As theaters reopen, moviegoers are excited for the opportunity to get the full movie experience with all the latest films. Luckily, during quarantine, several new movies were available via platforms like Netflix, Disney+ and other online streaming sites. Others were available to rent on either their own websites or on a larger company’s website.

One such movie was “The King of Staten Island” that was released online for rent, and for drive-in theaters. An emotional story, it deals with a man grieving over his father’s death. The film has received relatively good reviews, having a 73% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.1 rating on IMDB.

“At first it felt lighthearted and comedic, but as it went on it got more serious,” Abby Krall, a Jupiter High junior who rented the movie on Amazon Video, said. “I really enjoyed it in the end because the main character was able to make amends, or at least start to mend, a lot of his broken relationships that had happened throughout the movie.”

Another movie that avoided a theater release is the Netflix original “The Devil All the Time.” The movie features a young man trying to protect those he loves in a post-WWII, backwoods town full of corruption and brutality. Although the film wasn’t a hit with critics, as seen with the 65% on Rotten Tomatoes, it was well-liked among casual viewers with a 7.2 rating on IMDB.

“I thought it was a pretty good movie, not my favorite though,” Natalie Zerecheck, a Jupiter High junior, said. She had recently streamed the movie on Netflix.

Of course, no movie is truly perfect, even just to casual viewers. Netflix’s “The Devil All the Time” seems to have fans and critics alike complaining about the timing and pacing.

“The pacing was really weird with all the time jumps, and I think it would’ve been better if it was a miniseries so they could’ve focused on each time period more,” Zerecheck said.

Interestingly, other countries have been taking this opportunity to release their movies in the U.S., sometimes dubbed in English. For example, “Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul” is a sequel to a well-loved Japanese animated series simply called “Made in Abyss.” This movie was originally released in Japan in late Jan. but has just now reached the U.S. in the form of its own website where viewers can rent the film. The movie follows a young girl named Rico, accompanied by her friends Reg and Nanachi, as she continues her journey to find her lost mother in the gaping chasm known as The Abyss. “Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul” currently has an 8.2 rating on IMDB.

“I enjoyed it very much,” Aiden Perkins, former Jupiter High student who is now homeschooled, said. “The character development was rather well played, the scenery and art style was well done and it leaves you off on an interesting cliffhanger for the second season of the show.”

Most of these new movies have been released digitally, causing some film buffs to question whether moviegoers will actually return to theaters when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. To some, this is worrying, but to others it seems to be a benefit.

“I think I prefer watching them at home because I get the comfort of my own bed,” Maddison Charles, a Jupiter High senior, said.

Movie fans still have hope they will one day be able to go with their friends safely to see a movie on the big screen.

“I am okay with watching movies online, but I do like the theater experience more,” Zerecheck said. “It’s fun to watch a premiere with everyone else in the theater watching the story unfold at the same time.”