A Look at the 9 New Movies Coming Out This Week: ‘If,’ ‘Back to Black,’ and More!

Curious about the new movies coming out this week? We’ve got you covered with the full list of new releases below!

After giving us scares with his The Quiet Place movies, John Krasinski has decided to provide us with a few laughs as well in If, which is about a young girl who sees everyone’s imaginary friends.

Also releasing this week is the story of legendary singer Amy Winehouse in Back to Black. Lastly of note, we have Renny Harlin is bringing us the scary The Strangers: Chapter 1, about a young couple being terrorized in a remote Airbnb.

Below is the full list of all the new movies coming out this week in theaters and streaming! Let us know which ones you’ll be checking out!

New Movies Coming Out This Week: May 13, 2024, – May 19, 2024

If   (2024)

Rating:  PG

Release Date: In theaters nationwide on Friday, May 17, 2024.

Summary:  In If, Bea (Cailey Fleming) has gone through some tough times but has discovered a secret power: she can see everyone’s imaginary friends. With help from Cal (Ryan Reynolds), Bea embarks on a magical journey to reconnect forgotten ‘IFs’ with their long-lost kids.

What to Watch For: Actor John Krasinski wrote and directed the film. If is the fifth film Krasinski has directed, including the 2018 film A Quiet Place.

Word on the Street: The voice cast includes Steve Carell, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Jon Stewart, Awkwafina, Louis Gossett Jr., Maya Rudolph and Sam Rockwell. 

My Take: I love that John Krasinski has described the film in interviews as a live-action Pixar movie.

Back to Black   (2024)

Rating:  R

Release Date: In theaters on Friday, May 17, 2024.

Summary: Back to Black tells the story of the life and music of Amy Winehouse (Marisa Abela), who went from unknown singer to Grammy-winning best-selling artist. Amy burned bright, but that light died much too soon.

What to Watch For: Juliet Cowan plays Amy’s mother, Eddie Marsan is Amy’s father, and Leslie Manville is her grandmother.

Word on the Street: Marisa Abela did almost all the singing in the film, having trained for months to mimic Amy Winehouse’s vocal style.

My Take: Musician Nick Cave recorded a new song ‘Song for Amy’ for the movie.

The Strangers: Chapter 1   (2024)

Rating:  R

Release Date:  In theaters on Friday, May 17, 2024.

Summary: The Strangers: Chapter 1 takes place when Maya (Madelaine Petsch) and her boyfriend, Ryan (Froy Gutierrez), are on a road trip in the Pacific Northwest. Along the way, their car breaks down, forcing them to spend the night in an isolated Airbnb. Maya and Ryan are about to be visited by three masked strangers.

What to Watch For: This is a relaunch of The Strangers film series, the first of three films.

Word on the Street: All three films are directed by Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger, Cutthroat Island) and were shot consecutively. 

My Take: The original film was released in 2008 and starred Scott Speedman and Liv Tyler.

Babes   (2024)

Rating:  R

Release Date:  In theaters on Friday, May 17, 2024.

Summary: In Babes, Eden (Ilan Glazer) and Dawn (Michelle Buteau) have been friends forever. They grew up in NYC and experienced everything together. Eden, carefree and single, has a one-night stand and becomes pregnant. She decides to have the baby and will need all the help that her best friend can supply. 

What to Watch For: The film was nominated for an Audience Award at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival.

Word on the Street: This is the feature film directorial debut by actress Pamela Adlon, known for her work on the TV series Louie and Better Things.

My Take: Fellow film critics who saw the film at the 2024 Atlanta Film Festival loved this movie. 

Power  (2024)

Rating:  R

Release Date:  Premiering on Netflix on Friday, May 17, 2024.

Summary: The documentary Power explores policing in modern American society, as its grown, originally to contain threats to social order to exploding in scope and scale.

What to Watch For: The film was directed by Yance Ford, whose 2017 film Strong Island was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 2018 Academy Awards.

Word on the Street: The film made its World Premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

My Take: Strong Island, which was Ford’s investigation of his own brother’s murder, was on my list for Best Films of 2017.

You Can’t Run Forever   (2024)

Rating:  R

Release Date:  In theatres on Friday, May 17, 2024.

Summary: You Can’t Run Forever is about Miranda (Isabelle Anaya), a young woman suffering from acute anxiety because of a past tragedy. She finds herself alone in the woods, facing a new terror, when a serial killer (J. K. Simmons) chooses her as his latest target. Miranda must find a strength she never knew existed to elude a killer who will not give up.

What to Watch For: The film is from Michelle Schumacher, the wife of Academy Award winner Simmons.

Word on the Street: Schumacher previously directed her husband in the 2017 film I’m Not Here.

My Take: Of course, we all know J. K. Simmons from his role as J.J. Jameson in the Spider-Man film series.

The Blue Angels   (2024)

Rating:  G

Release Date: Exclusively in IMAX theatres on Friday, May 17, 2024, and on Amazon Prime on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

Summary: The documentary The Blue Angels delves into the selection and training of the Navy/Marine Corps Flight Demonstration Squadron, called The Blue Angels.

What to Watch For: The film uses never-before-seen footage of the squadron as they prepare for the demanding air show season.

Word on the Street: Glen Powell, who portrayed Lt. Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin in the 2022 film Top Gun: Maverick, is a producer of the film.

My Take: I can’t wait to see all the precision flying up on the giant IMAX screen.

Taking Venice  (2023)

Rating:  N/A

Release Date:  In select theatres on Friday, May 17, 2024.

Summary: The documentary Taking Venice explores the true story of at the height of the Cold War, the U.S. government rigged the most influential art exhibition, the 1964 Venice Biennale, all in the name of fighting Communism.

What to Watch For: The film was a Grand Jury Prize nominee at the 2023 DOC NYC Film Festival.

Word on the Street: Filmmaker Amei Wallach is known for her documentaries Ilya and Emilia Kabakov: Enter Here (2013) and Louise Bourgeois: The Spider, the Mistress and the Tangerine (2008).

My Take: I have always loved good documentaries, and this one looks fascinating.

Thelma the Unicorn  (2024)

Rating: PG

Release Date:  Premiering on Netflix on Friday, May 17, 2024.

Summary: Thelma the Unicorn is about a horse named Thelma (voiced by Brittany Howard) who dreams of becoming a singing star and of being a glamorous unicorn. Thelma’s wish comes true, but she soon learns that stardom comes at a price, and she might be happier returning to being her true self.

What to Watch For: The film is based on the best-selling children’s book series of the same name by Aaron Blabey.

Word on the Street: The voice cast includes Will Forte, Jemaine Clement, Edi Patterson, Fred Armisen, Zach Galifianakis, Jon Heder, and Shondrella Avery.

My Take: This is the acting debut of Brittany Howard, the Grammy-winning recording artist, formally of the Alabama Shakes.

Which New Movies Coming Out This Week Are You Excited to Watch?

Below, let us know what new movies you plan to see this week!