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 an exciting add with Next Goal Wins, the latest comedy from director Taika Waititi(Jojo Rabbit!). This is based on the truish story of the alcoholic and troubled Coach Thomas Rongen(Michael Fassbender), threatened with termination from his journeyman coaching job, if he doesn’t redeem the infamously awful American Samoa club. The ineptitude of the team is legendary, with unfit and inexperienced players, and lacking the fundamentals of soccer, and yet Rongen must deliver a winning team. For the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. Oscar Kightley, Rachel House, Elisabeth Moss, Will Arnett, and Kaimana also star, and Waititi also co-wrote this film, with Iain Morris, along with directing. This film premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival , and Kaimana was nominated for Best film Performance at the Queerties for their work, here. And this movie gets a 6.5/10 on IMDb, and Wendy Ide of the Guardian calls it a “droll account of the world’s worst football team.” So I’m definitely watching. Hulu also offers Amulet, a 2020 British horror flick. Here, we find Tomas (Alec Secareanu), an ex-soldier left homeless after a fire, he finds a place, with the help of Sister Claire(Imelda Staunton!),at the London home of Magda (Carla Juri), who cares for her aging mother upstairs. As he lives in the house and tries to effect repairs there, he senses an evil essence in the house, and tries to save Magda from it. And when he consults Sister Claire about it, she tells him of a demon , a demon he is determined to fight. But what will it cost him? Carla Juri, Angeliki Papoulia, Anah Ruddin and Alec Secareanu also star, while Romola Garai directed. And this movie gets a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Justin Chang of Fresh Air called the film an “intensely creepy supernatural freakout”. So you know I won’t be watching. And it is super violent and dark so beware. I’d rather watch Joan Baez I Am a Noise, the 2023 documentary. This tells famed folk singer Joan Baez‘s life story, with many interviews conducted over the decades of her singing career, news reels, concert clips and even Baez‘s own journals. It is astonishingly frank, telling of her stage fright, marriage to Bob Dylan and other relationships, and Baez‘ difficulty with one on one relationships, in general. In the end, co-directors Karen O’Connor, Miri Navasky, and Maeve O’Boyle give us an intimate look into the life of Joan Baez that seemed impossible, replete with beautiful music. And it gets an impressive 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Glenn Kenny of RogerEbert.com wrote its “coherent, cohesive, and sometimes jarringly frank portrait.” I’m definitely tuning in. And, finally, Hulu has added Cleaning Up, the 2022 K-drama series. This finds single mom Eo Yong-mi (Yum Jung-ah), a cleaning lady in a brokerage company, deeply in debt, and in trouble. So when she and two fellow cleaners overhear some inside information at work, they decide to do a little trading for themselves. Initially very successful, they continue spying and collecting information, but the dangers of getting caught increase, and the friction between the three cohorts raise the risk of getting caught even higher. Jeon So-min, Jeon So-min, Lee Moo-saeng and Na In-woo also star, and there are 16 episodes available for streaming now. And this series gets an amazing 7.6/10 on IMDb, and Annie Hariharan of SBS.com calls it “a slow burn” .
NETFLIX
Netflix has few big titles added this week, but many smaller ones, like Ready, Set, Love, a 2024 Thai romcom series. This takes place in a parallel universe world, where the male population has been severely diminished by a pandemic, with all men required to live on ‘the farm.’ So the government comes up with an idea for a reality show called Ready, Set , Love, where young women compete for a chance to partner with one of the few remaining men. Darika Chokwithee aka Day(Belle Kemisara Paladesh) didn’t plan on going but her sister needs the medical care the winner of the competition is promised(among other things). So Day goes, but how will she compete with all the rich women, beauties or brainiacs that makes up the majority of her competitors? Blue Pongtiwat Tangwancharoen, Jane Jaytiya Naiwattanakul and Lilly Nichapalak Thongkham also star, and there are 8 episodes available for bingeing now. And this series gets a outstanding 7.7/10 on IMDb, and Shabnam Jahan of LeisureByte says it “exudes a delightful charm that effortlessly blends the realms of absurdity and intellect. Its brilliance lies in the seamless balance between whimsicality and astuteness.” So I’m watching. Netflix also offers Dragon Sagura, a 2023 Japanese series. This is Season 2, and finds a lawyer, Kenji Sakuragi , played by Hiroshi Abe, homeless and unemployed, asked by an ex-student to return to teaching at a failing high school. The present students struggle to prepare for the Todai Entrance Exam, with little hope of doing well. And Sakuragi, who used to prep students for the exam, seems to be their only hope of getting accepted. Ino Mamako, Yajima Yusuke, Mizuno Naomi, Ogata Hideaki and Kobayashi Maki also star, and there are 10 episodes available for streaming now. And this series gets a stunning 7.7/10 on IMDb, and 10nineteen.com says “I highly recommend… Dragon Zakura.” So its on my list. Netflix also has AlRawabi School for Girls, a 2024 Jordanian drama series. This tells of Mariam, played by Andria Tayeh, a teen who loved the title school until bullying began. When she was finally physically assaulted, and no one believed her accusations against another girl, she decides to avenge herself(and others) on her own. Yara Mustafa, Noor Taher, Rakeen Sa’ad and Joanna Arida also star, and there are 2 seasons, with 12 episodes in all, available now. And it gets an impressive 7.1/10 on IMDb, and Yasmine AlSayyad of the New Yorker calls it “bold in its willingness to depict young women weaponizing patriarchal violence against one another, to ultimately chilling ends.” I’m definitely tuning in. Also new on Netflix is Home for Rent, a 2023 horror flick. Here, Ning and Kawin, played by Nittha Jirayungyurn and Sukollawat Kanarot, respectively, decide to rent out their bungalow to save money. But their two new tenants, Dr. Ratree and Nuch, are according to a neighbor, weird and cultlike, and Ning grows suspicious. But when she and her daughter, Ing, are suddenly haunted by an evil spirit, and worse, Kawin seems to be involved, Ning is determined only to save her daughter and herself. Thanyaphat Mayuraleela, Namfon Pakdee,Penpak Sirikul and Suphithak Chatsuriyawong also star, and Sopon Sukdapisit directed. And it gets a 74% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Pramit Chatterjee of Digital Mafia Talkies says its “a really good horror film. It is filled to the brim with a lot of spine-chilling moments and has a strong sense of relatability because it reflects the very real fear of becoming a parent in this volatile economy.” But it’s far too scary for me. And, finally, Netflix has House of Ninjas, a 2024 Japanese thriller series. This focuses on the Tawara family, a seemingly poor and mundane family, owners of a failing sake brewery. But then Souichi(Yosuke Eguchi), head of the family, is approached by a shadowy figure, who asks him and his family, to come out of retirement to save the country, and their identity becomes more clear. They are, or were, shinobi or ninja, and highly skilled in the art of swordsmanship. But their protectorship cost them the life of their first–born, Gaku (Kengo Kora), and so, the whole family shelved their craft. But with the rise of a new cult behind a chemical attack that killed dozens, and more unsolved cases of violence, how long can Tawaras hold out? Kento Kaku, Yosuke Eguchi, Riho Yoshioka, Tae Kimura, and Aju Makita also star, and this series was developed, directed, and written by Dave Boyle(Big Dreams Little Tokyo, Man From Reno!). And this series gets an stupendous 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Peter Martin of Screen Anarchy says its “an unalloyed delight…a marvelous mix of stealthy ninja action, family drama, and gentle comedy. The cast is outstanding at playing the various notes called for throughout the series, and the action is bone crushing and bloody..” And I agree, this is one of the best series on Netflix in a long time. I’m watching twice.
AMAZON
Amazon has a delightful add this week with Bottoms, the 2023 raunchy comedy from Emma Seligman(Shiva Baby!) . This finds PJ(Rachel Sennott) and Josie(Ayo Edebiri), unpopular and unhappy about it, decide to start a girls only fight club at Rockbridge Falls High School .They ask Mr. G, an uninterested history teacher, to be their advisor, assuming he won’t show up, but they are wrong about that and so much more. As their club turns more violent, and more popular, things get rapidly out of hand. Ruby Cruz, Havana Rose Liu, Kaia Gerber, Nicholas Galitzine and Miles Fowler also star, and Seligman co-wrote the script with Rachel Sennott(!), along with directing. Bottoms premiered at the 2023 South X Southwest, and it gets a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote its ” unlike any high-school comedy you’ve ever seen. It’s a satire of victimization, a satire of violence, and a satire of itself. It walks a tightrope between sensitivity and insanity (with a knowing bit of inanity), and it’s full of moments that are defiantly what we once used to call incorrect.” And I am so watching. Amazon also offers This Is Me…Now, the 2024 J-Lo biopic. Here, Jennifer Lopez guides a dive into her life, and loves, and how hard it is to truly represent the girl who grew up in Bronx, warts and all. Intended as a companion to her new self-funded ninth studio album, there’s music here, but also a focus on Lopez‘ search for love. There’s a therapist played by her frequent collaborator Fat Joe, a Love Addicts Anonymous group led by Paul Raci, and former lovers played by dancers and actors like Derek Hough and Trevor Jackson. Director Dave Meyers gives us a magical tour of Lopez’ search for self love, and her journey through life in search of a partner. And it must be good, because it gets a 78% on Rotten tomatoes, and Nadira Goffe of Slate calls it “an absurd, chaotic, indefinable mess,” adding ” I loved it.” So it’s on my list. And, finally, Amazon has The Board, a 2024 Lebanese drama series. This focuses on the powerful CDS Holding corporation, as Dana(Rozina Lazkani) goes undercover to expose the company’s CEO, Zaki(Salloom Haddad), of multiple sexual assaults against women working at CDS. But she may be getting in over her head as Zaki is a violent and powerful man, and few of the women he assaulted will support her. But the CDS company is full of intrigue and plotting and as other members try to unseat Zaki, for their own sometimes nefarious reasons, it seems that CDS is a dangerous place for everyone involved. Diamand Abou Abboud, Bassem Yakhour, Sama Zidan, Nadine Tahseen Beck and Rik Aby also star, and there are 10 episodes available for streaming now. And this series gets an incredible 8.7/10 on IMDb, and though I can find no reviews as yet, it’s said to be a Middle Eastern Succession. And with numbers like that on IMDb, 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 