Yes, it’s that time again, the weekend, and time to review the best new movies and television shows added online this week, to Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. And there are some exciting new adds this week, so let’s get started.
HULU
Hulu‘s biggest title added this week might well be White Men Can’t Jump, the 2023 remake of the 1993 classic, but since that’s been widely panned, I’d rather watch Resurrection, the 2022 thriller. Rebecca Hall(Frost/Nixon) plays Margaret, here, a seemingly accomplished executive and capable mother to Abbie (Grace Kaufman), who’s headed for college soon. But then David ( Tim Roth) shows up, an old and menacing acquaintance, though he pretends, at first, not to know her. And as he looms over Margaret‘s life, it becomes clear that this time he may threaten her daughter, as well as herself. Michael Esper, Angela Wong Carbone, Josh Drennen, Rosemary Howard and Winsome Brown also star, while Andrew Semans directed. And this film gets an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Sheila O’Malley of RogerEbert.com called it a “diabolically intense psychological thriller, with two riveting central performances from Rebecca Hall and Tim Roth.” And I’m tuning in. Hulu also offers The Invisible Girl, a 2023 Spanish mystery/thriller series. This takes place in the Andalusian town of Cárdena, where 17 year-old Julia(Zoe Stein) finds her classmate Aurora vanished after a night of partying, and so Julia‘s father, Civil Guard lieutenant Miguel Ángel(Daniel Grao), begins an investigation. But as he refuses to fill his daughter in on the details, she begins an investigation of her own, and so the pair find their already tense relationship pushed to the breaking point, along with threats to both their lives . Tamara Casellas, Javier Córdoba, Ignacio Mateos, Marta Hoyos and Marta Vallés also star, and there are 8 episodes of this dark but compelling series available now. And it gets a 5.6/10 on IMDb, but Karina “ScreamQueen” Adelgaard of Heaven of Horror calls it “a very classic crime story that offers plenty of twists and turns along the way…certainly worth checking out.” And I love a mystery, so I’m definitely tuning in. Hulu has also added Pandora: Beneath the Paradise, a 2023 Korean thriller series. This tells of Hong Taera, played by Lee Ji-Ah, who seems to have the perfect life, married with a daughter, but with no memory. And when her repressed memories start to come back, she has not only to live with the trauma, but avenge those who caused her family such harm. Lee Sang-yoon, Jang Hee-jin, Park Ki-woong, and Bong Tae-gyu also star, and there are 12 episodes available now, with 2 more to come next week. And this series gets a 6.3/10 on IMDb, and Sarah Musnicky of ButWhy Tho says it’s “set to be the next revenge thriller melodramatic spectacle to shove into your eyeballs. Grab yourself some popcorn, sit back, and watch the shenanigans unfold.” So I’m tuning in. And, finally, Hulu has added Slash/Back, a 2022 Canadian Inuit sci-fi horror movie. This takes place in Pangnirtung, Canada, just 31 miles south of the Arctic Circle, where a group of bored Inuit teens wander trying to entertain themselves during the summer 24 hour day that stretches before them. Led by Maika, played by Tasiana Shirley, a sure shot with her rifle she carries with her, she saves her sister from a strangely behaving and ravenous polar bear, they are troubled, but they soon find their neighbors acting strangely too, and find that aliens are taking over human (and other animal) bodies. And this band of girls maybe the only ones who can save the human race from extinction. Chelsea Prusky, Alexis Wolfe, Nalajoss Ellsworth, Frankie Vincent-Wolfe and Rory Anawak also star, and Inuk filmmaker Nyla Innuksuk directs. This movie premiered at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival, where it was nominated for the SXSW Grand Jury Award, and won Best Costume Design at the CAFTCAD awards. And it gets an astounding 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Mónica Marie Zorrilla of Inverse wrote it”may be a spiritual successor to The Thing, but it carves out a unique space as a sci-fi horror flick made for Indigenous young adults.” And I’m watching.
NETFLIX
Netflix has a big title added today with Missing, the 2022 thriller. From the creators of 2018′s Searching, this movie tells of 18 year-old June, played by Storm Reid, who is delighted when her mom, Grace (Nia Long), leaves home for a vacation with her new boyfriend, Kevin(Ken Leung)in Colombia. But when her mom doesn’t return to L.A. in two weeks, and doesn’t answer her phone, June panics, and contacts officials, who don’t seem to share her concern. So she goes in search of her mom by herself, using TikTok and a Colombian Task Rabbiter named Javi, to help her save her mom. Joaquim de Almeida, Amy Landecker, Megan Suri, Tracy Vilar and Daniel Henney also star, and Will Merrick(Searching) and Nicholas D. Johnson co-direct. And this movie gets an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Sara Michelle Fetters of MovieFreak.com said it’s “not so much a sequel to 2018’s Searching as it is another tale of online moxie and resolve set in the same universe, Missing is a tensely enjoyable roller-coaster ride that had my eyes glued to the screen.” And Storm Reid is so much fun to watch. I’m tuning in. Netflix has also added XO, Kitty, the 2023 romcom series. A spin-off of To all the Boys I’ve Loved, this tells of teen matchmaker, Kitty Song Covey, played by Anna Cathcart(To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before), who wants to go to the same prestigious school, KISS, in Seoul, that her mom went to. Oh, and the fact that her penpal, Dae(Choi Min-yeong), and her latest crush, goes there, doesn’t hurt either. So when she gets in, she elatedly heads to Seoul, only to find Dae has a girlfriend. So school turns out to be awkward, and more demanding than she thought, and with Dae asking her to leave, Kitty needs to find the nerve and inspiration to stay on course. Gia Kim, Sang Heon Lee, Anthony Keyvan, Peter Thurnwald and Yunjin Kim also star, and there are 10 episodes available for bingeing now. To All The Boys novelist Jenny Han created this series, too, along with Glow writer Sascha Rothchild, and it gets a respectable 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. Fletcher Peters of the Daily Beast wrote “Kitty has crushes on girls and guys, on enemies and exes, on her neighbors and strangers she meets at parties. Not only does this feel like an extremely accurate representation of a teenage girl and her many crushes, but it’s also a real delight to watch.” And it’s on my list. Netflix has also added Spirited, a 2022 Indonesian fantasy horror flick. Titled Jagat Arwah in Indonesian, this finds young Raga (Ari Irham)is bent on being a musician, but his Aditya clan is in the exorcism business, fated to fight the evil spirits that plague the world. And when his father dies one awful spirit, the monsters begin to plague Raga‘s life, coming at him from the underground , and overhead, too. But will Raga take up the mantle and fight the terrible creatures that threaten him and the world? Oka Antara, Cinta Laura Kiehl, Sheila Dara Aisha, Kiki Narendra and Ganindra Bimo also star, while Ruben Adrian directs. And Ruben Adrian was nominated Best Directing Debut at the 2023 Maya Awards, and gets a 6.8/10 on IMDb. And Movies Reviews 101 says “this could easily be the beginning of a much bigger series of movies, following Raga fighting different demons on his journey.” It’s on my list. Netflix also offers Faithfully Yours, a 2023 Dutch thriller. This follows Bodil Backer(Bracha van Doesburgh), a judge at a local court in the Netherlands , happily married with a son. But she travels for a weekend in Antwerp with her best friend Isabel(Elise Schaap), where, along with business, they both plan for extramarital hijinks, with each covering for the other, and Bodil even taking Isabel’s iPhone, since her husband put a tracer on it. But when Isabel disappears, under suspicious circumstances, and both husbands reappear, with the police being called in, all the lies will come crashing down, and Isabel may not be found alive. Nasrdin Dchar, Gijs Naber, Hannah Hoekstra,Matteo Simoni and Sofie Decleir also star, while André van Duren directs. And this steamy thriller gets a 6/10 on IMDb, and, no, it’s not perfect, but I love a mystery. And Roger Moore of Movie Nation calls it a “Dutch treat,” adding “it’s a subtly-acted slow-starter, with a fine, flashy finish, a “solid” genre piece.” So I’m watching. And, finally, Netflix has added Kathal – A Jackfruit Mystery, a 2023 Indian Hindu satirical comedy. This tru-ish story takes place in the small town of Moba in North India, where an MLA(Member of the Legislative Assembly) reports two of his prize jackfruit, or kathals, missing, and efficient police investigator, Mahima(Sanya Malhotra), is put on the ridiculous case. And while she follows a labyrinthine trail around town, an irksome reporter dogs her trail, intent on getting a big story. Anant V Joshi, Rajpal Yadav, Vijay Raaz, Gurpal Singh and Brijendra Kala also star, while Yashowardhan Mishra directs. And this movie gets a 6.9/10 on IMDb, and Monika Rawal Kukreja of the Hindustan Times calls it “near-perfect satire,” adding “Sanya Malhotra brings a balance in physically intense and emotionally charged scenes.” And I’m definitely tuning in.
AMAZON
Amazon has an amazing add this week with She Said, the 2022 drama . This dramatization tells the true story of the investigations led by New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, played by Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan, that helped propel the #Metoo movement. Together, the pair investigated allegations into sexual assault accusations against powerful movie producer Harvey Weinstein, mobilized by a tweet by Rose McGowan. And any investigations are hindered by the pushback from the powerful man, nondisclosure agreements any victim might have signed, as well as the ruined career they may face. Patricia Clarkson(!), Andre Braugher, Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Morton and Ashley Judd also star, and Maria Schrader directed. And this film was nominated for numerous awards last year, including Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Mulligan and Best Adapted Screenplay for Lenkiewicz at the 76th British Academy Film Awards, and went on to win Movie of the Year at the AFI Awards. And it gets an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 7.4/10 on IMDb. Ann Hornaday of the Washington Post wrote it “takes a story we thought we knew and gives it new, utterly shattering life.” And I’m definitely tuning in. Amazon has also added Primo, a buzzy new coming of age series on Freevee. This follows Rafa Gonzales, played by Ignacio Diaz-Silverio, living with his single and very capable mom, Drea(Christina Vidal) in San Antonio’s south side. But as Rafa, or Primo, deals with the big decisions of growing up, college, military, work, etc, and his 5 overbearing uncles who try to lean in and offer a bit too much advice. Jonathan Medina, Carlos Santos, Henri Esteve, Johnny Rey Diaz and Nigel Siwabessy, also star, and there are 8 episodes available for bingeing now. And this series gets an astounding 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 7.6/10 on IMDb. Dan Fienberg of the Hollywood Reporter calls it “authentically raucous and rollicking,” adding, “its lived-in family portrait feels instantly authentic and the eight-episode first season evolves into something with a tremendous amount of heart.” I’m definitely watching. And, finally Amazon has added The Endless, the award-winning 2017 sci-fi horror flick. This tells of the journey of brothers Justin (Justin Benson) and Aaron(Aaron Moorhead) back to the UFO death cult they escaped as teens, upon receiving a cryptic video message from one of it’s members. And so the pair go, with Aaron nostalgic for the simpler cult life, while Justin is more wary, but when they arrive at Camp Arcadia they are warmly welcomed. But by people who seem not to have aged a day, among rumors that they died in a mass suicide a decade ago. And there’s more lurking in the vast desert around them than snakes and scorpions, and it soon offers up more sinister and unearthly threats. Tate Ellington, Callie Hernandez, Lew Temple, James Jordan, and Kira Powell also star, and Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead co-directed, with Benson writing the script. And this movie was nominated for multiple awards in 2017, including Best U.S. Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival and went on to win a Special Citation at the San Francisco Film Critics Circle, and Best Feature Film at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. And it gets an impressive 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Wendy Ide of the Guardian called it a “mind-bending Möbius strip of a movie, this indie sci-fi makes up for what it lacks in budget with a wealth of playful ideas.” And I’m watching. From under the bed.
So sit back and binge this weekend, on classics, old and new, on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Enjoy!
Grownups Guide to Streaming 