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 lesser known but amazing add this week with A Love Song, a 2022 romantic drama. This finds Faye, played by Dale Dickey, waiting in her camper in the Southwestern Colorado desert, for an old school friend, Lito, played by Wes Studi(!). At a crossroad, long widowed, and a former bush pilot, Faye wrote Lito a letter, hoping he might at the same point in life as she. But she doesn’t even know if she’ll recognize him when she sees him. Michelle Wilson, Benja K. Thomas and John Way also star, while Max Walker-Silverman directed, along with writing the script. And this movie premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, won Best Narrative Feature at both the Independent Film Festival of Boston and the Provincetown International Film Festival, and was named one of the Top 10 Independent Films of 2022 by the National Board of Review. And it gets an incredible 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Glen Kenny of RogerEbert.com said it’s “well-photographed, unobtrusively edited, full of wondrous sights, and acted by a couple of masters of warm underplaying.” So I’m watching. If you want something more terrifying this weekend, Hulu also has Somewhere Quiet, a 2023 horror flick. This begins after the kidnapping of Meg (Jennifer Kim), released after she was held for months, only to escape her captors, bloody and traumatized. Her rich husband, Scott (Kentucker Audley), worries at Kim‘s adjustment to regular life, and so suggests a weekend at the family’s secluded seaside cabin. But with the arrival of Scott’s cousin, Madeline, things degrade, and Meg begins to wonder about her husband, his family and everything she has endured thus far. Marin Ireland, Micheál Richardson, and Jan Devereux also star, and Olivia West Lloyd directed. And this gets a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Todd Jorgenson of Cinemalogue says “picking up where many horror movies leave off, this tightly wound psychological thriller is a powerfully unsettling glimpse into trauma and paranoia.” So you know it’s too scary for me. Luckily, Hulu has also added Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge, a 2024 documentary. This tells the story of fashion designer Diane von Fürstenburg, including her childhood in Brussels, and professional life as a designer. The daughter of Aushwitz concentration camp survivors, the young Diane went on to marry an Austrian nobleman, Prince Egon von Fürstenburg. And though she began her design carrier while married, that marriage soon dissolved with her husband’s many affairs. But though her business dipped , only to be saved by QVC sales(and her second husband’s money). But the more troubling aspects of Fürstenburg‘s life are glossed over, like her children’s accusations of neglect, and the designer’s debasing remarks about gay , trans and overweight people. So, if you want a more glossy view of a fashion designer, with little critique, this is for you. Co-directed by Trish Dalton and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, this doc gets a 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, but Nandini Balial of RogerEbert.com writes it” ends with a lengthy celebration of Diane’s life and advocacy for women, but it doesn’t make space to recognize those who were pushed out, neglected, or left behind by her reign.” So you decide. And, finally, Hulu has Kokdu: Season of Deity, a 2023 S. Korean fantasy/romance series. This revolves around Kokdu, played by Kim Jung Hyun, once a human in Korea‘s past, but has been turned into a grim reaper by the gods. And so he has become cruel and pitiless with the humans he meets, so when he is told to embody Do Jin Woo, a surgeon, he is not pleased. And when he meets ER Doc Im Soo-hyang, who has mysterious abilities of her own, he is startled to life again, and begins to work with her. But will Soo-hyang divert Kokdu from his original mission, and have him decide being mortal is better than the divine life? Kim Da-som, Ahn Woo-yeon, Kim In-kwon, and Cha Chung-hwa also star, and there are 16 episodes available now. And this was nominated for 2 awards last year, at the 2023 MBC Drama Awards, where Cha Chung-hwa won Best Supporting Actor. and it gets a 6.5/10 on IMDb, but an 8.9/10 on Viki . And sofiaandyasuri of Shallow Obsession says its “one of the sleeper hit[s] and underrated series..we can watch and have conversation over dinners.” So I’m tuning in.
NETFLIX
Netflix has an exciting add this week with Supacell, a 2024 British sci-fi thriller series. This takes place in South London, where 5 people suddenly find themselves invested with strange powers, who have no idea of what’s going on. And while some of them try to escape or ignore their new powers, Michael, played by Tosin Cole, recognizes the deeper meaning of their powers, and their usefulness. So, he tries to find all of his super-powered brethren and to put their fantastic abilities to good use. Nadine Mills, Eric Kofi-Abrefa, Calvin Demba, Josh Tedeku, and Adelayo Adedayo also star, and there are 6 episodes available for bingeing now. And you’ll want to binge, because this series, developed by Rapman(Blue Story) gets a stunning 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Alex Godfrey of Empire Magazine writes “in a televisual sea of white noise, this is propulsive, compulsive viewing. You thought superheroes had had their day? Rapman to the rescue.” So I’m definitely tuning in. Netflix also offers Gangs of Galicia, a 2024 Spanish Crime drama series. Clara Lago stars, here, as Ana, a young lawyer in Madrid , knocked for a loop with the murder of her father in Galicia. And when she investigates, she finds his secret life more shocking still, and so, intent on revenge, she infiltrates a drug cartel to find his murderer. But when she warms to one of those running the organization, Daniel Padin (Tamar Novas), will she abandon her efforts for revenge, or even a lawful life? Xosé Antonio Touriñán, Melania Cruz, Francesc Garrido and Miguel de Lira also star, and there are 7 episodes available now. And this series gets a 6.3/10 on IMDb, and Peter Martin of Screen Anarchy says it “boils down the melodrama and concentrates on the pulp. Powered by strong performances, strong bursts of action, and consistent intrigue, the show is combustible and propulsive, right through to the end.” So I’m watching. Netflix also has The Whirlwind, a 2024 K-drama limited thriller series. This tells of the extraordinary efforts that Prime Minister Park Dong-ho, played by Sol Kyung-gu, will go to to stop corruption in South Korea. Dong-ho will stop at nothing and use any method, even violence or murder, as he investigates bribery among the powerful in his country. But when he attempt to kill the President, will his finally come to an end? Lee Hae-young, Kim Hee-ae and Kim Mi-sook also star, and there are 12 episodes available for streaming now. and this series gets a whopping 7.5/10 on IMDb, and Shabnam Jahan of the Midgard Times says “Sol Kyung-gu and Kim Hee-ae shine in a gripping yet pensive political drama.” So I’m definitely tuning in. Netflix also offers Juanpis González: The People’s President, a 2022 Colombian satire. Alejandro Riaño stars in the title role, as the spoiled rich jetsetter, Jaunpis González, a great golfer, but hardly presidential material. So how did he achieve this milestone? Plenty of money from his father and other rich donors. All the while he decries corruption in government, and grapples with his humongous job, he secretly accepts cash from his father. Carolina Gaitán, Germán Jaramillo, Marcela Benjumea and Julián Caicedo also star, while Felipe Cano directs. And this movie gets a 6.7/10 on IMDb, and Brandon Miller of OTT Junkie writes “if you enjoy political satire and comedy, this series is a must-watch.” So I will definitely be tuning in. And, finally, Netflix has added Black Forceps, a 2024 Japanese medical drama series. Kazunari Ninomiya stars as Seishiro Tokai, a difficult but brilliant surgeon, whose his colleagues call him ‘demon,’ for his agility in the OR. His competition with Dr. Saeki(Seiyô Uchino), a surgeon with great standing and a huge ego, is Tokai‘s main problem, until the hospital brings in a new medical device, the Black Forceps, that doesn’t even require a good surgeon. Then Tokai finds himself in the fight of his life, fighting the hospital and the corruption endemic in it. Ryoma Takeuchi, Shuri and Misuzu Kanno also star, and there are 10 episodes available now. And this series gets a 7/10 on IMDb, and Live Journal calls it “an extremely well-written story with superb cast…a must watch.” So I’m tuning in,
AMAZON
Amazon‘s big title this week is My Lady Jane, a 2024 British fantasy/drama. Based on a book by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows, this tells a modern and revised story of the famous Lady Jane Grey, who lost her head after an 9 day reign. Here, Emily Bader plays the newly imagined Lady Jane, an ambitious young woman, forced to marry by her strong willed mother, Lady Frances Grey (Anna Chancellor). The rakish Guildford Dudley (Edward Bluemel) is her intended, and though Jane finds him irritating, the real threat in the battle between the Verity purebloods, which includes Jane and her royal relatives, and the Ethians, shape-shifting poorer people who have been banished to the edges of the kingdom. As Jane rises toward the throne, her empathy for the Ethians may endanger her power and her life, but her sword-fighting and self defense skills will surely pull her through. Robyn Betteridge, Rob Brydon, Kate O’Flynn and Abbie Hern also star, and there are 8 episodes available for streaming now. And this fantasy/romance mash-up gets an impressive 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Lucy Mangan of the Guardian says “it remains a decidedly odd concept, to take a little known historical event, mess it up and add magic animals. But it works by throwing its whole heart into the endeavour.” You decide. Amazon has also added I Am Celine Dion, a 2024 documentary. This tells the true story of megastar Celine Dion‘s life since her diagnosis with Stiff Person’s Syndrome, a rare neurological disease, that led to Dion’s retirement. At home in Las Vegas, she’s shown living a happy life with her children, singing, playing ball, and vacuuming, only to be interrupted by a seizure that lands her on the floor. As she battles the diseases progression, she also recounts her life, and the joys of singing she still enjoys. As the movie depicts the exhausting physical therapy Dion undergoes each day, and the pain of the disease, it also shows the determination and optimism the superstar retains. The result is a tribute to Dion‘s fans, but also to the singer herself, that award–winning director Irene Taylor has made more realistic and inspiring, than sappy. And so this documentary gets a outstanding 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, that Kristy Puchko of Mashable says is “far from a fluffy documentary that fawns over its subject, I Am: Celine Dion is a roller-coaster of emotions that leaves audiences with a mix of elation and uncertainty. But most incredibly, it gives one of music’s biggest stars her voice back.” So I’m watching. And finally, Amazon has Jana: Marked for Life, a 2024 Swedish crime drama series. Madeleine Martin plays Jana Berzelius, a young woman just named assistant public prosecutor in Norrköping, though her adoptive father, Karl, isn’t pleased. When Jana begins investigating the murders of children, she finds a scar on one child’s neck, one that almost matches her own. Convinced that these murders are somehow connected to a childhood she can’t remember, Jana continues to investigate. All the while, Karl and Jana’s former psychologist fear she’ll recall childhood horrors that may destroy her. Pernilla August, Johan Ulveson, August Wittgenstein and Suzanne Reuter also star, and there are 6 episodes available for streaming now. And this Nordic noir series gets a 6.1/10 on IMDb, and Crime Fiction Lover writes “if you liked Lisbeth Salander in the Millennium series, put Jana Berzelius on your list.” So I’m 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 