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 no big titles of note added this week, and only a few lesser ones, movies like When Evil Lurks, a 2023 Argentine horror flick. This takes place in a world where possession already exists, but when the “rottens” or “embichados” appear in rural Argentina near the home of Pedro (Ezequiel Rodríguez) and his brother Jimmy (Demián Salomón) . As they alert the authorities, it’s anything but handled, as local officials don’t believe Pedro. And corruption is so invasive in the area, action is impossible, and so Pedro, in a panic, tries to protect his family himself. With disastrous results. Silvina Sabater, Luis Ziembrowski, Marcelo Michinaux and Emilio Vodanovich also star, while Demián Rugna directed. And this horrific movie gets an amazing 97 % on Rotten Tomatoes, and Luis Martinez of el Mundo said “Director Demián Rugna surprises with a terrifying exhibition of pure, harsh and alibi-free horror cinema.” But it’s far too horrific and gory for me. Watch if you dare. Hulu also offers Barber, a 2023 Irish thriller. Aidan Gillen stars here, as Val Barber, a Dublin P.I., hired by a wealthy widow to find her missing granddaughter. But when the trail leads Barber to a powerful man in the city, his doggedness to collar the criminal may lead to his death. Aisling Kearns, Gary Lydon, Helen Behan and Deirdre Donnelly also star, and Fintan Connolly directed. And this noirish mystery gets a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Jason Delgado of
Film Threat wrote it “may not be a mind-bending mystery, but Aiden Gillen’s performance and the cinematography elevate it to something worth seeing.” And I agree, it’s beautifully shot, so I’m watching. Hulu has also added Thank You, Goodnight – The Bon Jovi Story, a limited docu-series. This doc explores 40-plus-year legend that is Bon Jovi, from it’s beginnings in dives in New Jersey to being installed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Filmmaker Gotham Chopra gives us a tour through the band’s fight for stardom and staying power, but also band leader Jon Bon Jovi’s struggle with vocal problems, that threatened to end his career. Bon Jovi went through extensive vocal exercises, laser treatments and finally surgery. Bon Jovi still faces the specter of losing his singing voice, to which he says he will quit. Hopefully, that won’t happen, but if it does, f that ever happens, we have the full chronicle of the band’s arc through rock history, in 4 expensive episodes. And this series gets a whopping 8.3/10 on IMDb, and Joseph Hudak of the Rolling Stone writes “Gotham Chopra’s stellar portrait. Yes, Thank You, Good Night is a rock doc charting the group’s evolution from Jersey bar band to Eighties pop-metal fame and beyond, but it’s not hagiography.” So I’m watching.And, finally, Hulu has added Wonderful World, a 2024 K-drama Disney+ mystery series. Kim Nam-joo stars as Soohyun, a successful psychology professor and author, whose life is thrown into chaos after her son is killed by a hit and run driver. But when that driver receives unusual leniency in court, Soohyun goes after justice herself. Sent to prison, Soohyun finds hardship, but also, friendship with her fellow inmates. And when she meets Seonyul, a victim of trauma himself, Soohyun finally finds a connection. Cha Eun-woo, Kim Kang-woo, Im Se-mi, and Won Mi–kyung also star, and there are 14 episodes available now. And this ratings record breaker in S. Korea gets an outstanding 7.7/10 on IMDb, and Sarkari Exam says “this emotionally charged thriller delves into the profound depths of human emotions and resilience, captivating viewers with its gripping and intense storyline.” And I’m watching.
NETFLIX
The biggest title added to Netflix this week has to be Dead Boy Detectives, a 2024 fantasy action series. Based on a Neil Gaiman tale, this tells of two dead teens, Edwin Payne(George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri), now ghosts, who team up with a medium to solve crimes . They form the Dead Boy Detective Agency, and solve the hitherto unsolved crimes that keep some ghosts stuck here on Earth, and send the once tormented souls on to their final destination. Kassius Nelson, Briana Cuoco, Jenn Lyon and Ruth Connell also star, and there are 8 episodes available now. And this series gets a incredible 7.3/10 on IMDb, and Petrana Radulovic and Susana Polo of Polygon write it “isn’t just a great surprise for fans of the original comics; it should be a pleasant surprise to anyone looking for a great paranormal YA TV series.” And it’s funny, too, so I’m watching. Netflix also has Good Bye Earth, a 2024 S. Korean disaster series. This finds the world threatened by the impending impact of a meteor, with the Korean peninsula estimated as ground zero, and South Koreans go into a panic. As impact is counted down, many Koreans react in different ways, but school teacher Jin Se–Kyung (Ahn Eun-jin) wants only to find and protect her students. Kim Yoon-Hye Jeon Seong-woo, Yoo Ah-in, and Kim Kang-hoon also star, and there are 10 episodes available now. And though this gets a surprisingly low 4.6/10 on IMDb, Jonathan Wilson of Ready Steady Cut says “isn’t perfect, but it’s a deeply human and compelling examination of the panic drummed up by impending calamity.” He also adds, “it’s one of the best [K-dramas] of the year.” So I’m definitely tuning in.Also new and noteworthy is The Asunta Case, a 2024 Spanish true crime drama series. Based on a true story, this tells of Rosario Porto and Alfonso Basterra, divorced parents who report their 12 year-old daughter Asunta (Iris Whu) missing one night. But while the parents are desperately searching their child, they don’t ask for a lawyer, or protect their own rights, during the search . And so, they are soon fingered as the murderers of their daughter, and as they go to trial, it is not clear that they will escape conviction…for a crime they didn’t commit. Tristán Ulloa, Javier Gutiérrez, María León and Jon de la Cuesta also star, and there are 6 episodes available now. And this movie gets an impressive 7.8/10 on IMDb, and Archi Sengupta of Leisure Byte says “for fans of true crime and the macabre, this series will definitely keep you hooked.” And I’m watching. Netflix has also added Freud’s Last Session, a 2023 historical drama starring Anthony Hopkins. Yes, Hopkins does indeed play famed psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, in his later years, a convicted atheist, who in 1939, meets with C.S. Lewis, played by Matthew Lewis, a staunch Christian. As Freud suffers from oral cancer, and considerable pain, the pair argue everything from religion to sex, and World War II erupts around them. Liv Lisa Fries, Jodi Balfour, Orla Brady and Rhys Mannion also star, and Matt Brown directed. But though this movie gets a respectable 6/10 on IMDb, John Serba of the Decider said “when an atheist and a Christian sit down with the intent to debate, it shouldn’t be this dull.” And I agree, I won’t be watching. Netflix has also added City Hunter, a 2024 Japanese detective mystery . Here, Ryo Saeba, played by Ryohei Suzuki), is a playboy private eye in Tokyo, who is not always as on target as his marksmanship. But when his partner is killed, his sister Kaori Makimura demands answers and won’t let Saeba give up on her brother’s case, either. Misato Morita, Masanobu Andô, Asuka Hanamura and Isao Hashizume also star, while Yûichi Satô directs. But this movie, based on a 1985 manga, is quite sexist, and so gets a mere 6.5/10 on IMDb, and certainly might offend some(like me). Pramit Chatterjee of Digital Mafia Talkies says “the action was satisfactory, but I guess I was blindsided by the fact that the comedy was so misogynistic in nature. Maybe if I was familiar with the source material, I would’ve been better prepared to tackle some of [City Hunter‘s] perverse stuff.” You decide. And, finally, Netflix has added Tillu Square, a 2024 Indian Telugu-language action comedy. This revolves around a hapless DJ, Tillu, played by Sidhu Jonnalagadda, who uses a drug kingpin‘s money to set up an events company. But when he meets a girl at one of those events, they have an intimate night, and she disappears. After searching for her for weeks, she tells hi she’s pregnant, but then he finds the truth ; she’s not pregnant, but a government agent in search of the crime lord. At first, Tillu seeks to escape her and Hyderabad but instead, finds he must walk a fine line between the government agents and the mob, just long enough to stay alive. Anupama Parameswaran, Raj Tirandasu, Muralidhar Goud and Neha Shetty also star, while Mallik Ram directs. And this movie is a sequel to the 2022 movie DJ Tillu, and gets a 7.2/10 on IMDb. and Riya Singh of the Midgard Times calls it a “comical tale of assassination.” So I’m watching.
AMAZON
Amazon finally has season 2 of Them– Them: The Scare, it’s in-house 2024 horror series. This tells a completely new story, this season, taking place in 1991 L.A., with LAPD Detective Dawn Reeve, played by Deborah Ayorinde, assigned to a gruesome murder case. Reeve is paired with Det. Ronald McKinney (Jeremy Bobb) on the case, and the victim was a foster mother, Bernice Mott (Cindi Davis), who had previously called about domestic violence. So while the police jump to the conclusion that the same person is responsible for the horrific murder, Det. Reese keeps searching for more clues. And comes up with a more disturbing, other-worldly , cause. Joshua J. Williams ,Luke James, Wayne Knight(!) and Pam Grier(!) also star, and And this series gets a stunning 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Joel Keller of the Decider says to stream it , adding it “does a good job at setting the scene and giving viewers the creeps from the jump.” So you know it’s too scary for me. Luckily, Amazon also offers Better Days, a 2023 Canadian comedy/drama. This tells of Kate, played by Sonja Smits, after the death of her husband of 30 years. Thrown into a tailspin, Kate starts drinking vodka, and believing in little else, until she meets some teens, who shared her husband’s love of Halloween costumes. Soon she begins to explore new possibilities in life, with the kids, and even new men. And her grown children definitely do not approve. Alix Sideris, Sara Hinding, Blair Williams and Dean Armstrong also star, while Joan Carr-Wiggin directed, along with writing the script. and this movie gets a commanding 7.1/10 on IMDb, and Movie Web says “despite not being a big-budget comic book movie, Better Days offers a refreshing blend of comedy and drama from an inspirational filmmaker.” And I’m watching.And, finally, Amazon offers Relax I’m from the Future, a 2023 Canadian sci-fi comedy/adventure, now on Freevee. Rhys Darby stars, here, as Casper, a bumbling time traveler stuck in our time, who can never quite convince people he’s a normal citizen of the 21st century. When he meets Holly, a self described ‘black queer’ young woman, she helps him convert his trivia knowledge of the ‘past,’ into winnings at the OTB. But he is being followed, by an assassin from the future, Doris (Janine Theriault), because of his trespassing into the past. Gabrielle Graham, Zachary Bennett and Julian Richings also star, and Luke Higginson directed, along with writing the script. And this movie premiered at the 2022 Fantasia Film Festival, where it won Best Canadian Feature, and Gabrielle Graham won Best Supporting Actress and the film won Best Picture at the 2022 Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival. And it gets an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Josiah Teal of Film Threat called it ” funny, quotable, and unique while constantly finding new ways to feed off the leads’ performances. Higginson has built upon his original short film into a fleshed-out feature more than worth a watch to fans of sci-fi comedies.” And I am 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 