Yes, it’s the weekend and time to talk about what new movies and TV shows are available to stream on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. So let’s get started!
HULU
Hulu may not have big name movies newly available this week, but there are still some good offerings, like Minding the Gap, a Hulu original documentary. A film about three young men growing up in the rust belt, skateboarding, family and adulthood, this film won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Filmmaking at Sundance 2018 and was released directly to Hulu and theaters on Aug. 17. Directed by Bing Liu, in his directorial debut, Minding the Gap is a surprisingly honest movie about how hard it can be to become an adult. And it gets a 7.6/10 on IMDb, and a 100%(!) on Rotten Tomatoes. Definitely worth a view. Also, on Hulu, is Role Models, the 2009 comedy starring Seann William Scott and Paul Rudd. The pair stars as energy drink salesmen, who are required to do 150 hours of community service for their numerous minor crimes, and also stars Elizabeth Banks, Christopher Mint-Plasse, Jane Lynch and Bobb-e J Thompson. Yes, there are a lot of sophomoric jokes, but it has a great cast(I’ll watch anything with Jane Lynch) and it gets a 6.9/10 on IMDb and a 78% on Rotten Tomatoes. Another interesting new addition to Hulu’s lineup is Very Good Girls, a 2017 movie starring Dakota Fanning and Elizabeth Olsen. About a pair of high school girls wanting to lose their virginity, it’s not totally a new idea, but Very good Girls has a very good cast, including Richard Dreyfuss, Ellen Barkin , Demi Moore and Peter Sarsgaard. And it gets a 6/10 on IMDb. And, finally, Hulu offers A Ciambra, a 2017 movie produced by Martin Scorsese. It’s a realist movie, where nonprofessionals play themselves, about a Roma boy, living in poverty, and the tough choices he is faced with. It stars Pio and Damiano Amato, as well as other family members, and Koudous Seihon and is directed by Jonas Carpignano. It gets a 6.9/10 on IMDb and an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.
NETFLIX
There are a couple of really big additions to the Netflix lineup this week, including Hostiles, starring Christian Bale. It’s a new take on the old western, a “revisionist” and even, maybe “feminist” western, which more accurately displays the acid relationship between Native Americans and the “new ” invaders and soldiers who took their lands and almost everything else. Its about an Army Capt. (Bale) who reluctantly must escort a Cheyenne war Chief (Wes Studi) and his family back to their tribal lands.the movie also stars Rosamund Pike, David Midthunder and Rory Cochran, is directed by Scott Cooper and has wonderful cinematography by Masanobu Takayanagi. Hostiles got rave reviews and gets a 7.2/10 on IMDb and a 72% on Rotten Tomatoes. Another great new addition to Netflix this week is Disenchantment, the new Matt Groening animated series. With a tough new heroine, Bean, a princess who’d rather to fight, drink and get into trouble, than typical princess ritual, Disenchantment is a thrilling adult comedy. It stars the voices of Abbi Jacobson, Eric Andre and Nat Faxon, and gets a 7.3/10 on IMDb. Definitely worth viewing. Netflix has also added To All the Boys I Loved Before, the 2018 movie starring Lana Condor. Based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Jenny Han, it’s about a girl, who writes letters to boys she’s loved, only to have them delivered without her knowledge. The movie also stars Janelle Parrish, Anna Cathcart, Noah Centineo, Israel Broussard and John Corbett and is directed by Susan Johnson. It gets an 8/10 on IMDb. Another new teen movie on Netflix is Adventures in Public School. It stars Daniel Doheny, as a home-schooled boy, moved to public school, and features his difficulties learning the social skills necessary. It also stars Judy Greer, Siobhan Williams and Russell Peters and gets an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s refreshingly different from your average teenage High School comedy. Netflix also has I wish I were Here, the 2014 movie starring Zach Braff. Also directed by Braff, this movie is about a down-on-his-luck actor, who takes to home schooling his kids and the discovery that awakens in him. It also stars Kate Hudson, Ashley Greene, Josh Gad, Joey King and Mandy Patinkin and gets a 6.7/10 on IMDb. Netflix has added a new(2017) series, Ultraviolet, from Poland. About a woman, who thinks she witnesses a crime, and the internet group she discovers that could help her solve it, it stars Marta Nieradkiewicz, Sebastian Fabijański, Bartłomiej Topa, Agata Kulesza, Marek Kalita and Magdalena Czerwińska. It’s an all-star cast, says thekillingtimestv and it looks very good. It gets a 6.7/10 on IMDb. And, finally, Netflix has added The Motive, the 2017 Spanish black comedy directed by Manuel Martin Cuena. About a man without an imagination, determined to write a great novel, who manipulates his neighbors for fodder for his book, it stars Javier Gutierrez as the would-be writer. It also stars Maria Leon,Antonio de la Torre and Adelfa Calvo and gets a 6.8/10 on IMDb.
AMAZON
Amazon has recently added Gringo, the 2018 movie starring Daniel Oyelowo. About a business man who gets into trouble, after agreeing to deliver an experimental marijuana pill to Mexico, Gringo also stars Charlize Theron(who also produced), Thandie Newton, Amanda Seyfried and Sharito Copley. Now Gringo didn’t get rave reviews, but it stars Daniel Oyelowo and it’s a comedy, so why not. And it gets a 6.1/10 on IMDb. Also, new on Amazon is Little White Lie, the 2015 documentary directed by Lacey Schwartz. It’s a biographical film, about Lacey Schwartz and her mother and the fact of Lacey’s biracial heritage, though she was unaware of it for decades. It’s an eye-opening film, and gets 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.2/10 on IMDb. Amazon has another documentary of note(just added), called Missing Mom, a 2016 film from Rob McCallum. It centers on the search for his mother, missing for almost 25 years, with his brother, Chris, a police officer. It won multiple awards, and gets a 6.3/10 on IMDb. And finally, Amazon offers Wish You Well, a 2015 movie starring Ellen Burstyn. Based on a book by David Baldacci, it centers on the lives of two kids, who go to live with their grandmother(Burstyn). It stars Mackenzie Foy and Josh Lucas as the children, and also features Ned Bellamy and Laura Fraser. It’s always a pleasure to see Ellen Burstyn and the rest of the cast is strong, as well. and it gets a 6.6/10 on IMDb.
So if it’s hot outside, stay inside and binge this weekend with great movies and TV online!
Grownups Guide to Streaming 