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 big add this week with We Were The Lucky Ones, the 2024 historical drama series. It’s based on Georgia Hunter’s bestselling novel, this tells of the Kurc family, living in Radom, Poland, trying to survive the WWII with their family intact. The focus is on Halina, played by Joey King, who longs to become part of the Resistance, and as the war and it’s accompanying anti-Semitism spread, and the Kurc‘s store goes out of business, survival is anything but guaranteed. Logan Lerman, Hadas Yaron, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Amit Rahav, Lior Ashkenazi and Robin Weigert also star, and there are 8 jarring episodes available now. And this series gets a stunning 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Aramide Tinubu of Variety calls it “devastating, and profoundly moving, We Were the Lucky Ones illustrates the scope of World War II, the inhumanity of others and the anguish of disconnection and loss.” And its a true story, so I’m watching. Hulu has also added She Came to Me, the 2023 comedy starring Peter Dinklage(!). Dinklage stars here, as Steven, a composer, stalled with his latest opera unfinished, while his therapist wife, Patricia (Anne Hathaway) striving to fix everything by cleaning, intensively. Finally, Steven meets his potential muse, Katrina(Marisa Tomei!) , a tugboat captain who may have dangerous problems with romantic obsession, but he sleeps with her anyway. But with his block is gone, Steven’s opera is a success- if only his marriage could survive, as well. Brian d’Arcy James, Chris Gethard, Dale Soules and Joanna Kulig also star, while Rebecca Miller(Maggie’s Plan) directed. And though this gets only a 47% on Rotten Tomatoes, Nell Minnow of RogerEbert.com called it “beautifully performed and directed with great charm, unexpected wisdom, and sweetness.” So I’m watching. Hulu has also added all 4 seasons of Sherlock, the 2010-14 BBC hit series .In this modern day version, Benedict Cumberbatch plays the famous detective, living in modern day London, helped by his physician friend Watson, play by Martin Freeman. Cumberbatch‘ Holmes is frenetic, impatient and unpredictable, so when he runs into Freeman’s Watson, just home from Afghanistan, his level-headness add just the right touch. So together they investigate a different mystery each week, with tweaks like A Study in Pink, instead of A Study in Scarlet, added. Andrew Scott stars as Moriarty, and Una Stubbs, Tanya Moodie, Mark Gatiss and Rupert Graves(!) also star, and there are 4 seasons with a total 13 episodes available now. And this series gets an unbelievable 9.1/10 on IMDb, and Alyssa Rosenberg of the Atlantic said it “demonstrates, bringing Holmes and Watson into the 21st century ought to have been, well, elementary.” And I’m watching. And, finally, Hulu has Hirowareta Otoko, a 2023 Japanese Disney+ drama series. Also called Lost Man Found, this tells the story of Satoru Matsudo(Taiga Nakano), who always dreamed of being an actor, but doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere. But as he struggles to make a dollar, he can’t even get an audition, until one day, he finds the plane ticket belonging to a talent agency CEO, Yamamura. And she can get him an audition, but will it change his life? Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, Ito Sairi and Yakushimaru Hiroko also star, and there are 10 episodes available now. and tis series gets an alarming 7.9/10 on IMDb, so, though I can find no reviews, with a score like that, I’m watching.
NETFLIX
Netflix has no big titles added this week, but some distinctive smaller ones, like Rest in Peace, a 2024 Argentine drama. Here, family man Sergio, played by Joaquín Furriel, is in a bind, deeply in debt and in ill-health, too. As his debtors begin to threaten his family and a terrorist bombing occurs nearby, Sergio decides to disappear, and save his loved ones. But as time goes by , his distance eats away at him and he wonders if he paid too high a price for his debts. Griselda Siciliani, Gabriel Goity and Lali Gonzalez, and Luciano Borgesalso star, while Sebastián Borensztein directed. And this movie gets an incredible 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Natalia Trzenko of the Nation writes “with prodigious period reconstruction detail, Rest In Peace effectively manages intrigue with remarkable patience and stands out for its cast led by Furriel and Siciliani. ” So I’m tuning in. Netflix also offers Between Lands, a 2024 Spanish language series. This takes place in Almería, Spain, in the 1960‘s, with María, played by Megan Montaner, forced into an arranged marriage, to save her sister and her family from ruin. She marries Don Ramón, a rich newcomer to town, to pay off the family debt, but then, to her horror, she finds Ramón was merely acting as a proxy, and her real husband is to be his nephew, Manuel . But when María finally meets Manuel, he, too, is enraged, because he was not informed, and kicks her out of the house. She finds herself working the fields to earn money, only to have Ramón inform her the contract requires her to provide Manuel with children, starting with a rendezvous that night. Unax Ugalde, Begoña Maestre, Clara Garrido, and Carlos Serrano also star, and there are 10 episodes available for bingeing now. And Begoña Maestre was nominated for Best Supporting Actress by the Award of the Spanish Actors Union this year, and this series gets a 6.6/10 on IMDb, and Neerja Choudhuri of the Midgard Times says it “offers a refreshing take on the mystery genre, delivering a riveting narrative that challenges expectations and keeps audiences enthralled until the very end.” So I’m definitely tuning in. Also new and notable is No Pressure, a 2024 Polish comedy. Here, big-city Oliwia (Anna Szymańczyk) returns home for her grandmother’s funeral, only to find her rising from the coffin. It seems her Grandma Halina was just conning her granddaughter into coming home to take care of the family farm. But this is a weird village, and Oliwia‘s grandmother fits right in, so getting anyone to stay might be difficult. Unless Oliwia happens to meet someone there, who could change her mind. Anna Seniuke , Mateusz Janicki, Artur Barci, Angelika Cegielska, and Magdalena Smalara also star, with Bartosz Prokopowicz directing. And though it gets a 5.3/10 on IMDb, Sagrika Giri says “set in a charming vintage Polish village, the film offers a delightful twist on the traditional story of a city girl falling in love with a rural boy.” So I’m watching. Netflix also has Falling in Love Like in Movies, a 2023 Indonesian romance. Here, a screenwriter named Bagus (Ringgo Agus Rahman) attempts his first romance, using his old high school friend , Hana, played by Nirina Zubir, as his muse. But Hana is recently widowed, so the situation between them has changed, so what will happen next is anyone’s guess. Sheila Dara Aisha , Alex Abbad and Dion Wiyoko also star and Yandy Laurens direst, along with writing the script. And this movie gets an impressive 7.1/10 on IMDb, and Felix Martua of NME calls it “Nirina Zubir’s career masterpiece..Laurens‘ romantic dramedy proves he’s got the brain for filmmaking, though the heart belongs to his luminous leading lady.” And I’m tuning in. And, finally, Netflix has The Believers, a 2024 Thai crime series. This has three young entrepreneurs, Win, Game and Dear , become heavily in debt to loan sharks after the failure of their NFT game, and so desperately on the lookout for new cash cow. When Win (Teeradon Supapunpinyo) notices the riches donated at his mother’s Buddhist temple, he gets the idea to get in on thateasy dough, and so goes to a struggling temple, hoping to partner with it and rebrand it for the younger generation. They repair the rundown temple, find a charismatic monk, but will their efforts stay within the law, even as their greed grows? Pachara Chirathivat, Achiraya Nitibon, Patchai Pakdeesusuk, Paophet Charoensook, and Channarong Khantheethao also star, and there are 9 episodes available now. And this series gets an incredible 8.1/10 on IMDb, and Joel Keller of the Decider says to stream it, adding “the premise is intriguing enough to keep us watching, especially seeing how the trio of entrepreneurs get in and out of hot water for their money-making scheme.” So I’m definitely tuning in.
AMAZON
Amazon has very few notable adds this week, with My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, the 2023 romcom, their only big title. Here, the whole Portokalos family heads for Greece for a family reunion, after the death of the family patriarch, Rodney. It’s al arranged by Victory(Melina Kotselou), a distant relative and mayor of the town of Vrisi. But when the family gets there, they find no reunion , just a town in need of help, and Victory hoping the Portokalos‘ can provide it. John Corbett, Louis Mandylor, Elena Kampouris, Lainie Kazan, and Andrea Martin(!) also star, and Nia Vardalos returns to direct and write the script. But it gets only a 30% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 5.2/10 on IMDb. Still, Emma Oxnevad of the Chicago Reader says “in spite of its third-film shortcomings, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 has some genuine laughs and a healthy dose of heart.” so if you need a Greek getaway this holiday weekend, this is for you. I’d rather watch C U Soon, a 2020 Malayalam-language Indian mystery/thriller. Here, Jimmy(Fahadh Faasil) works as a banking exec., and has finally found the girl of his dreams Anu(Darshana Rajendran), on a dating app. Determined to marry, though he has never met her in person, Jimmy‘s mom wants to find out more, and asks his cousin Kevin, a cyber security expert, to find out more. When Anu claims to have been beaten by her father, Jimmy panics and invites her to his family home, as his cousin delves deeper. But when Anu goes missing, Jimmy becomes the suspect, and suddenly someone must save his life. Roshan Mathew, Saiju Kurup, Amalda Liz and Maala Parvathi also star, and Mahesh Narayanan directed. And this movie gets an impressive 7.7/10 on IMDb, and Sanjith Sidhardhan of the Indian Times wrote “this movie will keep you glued to the screen.” And I love a mystery, so you know I’m watching. And, finally, Amazon has Suzhal- The Vortex, a 2022 mystery/thriller series. This begins with the Mayana Kollai Festival in the small (fictional) town of Sembaloor , in Suzhal, but festivities are soon interrupted by a devastating fire at the cement factory, and an investigation ensues. When Inspector Regina(Aishwarya Rajesh) the factory’s union leader, Shanmugam she finds much of interest, but girls have recently gone missing in teh village, and it appears, the two incidents may be tied together. Kathir, R. Parthiban, Harish Uttaman and Sriya Reddy also star, and there are 8 exciting episodes available now. And this series gets a whopping 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and an 8.2/10 on IMDb. And Namrata Joshi of the National Herald(India) said its ” an intricately mapped out why-how-whodunnit…” So 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 