This weekend’s streaming lineup is a total mixed bag: you’ve got a "college-dorm-from-hell" comedy on Netflix, a visually stunning but definitely-not-for-kids monster flick on HBO Max, and a shark thriller that is basically Crawl but with more teeth. If you’re looking for something to watch with the kids, stick to the new LEGO Friends: The Next Chapter or the Krypto Saves the Day shorts; everything else hitting the "New" tab this week is pretty much strictly for the 16+ crowd.
TL;DR
The big releases for April 17-19 are Roommates (Netflix) and Dust Bunny (HBO Max), both of which earn their mature ratings with college-level raunch and R-rated horror visuals, respectively. For a safe family movie night, check out IF (now on Netflix) or the new David Attenborough documentary A Gorilla Story. According to Screenwise data, about 65% of parents are opting for the Attenborough doc for "all-ages" viewing this weekend to avoid the "brain rot" of typical weekend scrolls.
If you saw the trailers and thought, "Oh, Sadie Sandler! My kids loved her in You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah," let me stop you right there. Roommates is a black comedy that dives deep into the "bizarre intimacy" of freshman year at college. It’s funny, sure, but it’s also full of passive-aggressive psychological warfare, drinking, and the kind of "did they really just say that?" dialogue that defines modern Happy Madison productions.
Screenwise tip: This is a great "conversation starter" movie to watch with your high school seniors who are about to head off to dorm life, but it’s a hard pass for the middle school set. It’s rated TV-MA for a reason.
This is the feature debut from Bryan Fuller (the guy behind Hannibal and Pushing Daisies), and it is gorgeous but incredibly creepy. The premise sounds like a Pixar movie—an 8-year-old girl hires her neighbor to kill the monster under her bed—but since the neighbor is played by Mads Mikkelsen and he's a professional hitman, it goes places Pixar would never dream of.
It’s being described as "Amélie meets Léon: The Professional." It’s an R-rated fantasy horror. Unless your 10-year-old is already a seasoned horror buff who doesn't mind some "gnarly" visuals, keep this one for your Saturday night date night.
If you’re looking for something that won’t require you to explain what a "toxic friendship" or a "hitman" is, here are the best bets for the weekend:
- A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough (Netflix): Sir David is 99 years old and still the GOAT. This is a beautiful, calm, and educational deep dive into the life of a silverback named Pablo. It’s the perfect "wind down" content for Sunday evening.
- LEGO Friends: The Next Chapter Season 4 (Netflix): Fresh episodes dropped on the 17th. It’s reliable, colorful, and focuses on social-emotional learning without being too preachy.
- IF (Netflix): If you missed this in theaters last year, it’s now streaming. It’s a sweet, high-concept movie about imaginary friends that hits all the right emotional beats for kids ages 7-12.
Ask our chatbot for more family-friendly movie recommendations
You might see Thrash sitting at #1 on the Netflix charts this weekend. It actually dropped last week, but it’s still the most-talked-about movie on YouTube and TikTok right now.
The Scoop: It’s a survival thriller about a hurricane that floods a town and brings in—you guessed it—sharks. It stars Phoebe Dynevor as a pregnant woman trapped in a car. It is high-stress, very bloody, and definitely not for kids. If your kids are asking to watch it because they saw a clip of a shark jump-scare on a "Shorts" feed, steer them toward Jaws instead if they’re old enough, or just stick to the Krypto Saves the Day beach episode for the little ones.
The biggest trend we're seeing in the Screenwise community this week is "The Sandler Shift." Parents are used to Adam Sandler's family-friendly animated stuff like Hotel Transylvania, but his daughters are now making content for their own age group—which is late teens/early 20s.
Don't assume a "Sandler" or "Happy Madison" logo means it's safe for a 7-year-old. Always check the rating tag in the top left corner of the Netflix app before you hit play.
Q: Is the movie Roommates okay for a 12-year-old? No, Roommates is rated TV-MA and deals with mature college themes, drinking, and heavy language. It’s better suited for ages 16 and up.
Q: Is Dust Bunny on HBO Max scary? Yes, it is a horror-thriller. While it has a "fairy tale" vibe, the R-rating covers violence and disturbing imagery that will likely be too much for anyone under 14.
Q: What is the best movie for a 6-year-old to watch this weekend? The new LEGO Friends episodes or the Krypto Saves the Day animated shorts are your best bets for that age group.
Q: Is the shark movie Thrash too violent for middle schoolers? Most likely. It’s a "creature feature" with significant gore and high-tension survival scenes. If your child is sensitive to animal attacks or "trapped" scenarios, definitely skip it.
This weekend is a heavy hitter for adult-leaning content. If you're looking for a family win, go with IF or A Gorilla Story. Save Roommates and Dust Bunny for when you have a glass of wine in hand and the monitors are turned off.
Check out our guide to setting up Netflix parental controls
Learn more about the "brain rot" vs. "active viewing" debate