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 doesn’t have many great new adds this week, so here’s some that flew under my radar, like Daliland, the 2022 historical drama. Christopher Briney plays James Linton, here, a young art student sent by his employer, a New York City gallery representing Dali, to look after him while he’s in town. And the NYC of the 70′s has much to interest the outlandish artist, played by Ben Kingsley, not to mention his wife, Gala(Barbara Sukowa), pretty exotic herself. There’s Alice Cooper, model Amanda Lear, even Jesus Christ..well, not the Jesus Christ, but a cast member of Jesus Christ Superstar. But all is not well in Daliland, as money is growing short, and with the art not coming as easily as it once did, Gala is anything but happy. Rupert Graves, Jeff Fenholt, Andreja Pejić ,Ezra Miller and Suki Waterhouse also star, and Mary Harron directed. But the material is a bit thin, here, and even this great cast can’t really make much out of it. And so it gets only a 44% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Wendy Ide of the Guardian wrote “the great missed opportunity of this film, with its glossy, handsome design and cinematography, and its genteel orchestral score, is how polite and unadventurous it is – something that could never be said of Dalí himself.” I agree, I’m not watching. Luckily, Hulu also offers Corsage, the 2022 award winning historical drama. Vicky Krieps(!) plays Empress Elizabeth of Austria, in 1877, renowned as a great beauty and asset to her country, but on the eve of her 40th birthday, the empress begins to realize the ephemeral nature of beauty, and indeed , women’s power in Victorian Europe. And so she begins to search for more, wanting to learn, remember old lovers, and push her limits with her husband, and her country. Florian Teichtmeister plays her husband, Franz Joseph, and Colin Morgan, Ivana Urban, Alma Hasun and Tamás Lengyel also star, and Marie Kreutzer wrote the script and directed , here. And Krieps won the Un Certain Regard Best Performance Prize at Cannes in 2022, along with Corsage winning Best Film at the London Film Festival, among other awards. And gets an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Nick Schager of the Daily Beast said “it boasts an excellent Vicky Krieps performance as a lonely soul who yearns to be more than merely a decoration.” I agree, and I’m watching. Hulu has also added God’s Country, the 2022 thriller starring Thandiwe Newton (!).Here, Newton plays Sandra Guidry, a former Newt Orleans police officer turned professor, who moved to a secluded cabin with her mom in Montana, disillusioned by Hurricane Katrina and the government’s dismal response. But instead of finding escape, Sandra finds overt racism and menace, at her university, where people of color are rarely hired, and then, from two hunters in a red truck who trespass onto her land. When the law offers little or no help, Sandra may have no choice but to act on her own behalf. , Jefferson White, Dan Gravage, Aakii ,Joris Jarksy and Jeremy Bobb also star, while Julian Higgins directed. And this movie premiered at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, and it went on to win Best NH Narrative Feature and Van McLeod awards at the New Hampshire Film Festival and the New Blood Award for Higgins at the Reims Polar Festival du Film Policier. And it gets an impressive 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Isaac Feldberg of RogerEbert.com calling it “profound and haunting.” So I’m watching. And, finally, Hulu has added Nada, a 2023 Argentinian dramedy series. This tells the story of Manuel Tamayo Prats(Louis Brandoni), an accomplished writer and a food critic in Buenos Aires, whose rigid life is dependent upon having everyone and everything in it’s place. So when his devoted cook and housekeeper, Celsa (María Rosa Fugazot) , is no longer available to serve him, his life begins to fall apart . Oh, and the fact that he’s going broke doesn’t help. His friend journalist Vincent Parisi(Robert De Niro!) visits twice a year, and narrates the series. Majo Cabrera, Silvia Kutika, Belén Chavanne, Enrique Pineyro and Emilia Duprat also star, and there are 5 episodes available for gorging now. And this series get an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a glorious 8/10 on IMDb. Melissa Camacho of Common Sense Media says “the small cast is strong and colorful, but it’s Luis Brandoni‘s portrayal of the eccentric Manuel Tamayo Pratz that’s the most captivating.” I’m definitely tuning in.
NETFLIX
The biggest title added on Netflix this week has to be The Killer, the 2023 David Fincher thriller. Michael Fassbender stars in the title role, never named, an anonymity that this paid killer seeks in his work, too. He rents an average car in Paris, dresses to blend in, too, but as his job goes wrong, he works feverishly to put things right, and save himself. Then his girlfriend is nearly beaten to death, and he races to avenge the wrongs against him, all the while narrating his thoughts and cold theory of life..and death. Arliss Howard, Charles Parnell, Gabriel Polanco and Tilda Swinton(!) also star, and director Fincher (Gone Girl, Seven) had his old writer from Seven, Andrew Kevin Walker, write the script here. And it gets an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, but Jake Coyle of the A.P. says “everything here is tantalizingly close to calculated perfection that it comes almost as a surprise how The Killer ends up missing its mark.” And I agree. I’m not watching. But Netflix also offers Reptile the 2023 mystery thriller. Benecio del Toro plays lawman Tom Nichols, living in Scarborough, New York, the scene of a shockingly violent crime, when real estate agent Will Grady (Justin Timberlake) goes home to a property he’s living in, and finds the body of his girlfriend, Summer (Matilda Lutz). But though Grady is not a totally above board character, there are tons of other suspects, too, like Summer’s ex Eli(who she was still sleeping with) or a cop, or even Nichols himself. Alicia Silverstone plays his aide-in-detection and wife, Judy, and Eric Bogosian, Michael Carmen Pitt, Frances Fisher, and Ato Essandoh also star, while Grant Singer directs. And though it gets a mere 44% on Rotten Tomatoes, Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair called it a “good-looking, engaging B-movie made with uncommon intelligence. Music video director Grant Singer’s feature debut is no perfect object, but it is decidedly, and often successfully, aspiring to be something more than just toss-off streaming content.” and I agree, I’m tuning in. Netflix has also added Escaping Twin Flames , a 2023 documentary mini-series. this tells of Twin Flames Universe, a You-Tube group promising true eternal love, and the couple behind it, Jeff and Shaleia Divine, who make millions out of their hoax. Members are required to pay for coaching, one-on-one meetings, and other expensive packages that can add up to thousands, all while being lambasted and abused by leader Jeff Divine. Divine even ended up comparing himself to Jesus Christ, all while advising some female members to have sexual transition treatments. Director and producer Cecilia Peck puts together an unsettling litany of crimes committed by the pair, and this series gets a remarkable 7/10 on IMDb. And yes there is another series called Desperately Seeking Soulmate, but the Decider’s Joel Keller says ” this docuseries is much clearer”, and Lori C. of Ready Steady Cut says it “is not light entertainment. But it’s as important for groups such as this one to be held accountable for their actions as it is for the victims to have their stories heard.” I agree, so it’s on my list. Netflix also offers Itxaso And The Sea, a 2023 Basque drama series. Nerea Maso plays Itxaso, a 17year-old happily living with her mom in Mexico, until her mother unexpectedly dies, and Itxaso has no choice but to go live with her father, Mikel(Jon Plazaola), a man she does not know. He is an ex-champion surfer who lives in the coastal village of Donibane in Basque Spain, and while Itxaso finds a new passion for surfing, she also manages an improving relationship with her father, which helps ease her enormous grief. Jon Mendía, Itziar Atienza, Amancay Gaztañaga and Aritz Kortabarria also star, and Antonio Díaz Huerta directed all 8 episodes available now. And this series gets an amazing 7.4/10 on IMDb, with Aahana Swrup of The Cinemaholic comparing it to Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore and Eighth Grade, and writes “with tumultuous parental relationships at its center, Itxaso and the Sea seamlessly provides a realistic and relatable story.” And I’m definitely tuning in. And, finally, Netflix has added Nuovo Olimpo, a 2023 Italian romance. This takes place in Rome of the 1970‘s, where Enea (Damiano Gavino) and Pietro(Andrea Di Luigi) meet, by chance, and fall in love at the Nuovo Olimpo theater. They get to know each other and form a sturdy relationship, only to have it end in tragedy in political rioting, and they are separated. Enea becomes a director, and Pietro begins a medical practice as a surgeon and even marries Giulia(Greta Scarano), a long time friend. But after decades, the pair meet again, and though the passing of time hasn’t cooled their passion, circumstances may have put their romance irrevocably behind them. Luisa Ranieri, Alvise Rigo, Federico Mancini, Aurora Giovinazzo and Luca Finotti also star, and the acclaimed Ferzan Ozpetek directs. And this epic romance gets an epic 7.2/10 on IMDb, and Romey Norton of Ready Steady Cut says “whilst Nuovo Olimpo might be just another love story, it is worth watching for its slow, arty, poetic style, and nods to cinema.” I agree, this is an old-style cinematic movie romance, and I’m tuning in.
AMAZON
Okay, so Amazon doesn’t have any big titles added this week, they do have two new Spanish language series; first, Los Billis, a 2023 Columbian drama series. Based on a true story, this tells of a group of teens in 80’s Bogotá who called themselves the Billis –rich high school kids who had all the right clothes, shoes, etc., who bullied those who didn’t. This focuses on two members David (Julian Zuluaga), the newbie of the gang, from a poor family, who only gained entrance by showing some guts and Indio (Santiago Rodríguez), the leader of the pack. This show not only chronicles their escapades, love, sex and drugs, but also how David‘s involvement alienated his other friends who weren’t members, like his best friend, Carlos. But when David starts selling drugs, under pressure from Indio, the pressure rises to what may be lethal heights. Francisca Estevez, Camilo Amores, Nicolás Santa, Angela Rodriguez and Julián Arango also star, and there are 8 episodes available now. And this series gets a stunning 7.7/10 on IMDb, with Rishabh Shandilya of Film Fugitives saying “the first season of Los Billis was a real hit and offered us a window into life in Colombia. Everything, from the well-chosen soundtracks to the locations and outfits, oozed that ’90s vibe.” So it’s on my list. Amazon also offers Romancero, a 2023 sci-fi horror series. This, too, centers on kids, here, Jordán(Sasha Cocola), a teen in the mythical town of Almería, trying to support his family by shoplifting, since his father’s drinking and depression get in the way of supporting them himself, and Cornelia(Elena Matic), a kid who kills Jordán’s father by drinking his blood. It appears she is vampire, but she is not the villain, but a romantic attraction for Jordán. And the two teens try to escape the mythical monsters of their world, while evading a violent reality that includes an evil fascist government and racist police. Txunamy Ortiz, Ricardo Gómez,Alba Flores, Julieta Cardinali, Guillermo Toledo and Belén Cuesta also star, and there are 6 episodes available for bingeing now. And this series gets a 6.7/10 on IMDb, and Rohitavra Majumdar of Film Fugitives writes “it is admirable how Romancero attempts to rise above the usual horror structure by infusing so many real-world problems and attempting to start conversations.” But far too scary for me. And, finally, Amazon has Wilderness, a 2023 British thriller series. Jenna Coleman(Doctor Who!) stars, here, as Liv Taylor, an woman in a seemingly perfect marriage to Will(Oliver-Jackson Cohen), as they live in luxury in New York City. But when she learns he’s having an affair with coworker, Cara(Ashley Benson), and Will apologizes, and when they head out for a cross-country road trip she’d always dreamt of, she can’t rid herself of the niggling doubts about her husband. And when she learns he’s still carrying on with Cara, Liv‘s mind turns to murder. Claire Rushbrook, Eric Balfour, Talia Balsam and Marsha Stephanie Blake also star, and there are 6 episodes available now. And though this series gets a mediocre 68% on Rotten Tomatoes, Lydia Venn of Cosmo said “is Wilderness worth watching? Yes, it’s a fast-paced, nuanced look at cheating and the breakdown of a relationship, sprinkled in with some stunning scenery and occasional jaw-dropping shock plot twists.” And it has Jenna Coleman! So I’m watching.
So sit back and binge this weekend, on classics, old and new, on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Enjoy!
Grownups Guide to Streaming 