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 few big titles added this week, but still, interesting adds, like Femme, the 2023 drama. Nathan Stewart-Jarrett stars as Jules, here, as a popular drag show performer who suffers a violent homophobic attack one night, leaving him traumatized, and violated. As he withdraws from the life and people he loves, Jules seems paralyzed, until he spots his attacker one night in a bathhouse. Intent on revenge, as Jules becomes closer to the homophobe, but can he pull back from the violence that he seems destined to unleash? George MacKay, Aaron Heffernan, John McCrea and Antonia Clarke also star, while Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping co-direct. And this movie gets a smashing 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Manuel Betancourt of the Los Angeles Times said “within that funhouse mirror of an erotic-thriller premise, Femme proves to be a gorgeously mounted meditation on queer and queered performance.” So I’m watching. But Hulu has also added HIP – High Intellectual Potential, a 2023 French comedic crime drama. This tells the story of beleaguered mom, Morgane Alvaro, played by Audrey Fleurot, with 3 kids and a lot of bills, who finds a job cleaning police headquarters. But when she knocks over a file for an active homicide case, she naturally investigates(she has a very high IQ), and finds they’ve got it all wrong. But when she annotates the file with her (correct) ideas, the police are anything but grateful. Still, after they bring her in for questioning, Detective Adam Karadec (Mehdi Nebbou) notices Morgane is not only right, she’s intelligent, and ends up being hired, despite her resentment of authority and the cops. What could possibly go wrong? Marie Denarnaud, Caroline Filipek and Bruno Sanches also star, and there are 3 seasons, with 24 total episodes available now. And Fleurot has twice been nominated for Best Actress at the L’Association des Critiques de Séries for her role here, and this intriguing series gets an outstanding 7.4/10 on IMDb. Jean-Christophe Nurbel of Bulles de Culture calls it “a new, friendly and light-hearted police series.” And I love a mystery, so I’m watching. Hulu has also added Good Luck Jerry , a 2022 Disney+ Hindi-language dark comedy. Janhavi Kapoor plays Jerry, here, a young woman with plenty of troubles, after the death of her father a year ago, and her mom, Sarbati’s, new diagnosis of lung cancer. So Jerry finds herself propelled in the world of drug dealing in a desperate need for medical funds, and finds she has a knack for selling. But leaving the business may be even more difficult, and may cost the lives of everyone in her family. Mita Vashisht, Deepak Dobriyal,Neeraj Sood and Samta Sudiksha also star, and Siddharth Sen directed. And this movie gets an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Shubra Gupta said “this delightful Janhvi Kapoor film commits to its loopiness.” So I’m tuning in. And, finally, Hulu has The Origin of Evil, a 2022 French thriller . This finds Stéphane, played by Laure Calamy(Call My Agent!), a working woman experiencing debt, going to meet her estranged father, Serge (Jacques Weber), as a last resort. Serge abandoned Stéphane and her mother years before, but desperation drives her to visit him at his plush villa, filled with riches. But it’s also filled with people who lust after Serge’s money, like his wife, and his daughters. And when Serge‘s health declines after a stroke, it seems that Stéphane, as a possible heir, may be in danger, too. Dominique Blanc, Doria Tillier, and Céleste Brunnquell also star, while Sébastien Marnier directed. And this movie gets a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Wendy Ide of the Observer called it an “enjoyably pulpy, devious, Highsmith-esque thriller in which nothing and nobody are quite what they seem.” So I’m definitely tuning in.
NETFLIX
Netflix has few big titles added this week, The Teacher’s Lounge, a 2023 German award-winning drama. Leonie Benesch plays the new, idealistic high school teacher Carla Nowak, tasked with finding the student responsible for a series of thefts in the teacher’s lounge. But when school officials wrongly accuse a child of Turkish heritage, therefore accused of racial profiling, Carla decides to investigate for herself. So she sets a trap with a secret camera, and thinks she’s found the culprit- a single mom who works in administration at the school. But things snowball, after Carla accuses the indignant mom, and Carla finds herself under investigation, for secretly filming in the lounge. As more and more people are involved and smeared, Carla grapples to find a equitable resolution. Anne-Kathrin Gummich, Rafael Stachowiak and Eva Löbau also star, and İlker Çatak directed. This film premiered at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Panorama Audience Award, and won the Cicae Art Cinema Prizes. It also won the Lux Award at the European Film Academy Awards, and 5 awards at the , including Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for Benesch, Best Director for Çatak, and Best Fiction Film. And it gets a stunning 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 7.5/10 on IMDb. And Wendy Ide of the Observer says “Benesch is superb, her face a glazed mask of panic as the shockwaves resulting from her actions shake the very foundations of the school.” And I’m so watching. Netflix also offers Master of the House, a 2024 Thai mystery thriller series. This begins with the accidental death of diamond tycoon Roongroj Thevasaitipaisarn(Teerapong Leowrakwong), owner of Theva Gems, a $200 million company. And so the fight among his sons for control of his company begins, but they have one more contender to consider, Kaimook, played by Narilya Gulmongkolpech, his young housekeeper who became his wife. And now, after the death, Kaimook has suspicions about that death, while his sons vie to rule his vast empire, and plot against his new wife. Charttayodom Hiranyasthiti , Nusba Punnakanta and Narupornkamol Chaisang also star, and there are 7 episodes available now. And this series gets a 6.7/10 on IMDb, and Neerja Choudhuri of the Midgard Times says it “transcends the clichés of its genre by infusing it with suspense, intrigue, and a relentless pursuit of truth.” And I’m definitely tuning in. Netflix also offers Skywalkers: A Love Story, a 2024 doc. This tells the story of Vanya Beerkus and Angela Nikolau, two ‘rooftoppers,’ or daredevils that defy the law, and scale the highest skyscrapers(and then take selfies), from Moscow. As the movie begins, the pair started out as rivals, with Berkus situated on the top of the heap of climbers, and Angela trying to get a foothold in the male-dominated world. But as their competition continued, their constant absorption with the other’s feats, led to an admiration and then intimacy, that bred love. Director Jeff Zimbalist provides plenty of insight, not just into the climbing and reckless behavior, but also into the love affair between the two. And that leads to a pretty dizzying experience. This movie won Best Documentary at the 2024 Miami Film Festival , and gets an impressive 7/10 on IMDb. And Bilge Ebiri of Vulture writes, “for all its problems, Skywalkers is often very watchable.” But, probably not for me. Luckily, Netflix also has Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life, a 2024 Malayalam-language epic drama . Here, Prithviraj Sukumaran stars as Najeeb Muhammed, a man who saves every penny to pay for a Visa to the Gulf States, to make more money, and build a better life. But when he leaves green Kerala for Saudi Arabia, he finds himself instead, put in charge of a herd of goats. Stuck in the desert, Najeeb struggles to survive day to day, and finally meets an African man, Ibrahim Qadri, who might be able to help him escape. But the odds are stacked against him, and Najeeb will need every drop of luck he can find, to survive to return home. Jimmy Jean-Louis, K.r. Gokul and Amala Paul also star, while Blessy directs. And this movie gets an astounding 8.6/10 on IMDb, and Ganesh Aaglave of Firstpost says “Sukumaran delivers one of career best acts as Najeeb in The Goat Life. Right from his impeccable transformation to his innocent eyes, the actor steals the show in every frame.” And it’s gorgeous, so I’m watching. And, finally, Netflix has The Princess Royal, a 2024 historical drama/fantasy series. This begins with the end of the arranged marriage between Princess Royal Li Rong(Jinmai Zhao) and Pei Wen Xuan(Zhang Ling He) after 30 years of a failed, cold marriage, marked with infidelity. As the pair appear to die one one night, poison administered by their partner(they think), they are amazed to wake and find themselves 18 years old, and unmarried, again. So they try to avoid their past disasters by not marrying, but instead find, of course, that that might be as dangerous as their previous path, and tortuous, too . Linghe Zhang, Ke Zhao, Chen He Yi and Daqian Yi also star, and there are 5 episodes available now, with 35(!) more to come. And this series gets a whopping 8.1/10 on IMDb, and Karen and Cathy of ChasingDramas.com call it “a delightful period romance drama.” So its on my list.
AMAZON
Okay, so Amazon‘s big title this week, My Spy The Eternal City, is awful, but they have better, less hyped, adds this week, like Betty La Fea, The Story Continues, a 2024 Colombian comedy series. Ana María Orozco returns to play Beatriz “Betty” Aurora Pinzón Solano, the woman challenged by her looks and status at the office in Betty La Fea(the inspiration for Ugly Betty, here in the states), who has now left her successful husband, Armando Mendoza Sáenz (Jorge Enrique Abello), in the arms of another woman. But wanting to go the funeral of her father-in-law, Roberto, Betty attends, only to be welcomed with sidelong glances and sneers. And when her late father-in law leaves his company to Armando, Betty and their daughter Mila, providing Betty serves as president, only trouble can follow .Kepa Amuchastegui, Juanita Molina and Marcela Posada also star, and there are 2 episodes available for streaming now, with 8 more to come. And this series gets an incredible 8.5/10 on IMDb, and Joel Keller of the Decider says to stream it, adding its “a fun return to the characters that started the worldwide Ugly Betty phenomenon in the 2000s.” So I’m watching. Amazon has also added Monolith,a 2024 sci-fi thriller. Lily Sullivan stars as an unnamed Australian journalist and podcaster, here, desperately in need of a new story, but also blocked for ideas. As she searches and digs for something, anything online, her brother becomes worried about her, isolated in their parents home. But the reporter digs deeper into online rabbit holes, and finds eerie stories of ominous and threatening bricks and monoliths, she remains intent only on a big story. Even if it costs her her life. Sullivan is the only player featured on camera, with Ling Cooper Tang, Ansuya Nathan and Terence Crawford also starring as voice actors, and Matt Vesely directs. And it gets a respectable 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Stephen Russell of Time Out said “making the most of the palatial but spookily claustrophobic setting … Vesely and Campbell take us on a spine-chilling ride that, even if it winds up in fairly familiar territory, is never less than gripping thanks to a bravura performance by Sullivan.” You decide. Its far too scary for me. And, finally, Amazon has Bad and Crazy, a 2022 Korean cop series. Lee Dong-wook plays Soo Yeol, a cop who routinely breaks the rules to get who and what he wants, until he meets his alter-ego, K, played by Wi Ha-joon. Finally, Soo Yeol feels compelled to follow the rules, thanks to K, and together with Lieutenant Lee Hui-gyeom (Han Ji-eun), they follow the rules and get the bad guys. Cha Hak-yeon, Sung Ji-ru and Kang Ae-shim also star, and there are 12 episodes available to enjoy now. And this series gets a stupendous 8/10 on IMDb, and Lauren Webb of NME.com calls it “a wild, violent cop drama that’s surprisingly heavy on the sentimentality.” So it’s on my list.
So sit back and binge this weekend, on classics, old and new, on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Enjoy!
Grownups Guide to Streaming 