Yes, its late again, and well past 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 major title added this week, with Kinds of Kindness, the 2024 movie from Yorgos Lanthimos. This is a triptych of fables, with Jesse Plemons starring in all three, playing a worker ruled by his boss, played by Willem Dafoe; the second tale has Plemons laying a man whose wife, played by Emma Stone, who disappears, and when she returns, he’s convinced she isn’t the same woman. The third tale has Plemons and Stone in a cult led by Dafoe and Hong Chau, seeking a young woman as their new leader. Margaret Qualley, Joe Alwyn and Mamoudou Athie also star, and Lanthimos wrote the script with his usual writing partner, Efthimis Filippou. And this film was nominated for multiple awards this year, including Palme d’Or at Cannes, where Jesse Plemons won Best Actor, and it gets a 72% on Rotten Tomatoes. And Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com said “[t]he audacity of the project carries the day, and a cast once again bringing their A-game for a director who knows how to work with ensembles.” And I’m tuning in. Hulu has also added Something in the Water, a 2024 thriller. This finds 5 young women travelling to a lush (and isolated) island resort, for a wedding party, for bride-to-be, Lizzie (Lauren Lyle). But when a shark suddenly attacks and they try to escape by boat, a hole in the boat quickly stops them in their tracks. and leaves them a floating island of prey, for the hungry sharks. And as their attempt to fight the hungry animals off come to nothing, their only hope is for one of them to swim for help. Hiftu Quasem, Natalie Mitson, Nicole Rieko Setsuko and Ellouise Shakespeare-Hart also star, and Hayley Easton Street directs. But this film, laudable for it’s all female cast, and female heroes, too, is pretty stale otherwise. And so it gets only a 45% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Billie Walker of Little White Lies says it “bobs along like many other survivalist shark thrillers, and without finding new ways to jump the shark, it’s just another drop in the subgenre’s ocean.” So I won’t bother. Hulu has also added Killer Lies: Chasing a True Crime Con Man, a 2024 docuseries. Based on a New Yorker series by Lauren Collins, this considers the facade of Stéphane Bourgoin, a French serial killer expert. Bourgoin had a long and illustrious career in France, and had supposedly, interviewed 77 murderers, including Charles Manson and trained at the FBI base in Quantico. But his whole career was based on a lie, his supposed reason for investigating serial killers in the first place- the murder of his first wife or girlfriend, Eileen. There was no first wife, Eileen, at all, nor were there interviews with Manson, and other lies rose to the surface. And the investigation that led to all these revelations was started by an online group of sleuths (the 4th Eye), and followed up by Lauren Collins. And director Ben Selkow expertly limns this complicated story, and delves into the true crime obsessions that absorb so many people around the world, including Bourgoin. And though it gets but a 5.7/10 on IMDb, it get great reviews, like Preston Barta of Fresh Fiction who says “Ben Selkow expertly crafts a suspenseful character study that forces the audience to reflect on themselves. Brimming with astonishing revelations and visually arresting moments, this is a profound exploration of the multifaceted nature of humanity.” So I’m tuning in. And, finally, Hulu has added Black Out, a 2024 S. Korean thriller series. After two 19 year old girls disappeared , leaving only an empty bloodstained warehouse behind, and no bodies, teenager Ko Jung-Woo (Byun Yo-Han) was found guilty of their murders(with no memory of the night himself), and sentenced to 10 years. Now, upon his release 10 years later, Jung-woo returns to his small home town, hoping for peace and a new life. But when a new murder occurs, all eyes turn to him, and he frantically searches for clues with Detective No Sang-Cheol (Ko Jun).Go Bo-Gyeol, Kim Bo-ra, Bae Jong-Ok and Kim Mi-Kyung also star, and there are 8 episodes available now. And this series is so new, it has no rating on IMDb, but MyDramaList gives it an 8/10 , and the Review Geek says “this show has so much suspense.” So I’m definitely watching.
NETFLIX
Netflix has two big titles added this week, the first, Kaos, a 2024 fantasy series. this series catches up with the Greek gods, on Mount Olympus, but in a modern world, openly ruled by the gods. While the bitter and manipulative Zeus(Jeff Goldblum) machinates against humans and gods, alike, with his wife(and sister) Hera(Janet McTeer), alienating his children, like Athena. But the humans down on earth are not totally invested in the Gods any more, and humans like Eurydice(Aurora Pernieau) and Ariadne, (Leila Farzad) may be the key to cutting the ties that bind them to the Gods, once and for all. Aurora Perrineau, Debi Mazar, and Fady Elsayed also star and there are 10 episodes available for streaming now. And this series gets a whopping 7.5/10 on IMDb, and Carol Midgley of the Times(UK) says it “is witty, modern and punky, and you could also read it as an allegory about the gods being brat billionaires, using the world as their whimsical plaything.” The second big title added on Netflix this week is The Deliverance, the 2024 horror movie from master director, Lee Daniels. Andra Day plays Ebony, a single mother of 3 kids, beleaguered by bills, addiction and a bad temper. but when she moves into an old house, things start to happen to her and her children, but no one believe it is the house, and not Ebony, that is the problem. Glenn Close plays her troublesome mom, Alberta (Glenn Close), who only exacerbates the problems that snowball into terror as the days go by. Finally, Reverend Bernice, played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor(!), tries to exorcise the demons from the house, and bring, well, deliverance. Anthony B. Jenkins, Mo’Nique, Demi Singleton and Omar Epps also star, and this is very loosely based on a true story. And though it gets only a 30% on Rotten Tomatoes , Randy Myers of the San Jose Mercury News says it “does jump the shark, but it is undeniably entertaining and powered by terrific over-the-top performances.” But its far too scary for me. Luckily, Netflix has also added (Un)lucky Sisters, a 2024 Argentine comedy.Jesi ( Sofía Morandi) and Angela(Leticia Siciliani) are sisters, brought together by the death of their mostly absent father. when they learn they’ve inherited a luxury apartment, the pair are delighted. But when they find a suitcase, hidden behind a false wall, they find nothing but trouble, as people chase them, lethally intent on getting that case. Mariano Saborido, Andrea Garrote, and Lorena Vega also star, while Fabiana Tiscornia directs. and though this flick gets only a 5.1/10 on IMDb, Juan Pablo Russo of escribiendocine calls it “an entertaining story without great pretensions. It offers a pleasant moment and some reflections on family relationships and the role of money in our lives.” So I’m tuning in. Netflix has added Chastity High, a 2024 Japanese drama series. This takes place at Asuran Academy, where students are not allowed no sexual relationships, in or out of school. So when Ichica Arisawa (Yuuki Luna) enrolls, and the first boys show up, excitement and nervousness wells up among the girls. when the stern principal Yoko Ikujima (Shinobu Terajima), tells the school assembly, they may fall in love, but no action can be taken, the kids become fearful. And Ichica Arisawa comes upon a pair making out, she misdirects the principal away from the couple, and theyoffers her their thanks..and money. And though Ichica refuses, she finds her sick mother’s debts are through the roof, and so she hatches a plan. Ai Mikami, Ryubi Miyase and Rintaro Mizusawa and there are 8 episodes available for streaming now. And this series gets a 6.9/10 on IMDb, and Archi Sengupta of LeisureByte calls it “so sweet and warm-hearted. Showcasing tender love between young high schoolers in a strict and authoritarian environment, the serie’s emotions are on-point and the situations relatable.” So I’m giving it a try. And, finally, Netflix has added La Grande Maison Tokyo, a 2024 Japanese drama series. Here, Rinko Hayami, played by Kyôka Suzuki, wants to bring the Grand Maison Hotel restaurant back to its glory, with her running the organization. But to do so, she’ll have to work with Natsuki Obana(Takuya Kimura), a master chef, a notoriously arrogant man, with a complicated past. Obana lost his 3- Michelin-star restaurant in Paris after food poisonings occurred there, and he is determined to make good( and 3 Michelin stars) at the Grand Maison Hotel. But as Obana-san‘s past catches up with him(and the restaurant) in Tokyo, will any of them be able to rise above it? Aki Asakura, Tôru Tezuka and Ikki Sawamura also star, and there are 11 episodes available now. And this series gets a smashing 7.5/10 on IMDb, and Lila Podungge of the Josienoburogu blog says “I highly recommend this drama to you…..the great acting from the actors would make you want to see more and don’t want the show to end.” So I’m watching.
AMAZON
Amazon’s biggest add this week is Season 2 of The Rings of Power, a 2024 fantasy series. The tale of the Second Age of Middle-earth‘s history continues with the return of Sauron(Charlie Vickers). And he is now aware of the hunt for the rings, being tipped off by Galadriel(Morfydd Clark), unaware of who he really was. So, as Sauron seeks to create the One Ring, others, like human warrior Isildur (Maxim Baldry), rush to stop him from gaining such power. But will they be too late to save their kingdom ? Charles Edwards, Sophia Nomvete and Robert Aramayo also star, and there are 3 episodes available now. And it gets an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes and Helen O’Hara of Empire Magazine calls it “lavishly made, endlessly beautiful to watch and substantive enough to make you care, this is fantasy at its absolute highest level.” So I’m watching. Amazon has also added No Gain, No Love, a 2024 K-drama romcom series. Here, Son Hae-yeong(Shin Min-a)is a female office worker who finds, for all her hard work, she just can’t get ahead. And when she finds that married workers get far more benefits at her company, with no way around the rules, she decides to take the plunge, if in name only. And when she meets Kim Ji-uk [Kim Young-dae), a kind-hearted, part -time worker, she see her opportunity for advancement. But Ji-uk hates Hae-young with a passion, so even after they’re married, it’s doomed to end in months, or in the death of one of the partners. Lee Sang Yi, Han Ji Hyun and Jeon Hye Won also star, and there are 3 episodes available now, with more to come. And this series gets a incredible 7.8/10 on IMDb, and Tania Saxena of Pink Villa calls it “is heart-fluttering and funny at first go.” And I’m watching. And, finally, Amazon has Raayan, a Hindu language Indian drama. Dhanush stars in the titular role, as Raayan, who takes care of his brothers and little sister through his fast-food hotel and bar . But when the family gets caught in the middle of a gang war, things get heated. As the gangs push Raayan to pick a side, and with his sister, Durga‘s, wedding imminent, tensions rise. And as violence suddenly breaks out, no one is safe. Sundeep Kishan, Kalidas Jayaram, Dushara Vijayan, S. J. Suryah and Aparna Balamurali also star, and Danush directs, along as starring, here. And this movie gets a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Manoj Kumar R of DesiMartini.com calls it “a largely entertaining tale of duty, sacrifice, and family…beautifully shot with many comedic moments.” So I’m watching.
So sit back and binge this weekend, on classics, old and new, on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Enjoy!
Grownups Guide to Streaming 