Yes, its late again, and high time 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 an exciting add this week with How to Die Alone, a 2024 comedy series. This finds 35-year-old Melissa, played by Natasha Rothwell, finds her life turned upside down, after a ridiculous accident putting some Ikea-like furniture together, goes terribly wrong, and she ends up in the hospital, after a near death experience. Intent on changing her life that she was always dissatisfied with, she goes back to work in JFK Airport(she’s afraid to fly), still broke, still single, etc. But as time goes on, Mel opens up her to new experiences, and maybe, rethinking her past choices. And finds the person in her life she needed most, herself. Conrad Ricamora, Jocko Sims, Arkie Kandola and KeiLyn Durrel Jones also star, and there are 8 episodes available for bingeing now. And Natasha Rothwell developed this series, which gets an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Aramide Tinubu of Variety calls it “a witty and thoughtful dramedy about loneliness, accountability and the courage to get out of one’s own way, especially when life hasn’t exactly gone as planned.” I am definitely tuning in. Hulu has also added The Disappearance of Shere Hite, a 2023 documentary. This tells the story of the acclaimed author Shere Hite, who wrote an earthshaking book in 1975, The Hite Report, which was a huge success. The Hite Report emphasized women’s sexuality, especially the orgasm, and stressed the importance of female satisfaction. It was a huge hit, rising to the top of the best seller list, but while women delighted in it, misogynists, and conservatives took offense. Still the 30th best selling book in history, this book changed the landscape of women’s sexual health and experiences, which had conservative critics objecting at a fever pitch. Following years of being bashed by (mostly male) critics, and slammed for her methodology, (though no one could argue with the results), Hite emigrated for Europe, and never looked back. Director Nicole Newnham uses plenty of the available archival video footage, including some with Hite herself, as well as interviews with friends and newscasts. And producer Dakota Johnson narrates. And this important film was nominated for Best Documentary at the2023 Sundance Film Festival, and went on to win Best Documentary at the 2023 Nantucket Film Festival and the Cinema Eye Honors Awards. And it gets a stunning 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Jonathan Romney of the Financial Times calls it “this is a fascinating and ultimately alarming documentary, which suggests — after the overturning of Roe vs Wade — that Hite’s battles for women’s bodily autonomy are now to be fought all over again.” And i agree, so I’m watching, twice.
Hulu also offers The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed, a 2024 satirical comedy. This tells the story of Ann, played by Joanna Arnow, a thirty something New Yorker, dissatisfied with her office job, and enduring her BDSM affair with an older man. Ann has become so inured to tolerating her unhappiness, she is shocked to meet a man she really likes and who treats her well, Chris (Babak Tafti). But will she be too afraid of change to take a chance with him? J, Scott Cohen, Phillip Andry, Barbara Weiserbs and David Arnow also star, and Joanna Arnow directed, along with writing the script. And this movie gets an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Richard Brody of the New Yorker said “Arnow’s poignant and original performance—refined in its awkwardness, exalted in its degradation, touched with grace in its rude self-presentation—is a double masterwork of acting and directing.” And I agree, so its on my list. And its funny, too. So I’m watching. Hulu has added Seoul Busters, a 2024 crime comedy series. This takes place in Seoul , where top officer and honorary FBI agent Dongbang Yu-bin (Kim Dong-wook) tells his superiors he wants to go back in the field. So they send him to head the Violent Crime Team 2 at Songwong Police Station, the worst police unit in Seoul. And so he tries, but the unit is so hapless, and prone to goof ups, it hard to see his efforts leading to anything but laughs. Park Ji-hwan, Seo Hyun-woo, Park Se-wan and Lee Seung-woo also star, and there are 12 episodes available now. And though this series gets a 6.6/10 on IMDb, and Mika Chen of NME.com says “while not particularly inventive, this endearing series slowly but surely wins you over one chuckle at a time. ” So its on my list.
NETFLIX
Netflix has Rebel Ridge, a 2024 thriller starring Aaron Pierre . Pierre plays ex-Marine, Terry, black and biking (alone) through the Southern countryside, when he’s knocked off his bike, and searched, by two white cops, without cause. When they find the generous amount of cash Terry is bringing to bail his cousin, Mike, out of jail on a weed charge, they confiscate it. But when Terry finds his money will not be returned for weeks, by which time Mike will be jailed, he heads to the police station and reports the 2 officers. But police Chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson) overhears the complaint, and takes issue, sending Terry on a merry chase to see his cousin, with no positive outcome. And so the ex-Marine has to take matters into his own hands, even if it means laying siege to the station of the corrupt officers, on his own. Annasophia Robb plays the one helpful court clerk he found, and James Cromwell, Steve Zissis, and C.J. LeBlanc also star, while Jeremy Saulnier directs(along with writing the script). And this action thriller gets an amazing 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Tim Robey of the Telegraph says “this is not Road-House-style Thug Cinema, seizing any excuse to ratchet up the bloodshed. Instead, it keeps pausing and de-escalating: without any dissipation, the body count is impressively close to zero.” So I’m tuning in. Netflix has also added Billionaire Island, a Norwegian drama series. This tells of the Lange family, and their fight for control of Atlantic Salmon fishing operations in Norway. The CEO of Marlax, Julie Lange (Trine Wiggen), wants to stage a hostile takeover of her competitor, and control everything, and so she finagles to get its CEO, Meyer Fiotbruk, fired by it’s share holders. But Fiotbruk hears about it first, and so launches a counteroffensive of his own. Svein Roger Karlsen, Ragne Grande, Kåre Conradi and Hanne Skille Reitan also star, and there are 8 episodes available for bingeing now. And this series gets a 6.2/10 on IMDb, and Jack Searle of the Guardian says “in other words,[its] Succession with salmon. But the series, created by Lilyhammer showrunners Anne Bjørnstad and Eilif Skodvin, feels very Norwegian in its outlook and humour. It is dry, wry and droll. Its rewards take time to earn.” So I’m watching. Netflix also offers Aay, a 2024 Indian comedy. This tells of software engineer Karthik, played by Nithiin Narne, who returns home to his village during Covid, meeting with old friends and family. He wanders the town during monsoon season, among the rains, at a leisurely pace, until he meets Pallavi (Nayan Sarika). And, though they are taken with each other, their castes do not align, and Pallavi’s parents may put a stop to everything. Rajkumar Kasireddy, Krishna Chaitanya and Ankith Koyya also star, and Anji K Maniputhra directs. And this movie gets a 6.9/10 on IMDb, and Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of the Hindu calls it an “enjoyable, lighthearted social drama.” So I’m tuning in. Netflix has also added Outlaw, a 2024 Brazilian drama. This takes place in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, in the 90‘s, where Rebeca was sold off to the drug dealer Amorosso by her addict grandmother as a girl .Forced to work endless hours in the illegal drug trade, and offered no other options, the girl began to get ideas of her own career in the trade. But then she meets Para, who works for Amorosso‘s rival, Del Ray. As the pair dream of getting out, and living a clean life together, but the rival drug lords have a different idea, not to mention the cops. Maria Bomani, Julio Adrião and Fátima Domingues also star, and João Wainer directs. So, though it gets a 5.6/10 on IMDb, it gets good reviews, and Smritti Kannan of Film Fugitives calls it “a fine crime drama about the favelas of Rio De Janeiro.” So I’m definitely watching. And, finally, Netflix has added Reverse 4 You , a 2024 romcom/ fantasy series. this tells of two sisters- 19 year-old Jattawa(Mae Methakarn Anektanasuwan), a law student, who can control time , and the younger Vivi(Manao Natnicha Polsombat), who can see into the future. But when Vivi’s romance seems to be doomed, and then tragedy strike, she and her sister are determined to change the future themselves. Gulasatree Michalsky, Christine Gulasatree Michalsky and Tanggo Thitinan Rattanathitinan also star, and there are 2 episodes available now, with a new one dropping every Tuesday, for a total of 8. And this series gets a impressive 7.2/10 on IMDb, so though I can find no online reviews yet, I’m watching.
AMAZON
Amazon has one good add this week with Joe Pickett, a 2023 crime drama series. this follows the life of Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett (Michael Dorman), a man with a harsh past, just looking for a more peaceful way of life. His wife, Marybeth(Julianna Guill), is a lawyer, but also newly pregnant, so the couple face financial pressures, too. And as Joe confronts the fact that some of the citizens of Saddlestring don’t appreciate his efforts, his partner Vern(David Alan Grier!), helps calm any hairy situations the pair may get into. Skywalker Hughes, Vivienne Guynn and Leah Gibson also star, and there are 2 seasons , with 20 episodes in all, available now. And this series gets an incredible 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Joel Keller of the Decider says to stream it adding it “has some unexpected humor among the darkness, and a title character weaknesses and baggage on his face, even to the people he’s trying to help or arrest.” So it’s on my list. Amazon also offers Detective Maria Kallio, a 2021 Finnish mystery series. Elena Leeve plays Maria Kallio, here, a thirty-something cop, planning on being a lawyer, but suddenly hired as the temporary head of the murder squad. And Kallio shows a natural affinity for the job, even though she know the accused in her first case. Markus Järvenpää, Petteri Summanen and Leo Sjöman also star, and there are 10 episodes of season 1 available now. And Leeve was nominated for Best Actress at the 2022 Kultainen Venla awards for this series, which gets a 6.6/10 on IMDb. and, though i can find no reviews online for this series, you know I love a mystery, so I’m watching. And, finally, Amazon offers season 1 of Pandora, a 2023 French crime drama series. This follows Judge Claire Delval, played by Anne Coesens, as she decides to investigate a brutal rape, and finds it much more harrowing that she expected. As she begins to suffer resultant panic attacks, she finds her politician father, Simon Delval, is corrupt, and still gets involved with his deputy. Yoann Blanc, Myriem Akheddiou, Salomé Richard ,and Mélissa Diarra also star, and there are 10 episodes available for bingeing now. and this series gets a smashing 7.5/10 on IMDb, and Lydia van Vliet-Meeuwissen of SerieTotaal says it ” puts the puzzle pieces together at the right pace. ” So I’m watching. But remember to watch before October 1, when the series goes back to MHZ Choice premium territory.
So sit back and binge this weekend, on classics, old and new, on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Enjoy!
Grownups Guide to Streaming 