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 added only one big title this week-King Richard, the 2021 award-winning drama. This tells the story of the epic Williams family, with tennis cynamoes Venus and Serena. but the special emphasis, here, is on the father, Richard Williams, played by Will Smith, who had a master plan, a 78-page plan in fact, to lead his daughters to stardom. Playing everyday, rain or shine, on abandoned courts in Compton, he pushed his two talented daughters and pushed their brand to trainers, managers, etc. , uninterested in poorer (black) players. Saniyya Sidney plays Venus, Demi Singleton plays Serena, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor(!) plays Oracene “Brandi” Williams, and Jon Bernthal, Tony Goldwyn, Daniele Lawson and Kevin Dunn also star. and Reinaldo Marcus Green directed this movie that won numerous awards in 2022, was nominated for 6 Oscars, with Will smith winning Best Actor at the Academy Awards that year. And it gets an amazing 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.5/10 on IMDb and A.O. Scott of the New York Times called it “stirs up a lot of emotion while remaining buoyant and engaging….This one’s a winner.” So I’m watching. That’s it for the big titles, but Hulu has also added Tell Me that You Love Me, a 2023 Disney+ K-drama romance series. This tells the story of Cha Jin-woo(Jung Woo-sung), a hearing impaired artist who retreats into himself, in fear of being hurt or insulted. But then he meets Jung Mo–eun(Shin Hyun-been), an aspiring actress, who saves his life one day, and shows an interest in him and sensitivity few have shown. Lee Jae-Joon, Kim Ji-Hyun, Lee Jae-Joon and Shin Jae-Hee also star, and there are 16 episodes available for bingeing now. And this series gets an incredible 8.7/10 on IMDb, and Pierce Conran of the South China Post calls it “quiet, tender melodrama to largely satisfactory ending.” so it’s definitely on my list. If you need horror, Hulu has also added Deliver Us, a 2023 horror flick. Here, a Russian nun, Sister Yulia(Maria Vera Ratti), who claims Immaculate Conception and is pregnant with twins, and so Father Fox(Lee Roy Kunz) travels to her Russian convent to investigate. But when they find she is to have twins, the fear is one will be a Christ, and one will be the Anti-Christ(?), and so, the Vatican(!) wants an abortion, just to be safe. but others disagree, and so the children are born, with interesting consequences. Maria Vera Ratti, Lee Roy Kunz, Jaune Kimmel, Alexander Siddig and Thomas Kretschmann also star, while Cru Ennis and Lee Roy Kunz co-directed. And this movie gets a 63% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com said “the consistent volatility of Deliver Us casts a wonky spell.” But, of course, it’s way too scary for me. Oh, and it’s very violent too, so don’t watch with the kiddos. And, finally, Hulu has Flex X Cop , a 2024-drama cop comedy/adventure series. this tells of Jin Yi-soo(Ahn Bo-Hyun), a super rich kid born in the lap of luxury, who, because of a personal experience, suddenly opts to become a cop. He joins the Kangha Police Station Investigation Unit, and partners with Detective Lee Gang-hyun(Park Ji-Hyun), who is unimpressed with her new workmate. But as he uses not only his mind and instincts, but also his riches to solve crimes, as make things right, she comes to be more impressed. Kim Shin-bi, Kim Byung Choon, Kang Sang-jun and Kim Shin-bi also star, and there are 2 episodes available now, with 10 more to come. And this series directed by Kim Jae-Hong(Revenant), gets an astounding 8.2 on My Drama List, and Arpita Mondal of LeisureByte calls it “a charming and funny K-drama that delivers on its promise of lighthearted entertainment with a dash of social commentary.” So I’m watching.
NETFLIX
Netflix has a big add this week with Griselda, the 2024 crime drama limited series starring Sofia Vergara(!). Vergara stars as Columbian Griselda Blanco, a woman who formerly dealt cocaine with her husband, finds herself left with her 3 children in Colombia, and no money, but a kilo of cocaine. As she moves to Miami, with the help of her friend, Carmen(Vanessa Ferlito), she finds selling the cocaine she has almost impossible as an outsider and a woman, and so she uses violence and fellow immigrants to find her niche. And it is her willingness to maim and kill that makes her the “Godmother, ”of cocaine in Miami in the 80’s. Alberto Ammann, Christian Tappan, Juliana Aidén Martinez, Jose Velazquez and Orlando Pineda also star, and there are 6 episodes available for streaming now. And it gets an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and Joel Keller of the Decider says “while there are parts of Griselda that feels like a generic cartel drama, Sofia Vergara’s fierce performance in the title role demands our attention, as well as helping the show move along at a confident pace.” And that’s why I’m watching. Netflix also offers Dumb Money, the 2023 comedy/drama. Based on the true story of the Game Stop stock surge, the video game store, and focuses on Keith Gill (Paul Dano!) an average guy who was behind the effort to save Game Stop through trading (mainly on the Robin Hood app ), and sharing his buying, especially on reddit. His wife Caroline (Shailene Woodley) supports his efforts, especially when they start making millions of dollars a day, as the price of Game Stop shares rise. The Gills, and other small investors, like the nurse Jenny (America Ferrera), and Keith‘s own brother Kevin (played by Pete Davidson), start making money from investments, money they can’t afford to lose. But then the big guys step in, like Steve Cohen (Vincent D’Onofrio), Ken Griffin (Nick Offerman), angry that their plan to sink Game Stop has been thwarted by little investors, and seek to put a stop to it. Myha’la, Anthony Ramos, Sebastian Stan, Talia Ryder, Rushi Kota and Seth Rogen(!) also star, and Craig Gillespie(I, Tonya!) directed. and this movie gets an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Wenlei Ma of PerthNow says its “relatively restrained for such a wild story, but it’s an engrossing one all the same.” And I’m definitely tuning in. Netflix also offers Silent Night, a 2021 British black comedy. Here, parents Nell (Keira Knightley) and Simon (Matthew Goode) invite their close friends over for a Christmas dinner, but the party begins to go off the rails, it becomes clear the outside world is doing worse. And with the end of the world apparently coming , the hosts and their guests seem to handle it in the worst way possible, with little grace or self-awareness. Roman Griffin Davis, Annabelle Wallis, Davida McKenzie, Hardy and Gilby Griffin Davis also star, and Camille Griffin directed, along with writing the script. And, yes, it gets only a 66% on Rotten Tomatoes, but the new adds are a bit thin on Netflix this week, and Charlotte O’Sullivan of the London Evening Standard said it “has something to irk everyone. Still, viewers prepared to be patient will be rewarded.” so it’s on my list. Netflix has also added The Novice, the 2021 award-winning drama. This tells the story of college freshman Alex Dall, played by Isabelle Fuhrman, an over competitive woman who decides to go out for the Wellington College Novice Rowing Program. As she becomes more and more obsessed with rowing, winning and competing with other becomes her only goal. And so she devotes more time and effort to it, sacrificing friends and relationships, and even her own body, to come out on top. Amy Forsyth, Dilone, Charlotte Ubben, Jonathan Cherry, and Kate Drummond also star, and Lauren Hadaway directs(along with writing the script). And this movie premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival, where Fuhrmann won the Best Actress Award, as well as Best U.S. Narrative Feature Film and Best Cinematography for Todd Martin. It also earned five nominations at the 37th Independent Spirit Awards, and won the Jambor–Franklin Founder’s Award for Best Narrative for Hadaway at the 2021 Sidewalk Film Festival. And it gets an impressive 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Elizabeth Wiart of Little White Lies called it a “hard hitting look inside the body and mind of a compulsive perfectionist.” and I’m tuning in. And, finally, Netflix has added Captivating the King, a 2024 S. Korean historical epic series. This tells of the Grand Prince Jin-han of Joseon, played by Jung-seok, taken prisoner by the Chinese as the Qing empire tries to take Korea. But he hopes to gain useful insights of his enemy captors, especially as he plays Baduk(or Go), with the Qing Prince Rui. But as he keeps his country apprised, the royal court there is in upheaval of its own, as the Queen (Ahn Shi–ha) and her brother Jim Jong-bae(Jo Sung-ha)conspire to take control of the court. Meanwhile, Jin-han meets a royal scholar Kang Hee-soo,(Shin Se-kyung) who moonlights as the ‘baduk gambler,’ who may take Jin-han’s heart, along with beating him at Go. Yang Kyung-won, Lee Shin-young, Yang Kyung-won,Sohn Hyun-joo and Choi Dae-hoon also star, and there are 16 episodes available for bingeing now. and this series gets a impressive 7.2/10 on IMDb, and of the Review geek says its “definitely getting more interesting….full of melodrama but also light moments [and]keeps us on our toes.” So I’m definitely watching.
AMAZON
Amazon has a huge add with The Expats, a 2024 limited drama series. Based on the novel by Janice Y. K. Lee, and directed by Lulu Wang(The Farewell!), this tells the story of 3 women in Hong Kong-the wealthy and white Margaret (Nicole Kidman), her young Korean American nanny Mercy (Ji-young Yoo), and Margaret’s friend Hillary(Sarayu Blue). But when Margaret‘s young son disappears one night while under Mercy‘s care, everything falls apart, and seams begins to appear between the friends, threatening to rupture. Brian Tee, Jack Huston, Flora Chan, Amelyn Pardenilla and Ruby Ruiz also star, and there are 2 episodes available now, with 4 more to come. And it gets a 72% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Joel Keller of the Decider calls it “a show that should be better than it is, given its cast and Wang’s pedigree. But its storytelling is frustrating and its characters are ones we feel we’ve seen on TV a whole lot over the past few years.” Luckily, Amazon also offers Garudan, a 2023 Indian Malayalam-language thriller. this begins when a college student is brutally raped, and DCP Harish Madhav put on the job to investigate, and when he follows the convoluted path of clues to college Nishanth Kumar, he thinks he has the right man. Nisranth is sent to prison, and the case is closed. But years later, when Nisranth is released, he asks for a retrial, and having earned a law degree in prison, he asks to defend himself. Meanwhile, the victim is still in a coma, her father suffering from Alzheimer’s, and Harish is looking to retire. But when asked, Harish steps in, and faces certain humiliation if Nisranth is found not guilty. But who, then, is the real culprit? Siddique, Jagadish, Abhirami, Divya Pillai, Thalaivasal Vijay, Major Ravi, Dileesh Pothan, and Nishanth Sagar also star, while Arun Varma directs. and it gets an outstanding 7.3/10 on IMDb, and Gopika Is of The Times of India calls it “satisfying thriller with a twist.” So I’m tuning in. And, finally, Amazon has Return to Seoul, a 2022 French drama. This finds 25-year-old (and adopted) Freddie Benoît(Park Ji-min) returning to Seoul for a leisure trip, and deciding , seemingly on a whim, to search for her parents. But as she digs deeper, it becomes clear her back story is one of anguish and heartbreak, and her Korean family is overwhelmed with regret over giving her up. Meanwhile, her adoptive family back in France, leaves something to be desired. Guka Han, Oh Kwang-rok, Louis-Do de Lencquesaing and Yoann Zimmer also star, and Davy Chou directed, and wrote the semi-autobiographical script. And this movie won numerous awards in 2022, including the Golden Athena at the Athens International Film Festival, and Best New Performance for Park Ji-min at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. And it gets an astounding 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, and David Sexton of the New Statesman wrote “this fantastic film is just as much the creation of its star, Park Ji-min, a French-Korean visual artist who had never acted before. She gives an extraordinary performance as Freddie.” And 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 