Writer Joseph J. Airdo // Photo Courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

Listen to the podcast version of this story, featuring interview soundbites and audio clips from this weekend’s new releases.

This weekend, Brad Pitt goes off the rails in theaters while four new features stalk streaming services, including a film that serves as a prologue to the “Predator” franchise.

In “Bullet Train,” Brad Pitt stars as an unlucky assassin determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. However, when his latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe — all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives — on the world’s fastest train, he is inevitably pulled back in. The action flick is playing exclusively in theaters.

Listen to Joseph’s podcast review of “Prey.”

Meanwhile, Amber Midthunder plays a fierce and highly skilled warrior who, raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains, sets out to protect her people from a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal in “Prey.” The prequel to the “Predator” franchise is streaming exclusively on Hulu.

In “Luck,” Eva Noblezada voices an unlucky girl who, having stumbled into the never-before-seen Land of Luck, must unite with the magical creatures there to turn her luck around. Other voice talents include Simon Pegg, Jane Fonda and Whoopie Goldberg. The animated adventure is streaming exclusively on Apple TV.

In “Wedding Season,” Pallavi Sharda and Suraj Sharma play people who, under parental pressure to find spouses, pretend to date during a summer of weddings. However, their ruse goes awry when feelings turn real. The romantic comedy is streaming exclusively on Netflix.

Finally, Kevin Bacon plays a counselor at an LGBTQIA+ conversion camp in “They/Them.” As the camp’s methods become increasingly more psychologically unsettling, the campers must work together to protect themselves. When an unidentified axe murderer starts claiming victims, things get even more dangerous. The slasher flick is streaming exclusively on Peacock.

Whether you speed ahead in “Bullet Train,” fight for your survival in “Prey,” attempt to improve your fortune in “Luck,” find your perfect match in “Wedding Season” or try to avoid having your mind altered and your head chopped off in “They/Them,” this weekend’s new releases run the gamut of genres, assuring an extraordinarily entertaining start to the month of August.