Yes, it’s that time again, the weekend, and time to review the best new movies and television shows added online this week(and last week), to Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. And there are some exciting new adds this week, so let’s get started.
HULU
Hulu has an stupendous add this week with Call Jane, the 2022 drama. Elizabeth Banks plays Joy, a seemingly ordinary housewife with a daughter, who finds her life will be threatened by her looming pregnancy, but who cannot get permission for an abortion from an all-male board of doctors. When she see a flyer offering help to women like her, saying ‘call Jane,’ she does indeed call, and finds a group of female advocates who help her acquire a life-saving abortion. She is so impressed with the underground group, including Virginia(Sigourney Weaver) and Gwen (Wunmi Mosaku),she goes to work with them, and puts her own life on the line for what she believes in, as well. Kate Mara, Chris Messina, Aida Turturro, Grace Edwards and John Magaro also star, while Phyllis Nagy directs. And this film, based on a real group female advocates(and activists) in Chicago in the 60′s and 70‘s, premiered at Sundance last year, and was nominated for numerous awards last year, including the prestigious Golden Berlin Bear, and went on to win Best Supporting Actress for Weaver at the 2022 Beijing International Film Festival. And it gets an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Rebecca Harrison of Sight & Sound said “If Call Jane’s narrative is largely paint-by-numbers, its closing scene eschews narrative conventions. We are left with names, circumstances, the then-as-now cries for help, and the knowledge that there is so much more still to burn.” I’m definitely tuning in. Hulu has also added it Up Here, a 2023 musical comedy series from the producers of Hamilton .Mae Whitman and Carlos Valdes star, here, as Lindsay and Miguel, two young New Yorkers in 1999 NYC, who meet cute, and may be fated to be together forever. But for the fact that Lindsay wants to be a writer, with dedication that may not allow true love, and Miguel is an not totally invested in investment banking, his chosen profession. Then there are the voices in both of their heads(played by real people), thoroughly interfering in any healthy relationship they hope to have. Andréa Burns, Emilia Suárez,Katie Finneran, John Hodgman and Brian Stokes Mitchell(!)also star, and all 8 episodes of season 1 are available now. But Hulu also offers Wedding Agreement, a 2022 Indonesian drama series. This tells of the woes of Tari, played by Indah Permatasari, who , on the night of her wedding to Bian(Refal Hady), learns he plans to divorce her after one year, as he is committed to his girlfriend Sarah(Susan Sameh), and only grudgingly committed to this arranged marriage to appease his parents. And so Tari decides to try to win his love, while the pair pretend to be happily married.Zsazsa Utari,Chantiq Schagerl,Unique Priscilla,Wafda Saifan Lubis and Bucek Depp also star, and there are 10 episodes available to enjoy now. And this series was nominated for 4 awards at the 2022 Asian Academy Creative Awards, and gets a whopping 7.1/10 on IMDb. And, so I can find no online reviews for this show, if you want a dramatic romance, this may be for you. And, finally, Hulu has added RINGO: Glory and Death, a 2023 Argentinian historical drama series from Disney+. This is based on the true story of Argentinian heavyweight fighter Oscar “Ringo” Bonavena, played by Jerónimo Bosia, whose meteoric rise to fame was followed swiftly by his fall from stardom and grace. After Ringo manages to fight Mohammed Ali, and loses, he falls victim to abusive contracts and his own ambition, attempts at singing and other efforts, finally ending up in Reno, Nevada, meeting his end after getting involved with the mob. Delfina Chaves, María Onetto, Martin Slipak, Renato Quattordio, Lucila Gandolfo, Germán de Silva, and Lautaro Bettoni also star, and there are 7 episodes available for bingeing now. And this series gets a humongous 7.8/10 on IMDb, so, even though I can find no reviews of this show, either, you may want to watch. I am.
NETFLIX
The biggest title added on Netflix this week is The Night Agent, a 2023 espionage thriller. Gabriel Basso stars a Peter Sutherland, whose spontaneous heroics save on a subway saves lives and gets him a (very) low level job with the FBI, working the emergency hotline on the night shift. But when he unexpectedly receives a call from a tech founder, Rose (Luciane Buchanan), whose relatives were killed, he may have a chance to redeem himself… if he survives. Hong Chau(of TheWhale!) stars as his White House Chief of Staff Diane Farr, and Sarah Desjardins, Fola Evans-Akingbola, Eve Harlow and Enrique Murciano also star, and there are 10 episodes available now. And this series is less conventional than expected, and so, even though it gets only a 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, it may be worth your time. Daniel D’Addario of Variety says “t’s a pleasure to see a show better than it might have been, when so often the opposite is true: The Night Agent sparks with curiosity and intrigue, a richly detailed show that propels viewers forward with a relentless pace.” It’s on my list. But Netflix also offers Close to Home: Murder in the Coalfield, a 2023 German series. Here, Detective Maik Briegand(Misel Maticevic) is forced to return to the small hometown,Lauchhammer, he left years ago when a grisley murder takes place there. He is sent there with by-the-book investigator Annalena Gottknecht (Odine Johne), and they work with local cop Pötschke (Marc Hosemann), on scene, but when the clues get too close to home for Maik, will he open up to Annalena about what’s really going on. Ella Lee, Jule Hermann,Jacob Matschenz, Lucas Gregorowicz, and Hilmar Eichhorn also star, and there are 6 episodes available to devour now. and this series gets a 6.4/10 on IMDb, and a 77% on Just Watch. Liz Kocan of The Decider says to Stream It, adding “the first episode alone is filled with so many small hints and so much suspicious activity, so if you’re a fan of shows that let you play along and try to figure out who did what and why, Murder In The Coalfield is going to be a fun ride.” I’m definitely tuning in. Netflix has also added Who Were We Running From?, a 2023 Turkish crime thriller series.Based on Perihan Magden‘s novel, this follows Bambi(Eylül Tumbar) and her mom(Melisa Sözen) as they flit from hotel to hotel, planning to stay for months, but always cutting out abruptly, sometimes leaving someone dead. And thought the girl never fully understands what’s going on , with her mother’s references to abusive family members, especially her grandfather, she begins to grasp the full truth of her existence, and their fight for survival.Musa Uzunlar, Birand Tunca, Jessica Rookeward, and Isik Naz Özedgü also star, and there are 7 absorbing episodes available now. And this series gets 5.9/10 on IMDb,(it’s early yet), but of MartinCid Magazine calls it “an elegant thriller, it’s well produced and contains irony aplenty where the plot and the aesthetic are concerned.” I’m watching. Netflix also offers Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga, a 2023 Indian crime caper movie. This begins with the seemingly idyllic romance between story of Neha (Yami Gautam Dhar), a flight attendant, and Ankit (Sunny Kaushal), an insurance agent, but when Neha finds Ankit has an outstanding debt he cannot payoff, with thugs threatening him, they come up with a plan. To steal 1 bilion dollars worth of diamonds in midair, to repay Ankit‘s debts. They must intercept a courier and switch out his diamond-encrusted mobile device, but when trouble occurs during the flight, all bets are off, and Federal Agent Parvez Shaikh (Sharad Kelkar) has some questions for Ankit. Barun Chanda, Farooq Azam, Priyanka Karunakaran and Indraneil Sengupta also star, and Ajay Singh directs. And this movie gets an astounding 7.9 /10 on IMDb, and Johnny Loftus of The Decider says to Stream It, adding “the electric chemistry between its leads keeps Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga on track as it builds a pretty entertaining heist film out of parts that don’t always fit neatly together.” I’m watching. And, finally, Netflix has added Furies, a 2023 revenge thriller. Here, Jacqueline, played by Ngô Thanh Van or Veronica Ngô, saves country girl Bi (Dong Anh Quynh) from more of the sexual violence she’s endured in Ho Chi Minh City, and recruits her to join a girl gang out to destroy gang boss Hai (Thuan Nguyen) notorious for trafficking women and drugs. she meets fellow members Thanh (Toc Tien) and Hong (Rima Thanh Vy), and trains for the deadly combat that’s to come. And what follows is plenty of gun play, karate, and even swordplay on motorbikes. Song Luan, Gia A Nguyen, Phan Thanh Hien, NS Nguyen Duong, Hong Van and Thuy Linh also star, and Veronica Ngô(!) directs. And this thriller gets an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. Richard Kuipers of Variety says “this tale… is packed with exciting action and boasts fine performances from four killers bound by blood, bullets and all manner of deadly weapons.” And it’s so much fun. I am definitely tuning in.
AMAZON
Amazon has a huge add this week with Nope, Jordan Peele’s 2022 sci-fi/horror mash-up. Daniel Kaluuya(!) and Keke Palmer(!) star as siblings Otis “OJ” Haywood Jr and Emerald “Em” Haywood, respectively, who trains horses for tv and film, part of a long line of horse trainers in Agua Dulce, California. But when the Haywoods start to notice strange fluctuations in their electricity, and their horses disappearing violently, they begin to suspect a UFO. And when they actually find it sweeping up horses and spitting out inorganic matter, they opt for celebrity and fame by hiring a cinematographer, Antlers Holst, and even set up a big show for the UFO arrival, which ends disastrously. Steven Yeun, Wrenn Schmidt, Michael Wincott, Brandon Perea,Terry Notary and Keith David also star, and Peele not only directed, but wrote the script, here, as well. And this film was nominated for numerous awards in 2022 and went on to win Best Supporting Actress for Keke Palmer at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, Best Science Fiction Film at the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA, and Movie of the Year by the AFI. And it gets an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Eric Francisco of Inverse writing “brimming with tension but laced with gaiety so as to never feel hostile, Nope is an operatic and sweeping thriller that celebrates cinema and simultaneously condemns it as an industry built on obscured violence.” And I’m watching, if from under the couch.Amazon has also added Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, the 2022 comedy/drama. Based on the 1958 novel of the same name by Paul Gallico, this has the widowed Mrs. Harris, played by Lesley Manville(!), working as a cleaning lady in ’50’s London, coming upon a Dior dress one day, and falling in love. And so when she unexpectedly receives a war-widow’s pension, she heads to Paris and stumbles onto a showing of Dior‘s 10th anniversary collection, befriending some of the workers there. But she also incurs the resentment of Dior director, Claudine(Isabelle Huppert!), being such a commoner, only to be allowed to buy a dress when it’s learned she has cash.Lambert Wilson, Alba Baptista, Lucas Bravo, Ellen Thomas, Rose Williams, and Jason Isaacs also star, and Anthony Fabian directs. And this film was nominated for numerous awards this year, including an Oscar for Best Costume Design, and went on to win 4 awards, including Feature Film – Adaptation at the Australian Writers’ Guild. and it get a stunning 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 7.1/10 on IMDb. Cyrus Cohen of Time Out wrote “Lesley Manville delivers an effervescent performance that reminds us of her formidable comedic, as well as dramatic range.” And that’s why I’m watching. And, finally, Amazon has added No Traces, a 2023 Spanish mystery series. This follows Desi(Carolina Yuste) and Cata(Camila Sodi), two young cleaning women at an upscale apartment building who come upon the body of a woman while working, and try not to panic. But when the police arrive and consider the pair their prime suspects, they start to feel the pressure and take off, only to find they may have been set up by drug dealers or even the Russian mafia. Tiaré Scanda, Silvia Alonso, Leonardo Ortizgris, Adrian Grösser ,Pavel Anton, Borja Luna and Adriana Torrebejano also star, and 8 episodes available for bingeing now. And this series gets a 6.4/10 on IMDb, with Xesco Simon of The Furies Magazine of calling it a “great feminist and Spanish Breaing Bad [that] you cannot miss ” And I’m tuning in.
So sit back and binge this weekend, on classics, old and new, on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Enjoy!
Grownups Guide to Streaming 