Want to know what’s coming soon to digital and what to watch right now on Vudu? Here is your weekly guide to the latest releases:
What are the latest new releases to watch right now?
Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel is now available on Vudu, arriving on digital for the first time following its theatrical release earlier this year. The movie stars Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer and Ben Affleck in the true story of a medieval fight to the death — a bout between two men over one’s rape of the other’s wife.
From the multi-perspective screenplay to the blood-splattering action to the historical production design and costuming to the award-worthy performances from all of the main cast, this isn’t just Scott’s best movie of the year, but also his greatest in years. It’s not always the easiest watch, but it’s thoroughly absorbing.
After checking out that movie about true knights and squires, you need to see my favorite movie of the year, which is about a real-life royal. Pablo Larrain’s Spencer, about Princess Diana and her difficult relationship with her husband, Prince Charles, and his family, arrived on Vudu last week for digital rental and purchase.
Kristen Stewart is absolutely phenomenal in her portrayal of Princess Diana. I think she’s a shoo-in for this year’s Oscar for Best Actress, and she’s front and center through nearly every second of the biopic. Also, the movie is set during Christmas, so you’ll have a new holiday favorite to watch this season.
What movies are great to pair with those new releases?
If you want to have a double feature of Ridley Scott’s 2021 releases, you’ll need to follow The Last Duel with a theatrical viewing of House of Gucci. But there are plenty of other Ridley Scott movies available on Vudu worth a pairing. Kingdom of Heaven, for instance, is another true Medieval epic to check out (and it’s also available in an extended director’s cut release).
Or, there’s his version of Robin Hood (also available in an unrated director’s cut), which offers a famous fictional story from the same time period. Of course, Scott’s best movie set many, many centuries ago is undoubtedly Gladiator, which won Best Picture. And if you want more duels, there’s Scott’s first movie, The Duellists. I also recommend his other most feminist film, Thelma & Louise.
Outside of Scott’s filmography, you might want to pair The Last Duel with Good Will Hunting, as that’s the last movie Matt Damon and Ben Affleck co-wrote together. Their other screenplay collaborator here, Nicole Holofcener, recently earned an Oscar nomination for Can You Ever Forgive Me?. Meanwhile, this is a breakthrough year for Jodie Comer, who you can also see in Free Guy.
The most obvious and most heavily talked about movie worthy of a double feature with Spencer is Pablo Larrain’s previous biopic, Jackie, starring Natalie Portman in her Oscar-nominated role as the titular First Lady following the assassination of President Kennedy. I also highly recommend Larrain’s other movie released on Vudu this year, the electric drama Ema.
There’s also Stephen Frears’ biopic The Queen, which follows Queen Elizabeth II in the days following the death of Diana. And if you want to compare Stewart’s portrayal to one by Naomi Watts, there’s the 2013 film Diana. You can also compare it to the real deal by watching any of the many documentaries on Diana, such as National Geographic’s docuseries Diana: In Her Own Words.
And if you just want a KStew marathon, you can pick up these other movies in which she plays real people: The Runaways, starring Stewart as rocker Joan Jett; J.T. LeRoy, starring Stewart as Savannah Knoop, who pretended to be the face of the titular fake author; and Lizzie, starring Stewart as Bridget “Maggie” Sullivan, maid and lover of serial killer Lizzie Borden.
Are there any other big movies coming out this week?
There is one big movie coming to Vudu this week indeed. Denis Villeneuve’s visually and aurally spectacular Dune arrives on VOD on Friday, December 3 — and you can pre-order it now. Based on Frank Herbert’s classic science fiction novel, the space-set epic follows a political adventure on a desert-covered planet.
The adaptation stars Oscar Isaac and Timothée Chalamet as father and son of a noble family relocating to a new world in order to reap its valuable resources while avoiding deadly giant sandworms. The fantastic cast also includes Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa. Be sure to watch it on your biggest screen and as loudly as possible.
Are we celebrating any big movie and TV anniversaries this week?
This week marks the 20th anniversary of I Am Sam, featuring an Oscar-nominated performance by Sean Penn as an intellectually disabled man — plus a very early role for both Elle Fanning and Dakota Fanning, both of whom co-star as the man’s precocious daughter at different ages.
Other titles turning 20 this week include the Owen Wilson action movie Behind Enemy Lines, the Terms of Endearment sequel The Evening Star and Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s filmmaking reality series Project Greenlight. Also, Clint Eastwood’s action-comedy Heartbreak Ridge, in which he also stars, turns 35.
Going back further, Warren Beatty’s Reds and the Jane Fonda and Henry Fonda drama On Golden Pond both turn 40, the Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder buddy comedy Silver Streak turns 45, the tear-jerking sports drama Brian’s Song and the Oscar-winning historical drama Nicholas and Alexandra turns 50 and the Preston Sturges classic Sullivan’s Travels turns 80.
More recent titles with anniversaries include the Beatrix Potter biopic Miss Potter, starring Renée Zellweger, which turns 15 years old this week. The horror movie Turistas also turns 15 while Steven Spielberg’s War Horse and Steve McQueen’s Shame both turn 10. Plus, Martin Scorsese’s Silence is already 5 years old!
What must-see movies are coming soon to Vudu?
Another one of the best movies of the year — possibly the best animated feature of 2021, in fact — is coming to Vudu next month. Following its debut on Netflix earlier this year, the hilarious and cleverly illustrated road comedy The Mitchells vs. the Machines will be available starting on December 14. It’s produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, so you know it’s awesome. Watch the first 10 minutes below if you're still not convinced.
While that one is about robots taking over the world and the one family that can stop them, another animated feature out on Vudu next month involves a malfunctioning robot, but not so dangerously. Ron's Gone Wrong, which follows a young boy and his digital buddy — the titular Ron (voiced by Zach Galifianakis) — is expected to arrive on digital in mid-December. Pre-order now!
What are the 10 most popular movies on Vudu this week?
The top title on Vudu this week is Venom: Let There Be Carnage, the antihero comic book movie sequel starring Tom Hardy that went on sale digitally last week. Other new releases include the aforementioned Spencer and the horror-comedy Black Friday, which landed in eighth and tenth place, respectively.
As for classic library titles, Ron Howard’s live-action Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas made another appearance on the chart this week, while another version of the same story, Illumination’s animated feature Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch again landed just outside the top 10, in 11th place.
See the full top 10 list below.
1. Venom: Let There Be Carnage
2. No Time to Die
3. Free Guy
4. The Addams Family 2
5. The Suicide Squad
6. Jungle Cruise
7. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas
8. Spencer
9. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
10. Black Friday
