Last updated: August 25, 2026. Every title below was checked against Watchmode for current US streaming availability before publishing, and the rent and buy prices are what Watchmode reports today.

Six notable releases landed across six different services in a single week — Michael on Starz, Mother Mary on Max, Is God Is on Prime Video, You, Me & Tuscany on Peacock, the Billie Eilish concert film on Paramount+, and The Whisper Man arriving on Netflix this Friday. The two worth prioritizing are Is God Is, a Southern Gothic revenge drama with near-unanimous reviews, and Mother Mary, David Lowery's film with Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel. The spread is the story — one title per service, no overlap — so most subscribers will only have one or two of them without renting.

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Michael

Michael is the Michael Jackson musical biopic from director Antoine Fuqua and writer John Logan, streaming on Starz since August 10. It covers the arc from the Jackson 5 years through the Bad tour, with Jackson played by his nephew Jaafar Jackson in his film debut. The cast includes Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, Nia Long as Katherine Jackson, Miles Teller as John Branca, Kat Graham as Diana Ross, and Larenz Tate as Berry Gordy.

The film grossed over $1 billion worldwide, and critical reception was mixed. It is currently the most popular movie on Starz. A biopic covering that much life in 128 minutes is always going to feel compressed, and the mixed reviews track with that — the performances and the music land, the full portrait does not. For Starz subscribers it is the headline title right now, and the main reason to watch is Jaafar Jackson stepping into the role rather than a definitive take on the life. The Bad tour stretch is where the film earns its runtime, and the musical numbers are staged with a scale that justifies the theatrical run it had. You can also rent Michael for $5.99 or buy it for $19.98 on Amazon.

Mother Mary

Mother Mary arrived on Max on August 21, written and directed by David Lowery. Anne Hathaway plays a pop icon preparing a return to the stage, and Michaela Coel plays her former best friend and costume designer, Sam Anselm. The film underperformed in theaters but reached No. 2 on Max's US Top 10 Movies within two days of streaming.

Lowery works best in the space between fable and grief, and a 112-minute film about a performer staging a comeback gives him room for both. Hathaway and Coel are the draw, and the Max top-10 ranking suggests word of mouth is doing the work the theatrical run did not. If you wrote it off after the box office, the streaming response is the reason to reconsider — a film about a comeback is finding its own second act on the service. The costume-design angle gives Coel more to do than a supporting role usually allows, and the film uses the stage comeback as a frame for something quieter about friendship and failure. Rent it for $4.99 or buy it for $19.98 on Amazon if you want to own it outside Max.

Is God Is

Is God Is is a Southern Gothic revenge drama streaming on Prime Video since August 19, written and directed by Aleshea Harris from her own award-winning play. An Amazon MGM Studios release, it follows twin sisters Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson) as they travel the South to find their father (Sterling K. Brown). It had a theatrical release on May 15, 2026.

The reception is the strongest of anything on this list: Certified Fresh at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes from 120 reviews, with an 89% audience score. Harris adapting her own play keeps the voice intact, and the Southern Gothic revenge drama frame gives the twins' quest a mythic weight without softening it. At 100 minutes it is tight and not interested in comfort, and the critical consensus says that discipline pays off. Brown plays the father as a presence more than a person for much of the runtime, and the film is stronger for keeping him at a distance until it matters. This is the one to watch first. Rent it for $3.99 or buy it for $14.99 on Amazon.

You, Me & Tuscany

You, Me & Tuscany has been on Peacock since August 7, directed by Kat Coiro and produced by Will Packer Productions. Halle Bailey plays Anna, who impersonates a man's fiancée while staying at his home in Italy and falls for his cousin, played by Regé-Jean Page. It grossed $22 million worldwide and sits at 65% on Rotten Tomatoes from 132 reviews.

The premise is built for the genre, and the Italy setting does most of the heavy lifting. Coiro keeps the tone light and lets the location work, and Bailey and Page have an easy chemistry that the script leans on. Reviews land it squarely in the middle — a watchable romance with a strong cast rather than a standout one. If you want something light after the heavier titles above, this is the Peacock pick, and at 105 minutes it does not overstay. Rent it for $5.99 or buy it for $14.99 on Amazon.

Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live)

Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live) has been on Paramount+ since August 6, co-directed by Billie Eilish and James Cameron. The concert film was shot at arenas in Manchester, England and Phoenix, Arizona, and uses virtual reality 3D technology developed with Meta Platforms and Lightstorm Vision. It had a theatrical release on May 8, grossing $10 million domestically and $27 million worldwide.

At 114 minutes it is a full show rather than a highlight reel, and the 3D production is the reason it exists as a theatrical release first. The Cameron collaboration means the staging is treated like a film, not a broadcast, and the Manchester and Phoenix shoots capture two different rooms. For anyone who missed the theatrical run, Paramount+ is the only place to see it now, and Eilish's stage presence translates to the format well; the close 3D work puts you inside the performance instead of watching it from the back of an arena. For Eilish fans this is the streaming event of the month. Rent it for $5.99 or buy it for $14.99 on Amazon.

The Whisper Man

The Whisper Man premieres globally on Netflix on August 28, 2026, directed by James Ashcroft from the novel by Alex North. Tom Kennedy, a widowed crime writer, moves with his young son Jake to Featherbank, the town where a serial killer known as The Whisper Man once lured boys from their homes. When his own son is abducted, Tom turns to his estranged father, a retired detective who put away the original killer, and the past presses into the present. The cast includes Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, Adam Scott, Michael Keaton, John Carroll Lynch, Hamish Linklater, and Owen Teague.

Watchmode has the title listed but no US streaming sources yet, which is expected — it does not arrive until Friday. There is no rent or buy availability to link to at publication time. Ashcroft's features lean into dread rather than gore, which fits a story about a killer whose method was sound rather than violence, and a widowed crime writer as the lead gives the thriller a meta edge. The cast alone makes this the title to wait for at the end of the week. Set an alert and you will know the moment it is live.

How StreamingBeam Helps

Six releases across six services in one week is the exact problem StreamingBeam is built for. Instead of checking each app, Ask the Beam lets you describe what you are in the mood for and surfaces where to watch it across the services you already have. Leaving Soon alerts tell you when something you watch is about to disappear. To plan further out, see what's new on Netflix in September 2026 or browse the full New Arrivals list. Both tools are free with an account.

The Bottom Line

This week's standout is Is God Is on Prime Video — the reviews back it up and it is the cheapest to rent. Mother Mary on Max and the Billie Eilish concert film on Paramount+ round out the top three. The Whisper Man arrives on Netflix this Friday. Start at https://streamingbeam.com to search any of these and see where to watch.