Yes, I know its Monday, and so, high 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‘s big add this week is The Supremes At Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat, the 2024 dramedy. Based on the novel of the same title by Edward Kelsey Moore, this tells the interlaced stories of Odette, Barbara Jean and Clarice played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Sanaa Lathan, Uzo Aduba, respectively, three lifelong friends who survived the ups and downs of time, only through the support of their friendship. And, no, these are not ‘The’ Supremes, the singing trio, but a trio of girlfriends a local restaurant owner dubbed with that name. and whose lives are filled with real difficulties, and hardships, like cancer, death and infidelity. but they battle on and survive, and even thrive, because of the bonds they have with each other. Mekhi Phifer, Julian McMahon, Vondie Curtis-Hall and Sherry Richards also star, while Tina Mabry directs. And this movie gets a respectable 71% on Rotten Tomatoes and Amy Nicholson of the New York Times says “this wisecracking, tear-jerking, deep-fried decadence is plenty satisfying if you’re in the mood to indulge.” So I’m watching. Hulu has also added The Dive, a 2024 thriller. This finds sisters Drew (Sophie Lowe)and May(Louisa Krause) deep sea diving in Malta(?), with Drew leaving her many troubles behind, and May leading the way. But an underwater landslide occurs, I think, and May is trapped under a large boulder. Drew tries to move the rock, but it’s too huge, so she goes for help. Stressed out, May reminds her that she must be back in 20 minutes or May’s oxygen will run out, so Drew runs for help on land. But as the minutes tick by, Drew finds no help, and as trauma from her childhood flashes before her eyes, she wonders if she’ll find any help at all. Stella Uhrig, Shire Richardson and David Scicluna also star, and Maximilian Erlenwein directed. But this movie gets only a 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, and I agree with Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com, it “feels routine, a soggy journey from point A to point B that doesn’t do anything interesting enough to make it stand out in the dog days of summer.” So I won’t be watching. Luckily, Hulu has also added Stress Positions, a 2024 comedy. This revolves around the chaotic life of Terry (John Early), who tries to maneuver life without his soon to be ex-husband, Leo (John Roberts), in Leo‘s N.Y. C apartment. Terry’s nephew, Bahlul (Qaher Harhash), is staying with him, while his broken leg(in a full leg cast) heals, and oh, the Covid lockdown has just begun. So while Terry tries to obey protocol, and protect his nephew, his friends and neighbors drop in to disrupt any calm he had hoped for. there’s Karla (portrayed by Theda Hammel), a trans massage therapist, and her girlfriend, Vanessa (Amy Zimmer). And if Terry survives the visit with his image of his naive and innocent nephew intact, it will be a miracle. Elizabeth Dement, Faheem Ali and Amy Zimmer also star, while Theda Hammel directs. and this movie gets a 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Murtada Elfadi of Variety said it “might be the first genuinely enjoyable film made about the pandemic” Sop I’m tuning in. And, finally, Hulu ahs added The Absent Voice, a 2024 Disney+ mystery thriller series from Argentina. Also called La Voz Ausente , this finds psychoanalyst Pablo Rouviot(Benjamín Vicuña) trying to unravel what happened in his brother’s death, an apparent suicide by gunfire. Finally, after digging and finding inconsistencies, he convinces the inexperienced cop, Cecilia Bermúdez(Gimena Accardi)to aid him in his search. But they uncover more and more sinister clues that lead them to believe a serial killer is involved, with more victims to come. Jazmín Stuart, Susú Pecoraro and Federico Olivera also star, and there are 7 episodes available for bingeing now. and this series gets an amazing 7.7/10 on IMDb. so though I can, as yet, find no reviews, with a score like that, I will be watching. You know I love a mystery.
NETFLIX
The big news on Netflix is that you can now access all AMC+ series on Netflix, with your Netflix membership! There’s my current favorite, Dark Winds, with two Navajo Nation cops, Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, solving crimes in the 70‘s, but there are new acclaimed series to check out like Gangs of London, Into the Badlands, and Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire ! Not to mention, The Terror, and Monsieur Spade, and several Walking Dead spinoffs like The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Otherwise, Netflix has few big titles added this week, but they still offers gems like Terror Tuesday: Extreme, a 2024 Thai horror series. Based on a radio series, this tells 8 different tales of horror, that may or may not be true, with one about a creepy doll(!) that slowly takes a dead woman’s place, and what turns out to be a haunted house. There’s also one of a granny who disappears, suddenly, only to return home, but somehow changed. Pattaravadee Boonmeesup, Narupornkamol Chaisang, Chayanit Chansangavejy and Nat Kitcharit also star, while Au Chayan Laoyodtrakool, Top Surapong Ploensang and Alisa Pien direct. And, though it gets but a 5.8/10 on IMDb, it gets good reviews, like Paul Lê of Bloody Disgusting, who says this “series doesn’t use the word “extreme” lightly; it can be delightfully mean at times.” So you know I won’t be watching. Netflix also has the darling Secret Lives of Orangutans, a 2024 nature documentary. Based on work done by scientists of The Orangutan Research Project, who use with less invasive techniques like drones to study the intelligent and shy animals, this series shows intimate views of orangutan life. We get to see how orangutans care for their young, the deep bond between mom and baby(the infant survival rate is great among orangs than any other great ape), and their territorial disputes, too. Living in the trees, building a new nest high in the branches, and able to forage for food there, too, means that some orangs may never touch the ground in their lifetime. Narrated by David Attenborough and directed by Huw Cordey, this doc brings a spotlight to these highly intelligent creatures, that makes it enlightening and heartwarming, too. And it gets an impressive 7.2/10 on IMDb, and Daisy Jones of the Guardian calls it “frequently fascinating….will you emerge with a renewed appreciation for the magnificence of our planet and its furry, tree-dwelling inhabitants? Absolutely.” So I’m watching… twice. Netflix has added Kalki 2898 AD, a 2024 Hindi language dystopian sci-fi movie. Yes, this is a dystopian Indian movie, where the world has exhausted its resources, and the only city left is Kasi, a slum short on water, food, just about everything essential. Meanwhile, the rich, like Supreme Yaskin (Kamal Haasan) live high above the poor in the Complex, swimming in luxuries and essentials, alike. Bhairava, a bounty hunter played by Prabhas, dreams of catching SUM-80, or Sumati(Deepika Padukone) for a big reward, while she is protected by Ashwatthama(Amitabh Bachchan), an 8 foot tall sage. For Sumati is augured to be the mother of Kalki(the tenth avatar of Vishnu!), and so must be saved. Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan and Disha Patani also star, while Nag Ashwin directs. And this movie gets an outstanding 7.3/10 on IMDb, and Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com calls it “goofy, over-earnest, and just good enough where it counts, [it] outdistances its competition simply by digging deeper than expected into its patchy lore’s rich melodramatic turf.” So I’m definitely watching. And, finally, Netflix has added The Frog, a 2024 S.Korean limited thriller series. Here,Yeong-ha, played by Kim Yun-seok, runs a secluded hotel, miles from Seoul, after the death of his wife, in need of customers. So when Seong-a(Go Min-si) shows up, with her son, he is gladdened and welcomes her openly. But Yeong-ha unease with the woman’s strange behavior grows, and he wakens to find her checked out early, leaving behind only bloodstains and the smell of bleach. When Officer Yoon Bo-min(Lee Jung-eun) shows up, Yeong-ha fears he will be the only one to pay for the violence. And this horrific tale echoes one of 20 years ago, which Bo-min also investigated. Yoon Kye-sang, Park Ji-hwan and Ha Yoon-kyung also star, and there are 8 episodes available now, all directed by Mo Wan-il. And this series gets an impressive 7.1/10 on IMDb, and Karina “ScreamQueen” Adelgaard of Heaven of Horror said “if you enjoy iconic South Korean productions such as the Oscar-winning Parasite or even The Wailing or I Saw the Devil, then you really do not want to miss out on this one!” So I’m tuning in….if it’s not too scary.
AMAZON
Amazon‘s big add this week is Drive-Away Dolls, the 2024 comedy. Here, Jamie(Margaret Qualley) and Marian(Geraldine Viswanathan) go on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but are sidetracked after finding a briefcase in their car trunk, en route. As they continue on their trip, they seem to gather followers by the car load, all interested in the contents of that suitcase. And that interest may end up getting Jamie and Marian killed. Beanie Feldstein, Joey Slotnick and C.J. Wilson also star, while Ethan Coen(and only Ethan Coen) directed. And, though it gets only a 63% on Rotten Tomatoes, some critics rave like , Esther Rosenfield of Little White Lies, who said “It’s as solid a comedy as the Coens ever made together.” So I’m tuning in. Amazon has also added Classified, a coming of age drama series. Imani Pullum plays Ella Gardner, here, our teen protagonist, whose life in San Francisco is upended after her arrest at a protest. So she’s sent to live with her father in South Africa. but the culture shock for Ella is great, especially in the elite private school her stepmother enrolls her in. But mystery and intrigue await her there, as well. Christine Horn, Sule Rimi and Nicola Nothnagel also star, and there are 8 episodes available now. And this series gets a smashing 7.9/10 on IMDb, so though I can find no reviews, as yet, it’s on my list. And, finally, Amazon has season 1 of Capitain Marleau, the iconic French crime drama/mystery series from MHz Choice. Corinne Masiero stars as the deerstalker capped, and slightly awkward Captain Marleau, of the National Gendarmerie, whose abrasive manner may put people off. But she is also acutely insightful and persistent, and always manages to solve a crime. And Corinne Masiero was nominated for Best Actress at the 2078 L’Association des Critiques de Séries, along with nominations for Best Actress(2019)and Best Series(2018) at the Globes de Cristal Awards in France. And it gets a 6.8/10 on IMDb, and Mark Glass of We Are Movie Geeks says Marleau is “a refreshingly engaging character who should thrive with genre fans on this side of the Atlantic as well.” So I’m definitely watching.
So sit back and binge this weekend, on classics, old and new, on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Enjoy!
Grownups Guide to Streaming 