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 has a big title added this week with The Jewel Thief, a 2023 documentary. This tells the true story of Gerald Blanchard, a man who grew up in poverty in Omaha, Nebraska, who began stealing milk to help his single mom and himself get by, and ended up becoming an international thief. But, here, we get not only reporters and police testifying, but also Blanchard himself, as he describes himself as a nerd growing up, and unable to stop one he was rich. We also hear his mom express her horror as the SWAT team banged on her door, and ended her ignorance about her son forever. Landon Van Soest(For Ahkeem) directs, and this movie gets a 6.8/10 on IMDb. Liz Kocan of the Decider writes “spends a large portion of the film regaling us with stories of Blanchard’s small-time heists and it takes some time to get to the actual jewel thievery, as the title promises, but it’s hard not to be captivated by this film…” If you want a crime caper, this might be for you. But Hulu has also added A Little White Lie, a 2023 comedy. Michael Shannon(!) stars, here, as Shriver, a down and out handyman who ends up going along with being mistaken for a reclusive famous writer, and accepts an invitation to a college literary festival. There, he meets Simone (Kate Hudson), and of course, ends up falling in love, but finds himself losing control of his pretense. And then the real Shriver (Zach Braff) shows up. Don Johnson, Kate Linder, Aja Naomi King, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and M. Emmett Walsh(!) also star, while Michael Maren directed, and adapted the script from Chris Belden‘s book. But the ideas here don’t really fly, and so this movie gets only a 34% on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, Michael Shannon‘s never bad, and Tim Cogshell of FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles) said “I kept thinking to myself ‘This is a stupid movie — but it got me.'” You decide. I’d rather watch El Encargado, a 2021 Argentinian dark comedy series. This tells of Eliseo, played by Guillermo Francella, who has wored as the concierge of an elite high-rise apartment building in Buenos Aires for almost 30 years, with little recognition. But he’s not above taking a kickback or two, or even bugging rooms to find out what’s really going on, so he finds the building’s bigwigs plan to put a pool on the roof that will supplant his living quarters. And he decides it’s payback time. Gabriel Goity, Pochi Ducasse, Mariana Anghileri, Gastón Cocchiarale and Malena Sánchez also star, and there are 11 episodes available now. And this series has won 2 Platino Awards for Iberoamerican Cinema, including Best Male Performance in a Mini-Series or a TV Series for Francella, and gets an astounding 7.9/10 on IMDb. Robert LLoyd of the L.A. Times called it “splendidly rendered dark comedy of social and economic class,” and I’m tuning in. And, finally, Hulu has added Vesper, a 2022 sci-fi thriller. This takes place in a dystopian future earth, with the world taken over by genetically modified plants grown from super corporation Citadel’s seeds, with no natural seed remaining, and food scarce for those who can’t afford to buy. 13 year-old Vesper, played by Raffiella Chapman, experiments in her lab to figure out how to reuse Citadel seed, and meanwhile feed herself and her paralyzed father, Darius (Richard Brake). And as Vesper finds some natural plants, and seeds, her uncle Jonas (Eddie Marsan), has more villainous plans for her. Rosy McEwen, Melanie Gaydos, Edmund Dehn and Matvej Buravkov also star, and Kristina Buozyte and Bruno Samper co-directed. And this movie was nominated for multiple awards last year, and went on to win Best Feature Film at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, and the Golden Raven at the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film (BIFFF). And it gets a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Tasha Robinson of Polygon wrote “for a small indie sci-fi movie, the special effects are stunning, and the world is incredibly well-realized.” And I’m definitely tuning in.
NETFLIX
The biggest title added on Netflix this week is probably 65, the 2023 sci-fi thriller. Here, space Commander Mills (Adam Driver), transporting a shipload of passengers when something goes terribly wrong, and he and one of his customers, Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), find themselves the only survivors on an unknown jungle planet. But they soon learn they’re on Earth, in the Mesozoic Era, replete with dinosaurs, and other cool denizens of that period. Chloe Coleman, Nika King and Brian Dare also star, and Scott Beck and Bryan Woods co-direct. But this fil is ‘underwhelming’, according to the Hollywood Reporter, and so gets only a 35% on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, Wenlei Ma of News.com.au said “Driver gives a Driver-level performance and it’s a tight 90 minutes. You decide. And those two aspects alone are enough for a passable dino actioner.” You decide. But Netflix has also added Survival of the Thickest, a 2023 comedy series . This tells of Mavis Beaumont, played by Michelle Buteau, whose world is turned upside-down when she finds her partner of 5 years, Jacque (Taylor Selé), has been unfaithful. It might not have been such a big deal, but because Mavis is plus-size, or ‘thick,’ as she calls it, so she is dissed and actually blamed for his disloyalty. She loses the apartment she shared with Jacque, and his connections, too, that might help her find work as a stylist. But she also finds a new world of enlightenment as a single woman and power from her friends, Khalil and Marley. Tone Bell, Tasha Smith, Liza Treyger, Anissa Felix, Garcelle Beauvais and Marouane Zotti also star, and there are 8 episodes available now. An this series gets a 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, but a 7.5/10 on IMDb. Joel Keller of the Decider writes “Michelle Buteau is fantastic in Survival Of The Thickest, and we’re looking forward to seeing how her character Mavis inhabits her world on her own for the first time in years.” Me, too, And I’m tuning in. Netflix has also added Bird Box Barcelona, a 2023 follow-up movie . Yes, 5 years after the original, the same mysterious lethal force has hit Barcelona, leading residents to blindfold themselves lest they see the alien(?)essence that will cause them to commit suicide. So we find the engineer Sebastián (Mario Casas) and his daughter Anna (Alejandra Howard) trying to survive blindfolded or secreted indoors, nine months after the arrival, with flashbacks included that show the lethal pandemonium that ensued when the force first showed up. As they look for survivors they can trust, Sebastián teams up with psychologist Claire(Georgina Campbell) as they travel to a mountain retreat, connected to the outside world only by cable car. Diego Calva, Naila Schuberth, Michelle Jenner and Leonardo Sbaraglia also star, and David Pastor and Àlex Pastor codirect. And though it gets a mere 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, Nick Schager of The Daily Beast, says “it’s better than Sandra Bullock‘s original,” adding “thanks to a couple of novel twists, it manages to outpace its predecessor in tension and originality—if not quite reinvigorate the franchise.” But you know it’s too scary for me. Luckily, Netflix also offers Devil’s Advocate, a 2023 legal thriller. This takes place in Kuwait City, where star soccer player Bader Khaled(Ali Kakooli) has been accused of murdering his wife, Dalal, and with his history of abuse and the evidence, is faced with great public outrage. But lawyer Loulwa (Haya Abdel Salam) decides to take the case, and buck public opinion. But she has problems of her own, as a working woman with no children in Kuwait , and as she investigates the case, her life may be threatened, to boot. Nouf Al Sultan, Eman Al Ali, Hasan Ibrahim and Muhammad Al Dousari also star, and Essam Abdel Hamid directs all 6 episodes. And this show gets a stunning 8/10 on IMDb, and Arpita Mondal of the Midgard Times calls it “a compelling and engaging series that offers a glimpse into a different culture and society through a captivating legal case. The series has a strong cast, a solid script, and a suspenseful atmosphere that will keep you on the edge of your seat.” And I’m definitely tuning in. And, finally, Netflix has added Burn the House Down, a 2023 Japanese mystery series. This tells the story of Anzu Murata(Mei Nagano), whose life was ruined when her family’s house burned down 13 years ago, with her mother Satsuki taking the blame, leading to family breakup, and Anzu’s father marrying their family friend Makiko(Kyôka Suzuki). But Anzu always suspected Makiko, and so, goes to work for her as a maid as an adult, never recognized because her father deserted the family years ago. But Makiko is not without guile herself, and her son Shinji (Taishi Nakagawa) may be more sinister than Anzu suspects. Yuri Tsunematsu, Michiko Kichise , Asuka Kudô, Araceli Prasarttongosoth and Michiko Kichise also star, and there are 8 episodes available for bingeing now. And this series gets an amazing 7.3/10 on IMDb, and Jonathon Wilson of ReadySteadyCut calls it “a compelling Japanese revenge drama..[that] anyone with an interest in well-made mystery thrillers with a bit of meat on their bones will find something to like in Burn the House Down.” And I’m definitely watching.
AMAZON
Amazon has few big titles added this week, but they do have The Portable Door, a 2023 British sci-fi fantasy flick. This tells of Paul Carpenter(Paul Carpenter) and Sophie Pettingel(Sophie Pettingel) are lowly interns at the mysterious London firm J.W. Wells & Co., who gradually become aware that their place of work is anything but the pedestrian office they suspected. Because, among a lot of other mysterious goings on, Paul’s boss, Humphrey Wells, asks him to go in search of a magical door that’s gone missing, that can take the user anywhere they want to go. Sam Neill (!), Christopher Waltz (!), Miranda Otto(!), Jessica De Gouw and Damon Herriman also star, and Jeffrey Walker directs. And this movie gets an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Stephen Romei of The Australian says its “a spirited, fantastical entertainment for young and old.” So I’m definitely tuning in. Amazon also has Nelly & Nadine, a 2023 French documentary. This tells the true story of Nelly Mousset-Vos, an opera singer who began working for the French resistance in 1940. But she was arrested and sent to Ravensbrück, the largest German concentration camp for women, where she met Nadine Hwang, which began a great romance that would last for decades. Nelly‘s grandddaughter, Sylvie, tells the story of that romance and the bias that it was met with, and the pair survived not only the war, but prejudice, as well. Magnus Gertten directed this tale that went on to win the Jury Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. And it gets an impressive 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Elizabeth Weitzman of TheWrap called it not “just a war movie but also a touching family history, an unforgettable romance and, above all, a magnificent tribute to the power of persistence in art, life and love.” And I’m watching. And, finally, Amazon has added Season 1 of Makari, a 2021 Italian mystery series. This finds Saverio Lamanna(Claudio Gioe), a 40ish writer, ignominiously losing his job in Rome, and returning to Sicily to his hometown of Màkari, live in his father’s run-down vacation home, where he’s met by his old friend Peppe (Domenico Centamore). He also meets a waitress Suleima(Ester Pantano), so when a young boy goes missing, the trio go on the lookout for him, and end up solving other mysteries together, as well. Filippo Luna, Sergio Vespertino, Antonella Attili, Tuccio Musumeci and Andrea Bosca also star, and there are only 4 episodes in Season 1, easily eaten up by August 1, when they return to MHZ Choice, for a premium price. And this series gets a 6.2/10 on IMDb, and Mark Glass of Patch calls it an “easygoing crime dramedy from Sicily thrives on non-gory murders and sleuthing.” An I’m definitely 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 