What To Watch This Weekend! – ‘Street Fighter’, ‘Whalefall’, & Other Highlights

October has been a bit of a mixed bag for moviegoing so far, but this weekend’s offerings should spice things up a bit due to variety. Video game movies get another shot to prove themselves after Mortal Kombat II over the summer and the recently released Resident Evil, which has turned into a bona fide box office hit. Can the third live-action iteration of Street Fighter follow suit? Austin Abrams is then back on our screens after battling it out in Raccoon City with Whalefall, a film that is said to solidify why he’s one of the young actors we should be watching right now. In addition, there is a big documentary making a lot of buzz that is setting itself up to surprise by making a significant splash despite a lengthy 3-hour runtime. On the home viewing side, there are some highlights in terms of digital releases, but all eyes will certainly be on a long-awaited return to Camp Crystal Lake and the latest vision from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

What’s Opening In Theaters?

A ’90s color palette, sick needle drops, and stylized fights come in hard with the release of Street Fighter, directed by Kitao Sakurai and from a screenplay by Sakurai and T.J. Fixman, with story credit to Dalan Musson and Gary Dauberman. The film is based on Capcom’s video game series of the same name created in 1987. Set in 1993, the film follows Ryu and Ken Masters (Koji and Centineo), who are recruited by Chun-Li (Liang) to compete in the next World Warrior Tournament. However, the duo will be forced to face each other and their demons as they engage in a fight to the finish. The film also stars Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa’i, David Dastmalchian, Cody Rhodes, Eric Andre, Andrew Schulz, Vidyut Jammwal, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and Jason Momoa.

Having seen Street Fighter, I can personally say that it delivers in terms of pure fun over the course of its nearly 2-hour runtime, and it’s certainly a film that knows exactly what it is. There are no false pretenses, and it goes all in on not taking itself too seriously (mostly), and it should entertain fans of the games because there are many nostalgic moments sprinkled throughout that will make the fanbase happy. That being said, it’s also a movie that is bound to divide audiences as well. My preview screening on Thursday was a healthy mix of people who seemed to love it and those who legitimately despised it. The main issue, from what I heard and what I’ve been reading online, is that it’s a movie that seems embarrassed by its origins.

Read Our Review Of Street Fighter

There is a lot of self-deprecation and humor that does poke fun at the concept, much like Masters of the Universe did over the summer, and some are going to appreciate that its tongue is placed firmly in cheek, while others might scoff at the movie not respecting the source material fully. My personal takeaway is that if you go in expecting campy and silly fun, Street Fighter will be a fun time at the movies. Critics, as is the case with most video game movie adaptations, didn’t seem to enjoy this one, at 45 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with most criticizing the convoluted plot (but who sees this for the plot?) and the sensory overload of its fight sequences that some believe grow repetitive.

However, what looks promising early on is that the film already had an 82 percent audience score, which could show that moviegoers might enjoy this one more. Is that just the fans, or does it include casual watchers? That remains to be seen but if you’re looking for check your brain at the door entertainment this weekend, Street Fighter more than provides.

Read Our Review Of Whalefall

Audiences wanting to watch Austin Abrams fight to survive again can check out the survival film, Whalefall, directed by Brian Duffield and written by Duffield and Daniel Kraus. Whalefall is based on the 2023 novel of the same name by Kraus and follows a scuba diver named Jay Gardiner (Abrams) who goes on a search for the remains of his father, Mitt (Josh Brolin), in the ocean and is swallowed alive by a sperm whale in the process. During this daunting test of his will to survive, Jay only has an hour to find a way to escape what could end up being his watery grave. The film also stars Elisabeth Shue, John Ortiz, Jane Levy, and Emily Rudd.

Reactions to Whalefall have been mostly positive, although the early responses seemed to indicate it would receive a much better critical reception than it’s receiving. The movie is currently 70 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, but that score has dropped from the 78 percent it started at when the review embargo was lifted. Those who like it say the film is visually arresting, lean, claustrophobic, vicious, and surprisingly emotional at its core thanks to its central story between Jay and his father, Mitt. Others seem to be criticizing the heavy-handed metaphor of a man being swallowed up as a whale as a starting point for father/son reconnection that they believe takes away from the film’s more harrowing moments of Jay attempting to escape his peril.

Essentially, some don’t believe that its tale of healing and catharsis doesn’t exactly mesh well with the outrageous premise of being consumed by a sperm whale. Is it a tough sell? Maybe, but Duffield’s direction is getting kudos for selling the absolutely frightening idea of that outrageous premise, and that’s all that should matter. Some might respond to this aspect of the film, while others will find emotional connection with the father/son story, or there will be moviegoers who will enjoy both in equal measure. Whatever the case, counting this as another win for Abrams, who we will definitely be seeing more of after what has been a fantastic year on top of past performances that prove he’s a talent on the rise.

Sure to be an outlier to watch is the documentary You Can See Everything, directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim. The documentary follows Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of the now-defunct health technology company Theranos, which raised more than $700 million from venture capitalists and private investors, resulting in a $9 billion valuation at its peak in 2013 and 2014. The problem is, the company falsely claimed that it devised blood tests that could be performed rapidly and accurately, while only requiring a small amount of blood, all using automated devices that the company developed. Due to the fraud, Theranos, Holmes, and former company president Sunny Balwani were criminally charged, with Holmes and Balwani also being charged with wire fraud and conspiracy, resulting in Holmes being sentenced to 11 years and 3 months in prison in 2022. The documentary also follows Holmes’ partner, Billy Evans, with both inviting a film crew to document them in the weeks before she began serving her federal prison sentence.

After premiering at the 53rd Telluride Film Festival in September, You Can See Everything earned instant praise as a must-watch documentary that needs to be seen to be believed. The movie sits at 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes with a 99 percent audience score, and all signs point to this documentary breaking out in a big way. A24 is opening the doc in 800 theaters, putting it on track to open between $7-$8 million, but early preview numbers from Thursday showings suggest it grossed around $2 million on preview night, meaning You Can See Everything will likely exceed those tracking numbers. The documentary has the attention of those who followed the story from the start and the Gen Z audience who learned of it afterward through research or even the popular Hulu limited series from 2022, The Dropout, starring Amanda Seyfried.

Then there is Oppenheim, who scored a hit last month with Primetime, a film that followed Chris Hansen and the To Catch a Predator craze, and turned that so far into a $45 million gross on a $15 million budget. Documentaries don’t always capture mainstream attention on the big screen, but don’t be surprised if You Can See Everything turns into a Fahrenheit 9/11 situation. That documentary, directed by Michael Moore, focused on the presidency of George W. Bush, the Iraq War, and the media’s coverage of the war, and turned that into a $23.9 million opening weekend before concluding with a domestic take of $119.1 million and $222.4 million worldwide. You Can See Everything may not hit those heights, but if A24 is smart about expanding it, the documentary should play strongly throughout the fall, especially with awards attention that is imminent. 

Read Our Review Of Sense And Sensibility

For those looking for a period piece romance, another take on Sense and Sensibility opens this weekend. Directed by George Oakley and written by Diane Reid, Sense and Sensibility is based on the 1811 novel of the same name by Jane Austen and follows the Dashwood family as they navigate everything from social expectations to romantic heartbreak while living in Regency-era England. The film stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esme Creed-Miles, Caitriona Balfe, Frank Dillane, Herbert Nordrum, George MacKay, and Fiona Shaw.

There have been several major film and television adaptations of Sense and Sensibility, most notably the 1995 film adaptation directed by Ang Lee and starring Emma Thompson alongside Kate Winslet. That take was a box office hit, grossing $135 million worldwide on a $16 million budget, and was a critical darling, earning seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and winning Best Adapted Screenplay for Thompson, who wrote the adaptation and starred in it. Needless to say, the story has been done before, so why should this one be special? Well, according to critics, this take puts more of the attention on the Dashwood sisters and their relationship, which is different from most adaptations of the story, and it’s enough for this version to form an identity of its own. The film is fresh at 76 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising the performances and the sisterly rapport of the female leads. This version is also said to be much more relatable to younger audiences, so the youth demo seeking something a bit more sophisticated might find something to enjoy as well. Seems like the perfect movie outing for mother and daughter this weekend.

Getting a one-week engagement is the 1971 historical psychological horror-drama, The Devils, written and directed by Ken Russell. The film is a dramatised historical account of the fall of Urbain Grandier, a 17th-century Roman catholic priest who was accused of witchcraft. This came in the wake of the possessions in Loudun, France, with the film further focusing on Sister Jeanne des Anges, a sexually repressed nun who added more fuel to the fire of the accusations against Grandier. The film stars Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed.

A little backstory about the film shows a storied road to the big screen. The movie’s graphic portrayal of violent and sexual content, with a healthy dose of religion, did not sit well with censors, resulting in an X rating in the U.K. and the U.S. The film was outright banned in other countries and heavily edited in others to secure a release. Despite the controversy, the film won awards for Best Director at the 33rd Venice International Film Festival, as well as from the U.S. National Board of Review. The director’s cut received its first theatrical release in the U.K. in 2002, but home video and streaming output has been nonexistent. The film was given new life at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in May, where Warner Bros. Clockwork picked it up for a 4K restoration theatrical release of the director’s cut in North America for one week beginning this weekend. For fans of this kind of material, it’s one to check out if you can. It’s fresh at 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with some declaring it to be a masterpiece of provacotive filmmaking of its time.

Read Our Review Of La Bola Negra

Also opening is Oscar hopeful La bola negra, a drama directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, from a screenplay they co-wrote with Alberto Conejero. La bola negra is a queer epic inspired by the unfinished work of the same name by Federico García Lorca and Conejero’s play La piedra oscura. The film weaves together three different timelines and characters that are linked through their shared legacy of repression, memory, and desire. The film stars Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, Lola Dueñas, Penélope Cruz, and Glenn Close.

La bola negra, which has been selected as the Spanish entry for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards, is being positioned as a huge awards player, and it appears that it’s going to make good on being one to watch. Not only will it perform highly as an international feature, but some believe it will crack through in the Best Picture category, and others, including what could turn into a double nomination for Cruz and her supporting performance (she’s also favored to be in this category for her role in The Invite). Queer stories and awards may have been a tough sell over the years, but times have changed, and even ones that were celebrated back in the day but may have had Oscar voters fearful of fully supporting (Brokeback Mountain) would have a much easier time gaining acceptance in 2026. La bola negra is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes at 88 percent, with critics calling it poignant, emotional, and a sweeping accomplishment in terms of scope. Netflix is clearly invested in La bola negra because they’re giving it a 47-day theatrical window before releasing it on the platform on Dec. 2, making it the longest window for a Netflix movie to date.

What To Watch At Home

Home viewing offers up a few new digital releases that should engage watchers, but spooky season television gets a significant offering with the long-awaited Crystal Lake, which gives fans of Friday the 13th some much-needed content after a long wait that included a very lengthy legal battle. In addition, VisionQuest arrives as the next MCU offering before Avengers: Doomsday lights up the box office in December.

Arriving on digital after a so-so box office run is Practical Magic 2, directed by Susanne Bier and written by Akiva Goldsman. Arriving nearly 30 years after the first film, Practical Magic 2 is based on the 2021 novel The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman, and it follows the Owens family as they travel to the United Kingdom in hopes of breaking the curse that has long affected their bloodline following a personal family tragedy, but the journey may unveil new dark secrets for the family to face. The film stars Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Dianne Wiest, Stockard Channing, Joey King, Lee Pace, Maisie Williams, and Xolo Maridueña.

The first Practical Magic, released in 1998, wasn’t a huge smash when it was released. Despite opening at number one, the film grossed a little over $46 million domestically and $94.4 million worldwide on a $75 million budget. Reviews also weren’t kind, with the film currently sitting at 29 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics complained about abrupt tonal shifts throughout the film. The movie was marketed as a fun romantic comedy, and the reality is the film is more than that. It bounces from light fun to witchy fantasy and suddenly to a domestic abuse drama and then a crime procedural. People didn’t seem to get it back in 1998, but thanks to home video and subsequent airings on cable and basic cable, Practical Magic amassed a considerable cult following and has only grown in popularity over the years. A new generation has discovered it, and those who didn’t give it a shot in 1998 are watching it along with them. Practical Magic has become an annual fall/Halloween favorite, much like Hocus Pocus, and it performs well on streaming during this period. These are all the reasons a sequel was greenlit, and it served that audience well with a gross of $104 million worldwide on a $75 million budget. This didn’t hit The Devil Wears Prada 2 legacy sequel levels, but combining its box office run with digital, physical, and streaming releases, Practical Magic 2 will end up being a solid investment. Also, a spooky season double feature of the first film and its sequel is likely to take place, which will boost the performance of its digital release.

Another film arriving on digital in time for spooky season is Buddy, a supernatural comedy slasher directed by Casper Kelly in his directorial feature film debut. Buddy comes from a screenplay by Kelly and Jamie King and follows a group of children who are trapped inside a 1990s-style children’s television show and attempt to escape when their bright-orange host turns into a horrific nightmare. The film stars Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Patton Oswalt, Michael Shannon, Topher Grace, and Keegan-Michael Key.

Buddy premiered during the Midnight section at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and began building buzz amongst genre aficionados as a result. Roadside Attractions and Saban Films acquired the North American distribution rights out of the festival and began a niche but effective marketing campaign that was more centered on social media and played into the film’s children’s television-inspired premise. It was enough to make Buddy a solid hit following its release in late August with the film grossing $27 million on a $3 million budget. Reviews were solid at 88 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside a 75 percent audience score, and cult status seems imminent, especially with spooky season underway.

If that isn’t scary enough, Hope, a sci-fi alien invasion movie, also arrives home. Written and directed by Na Hong-jin, Hope follows a village police chief and his rookie deputy who have to defend their local community from an otherworldly creature after wildfires destroy all communications while a local hunting party finds themselves becoming prey deep in the mountains. The film stars Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander, and Michael Fassbender.

Hope made its world premiere at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d’Or. The film garnered considerable attention, especially since Hong-jin’s 2016 film, The Wailing, made such a splash. Reviews for Hope were solid out of the festival, and they have remained stellar, currently certified fresh at 79 percent with a 77 percent audience score. Hope grossed $47 million worldwide during its theatrical run, and while its domestic run wasn’t stellar, it should find itself to be discovered even more following its digital debut.

Arriving on Netflix without much fanfare is the film Sacrifice, an action-adventure comedy from director Romain Gavras, who co-wrote the film with Will Arbery. Sacrifice focuses on a film star who is attempting a comeback and is abducted by a radical group that believes that if they sacrifice three people, they will save humanity as we know it. The film stars Chris Evans, Anya Taylor-Joy, Vincent Cassel, Sam Richardson, John Malkovich, and Salma Hayek.

Sacrifice premiered at the 2025 Toronto Film Festival, and despite a stellar cast, reviews have not been kind to the film, which currently sits at 37 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics say the film doesn’t go all in on its premise, while others say it loses its way as it moves along, although the performances of Evans and Taylor-Joy are being praised. Given the reviews, it’s easy to see why this is being released on Netflix without much promotion, because curiosity could make it a streaming hit for at least a week. Might be worth checking out for the cast, but proceed with caution.

Read Our Review Of Crystal Lake

Horror fans get to rejoice this weekend with the arrival of Crystal Lake, a slasher television series developed by Brad Caleb Kane that is based on the Friday the 13th film series. Serving as a prequel to the 1980 film, Crystal Lake is set in 1971, roughly a year afterJason Voorhees (Callum Vinson) supposedly drowned at Camp Crystal Lake, and his grieving mother, Pamela (Linda Cardellini), whose pain turns into murderous rage against all those she believed caused her to lose her beloved son. The series also stars William Catlett, Gwendolyn Sundstrom, Cameron Scoggins, and Devin Kessler, among others.

A variation of Crystal Lake has been in development as far back as 2014, with the CW once being considered as a home for the potential series. That ultimately didn’t come to fruition, but the series again gained traction in 2022 when A24 announced a prequel series to be created by Bryan Fuller and produced by the later Victor Miller, who wrote the original film and secured the rights to his original screenplay after a long legal battle. It seemed like full steam ahead, with Kevin Williamson tapped to write an episode and Adrienne King, who portrayed Alice in the first movie, also returning. However, as has been the case with Friday the 13th, the series hit another snag.

Fuller was fired as showrunner after A24 decided to take the show in a different direction, and that led to Brad Caleb Kane becoming showrunner and fans receiving the series that recently debuted. Despite the behind-the-scenes issues, Crystal Lake is fresh at 75 percent (which is unheard of for this franchise), and most critics seem to be loving the return to Camp Crystal Lake, although some lore changes are said to divide fans. Cardellini is being praised for her performance as Pamela, and fans of signature Friday the 13th gore will also be pleased. The audience score is at 86 percent, so fans seem to be digging the series, which could prove to be one of Peacock’s biggest launches. All eight episodes are now available for your gory binge-watching pleasure.

Read Our Review Of VisionQuest

Lastly, Disney+ unveils its recent MCU miniseries, VisionQuest, created by Terry Matalas. Based on the Marvel Comics character Vision (Paul Bettany), the miniseries is a spin-off from 2021’s WandaVision and serves as the 18th television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The last MCU television output follows Vision as he attempts to understand who he is by communicating with AI personas that are a part of his programming. This all transpires as he goes on the run with a mysterious teenager who could be the reincarnation of his son. The series also stars James Spader, Ruaridh Mollica, Todd Stashwick, Lauren Morais, Orla Brady, Diane Morgan, Polly Frame, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Emily Hampshire, James D’Arcy, Ben Crompton, and T’Nia Miller.

VisionQuest entered development in 2022 with WandaVision’s headwriter Jac Schaeffer as head writer. However, by 2024, she had exited the series once Matalas became involved. VisionQuest serves as the final installment in a trilogy that began with WandaVision and continued with the release of Agatha All Along in 2024. It’s interesting because reviews are strong for VisionQuest, with the series certified fresh at 79 percent (alongside an 85 percent audience score), but it seems like it arrived with less fanfare compared to other MCU series. It’s almost like they got it out there because they already announced it and committed to it rather than the show feeling like a necessity. Some say it does lead into Avengers: Doomsday (albeit in subtle ways, according to fans), so it could be worth watching for that alone.

Check back next week when we fill you in on What To Watch!