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You know it’s getting to be Valentine’s Day soon when the starry rom-coms and relationship horror flicks begin to pop up.
As January turns to February, ’tis the season for candy hearts and love at the movies. Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon crash each other’s wedding parties in Amazon’s new “You’re Cordially Invited,” one of several movies to stream if you’re feeling frisky with the Apple TV or Roku remote. On the big screen, Sophie Thatcher gets bloody as an AI girlfriend in “Companion,” while the Sherlock Holmes universe is getting yet another pop-culture reinvention with the TV medical procedural “Watson.” It’s enough to keep you busy until Chappell Roan takes the stage at the Grammy Awards Sunday night. (Mount up, Pink Pony Club. Let’s ride.)
Now on to the (mostly) good stuff:
See Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon butt heads in ‘You’re Cordially Invited’
I’m going to keep it real with y’all: “You’re Cordially Invited” is mainly for the Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon completists or if you’re really into hearing “Islands in the Stream” over and over again. (Still a banger, though.) Ferrell’s a girl dad, Witherspoon’s a devoted big sister and when their loved ones’ wedding venue gets double-booked, they try to ruin each other’s parties, and the result is a slice of marital miss. (Peep my ★½ review.)
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Fortunately, there are much better movies to watch on your streaming services this weekend. I rounded up 15 notable new flicks, including Oscar-nominated fare (“A Different Man” and “A Real Pain”), theatrical releases (“Gladiator II” and “Saturday Night”) and original projects (“Unstoppable” and “Back in Action”).
Beware Sophie Thatcher’s AI girlfriend in ‘Companion’
AI is in the news a lot these days – and might even be on your phone. It’s also infected our horror in a major way, be it as a modern-day killer Teddy Ruxpin (“M3GAN”), a killer version of Alexa (“Afraid”) or a killer girlfriend (“Companion”). Though Sophie Thatcher’s character in the latter is more of a heroic final girl than anything, gaslit and trapped in a not-great situation with her toxic significant other (Jack Quaid). The “Companion” star discussed with my colleague Brendan Morrow how much she connected with her character. “I felt her anxieties,” she says. “I felt her insecurity. I felt her desperate need to please. I feel that as an actor and as a person. I’ve been there in relationships.”
“Companion” is just one outing in a year full of chillers and thrillers. Check out my list of 25 horror movies to watch in 2025, including next week’s rom-com slasher “Heart Eyes,” a couple of “Frankenstein” movies, and Ryan Coogler’s period vampire piece “Sinners,” which released a nifty new trailer this week.
Stream the new Sherlock Holmes/’House’ combo ‘Watson’
After the brilliance of the Benedict Cumberbatch “Sherlock” show, I have a pretty high bar when it comes to revamps of the Sherlock Holmes mythos. The CBS procedural “Watson” (pilot episode now streaming on Paramount+) at least does something different with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s characters, focusing on John Watson (played by Morris Chestnut) as a doctor tackling strange medical maladies. TV critic Kelly Lawler found the “Elementary”-meets-“House” mix to be a tad unhinged in her ★½ review: “I expected formulaic episodes, attractive doctors in scrubs and lab coats and plenty of ridiculous medical terms. I did not expect to be so bored. I did not expect to be so befuddled, either.”
And where there’s something Sherlockian, there’s a Moriarty: Randall Park plays the series’ resident supervillain and told TV reporter Bryan Alexander that he enjoyed the change of pace. “I’m known for playing amiable, nice guys,” Park says. “So it was a surprise to get the call. A welcome surprise.”
Even more goodness to check out!
Got thoughts, questions, ideas, concerns, compliments or maybe even some recs for me? Email btruitt@usatoday.com and follow me on the socials: I’m @briantruitt on Bluesky, Instagram and Threads.
Join us for a special double feature streaming event this weekend!
First up, we have the romantic comedy “You’re Cordially Invited,” which follows a wedding planner who falls for the groom-to-be. Will love conquer all or will chaos ensue? Tune in to find out!
Following that, we have the thrilling mystery “Watson,” where a detective must solve a series of murders with the help of his trusty sidekick. Can they crack the case before it’s too late?
Grab your popcorn, cozy up on the couch, and get ready for a night of laughs and suspense. Don’t miss out on these two fantastic films streaming this Saturday night!
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