Looking for a good movie to watch this week? So far, nothing seems to be unseating the Charlize Theron thriller Apex from the top spot in the Netflix Top 10 movie rankings in the U.S., but one cute and cuddly animated surprise might be the one to do it, and it’s on this week’s list of movies subscribers should add to their watch lists.
However, there’s another contender that might enter the charts this week, which features a clever octopus—and who doesn’t like octopuses? But if neither of those is your cup of tea, how about a box office flop about a man-eating high school girl that went on to become a cult hit? Read on for more.
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Swapped
A Freaky Friday-style swap in a magical animal kingdom
If you’re looking for something fun and animated and new to watch with the kids this week, you’re in for a treat with this Netflix and Skydance Animation feature from the people behind Tangled. To my surprise and delight, though, Swapped isn’t your typical animated movie featuring furry and feathered animals—after just a few minutes in, you realize that there’s something different and magical happening here.
Swapped takes place in a valley full of wondrous animal/plant hybrid creatures—deer melded with tree trunks, tree-root-like snakes, etcetera. It follows a sea-otter-like creature named Ollie (Michael B. Jordan), a pookoo who was shunned by his tribe for sharing their main food source with a young javan named Ivy (Juno Temple), a green bird species, that claimed the food as their own, driving the pookoos away. But fate steps in, and after Ollie and Ivy both touch a magical plant, they swap bodies and must work together to mend fences between the pookoo and the javans, and fend off the Fire Wolf, who wants to rule the valley with fear.
Swapped is beautifully creative, colorful, and fresh, with excellent voice performances from Jordan, Juno, and a perfectly cast Tracy Morgan as a big fish named Boogle. You and your kids will love it.
Swapped
Release Date
May 1, 2026
Runtime
102 minutes
Director
Nathan Greno
Sally Field finds redemption with the help of an octopus
Landing on the streaming service on May 8, Remarkably Bright Creatures is another family-friendly movie that might just jerk a few tears out of you, while warming your heart in the process—largely due to its eight-tentacled costar. Based on the bestselling 2022 novel of the same name by Shelby Van Pelt, this Olivia Newman (Where the Crawdads Sing) written and directed drama is a story of an unlikely bond between two people of different generations, but how healing doesn’t care how old you are.
70-year-old Tova Sullivan (Sally Field) is a night-shift cleaner at the fictional Sowell Bay Aquarium in Washington state, where she keeps the place in tip-top shape, especially the glass on the tank of Marcellus (voiced by Alfred Molina), a super-smart and observant Giant Pacific octopus who doesn’t think much of humans, but really likes Tova. A widow, Tova is still grieving the loss of her husband and teenage son, who she lost some 30 years ago. Then, along comes Cameron (Lewis Pullman), a man with a troubled past, who has arrived in town to find a father he never knew.
Quiz
8 Questions · Test Your Knowledge
Blockbuster movies on Netflix
Trivia challenge
From indie romance to post-apocalyptic horror and rock ‘n’ roll history — how well do you know these Netflix hits?
DramaHorrorMusicDirectorsCasting
Begin
Which director is behind the quirky 2012 coming-of-age film Moonrise Kingdom?
ASofia CoppolaBSpike JonzeCWes AndersonDMichel Gondry
Correct! Wes Anderson directed Moonrise Kingdom, bringing his signature symmetrical framing and deadpan humor to a story of young love set in 1965 New England. The film was his seventh feature and earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Not quite — Moonrise Kingdom was directed by Wes Anderson, the auteur known for his meticulously composed visual style. While Sofia Coppola, Spike Jonze, and Michel Gondry are all acclaimed indie filmmakers, this whimsical tale of runaway children belongs to Anderson’s distinctly quirky cinematic universe.
Continue
Which veteran actor plays the eccentric Scout Master Ward in Moonrise Kingdom?
ABill MurrayBEdward NortonCBruce WillisDJeff Goldblum
Correct! Edward Norton plays the well-meaning but hapless Scout Master Ward, delivering a wonderfully earnest performance. Norton was part of an ensemble that also included Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, and Frances McDormand, making Moonrise Kingdom one of the most star-studded indie films of its era.
Not quite — Scout Master Ward was played by Edward Norton, who gave the role a wonderfully sincere, slightly bumbling quality. Bill Murray and Bruce Willis were also in the film but in different roles, and Jeff Goldblum, while a Wes Anderson regular, did not appear in this particular picture.
Continue
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is a sequel in a long-running horror franchise. What infected the population in the original 28 Days Later?
AA mutated strain of rabiesBA government-engineered plagueCA virus called RageDA parasitic fungus
Correct! The original 28 Days Later introduced the terrifying Rage virus, which was accidentally released when animal rights activists broke into a research lab and freed infected chimpanzees. Unlike traditional zombie lore, the infected in this franchise are alive and driven by uncontrollable aggression.
Not quite — the culprit in the original 28 Days Later was a virus called Rage, unleashed after activists freed infected chimpanzees from a laboratory. The franchise is notably distinct from zombie films because its victims are not undead; they are living humans overwhelmed by violent, uncontrollable rage.
Continue
Who directed 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, continuing the franchise Danny Boyle originally launched?
AAlex GarlandBJuan Carlos FresnadilloCNia DaCostaDGareth Edwards
Correct! Nia DaCosta, known for her acclaimed work on Candyman (2021), directed The Bone Temple. Her involvement brought fresh creative energy to the long-dormant franchise, with Danny Boyle returning to direct the first film in the trilogy and handing off the second chapter to DaCosta.
Not quite — The Bone Temple was directed by Nia DaCosta, who previously helmed the 2021 Candyman. Alex Garland wrote the screenplay for the original 28 Days Later, while Juan Carlos Fresnadillo directed the 2007 sequel 28 Weeks Later, making all the wrong options plausible names attached to this franchise’s history.
Continue
In Moonrise Kingdom, what is the name of the young girl who runs away with Sam Shakusky?
AMargotBSuzy BishopCClementineDAgatha
Correct! Suzy Bishop, played by Kara Hayward in her feature film debut, runs away with fellow misfit Sam Shakusky across the fictional New England island of New Penzance. The name Margot is a nod to Wes Anderson’s earlier film The Royal Tenenbaums, making it a clever red herring.
Not quite — the young heroine is Suzy Bishop, brought to life by first-time actress Kara Hayward. Margot is actually the name of a character from Anderson’s earlier film The Royal Tenenbaums, while Clementine and Agatha appear in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Grand Budapest Hotel respectively.
Continue
The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel focuses on a founding member of the band. What instrument did Hillel Slovak play?
ABass guitarBDrumsCLead guitarDKeyboards
Correct! Hillel Slovak was the original lead guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and his soulful, eclectic playing style helped define the band’s early sound. His tragic death from a heroin overdose in 1988 profoundly impacted his bandmates, particularly Anthony Kiedis, and shaped much of the band’s later music.
Not quite — Hillel Slovak was the lead guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, not the bassist or drummer. Flea held down the bass, while Chad Smith would later take over on drums. Slovak’s distinctive guitar work was central to the band’s identity in their formative years before his untimely death in 1988.
Continue
Which Red Hot Chili Peppers member is most prominently featured alongside Hillel Slovak in the documentary Our Brother, Hillel, given their lifelong friendship?
AFleaBChad SmithCJohn FruscianteDAnthony Kiedis
Correct! Anthony Kiedis and Hillel Slovak were childhood best friends long before forming the Red Hot Chili Peppers, making their bond central to the documentary’s emotional core. Kiedis wrote extensively about Slovak’s death in his memoir Scar Tissue, describing it as one of the most devastating moments of his life.
Not quite — Anthony Kiedis is the central figure in exploring Hillel Slovak’s legacy, as the two were childhood friends who grew up together in Los Angeles before co-founding the band. While Flea was also a close friend, it is the Kiedis-Slovak relationship that forms the emotional backbone of the documentary.
Continue
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is the second film in a planned trilogy. Who wrote the screenplay for the project, as they did for the original 28 Days Later?
ADanny BoyleBAlex GarlandCCillian MurphyDAndrew Macdonald
Correct! Alex Garland, who wrote the screenplay for the original 28 Days Later, returned to pen the scripts for the new trilogy. Garland has since become a celebrated director in his own right with films like Ex Machina and 28 Days Later spiritual successor Men, cementing his place as one of modern horror and sci-fi’s most important voices.
Not quite — Alex Garland is the screenwriter behind the 28 Days Later franchise, including the new trilogy. Danny Boyle directed the original film rather than writing it, Cillian Murphy was its star, and Andrew Macdonald served as producer. Garland’s return to this world was a major draw for fans of the original film.
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Cameron takes a job at the aquarium, and with a little help from Marcellus, he and Tova form a bond that helps them each face down their demons—and maybe even uncover a secret that connects them. Remarkably Bright Creatures is so far doing great on Rotten Tomatoes, with an 81% critics’ score and a 92% viewer score.
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Release Date
May 8, 2026
Runtime
111 Minutes
Director
Olivia Newman
2
Jennifer’s Body
Megan Fox’s demonic cult classic
You know those movies that are just so bad that they end up going away for a while before new political or social relevancies reframe them, giving them new life and even cult status? Welp, I give you Jennifer’s Body, a 2009 supernatural teen horror starring the red-hot (at the time) Megan Fox. The film flopped at the box office, but through home video and streaming, it was reclaimed by young women and the LGBTQ+ community a decade later for its biting feminist social commentary.
Operating System
FireOS
Resolution
4K
Fox stars as the titular Jennifer, the hottest girl in high school—all the guys want her, and all the girls want to be her—in the sleepy town of Devil’s Kettle (if that’s not a red flag, I don’t know what is). Jennifer’s best friend is the bookish Needy Lesnicki (The Housemaid‘s‘ Amanda Seyfried), whose life is upended when Jennifer is turned into a literal man-eating demon who must feast on her male classmates to maintain her beauty, and Needy is the only one who can stop her.
Written by Diablo Cody (Juno, Tully), Jennifer’s Body is a gory, sharp-witted horror that’s surprisingly fun and full of memorable one-liners. A sequel is rumored to be in the works, with Fox, Seyfried, and even Adam Brody said to be interested.
1
Jennifer’s Body
Release Date
September 18, 2009
Runtime
107 minutes
Director
Karyn Kusama
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