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 no big titles added this week, but they do have hidden gems like The Disappearance of Kimmy Diore, a 2024 French Disney+ crime drama series. This finds Brigade Chief Sara Roussel, played by Géraldine Nakache, called to investigate the kidnapping of a 6 year-old, Kimmy Diore, in broad daylight,. but the girl is no ordinary 6 year-old, but a mega star on YouTube, and so Roussel and her team must study the world of social media, and the internet, as they get to know the family of the child. And as Roussell interviews Kimmy‘s mom, Mélanie, she begins to wonder what really happened that fateful day, and if she[‘s being told the truth. Doria Tillier, Oussama Kheddam, India Hair and Panayotis Pascot also star, and there are 6 episodes available now. And this series gets a 6.7/10 on IMDb, and that’s good enough for me. So, though I can find no reviews as yet, I’m watching. i love a mystery. Hulu has also added Lazareth, a 2024 post-apocalyptic thriller. Here, Ashley Judd(!) plays Lee, an aunt who protects her two orphaned nieces, Imogen and Maeve, from the outside world, in their cabin they call Lazarus. They hide from a world beset by violence and decay, after a worldwide virus, intentionally cut off from the rest of the world. So when an injured teenaged boy, Owen, stumbles onto their land, Imogen and Maeve are struck by his need(and his physique), and hide him from their aunt. But , Lee finds out, and soon, with the ensuing chaos, the everyone at Lazarus is in peril. Katie Douglas, Sarah Pidgeon, Christine Uhebe and Asher Angel also star, while Alec Tibaldi directs. But this movie gets a mere 4.3/10 on IMDb, and Nell Minnow of RogerEbert.com said its “more about mood than insight.” So I’m not watching. But Hulu also has Return to Las Sabinas, a 2024 Disney+ Spanish melodrama series. This takes place in the town of Manterana, where the Molina sisters, Gracia and Paloma , have returned to care for their father. As they settle in at the family home, Las Sabinas, they struggle to reunite, after many years apart, and problems that caused their initial separation. But then a murder occurs, throwing their lives into turmoil. Celia Freijeiro, Olivia Molina, María Casal, Natalia Sánchez and Nancho Novo also star, and there are 30(!) episodes available now. And this series was nominated for Best Daily Series at the 2024 Almería International Film Festival, and gets an incredible 7.5/10 on IMDb. so though I can find no online reviews, as yet, that score is good enough for me. And it’s on my list. And, finally, Hulu has added My Home Hero the Movie, a 2024 Disney+ Japanese crime drama.In this follow-up to a 2023 series, the businessman Tetsuo Tosu(Kuranosuke Sasaki) had avoided prison after he killed his daughter’s abusive yakuza boyfriend. But, now, seven years later, a landslide uncovered his body, and Tetsuo‘s daughter, Detective Reika Tosu(Asuka Saito), follows the clues to find the killer. And the question becomes can Tosu evade both his daughter, and the vengeful gangster friends of her late boyfriend. to survive the repercussions his fateful deed? Tae Kimura,Kenjiro Tsuda, Ryubi Miyase, Danshun Tatekawa and Toshiyuki Itakura also star, and Takuhiro Aoyama directs. And this movie was a big hit in Japan this year, leading the box office list, gets a 7.5/10 on My Drama List , and CineGeeks calls it a “thrilling saga.” And I’m definitely watching. Oh, and if you want to see the original series My Home Hero(also on Hulu), that sets this story up first, click here.
NETFLIX
Netflix has few big titles added this week, but some surprisingly good unknown ones, like Murder Mindfully, a 2024 German comedy thriller series. This tells the tale of mafia lawyer, Björn Diemel(Tom Schilling), excelling in his professional life, while his home life suffers. so, when he happens upon a mindfulness class, some of it actually sticks, and he decides to lead a healthier life. But as Björn makes better choices, and his relationship with his daughter flourishes, he also becomes a better criminal, and indeed, a better killer. Emily Cox, Peter Jordan, Murathan Muslu, Sascha Geršak and Britta Hammelstein also star, and there are 6 episodes available now. And this series gets an astounding 7.4/10 on IMDb, and Neerja Choudhuri of the Midgard Times says it “delivers a unique mix of thrills and dark humor, guiding viewers through a carefully crafted story that leaves them both entertained and disturbed.” and I’m tuning in. Netflix also offers Let Go, a 2024 Swedish movie. This finds Stella, a mother, and her family at a crossroads. As her husband, Gustav, shocks Stella with a request for a divorce, she refuses, and insists on the whole family travelling together to a pole dancing competition for their daughter, Anne. So while the whole family, including son Manne, piles into the car for a road trip, the pressures begin to build, and fissures begin to split. Fissures that threaten to break the family apart. Josephine Bornebusch, Pål Sverre Hagen, and Sigrid Johnson also star, and Josephine Bornebusch directs, too, along with writing the script. And it gets a 6.9/10 on IMDb, and Daniel Hart of Ready Steady Cut says its “sad, heartwarming, and heartbreaking, Josephine Bornebusch’s Let Go has everything.” So I’m watching. Netflix has also added OKURA-Cold Case Investigation, a 2024 Japanese crime drama series. This follows the cold case unit, where misfits of the department are sent, and two detectives in particular, Hidaka Senji (Takashi Sorimachi) and Toshiki Fuwa (Yôsuke Sugino). Senji is an older detective, and dedicated to his classic detective training, while Fuwa is younger, and into more using more newfangled techniques. But the pair complement each other well, and their success as a team grows, as they solve some of the oldest crimes in the district, with the help of the rest of the unit. Mai Shiraishi, Sayaka Aoki and Jun Hashimoto also star, and there are two episodes available now, with nine more to come. And this series gets a 7.6/10 on MyDramaList, and I love a mystery, so I’m watching. But Netflix also offers Talentless TAKANO, a 2024 Japanese romantic comedy series. Based on a manga by Asami Hanzaki, Nanao plays Tsumeko Takano, a beautiful woman who seems to have quite a talent at work. But when Michito Hiwada(Akihisa Shiono) comes to work, he finds her totally incompetent, with just the veneer of efficiency to keep her in high esteem. Meanwhile, Michito is fumbling and inept, making it appear he is talentless, though he is a good worker. But when he gets partnered with her, and covers up her mistakes, they might discover they are the perfect team, with much to offer with their workmate. Arata Iura, Asuka Kudō , Honami Satō and Katsumi Takahashi also star , and there are 3episodes available now. And this series gets a smashing 8.3/10 on IMDb, so, though I can find no online reviews, as yet, I’m definitely tuning in. And, finally, Netflix has added Don’t Come Home, a 2024 Thai limited mystery series. Here, Varee returns to her childhood home with her daughter, Min, trying to escape her abusive husband. As Varee and Min experience eerie occurrences in the old mansion, they grow nervous and on edge. But when Min disappears, Varee goes into a panic, and the community searches for her daughter. But Captain Fah leads the investigation , and may suspect Varee herself, while her husband descends on the scene, to add even more peril to her situation. Woranuch Bhirombhakdi, Pitchapa Phanthumchinda, Cindy Sirinya Bishop and Ploypaphas Fonkaewsiwaporn also star, and there are 6 episodes available for bingeing now. And this series gets an impressive 7.2/10 on IMDb, and Daniel Hart of Ready Steady Cut calls it “a well-crafted Thai thriller on Netflix that will surprise many audiences with its enticing mystery and thought-provoking themes.’
AMAZON
Amazon has a cool add this week, with Freedom, the 2024 action movie from Melanie Laurent. Based on a true(ish) story, this tells of Bruno Sulak, played by Lucas Bravo, a smash and grab robber of les supermarchés in France, in the 1980‘s. Always insisting on being genial with his victims, and never firing their guns, Sulak became a legend in the French papers, treated as a modern-day Arsène Lupin. But this public acclaim only aggravated the police, and their intensified search efforts could end in blood. Steve Tientcheu, Léo Chalié, Jean-Philippe Ricci and Radivoje Bukvic also star, and Laurent co=wrote the script, along with directing . And this movie gets 6/10 on IMDb, and Leslie Felperin of the Guardian says “Bravo oozes charisma as gentleman robber…a straight up style flick, easy to consume and even easier to forget, but Bravo has enough charisma to hold your interest for the duration. ” So I’m watching. But, Amazon also offers Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose, a 2023 historical comedy. This takes place in 1930‘s Britain, when the legend grows of a talking mongoose, with other powers, living on the Isle of Man. So noted parapsychologist Nandor Fodor, played by Simon Pegg(!), decides to investigate, and sets off for the farm, with his assistant, Anne (Minnie Driver!). Upon arrival, they meet the owners of the farm, the Irvings, including Mr. Irving (Tim Downie), and his wife, Margaret (Ruth Connell). Upon learning their daughter can throw her voice, Nandor thinks the case is settled, but that’s only the beginning of this kooky tale, of very kooky occurrences. Christopher Lloyd(!), Gary Beadle, Jessica Balmer and Neil Gaiman(voice only!)also star, and Adam Sigal directed. And, though this movie gets a mere 42% on Rotten Tomatoes, Nell Minow of RogerEbert.com says “there is a lovely, timeless quality to the world production designer Andrew Holden-Stokes and cinematographer Sara Deane have created.” So I’m watching. And, finally, Amazon has The Porter, a 2022 Candian drama series. this takes place in early 1920s Montreal, where Zeke Garrett, played by Ronnie Rowe, Jr, has great dreams and aspirations, as he begins his job as a porter, working with his best friend, Junior Massey (Aml Ameen). But the realities of the job crash in on Zeke’s dreams, and he begins to think of unionizing the Canadian porters, working for better conditions and pay. But Zeke is drawn into the criminal world, when he begins to smuggle whiskey into prohibition era Chicago. And soon, though Zeke is imperiled by anti-union forces, Junior‘s life is gravely threatened by his gangster life, and the dangers that go with it. Mouna Traoré, Oluniké Adeliyi , Djouliet Amara and Alfre Woodard(!) also star, and there are 8 episodes available for bingeing now. And this series was nominated for numerous awards in 2022, and went on to win many, including the WGC Award for Best Drama Series at the Writers Guild of Canada, and Best Dramatic Series at the Directors Guild of Canada. And it gets a stunning 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and John Doyle of the Globe and Mail said it “isn’t just a history lesson, it’s one sizzling series. ” So I’m definitely 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 