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 one exciting add this week with Obituary, a 2023 Irish mystery/black comedy series. Here, the ambitious Elvira Clancy(Siobhan Cullen) is thrilled with her new job as obituary writer for the local newspaper, but not so happy with being paid per piece, with deaths too rare in her town of Kilraven for her job to pay well. So when she inadvertently kills someone, and is well paid for her obit, she can’t help but follow that trend. Soon, some of the least-liked people in town are dying, in rather inconspicuous ways, as Elvira likes to stick to suicide or mishap. But when an investigation begins, will her new writing career come to an end? David Ganly plays her editor, Hughie Burns, and Michael Smiley, Lalor Roddy, Dagmar Döring, Danielle Galligan and Ronan Raftery also star, and there are 6 gripping episodes available now. And this series gets a 6.7/10 on IMDb, and rave reviews like Ed Powers of the Irish Times, who says this “new dark comedy is ghoulishly good fun.” And I’m definitely tuning in. Hulu has also added Master Gardener, the 2022 Paul Schrader thriller. Joel Edgerton, stars as Narvel Roth, here, a seasoned gardener with a violent past as an ex–white supremacist, working for Norma Haverhill, played by Sigourney Weaver(!). But his life is turned upside down when his employer’s great-niece Maya(Quintessa Swindell) comes to stay. And when Mrs. Haverhill asks Narvel to take Maya on as an apprentice, things quickly get out of hand, and Narvel stands to lose his closely guarded secrets, and his sanctuary, too. Esai Morales, Eduardo Losan, Victoria Hill, Erika Ashley and Amy Le also star, and Schrader also wrote the script, here. And Master Gardener was nominated for several awards last year, and Sigourney Weaver went on to win Best Actress – International Competition at the CinEuphoria Awards for her work here. And this movie gets a 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, and “Paul Schrader’s portrait of an ex–white supremacist gang member is an unlikely feat of optimism.” But it’s still too violent for me. Luckily, Hulu also has lighter family fare, like The Secret Life of Dancing Dogs, a darling 2023 docuseries. Here, different paired dancing teams-each comprised of one human and one dog- get ready to compete in the Crufts dancing competition. There are three Brit teams covered, including Isa Randle and her chihuahua, Lucky. Then there are pairs from all over the world, and a coach, the 2022 Crufts freestyle dancing champion, Norwegian Marianne Elise Methi, returning with her border collie Vega, since Vega has aged out . We get to see the teams up close and personal, at home and relaxing with their other dogs, and the tough training leading up to the competition. Over the 6 episodes, the tension rises, as the competition grows near, and everyone doesn’t make the cut for the finals. Its a lot of fun, complete with personality conflicts and jealousies(among the humans) that come with any big contest. And it gets a 7/10 on IMDb, and Joel Keller of the Decider called it “a fun docuseries whose respect for its subjects, both animal and human, makes it even more enjoyable to watch.” And it’s on my list. And, finally, Hulu has added Sanctuary, the 2022 thriller. This takes place over course of one night in a pricey hotel room, with the wealthy Hal (Christopher Abbott) keeping his regular appointment with dominatrix Rebecca (Margaret Qualley). But as Hal plans to end their risky relationship, now that he has been named heir to his father’s hotel business, Rebecca has plans of her own, and being dumped isn’t one of them. There are no other cast members, and Zachary Wigon directed, while Micah Bloomberg (All is Lost) wrote the script. And this movie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and it was nominated for the Knight Marimbas Award at the Miami Film Festival last year. And it gets an 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com wrote “the performers here have such generous chemistry with one another and it’s a joy to watch them play out this psychosexual commentary on gender and power roles with such artistic fervor.” And I’m definitely tuning in.
NETFLIX
This week, surprisingly, it’s Netflix that comes up short for big titles added, but there are still some amazing gems to be found, like Frybread Face and Me, a 2023 coming of age drama. This takes place in 1990, when 11 year-old Benny (Keir Tallman), is sent, by his parents, from San Diego to Arizona to stay with his grandmother Lorraine (Sarah H. Natani)to become a man. But the Navajo ‘rez’ is alien to Benny, who was expecting to go to a Fleetwood Mac concert, and he only warms to it once he meets his cousin, Dawn (Charley Hogan), or Frybread Face, and she begins translating for her grandmother(who refuses to learn English), and helping him learn of his native culture. Martin Sensmeier, Kahara Hodges, Morningstar Angeline and Leilani Taliaferro also star, while Billy Luther directs and writes the script as well. And this movie won the Audience Award at the Mill Valley Film Festival, and gets a stunning 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Marya E. Gates of RogerEbert.com says “writer/director Billy Luther‘s warm, tender, and funny debut Frybread Face and Me, which was executive produced by Taika Waititi, explores the humor and joy in finding your footing with family and the strength that comes from embracing your heritage.” And I’m definitely tuning in. Netflix also offers Elena Knows, a 2023 Argentine drama. Mercedes Morán stars as Elena, here, an older woman grappling with Parkinson’s disease, who finds the death of her daughter Rita, who was also her caregiver, overwhelming. But when she is told by police it was suicide, she knows they are wrong and so, must investigate, herself. But will anyone believe her? Érica Rivas, Mercedes Scapola, Miranda de la Serna, Agustina Muñoz and Susana Pampín also star, while Anahí Berneri directs. And this film was nominated for the Astor Piazzola Award at the 2023 Mar del Plata Film Festival, and it gets a 6.3/10 on IMDb. Paula Vázquez Prieto of La Nación (Argentina) said “Mercedes Morán delivers a precise performance, powerful in its lack of excesses.” and I’m watching. Netflix also has A Nearly Normal Family, a 2023 Swedish mystery limited series. Based on the novel of the same name by M. T. Edvardsson, this follows the small, tight knit and seemingly perfect, Sandell family. But all that changes when Stella (Alexandra Karlsson Adam Tyrefors), 18 year-old daughter of Adam(Björn Bengtsson) and Ulrika (Lo Kauppi), is arrested for murder. And as certain facts come to light, Stella’s seemingly trusting parents begin to wonder about their daughter’s innocence, and at their own culpability, as well. Melisa Ferhatovic, Christian Fandango Sundgren, Håkan Bengtsson and Vera Olin also star, and there are 6 absorbing episodes available for bingeing now. and this series gets a respectable 6.8/10 on IMDb, and Jonathon Wilson of Ready Steady Cut wrote “look, it’s not winning any awards. But truthfully it doesn’t need to, since this is exactly the kind of weekend binge it’s claiming to be and has no aspirations of being anything else.” And that’s enough for a mystery lover like me. I’m definitely watching. Netflix has also added the award-winning Minari, a 2020 American drama. Here, the Yi family moves to Arkansas from California, after the parents emigrated from South Korea years earlier, hoping for a new start on a 50 acre farm. But the hard work is grinding on everyone, and they still have to find water on their land to grow anything. Their American-born children Anne (Noel Kate Cho) and David (Alan Kim) are bewildered at their new, all-white world, and their grandmother, Soonja(Yuh-Jung Youn) is perplexing ,too. But will their all-or-nothing gamble pay off? Will Patton, Jacob M Wade, Jenny Phagan , Darryl Cox and Eric Starkey also star, and Lee Isaac Chung wrote and directed this film. And this movie won tons of awards in 2021, including 5 Oscar nominations and Youn Yuh-jung’s win there for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role that year(along with a BAFTA, too). And it gets an incredible 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Tara Brady of the Irish Times called it a “rare film about assimilation that can be equally cherished by both poles of the American political landscape. And everybody in between.” And I’m watching. And, finally, Netflix has Castaway Diva, a 2023 South Korean series. This finds Mok-ha (Park Eun-bin), after spending 15 years on a deserted island, rescued, and returned to Seoul by bickering brothers. But she is determined to re-ignite her singing career, and her steadfast dedication to met her idol, singer Yoon Ran-joo(Lee Yoo-joon), is unrelenting. But Ran-joo definitely has feet of clay, and requires Mok-ha to sing for her off-stage, as she lip syncs. And a star could be born. Moon Woo-jin, Chae Jong-hyeop, Cha Hak-yeon and Lee Yoo-joo also star, and there are 10 episodes available now. And this series gets a startling 8.4/10 on IMDb, and Sarah Musnicky of But Why Tho? A Geek Community said that it “starts off the series strong. Cutting deep with its emotional impact and its uplifting message of hope persevering amidst the darkness, the series seems primed to uplift not just its characters but its audience as well.” So it’s on my list.
MAZON
Yes, Amazon has few big titles added this week, but they do have L’immensita, a 2022 Italian historial drama. This takes place in 1970’s Rome, where Clara, played by Penelope Cruz(!), stuck and unhappy in a dead end marriage to Felice(Vincenzo Amato), held together only for their three children. And their eldest child Adriana, played by Luana Giuliani, does need support, as a trans teen in a world that doesn’t understand, her father included. But Clara does her best to convince Andrea, who wants to present as Andrew, that he is the best person he can be, while dealing with her own unhappiness, as well. Alvia Reale, Aurora Quattrocchi, Maria Chiara Goretti, Mariangela Granelli and Patrizio Francioni also star, while Emanuele Crialese wrote the script of this semi-autobiographical tale, along with directing. And it had its world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival, where it was nominated for Best Film and the Queer Lion award, and went on to win the Silver Ribbon award for Best Original Story at the 2023 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists. And it gets an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Ann Hornaday of the Washington Post said it “lives up to its title: It’s a small but all-encompassing portrait of how life feels in a certain time and place. “Amazon also offers PI Meena, a 2023 thriller series. Tanya Maniktala stars in the title role, as Meenakshi Iyer, or Meena, a young private detective in Kolkata, traumatized by a tragic past that comes rushing back when she witnesses a hit and run accident. And so, she investigates, and what seemed to be an accident might be just the tip of a conspiratorial iceberg. Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Vinay Pathak, Zarina Wahab, Saurav Das and Sawon Chakraborty also star, and there are 8 episodes available now. And this series gets an impressive 7.1/10 on IMDb, and Prateek Sur of the Outlook calls it ” a breezy one-time watch.” And I’m tuning in. And, finally, Amazon has added Hidden Blade, a 2023 Chinese historical drama. This takes place in WWII China, where multiple factions vie for control, including republicans, communists, and the most fearsome of all, the Japanese. Tony Leung plays Director He, the head of the Japanese regime in Shanghai, who roots out any dissidents , along with his subordinate Secretary Ye ( Wang Yibo ). But no one’s loyalties are what they seem, and so, no one can be trusted. Lei Huang, Hiroyuki Mori, Jingyi Zhang, Shuying Jiang and Jingyi Zhang also star, while Er Cheng directed. And this movie was nominated for 5 Golden Rooster awards last year, and went on to win Best Actor for Leung and Best Director for Er Cheng. And it gets a 76% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Aja Romano of Vox calls it a “satisfyingly cerebral…shadowy puzzle-box of [a] Chinese spy thriller.” I agree, and this history nerd is 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 