traditional romcom fare on Netflix with “La Dolce Villa.”
So without further ado, let’s dive into the best new movies on streaming. For even more recommendations on what to watch, be sure to check out our guide to all the best new TV shows you can binge-watch this weekend as well.
‘The Gorge’ (Apple TV Plus)
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While Apple TV Plus hasn’t exactly been hitting home runs with original movies lately, “The Gorge” bucks this trend. And if you’re looking for a movie for Valentine’s Day but romcoms aren’t really your pace, this is definitely one to add to your watchlist.
Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller star as two elite operatives appointed to guard station duty on either side of a massive gorge whose purpose is shrouded in red tape.
What they soon learn, however, is that they’re the last line of defense keeping whatever evil lurks within from wreaking havoc on our world. From this messed-up meet cute, the two bond from a distance as they’re pushed to their physical and mental limits to keep the gorge’s deadly secret at bay before it’s too late.
Watch it now on Apple TV Plus
‘La Dolce Villa’ (Netflix)
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“La Dolce Villa,” Netflix’s latest romantic comedy, dives into the complexities of father-daughter relationships set against the stunning backdrop of the Italian countryside.
Set in the fictitious town of Montezara, it follows Eric (Scott Foley), a widowed restaurant consultant who’s fed up when his aimless 24-year-old daughter Olivia (Maia Reficco) buys a fixer-upper Italian villa for one euro to restore it to its former glory.
Traveling to Europe to stop the deal from going through, Eric meets Francesca (Violante Placido), the local mayor behind the one-euro real estate program to revitalize the area.
As their relationship blooms, Olivia finds herself swept up by a charming local cook Giovanni (Giuseppe Futia). Breezy and heart-warming, “La Dolce Villa” is a feel-good, picturesque story that’s perfect for the season.
Watch it now on Netflix
‘Better Man’ (PVOD)
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Despite earning high praise from critics and audiences, “Better Man” has been written off as a box office bomb after recouping barely a fifth of its total $100 million budget in theaters.
It’s a crying shame too, because this innovative movie musical takes some big swings that make for an emotional and thoroughly entertaining watch.
Helmed by “The Greatest Showman” director Michael Gracey, “Better Man” is based on the real-life story of Take That member and British pop sensation, Robbie Williams.
Williams plays himself in the film, albeit only in voice because the protagonist is a CGI chimpanzee, from his early days as the youngest member of a chart-topping boy band to breaking out to forge his solo career, all while capturing the challenges and pressures that are par for the course for any superstar.
Buy or rent on Amazon now
‘Waitress: The Musical’ (Max)
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If all this Oscar talk about “Wicked” has you itching to sing along to a musical at home, “Waitress: The Musical” is a recording of the Broadway hit that exploded onto the musical scene in 2015, earning four Tony nominations, including Best Musical.
“Waitress” stars Sara Bareilles—who also wrote the music and lyrics—as Jenna, a small-town server and expert pie-maker yearning to break free from her loveless marriage and find an ounce of joy in her increasingly stale life.
The missing ingredient she’s searching for might lie in a baking contest in a nearby county, but first, she’ll have to find the courage to chase those pie-in-the-sky dreams she’s let cool for far too long.
Watch it now on Max
‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ (Peacock)
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Arriving just in time for Valentine’s Day, the fourth installment in the long-running romcom franchise, “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,” picks up with the beloved, perpetually romantically challenged character a little older, a bit wiser, but still very much the same hot mess.
Four years after Mark’s (Colin Firth) passing, Jones is busy raising their two children with the help of family, friends, and even ex-lover Daniel (Hugh Grant), but now she’s finally ready to dive back into the dating pool.
Of course, this wouldn’t be a Bridget Jones movie if everything was smooth sailing. The dating scene is vastly different from what she remembers, and she soon finds herself torn between a younger, 29-year-old free spirit Roxster (Leo Woodall), and a more age-appropriate match (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who just so happens to be her son’s science teacher.
There’s something about the sincerity of “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” that’ll stick with you, making it her best sequel yet.
Watch it now on Peacock
