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 super add this week with The Creator, the 2023 sci-fi thriller. This takes place in a future world, where a war rages between humans and AI, and Joshua Taylor, played by John David Washington, is recruited to hunt down “Nirmata,” the leader of the AI. But when Taylor, a special ops agent, grieving since the death of his wife, Maya , finds the AI target is in the form of a child, that looks like his wife, the stakes may rise too high for him. Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson and Allison Janney also star, while Gareth Edwards directs, along with writing the script . It was nominated for numerous special Effects Awards, including Best Science Fiction Film and Best Film Visual / Special Effects at the 51st Saturn Awards, and went on to win Best Visual Effects at the Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards, and the Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards, along with others. And though it’s not a perfect movie (it gets only a 66% on Rotten Tomatoes), Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair says “Gareth Edwards’s elegant sci-fi spectacular is well worth a trip to the theater.” So I’m watching. Hulu also has the 2023 Disney+ fantasy series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Based on Rick Riordan‘s Percy Jackson novels, this finds young Percy obsessed with the Greek gods, from the tales his mother Sally(Virginia Kull), told him, but when he finds out he’s a half-blood god himself, he finds it a little hard to believe. But when the Gods begins descending into his real world, he changes his mind, and when he is told he must retrieve a bolt under orders of his father, or war will break out between the two worlds, his journey has just begun. Aryan Simhadri, Leah Sava Jeffries, Azriel Dalman and Jason Mantzoukas also star, and there are 6 episodes available now. And this series gets an amazing 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.4/10 on IMDb. Proma Khosla of Indiewire writes “fans of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson novels can rejoice in the knowledge that Percy Jackson and the Olympians, now streaming on Disney+, is more than worthy of its source material and the massive mythology behind it.” So its on my list. Hulu has also added Maggie Moore(s), the 2023 mystery/comedy. Jon Hamm(!) stars as Police Chief Sanders, here, a small-town officer investigating the murder of one Maggie More, only to find another has occurred recently. He gets key information from a nosy neighbor, Rita(Tina Fey!), who offers more than just a good clue. Micah Stock, Nick Mohammed, Happy Anderson and Christopher Denham also star, and John Slattery(Mad Men!) directed. And this movie gets a 6.1/10 on IMDb, and Richard Roeper of the Chicago Tribune wrote “Maggie’s crackling cast, including Tina Fey and Nick Mohammed, handles the clever dialogue with aplomb.” And you know I love a mystery, so I’m watching.And, finally, Hulu has added Dragons of Wonderhatch, a 2023 Japanese fantasy series. Here, high schooler Nagi(Sena Nakajima) feels separate from her real world of school , forever dreaming until one day, Thaim(Daiken Okudaira) and his dragon escapes the barrier of his anime world, Upananta, right into hers. As the floating islands of Upananta begin to fall from the sky into Nagi‘s world, the chaos and the villain behind it all threaten to invade it as well, and the pair hurry to save both worlds. Rena Tanaka, Masaki Miura, Emma, Sumire, Riko Narumi and Jun Fukuyama also star, and there are episodes available for bingeing now. And you may want to binge because this series gets an amazing 8/10 on IMDb. Acinetv of ACI Net TV Interviews says it “proves compelling enough to warrant continued viewing. Its distinctive blend of live-action and animation in a reverse isekai narrative offers a refreshing take in today’s expansive content landscape.” So it’s on my list.
NETFLIX
Netflix has a huge add this week with Maestro, the 2023 biopic from Bradley Cooper.This tells the story of conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, played by Cooper, focusing on his lifelong relationship with actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein, played by Carey Mulligan. It begins with their meeting in 1946, when Bernstein, reportedly a bisexual, begins a serious romance with the young actress, Felicia. Their engagement soon follows, but lasts for two years, showing Bernstein’s supposed reluctance to marry. But marry they do, and though Felicia continues acting, soon, she puts her career on hold, to care for children and Bernstein‘s own career. Brian Klugman, Michael Urie, Sarah Silverman and Maya Hawke also star, and Cooper co-wrote the script, along with Josh Singer, as well as directing. This film was nominated for the Golden Lion at the Venice film Festival earlier this year, and has since won 10 awards, and is nominated for 8 Critics Choice Awards and is sure to receive some Oscar nods. So, even though it gets only a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, Christy Lemire of Roger Ebert.com said “it[Maestro] ends up feeling superficial. And yet, you should see it. Yes, this sounds contradictory, but Maestro is so consistently spectacular from an aesthetic perspective that it’s worth watching. The cinematography, costumes, and production design are all evocative and precise as they evolve with the times over 40 some-odd years of Bernstein’s life.” So its on my list. Netflix has another big title added with Rebel Moon Part One: A Child of Fire, the sci-fi adventure movie. Director Zach Snyder tried to sell this story to Star Wars, but they(understandably) turned it down, but clearly this much darker tale of Kora (Sofia Boutella), a refugee on the planet Veldt, whose life was upended when her village was razed by the villainous Admiral Atticus Noble ( Ed Skrein), was inspired by Star Wars. So she assembles a team of fighters to rebel against the invaders and save her home planet. Her friend Gunnar (Michiel Huisman) helps her assemble an army and, well, you know the rest. Charlie Hunnam, Jena Malone, Bae Doo-na and Anthony Hopkins(!) also star, and Snyder helped cobble together what there is of a story with Shay Hatten and Kurt Johnstad. But it gets a mere 27% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Jeannette Catsoulis of the New York Times says “unspooling in dialogue of embarrassing banality, Rebel Moon finally buckles beneath the weight of its hackneyed exposition.” I definitely won’t bother. Luckily, Netflix has also added Gyeongseong Creature, a 2023 south Korean horror series. This takes place in 1945 Geongseong, Korea, where Jang Tae–sang(Park Seo-joon) is deeply in debt and faces financial ruin, and so he agrees to track down a missing mistress of a Japanese official, then meeting Yoon Chae-ok(Han So-hee), a young woman looking for her mother. But then she tells him of the sinister Ongseong Hospital, run by the Imperial Japanese Army, who still control Korea at this time. And so the pair investigate, not knowing of the monster that lurks with the hospital gates. Wi Ha-joon, Han so-hee, Kim Hae-sook and Jo Han-chul also star, and there are 7 episodes available for bingeing now, with 3 more to come in January. And this series gests an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Kate Sánchez of But Why Tho writes “a period piece, a mystery, a horror story, and a sci-fi tale, Gyeongseong Creature is a fantastic end to 2023…” And I’m definitely tuning in. Netflix also offers Norma, a 2023 Argentine drama. Mercedes Morán stars in the title role, Norma, a well to do housewife whose long time maid, Rosita (Claudia Cantero), suddenly quits, citing her boss’s iciness and disdain. Norma breaks down, quite unsure what to do, with her house, her life, or her marriage to the equally icy Gustavo (Alejandro Awada). And so she goes to a psychologist, who also becomes her friend, and in the process, Norma thaws, remembering what it’s like to be a person, to laugh, and enjoy her independence. Lorena Vega, Mercedes Scápola, Marco Antonio Caponi and Mirella Pascua also star, and Santiago Giralt directs. and this movie gets a 6.5/10 on IMDb, and Pablo da Vita of The Nacion writes “Mercedes Morán shines as a woman overwhelmed by boredom, who escapes towards new emotions.” And I’m watching. And, finally, Netflix has added Vivant, a 2023 Japanese thriller series. here, businessman Yûsuke Nogi(Msato Sakai), finds an over payment to a solar company on the books, and so goes to recover the money for his company. and so he travels to the country of Balka, hoping to quickly resolve the issue, but instead finds a bigger conspiracy, and his life is inconstant danger. Luckily, he has the help of Kaoru Yuzuki(Fumi Nikaidô), who is more competent than him, especially in the face of danger. Hiroshi Abe, Megumi Hayashibara, Kazunari Ninomiya Gantz and Kôji Yakusho also star, and there are 10 episodes available now. And this series gets an impressive 7.1/10 on IMDb, and Debjyoti Dey of Film fugitives says “the Japanese action thriller is one of a kind, as the multiple twists and turns set the story completely apart from the other action thrillers that I have come across so far.” And I’m definitely tuning in.
AMAZON
Amazon has an enormous add this week with Saltburn, the 2023 drama from Emerald Fennel(Promising Young Woman) .This tells the tale of Oliver Quick(Barry Keoghan), ever the outsider at Oxford, though longing to belong, so when he gets an invitation to the Saltburn estate from Felix Catton(Jacob Elordi), he leaps at the chance. Things get weird there very fast, but as the depravity on the behalf of the elite guests ramps up, instead of fleeing, Oliver digs right in. Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Carey Mulligan and Paul Rhys also star, and Fennel wrote the script, along with directing, here. And though this movie gets only a 72% on Rotten Tomatoes, it has already been nominated for 3 Critics Choice Awards, including Best Picture, and 2 Golden Globes. Amy Nicholson of the L.A. Times said its a “coldblooded heart-clencher about inequality.” So I’m watching. Amazon has also added Fading Gigolo, a 2023 Italian comedy series. This finds Alfonso(Pietro Sermonti), drowning in debt, with an unfaithful wife, whose father just had a heart attack. But when his father, Giacomo(Christian De Sica), confesses that his riches come not from the antiques business, but from his gigolo clients, and invites him to join him, Alfonso reluctantly agrees. But it seems there is more to the trade than meets the eye, and Alfonso may not be a natural. Ambra Angiolini, Frank Matano, Asia Argento, Claudio Gregori (Greg), Antonio Bannò and Giorgia Arena also star, and there are 6 episodes available for streaming now. And this series gets a stunning 7.3/10 on IMDb, and Archi Sengupta of Leisurebyte calls it “a very weird and funny TV show that brings forth a man’s unique problems and their unique solutions.” And its on my list. And, finally, Amazon has Cassandro, a 2023 biopic drama. Based on a true story(and added during my absence) this tells of Saúl Armendáriz, played by Gael García Bernal(!), a gay man who grew up in El Paso , enthralled by the Lucha Libre or Mexican professional wrestlers on TV. But his petite stature and demeanor make him the laughing stock of the ring, until , at the urging of his trainer Sabrina(Roberta Colindrez), he reinvents himself as the campy Cassandro, an “exótico,” a more effeminate, showy wrestler. And his popularity took off, becoming the ‘Liberace of Lucha Libre.’ Perla De La Rosa plays his mother, Yocasta, and Joaquín Cosio, Raúl Castillo, Robert Salas Eduardo and Bad Bunny also star, and Roger Ross Williams directed. and this movie has already been nominated for several awards, including Best Actor for García Bernal at the Women Film Critics Circle Awards, and may be due for more during the coming awards season. And it gets an impressive 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, and David Fear of Rolling Stone said “you still get the standard biopic beats, of course, but thanks to Bernal, you also get a portrait of self-actualization — a caterpillar turning into a butterfly in a long, flowing sequined cape. It’s one of his single best performances to date.” And 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 