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 some tremendous adds this week, like Thelma, a 2024 comedy. June Squibb (Nebraska!) stars as Thelma, a 93 year-old somewhat hampered by the problems of her age, but tenacious and independent as can be. So, when she loses thousands of dollars in a phone scam, she is determined to get that money back. Though the police aren’t helpful, Thelma enlists the help(and the scooter) of Ben(Richard Roundtree!) and the gun of another friend. And , under her grandson Daniel‘s watchful eye, they’re off on the adventure of a lifetime. Fred Hechinger, Parker Posey and Clark Gregg also star, while Josh Margolin directs, and writes the script. And this movie created a lot of buzz when it premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, and has already won several awards this year, like Best Narrative Feature at the Sarasota Film Festival and the Calgary Underground Film Festival. And it gets an incredible 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Nell Minow of Movie Mom says “June Squibb gives a performance of endless charm and wit as a loving grandmother who gets scammed and then deliciously, hilariously, and very satisfyingly, gets revenge.” So I’m definitely tuning in. But Hulu also newly offers Say Nothing, a 2024 FX historical drama limited series. Based on a book of the same name by Patrick Radden Keefe, and on a true story, this takes place in Northern Ireland during The Troubles from 1968 to 1988, and tells of Dolours Price(Lola Petticrew), who joined the IRA as a teen. Price began with nonviolent protests, along with her sister, Marian (Hazel Doupe), but while they join Irish Republican Army full of ideals, they are soon realize the pure violence of their job . And, after years of involvement, they find themselves in prison, for planning bombings in London. Anthony Boyle, Josh Finan, Maxine Peake and Kerri Quinn also star, and there are 9 episodes available now. And this series gets a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a rousing 8/10 on IMDb. And Melanie McFarland of Salon.com says its ” a heavy watch… But captivating performances by Peake, Petticrew, Doupe and a fiery Boyle deliver us through the darkness of the days and years captured in its nine installments.” So I’m tuning in. Hulu has also added The End We Start From, a 2024 sci-fi drama. Jodie Comer(!) stars as a heavily pregnant woman, as our story begins, called only “Woman,” stuck in London with her partner R (Joel Fry),as the city is swallowed in flood waters. In an England beset by climate change, and inundated with water, the couple try to escape the city, and head for higher ground, after the baby is born. But when the couple is separated, the mom and her baby must struggle through forests and moors on their own, with no promise of salvation in the end. Yves Rassou, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ramanique Ahluwalia and Katherine Waterston also star while Mahalia Belo directs. And this movie gets an 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Laura Venning of Empire Magazine calls it “prettily shot and with moments of emotional power thanks to Jodie Comer’s performance, The End We Start From is involving and unpredictable, yet strangely cold when it should be searing.” You decide. And, finally, Hulu has added The Taste of Things, a 2023 French period drama. This takes place on a French country estate in 1889, with Juliette Binoche(!) stars as Eugénie, a chef who works for food enthusiast and master chef, Dodin Bouffant, played by Benoît Magimel. His admiration for Eugénie‘s cooking is almost as great as his love for her, and as the two cook together, the world is perfect. But, of course, nothing lasts forever, and as change comes, it is devastating. Emmanuel Salinger, Patrick D’Assumçao and Galatéa Bellugi also star, and Tran Anh Hung directs. And this film premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival ,where Tran Anh Hung won the Best Director award. It went on to win many other awards, including Best Cinematography for Jonathan Ricquebourg at the Boston Society of Film Critics Awards and Best Film at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. And it gets an outstanding 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 7.4/10 on IMDb, and Peter Travers of ABC News said “food porn has never been yummier than it is in this indecently delicious French romance starring on-and-off screen lovers Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel as dueling foodies who craft mouth-watering dishes as a way of finding each other’s hearts.” And I’m definitely tuning in.
NETFLIX
Netflix has a huge add this week with Emilia Perez, a 2024 musical/crime/drama. Zoe Saldana stars as Rita Moro Castro, a defense lawyer in Mexico City, disgusted with her crooked boss and her job. So when she gets an offer from Manitas Del Monte (Karla Sofía Gascón), a drug cartel leader, who wants to fake their death, and undergo gender surgery, she takes the offer. And as Del Monte prepares to become Emilia, Del Monte‘s wife , Jessi ( Selena Gomez!) deals with the ‘death’ of her crime boss husband, and meets an old flame that may turn her life around. Édgar Ramírez, Adriana Paz and Mark Ivanir also star, while Jacques Audiard(Rust and Bone, The Sisters Brothers) directs. And this movie premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it won Best Actress for Saldana, Gascón, Gomez and Paz, and the Jury Prize, too. It went on to win many other awards, including the Groundbreaker Award at the Critics Choice Awards Celebration of Cinema & Television, and the Douglas Sirk Award at the Hamburg Film Festival. And it gets an impressive 7.1/10 on IMDb, and Brian Truitt of USA Today says “the stellar acting and assorted songs boost much of the familiar elements in Emilia Pérez, creating something inventively original and never, ever bland.” Be sure to watch before Academy Award nominations come out next year- I’m definitely tuning in. Netflix also offers My Boo, a 2024 Thai comedy/horror flick. Here, a gamer in need of money, Joe(Sutthirak Subvijitra), finds himself with his grandfather’s ancient house, after his death, and looks to make a big profit off of it. but the house is haunted, with it’s ghosts scaring off a realtor, so Joe decides to sell it as a haunted house amusement setting. But when he meets Anong(Maylada Susri), one of the spirits inhabiting the house, he is taken with her, as she is with him. And so his road to riches is made more complicated, not to mention his love life. Punyawee Jungcharoen, Timethai Plangsilp, and Jorin Khumpiraphan also star, and Komgrit Triwimol directs. And it gets a 6/10 on IMDb, and Ruchika Bhat of DM Talkies calls it “nearly the perfect cozy night film.” So I’m watching. Netflix has also added Rob Peace, a 2024 drama .Based on a book by Jeff Hobbs, this tells the true story of Rob Peace, played by Jay Will, a young man who graduates from Yale, dogged by his obsession with the case of his dad, Skeet, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor(!), jailed for murder. Convinced of his father’s innocence(evidence tampering’s a possibility) and feeling obliged to help, Rob neglects his studies to help. But when he opts to deal drugs to pay for Skeet’s legal defense, as his mom, Jackie Peace (Mary J. Blige!), urges him to give up the fight, Rob persists. But will it lead to his own end? Camila Cabello, Michael Kelly and Curtis Morlaye also star, and Chiwetel Ejiofor directs. And this movie premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, and it gets a 74% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Beandrea July of the New York Times says “the movie delivers a well-earned emotional gut punch that refreshingly does not come from perpetuating the physical and systemic violence it aims to shed light upon.” And I’m tuning in. And Netflix has The Mothers of Penguins, a 2024 Polish drama series. This tells the story of an MMA fighter, and mom, Kama(Masza Wagrocka), who finds her son Jas(Jan Lubas) becoming more and more disruptive at school. Finally, after one incident, she transfers him to a private school, for children with special needs. And, as Kama meets the other moms, ready to fight for their children , and work with their problems, Kama overcomes her reluctance to admit Jas might be neurodivergent. Magdalena Róczka, Barbara Wypych, Tomasz Tyndyk and Karolina Kominek-Skuratowicz also star, and there are 6 episodes available for bingeing now. And this series gets a whopping 7.7/10 on IMDb, and Jonathon Wilson of Ready Steady Cut calls it a ” heartfelt and frank exploration of family, identity, and unique challenges.” And I’m definitely tuning in. And, finally, Netflix has added The Story of Pearl Girl, a 2024 Chinese historical drama series. This takes place during the Tang dynasty, and tells of Duanwu, played by Lusi Zhao, a young woman who escapes slavery in a pearl farm in Hepu, with its many abuses. On her escape, she joins a caravan, led by Yan Zi Jing, a businessman, and finds many hazards to endure there, as well. But as she seeks a profession as a jeweler, she is drawn into Yan Zi Jing‘s quest for revenge, as well, which could threaten her career before it starts. Liu Yu Ning, Tang Xiao Tian, Chloe Xie and Shang Wan Qing also star, and there are 4 episodes available now, with 36(!) more to come. And it gets a 7/10 on IMDb, and an 8.5/10 on My Drama List. So, with those numbers, though I can find no reviews of this show right now, I’m watching.
AMAZON
Amazon‘s big title added this week, is probably Cross, a 2024crime drama series. Based on James Patterson’s forensic psychologist, Detective Alex Cross, this follows Cross, played by Aldis Hodge, on his investigations in D.C. . working with his best friend and partner Detective John Sampson(Isaiah Mustafa). But as Cross investigates the murder of an activist, and other mysteries, the case that consumes the detective is the murder of his wife, Maria (Chaunteé Schuler Irving). And as his obsession grows, it interferes with his work, and he is, finally, suspended from the squad. And as John urges Cross to get help, but will he get that help, or continue to investigate, and potentially derail his career ?Samantha Walkes, Caleb Elijah, Jennifer Wigmore and Juanita Jennings also star, and there are 8 episodes available for streaming now. And it gets a 7/10 on IMDb, and Aramide Tinubu of Variety calls it a “tantalizing crime thriller…that will undoubtedly captivate Alex Cross fans across generations.” And I’m tuning in. But Prime also offers Every Minute Counts, a 2024 thriller series. This takes place in 1985, minutes after the historic 8.1 magnitude earthquake struck Mexico City, and chronicles the efforts by Dr. Ángel Zambrano (Osvaldo Benavides), and other rescuers, to save the people trapped in the collapsed hospital. Meanwhile, Camila (Maya Zapata), a young television reporter, is documenting the calamity, and the survivors, on her video camera, while aftershocks still threaten the city, and those still caught in the rubble. Osvaldo Benavides, Jesús Zavala, Gerardo Saldaña and Antonio de la Vega also star, and there are 10 episodes available now. And this series gets a 7.4/10 on IMDb, and Joel Keller of the Decider says to stream it, calling it a “drama about everyday people who became heroes.” And I’m watching. But beware, this series seems only to be available with dubbing, which is less than perfect. And, finally, Amazon has added Blind, a 2022 South Korean crime drama. Here, Detective Ryu Sung-joon(Ok Taec-yeon) begins to investigate the murder of young girl found in a garbage dump. But the detective has a past of his own, with secrets hidden there. Social worker Jo Eun-gi(Jung Eun-ji) might be able to help get to the bottom of the mystery, and Sung-joon‘s brother, Judge Ryu Sung-hoon (Ha Seok-jin) might help,too. But Sung-hoon’s constant insults eat away at his brother, and their rivalry may throw the whole investigation off course. Park Ji-bin, Choi Ji-yeon and Jung Eu-gene also star, and Jang Jeong-do directs all 16 episodes. And this series gets a stunning 8/10 on IMDb, and Greg Wheeler of the Review Geek calls it “a pulsating thriller that’s absolutely addictive and a series that’s very difficult to put down.” And 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 