So many controversial movies hit streaming this week, but there’s one 2024 release I’m most excited to dig into

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While Wicked, Gladiator II and Moana 2 keep crushing it at the box office, the streaming wars are heating up, with three contentious 2024 movie releases hitting some of the best streaming services this week. Yep, Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans’ holiday movie The red, Blake Lively’s controversial It ends with us, and Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga’s musical Joker: Folie à Deux will all be available to watch from home and I know which one I want to stream first.

The only thing the three films have in common is their widely mixed reviews from critics and audiences and their somewhat controversial releases. But if you’re in the mood for a triple feature and your own subscriptions to Netflix, Prime Video and Max, then you’re in for a treat – whether it’s a good or bad one remains to be seen.

Critics and audiences can’t seem to agree on these 2024 releases, except for their opinions on Joker: Folie à Deux

While it’s not surprising that these three movies will all make their streaming debuts around the holidays, I’m shocked that The red one will be available to those with a Prime Video subscription soon. The action holiday movie was released less than a month ago and is still in theaters near me. However, it is very different critically, and the audience response can explain things.

Despite The red one star studded cast which included Johnson, Evans, JK Simmons and Lucy Liu, it struggled at the box office. Even if the audience gave the film 90% Rotten tomatoescritics went so far as to call it a “lump of coal” while giving it a 30%. Now, with its debut on Prime Video this week, you can judge whether this holiday movie deserves a spot in the best Christmas movie ever for yourself.

On the opposite side of the film genre spectrum, Lively’s book-to-screen adaptation It ends with us is finally making its debut on Netflix after its August theatrical release. With a massive fandom behind the Colleen Hoover novel, it’s no surprise that the film did well at the box office and with audiences. However, critics weren’t too sure what to make of Lily Bloom’s story.

Combine that with the controversial press tour and an alleged feud among co-stars that involved rumors of a second cut of the film being commissioned, and It ends with us the release was almost as messy as the story itself.

Rounding out this week’s movies hitting streaming services is Joker: Folie à Deux, the musical sequel to Phoenix’s highly acclaimed 2019 Joker. Unlike the first film, neither audiences nor critics liked the film, which undoubtedly made it a disaster. It currently holds 32% in both critic and audience scores on Rotten tomatoes. And I hate to say it, but I think audience scores might suffer more now that more people can check out the movie if they have a Max subscription.

So with all that said, when it comes to my streaming plans this weekend, there is one movie that stands out among the rest.

With Christmas less than two weeks away, I’m watching Red One ASAP

Admittedly, none of these films piqued my interest enough to make the trip to the theaters. But now that I can watch them from home, I’m tempted to check them out, esp The red one.

As a self-proclaimed connoisseur of Christmas movies, I have to give the Johnson and Evans movie a try. For starters, it’s an original idea that isn’t based on IP or a sequel, which is hard to find in today’s movie landscape. Am I totally on board with the idea of ​​Santa being kidnapped? Of course not, but I also didn’t love the concept of Santa as a ruthless vigilante killer The 2022s violent night, and I ended up loving it. So I’m open.

Hopefully, The red one will be equally entertaining, although action movies are not my usual cup of tea.

If you’re looking for ways to delay your holiday shopping and don’t feel like braving the crowds at the theaters, break out those streaming subscriptions and enjoy some of this year’s most controversial releases from home.