Hello, Yahoo readers! My name is Brett Arnold, film critic and longtime Yahoo editor, and I'm back with another edition of Trust Me, I Watch Everything.

This week, the third Knives Out movie, Wake Up Dead Man, hits theaters nationwide weeks ahead of its Netflix debut, and the Oscar-buzzy Hamnet also debuts in theaters.

At home, you can rent or buy Yorgos Lanthimos's Bugonia and Richard Linklater's Blue Moon, both of which are highly recommended.

And finally, on streaming services that you're likely already paying for, a hidden gem called The Baltimorons is now on AMC+, and Caught Stealing with Austin Butler and Zoë Kravitz hits Netflix on Saturday.

Read on, because there are more, and there's always something for everyone!

• What to watch in theaters

• Movies newly available to rent or buy

• Movies newly available on streaming services you may already have

🎥 What to watch in theaters

My not-a-recommendation: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Why you should maybe skip it: The third entry in Rian Johnson's star-studded Knives Out series is now in a select number of theaters ahead of its Netflix debut in a couple of weeks. While it largely retains the structure of the previous films, Wake Up Dead Man has more serious aims than its predecessors.

When young priest Jud Duplenticy (man of the moment Josh O'Connor) is sent to assist charismatic firebrand Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), it’s clear that all is not well in the pews. After a sudden and seemingly impossible murder rocks the town, the lack of an obvious suspect prompts local police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) to join forces with renowned detective Benoit Blanc (a returning Daniel Craig) to unravel a mystery that defies all logic. Other notable cast members include Jeremy Renner, Thomas Haden Church, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott and Cailee Spaeny.

As has become the series's calling card, the film is full of social commentary about the Way Things Are Today, which often reveals itself through clunky dialogue. It's ultimately about faith and how it can be misused by bad people in powerful positions, focusing on a divisive man who uses fear and anger to keep his followers in check.

The ensemble, usually a highlight, feels underused; it's mainly the Josh O'Connor show, and he's more than up to the task, but the cavalcade of famous-faced side characters is left to fade into the background. It's incredibly heavy on plot, and most of it is delivered by characters simply explaining what's going on rather than the filmmaker showing us. It feels like a good mystery should drop some clues and allow for the audience to maybe pick up on what's happening before the characters do, but that feels near impossible here, as the specifics are too silly. It requires tons of exposition to make heads or tails of.

Which is a real shame, as these whodunnits are actually more about the "why" than the "who," and Johnson seems more interested in lofty ideas about religion and belief than the locked-room mystery he so delicately sets up. Sadly, the reveal here, which should be the big rousing moment, is the most convoluted and contrived resolution yet and lacks the clever "a-ha!" feeling you get when all the moving pieces come together. I found it to be a boring slog overall — it clocks in at nearly 2-and-a-half hours — and certain characters' involvement in the reveal is too obvious from the jump.

The third Knives Out film lacks the cleverness and, frankly, the fun of Glass Onion and the original film, and is the least compelling Blanc adventure yet. It's certainly well-shot and terrifically performed, but in trying to tackle bigger ideas, it gets away from the heart of these films, which should be delivering a top-notch mystery that's actually involving.

What other critics are saying: I'm in the minority on this one and on the series in general. People love 'em! Peter Bradshaw at the Guardian calls the film "a chocolate box: mouthwateringly delicious on the first layer and … well, perfectly tasty on the second." The AV Club's Jacob Oller praises it as "vital" and says it "seeks answers both existential and earthly."

How to watch: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is now in theaters nationwide ahead of its Netflix debut on Dec. 12.

Get tickets

Bonus not-a-recommendation: Hamnet

Why you should skip it: Hamnet has been heralded as a Best Picture frontrunner, and while a nomination is damn-near certain at this point, and Jessie Buckley's lead performance is quite compelling, the movie was a fundamental miss for me because the very concept at the center of the film just doesn't work.

The film purports to tell the powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare's timeless masterpiece, Hamlet. It depicts William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, after the birth of their son, Hamnet. When tragedy strikes and Hamnet dies at a young age, Shakespeare turns to his art.

One of the biggest issues with the film is that there's an inherent disconnect between the marketing materials and the film, right down to the synopsis. It's pretty clear that anybody who watches this movie will be aware of what it's doing, Shakespeare-wise, and yet, the movie is incredibly strange and cagey about these characters, treating them as IP or Easter eggs to be teased rather than being forthright about it. Don't get me started on the actual way in which Hamnet's illness is depicted and the "magical irrealism," let's call it, that leads to tragedy, or the way filmmaker Chloé Zhao teases a witch-y side of Agnes.

Hamnet seems to want the audience to "ooh" and "aah" and maybe even gasp when William Shakespeare, who, again, is never explicitly called that in the movie, sits down and starts writing, "To be ... or not to be." It has the worst tendencies of the "biopic based on a famous figure" genre without any of the potential highs that come along with a more traditional take on the material. Like the moment in Bohemian Rhapsody where the band sits down to write their most famous hit, or any such scene in a similar film, it's incredibly labored.

It's all supposed to build to an undeniable third-act moment, in which Agnes witnesses Hamlet at the Globe Theatre, and realizes that her absent, terrible husband was actually channeling his grief and anguish into these characters. It's a treatise on grief and how art can help us manage it! An emotionally trenchant concept, if not a new one, but the big emotional catharsis moment simply didn't register, as I found the film amateurish and its central conceit to be paper-thin. The connections between the "real-life" tragedy involving Shakespeare's son and the play Hamlet are tenuous at best. It feels like it's grasping at something that is barely there while trying to illustrate its grander point.

What other critics are saying: It's largely beloved, but there are detractors like myself, including Amy Nicholson at the Los Angeles Times, who writes, "William Shakespeare wouldn’t be wowed by this domestic drama about his home life back in Stratford-upon-Avon. Where’s the action? The wit? The wordplay?" The AP's Jocelyn Noveck, however, says it "goes straight for the tear ducts, with crucial help from a superb cast led by Buckley — who, like her character, seems to have an extraordinary ability to dispense with artifice and access a wildness simmering beneath the surface."

How to watch: Hamnet is now in theaters nationwide.

Get tickets

But that's not all...

• Eternity: Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller and Callum Turner are all very good in this just-OK high-concept film that depicts, like so many films before it, the bureaucracy associated with the afterlife. In an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity, Joan is faced with the impossible choice between the man she spent her life with and her first love, who died young and has waited decades for her to arrive. The concept is clever and smart, but the world-building feels made up as it goes along. Frankly, the movie doesn't deserve Olsen's really great performance. Get tickets.

• Zootopia 2: A star-studded voice cast returns in this long-awaited sequel to the 2016 hit. Detectives Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde find themselves on the twisting trail of a mysterious reptile who turns the mammal metropolis of Zootopia upside down. Testing their growing partnership like never before, they go undercover in new parts of town to crack the case. The kids will surely dig it, and some parents may appreciate the messaging about prejudice, segregation and gentrification. Get tickets.

💸 Movies newly available to rent or buy

My recommendation: Bugonia

Why you should see it: The feel-bad movie of the season is here! Yorgos Lanthimos, director of Poor Things and The Favourite, returns with his latest collaboration with Emma Stone. It may be their finest work yet, though it may not leave you in the best headspace.

In the film, which is a remake of sorts of the 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet!, two conspiracy-obsessed men (Jesse Plemons and newcomer Aidan Delbis) kidnap the CEO of a major company (Emma Stone) when they become convinced that she's an alien who wants to destroy Earth.

All the performances are top-notch: Stone continues her unbelievable run, and Plemons finally gets to stretch his legs in a leading role and makes the absolute most of it. He's so effective in the role, you might find yourself empathizing with a nutjob or asking yourself whether he's actually onto something.

The film balances tone impressively, making you laugh uproariously one minute and inducing absolute dread the next. It's a film about our post-truth world, or a look at a society whose inhabitants can't even agree on basic realities. The script from Will Tracy (The Menu) does a terrific job at mining social commentary without being heavy-handed and shows how conspiracies often stem from a very real and painful place.

It builds to a third act that feels inevitable and then takes it a step further with a stunningly audacious ending montage that left a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. It poses the question, is humankind worth saving? You may not like the answer.

What other critics are saying: It's getting great reviews! Amy Nicholson at the Los Angeles Times astutely calls it "a hilarious movie with no hope for the future of humanity. What optimism there is lies only in the title, an ancient Greek word for the science of transforming dead cows into hives, of turning death into life." Rolling Stone's David Fear writes, "You’re never sure which truth is out there, exactly, in Lanthimos’s caustic, chilling and occasionally chuckle-inducing poke in the eye. You just acknowledge that no one seems to find one we can all agree on."

How to watch: Bugonia is now available to rent or buy on Apple TV, Prime Video and other VOD platforms.

Rent or buy

Bonus recommendation: Blue Moon

Why you should see it: Richard Linklater has two new movies you can stream right this second — this, and Nouvelle Vague on Netflix — and while both are worth your time, Blue Moon is the better of the two.

It's an "all-in-one-night" movie and a "takes-place-entirely-within-a-bar" movie set in 1943 and based on real people and events. Lyricist Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke, in a career-best performance) confronts his shattered self-confidence in a bar as his former collaborator, Richard Rodgers, celebrates the opening night of his groundbreaking hit musical Oklahoma!

This is vintage Linklater at his best: stripped-down, dialogue-centric and starring Ethan Hawke ... as a messy queen who lives for drama! You’ve never seen him like this before, and it's one of the best performances of the year. It's a lovely and deeply melancholic little movie about art, professional jealousy and so much more.

Any former theater kid (theater adult?), art appreciator or wannabe critic will resonate with Hart saying, "I wanted to grab the audience by the shoulders and say, 'What are you laughing at? Come on, demand more,'" in discussing Oklahoma! It's a rousing and passionate character study that just so happens to be depicting a real guy, which allows for random famous names to show up throughout and get a laugh, Midnight in Paris-style.

Blue Moon is the kind of movie that could've easily been a play, but thankfully is instead a Richard Linklater film we all can enjoy without trekking to Broadway. It's a real treat for fans of Linklater, Hawke, theater and the function of art in our lives.

What other critics are saying: They love it! Stephanie Zacharek at Time writes that it's "both a modest movie and a dazzling, generous work," and TheWrap's Ben Croll calls it "an unreservedly stagey affair — matching form with content to follow an unhappy man for whom all the world’s a stage right before his curtains fall."

How to watch: Blue Moon is now available to rent or buy on Apple TV, Prime Video and other VOD platforms.

Rent or buy

But that's not all...

• Regretting You: The latest Colleen Hoover romance adaptation stars Mason Thames, Mckenna Grace, Allison Williams and Dave Franco. When a devastating accident reveals a shocking betrayal, Morgan Grant and her daughter, Clara, explore what's left behind as they confront family secrets, redefine love and rediscover each other. It's equal parts cute and bizarre; Franco and Williams play themselves in high school flashbacks! Rent or buy

📺 Movies newly available on streaming services you may already have

My recommendation: The Baltimorons

Why you should watch it: This warm and gentle and sad and wonderful indie gem really sneaks up on you. The star, who also wrote the film, is newcomer Michael Strassner, and he gives an incredibly endearing performance in what is clearly a very personal story, alongside Liz Larsen, a veteran actress who's never had a lead role like this in a film before.

After cracking a tooth on Christmas Eve, newly sober Cliff embarks on an adventure through Baltimore with Didi, his emergency dentist who's nearly twice his age. It's a fantastic showcase for them both that's unexpectedly affecting, moving and even life-affirming, making you laugh all the while.

It's a reminder of the power of cinema and that you don't need millions to make something special. Hopefully, it'll become a new perennial classic, like the recent Oscar-nominated The Holdovers.

What other critics are saying: It's a gem! The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney says, "It's the kind of quirky concept that could easily have been cringe material, but the actors give it a lived-in naturalism that sneaks up on you." Jake Coyle at the AP nails it: "One of those little movies you might stumble across and be surprised that it hooks you. It does so despite — or more likely because — of its complete lack of flashiness or any self-evident attempt to 'hook you.'"

How to watch: The Baltimorons is now streaming on AMC+.

Stream on AMC+

My bonus recommendation: Caught Stealing

Why you should watch it: Darren Aronofsky's Caught Stealing is about as fun as it is deeply unpleasant.

Based on the book of the same name, the movie is set in New York City in 1998 and stars Austin Butler as an ex-baseball player turned bartender who was once set for a career playing professional ball before his alcoholism got in the way. He hasn't stopped drinking since that setback, which seems to define his life.

While looking after his neighbor's cat, some gangsters show up and beat the hell out of him, and he's thrust into a criminal underworld he wants no part of and has no business being involved in, as everybody seeks a pile of money his neighbor hid somewhere.

What makes the film stand out is that it's not just that wacky plot driving the narrative; it's the fact that we care about Butler's journey and want him to survive the night.

Caught Stealing is somehow both an exciting change of pace for Aronofsky and a film that fits comfortably within his oeuvre of movies about sad protagonists with some sort of addiction that gets the better of them.

What other critics are saying: There's a mixed bag of responses, but they skew positive. The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw clocked it as "a very enjoyable spectacle." IndieWire's Kate Erbland, however, writes that "it doesn’t pop, at least until the film’s final act, which finally brings together Aronofsky’s disparate parts and shows an inkling of what the filmmaker was attempting to capture."

How to watch: Caught Stealing is now streaming on Netflix.

Stream on Netflix

But that's not all...

• She Rides Shotgun: Taron Egerton stars in this gritty crime thriller, based on the bestselling book of the same name, about a little girl on the lam with her dangerous father. Is her dad a threat, or is he a good guy who got mixed up with some bad people? The performances are strong enough to make up for a script that's largely cliché. The focus on Ana Sophia Heger's character's journey and how she's forced to reckon with her father's mistakes also helps render it a cut above similar fare. Now streaming on MGM+.

That's all for this week — we'll see you next week at the movies!

Looking for more recs? Find your next watch on the Yahoo 100, our daily-updating list of the most popular movies of the year.