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 an exciting add this week with The Jetty, a 2024 British crime thriller series. Jenna Coleman(!) stars as Detective Ember Manning, here, working in a small, quiet town in Lancashire. But then a holiday home is intentionally set on fire, and it leads Manning and her younger partner Hitch(Archie Renaux) to a cold missing persons case. But it also leads Manning to remember trauma of the past, pushed to the back oof her mind, until the case brings it roaring back into focus. Matthew McNulty, Tom Glynn-Carney, and Clare Calbraith also star, and there are 4 episodes available to gorge on now. And this series gets a 6.3/10 on IMDb, and Lucy Mangan of the Guardian says it “becomes not only a very good thriller, but an unexpectedly attentive meditation on what it means to move as a woman through a world that is suffused with male violence in all its myriad forms… could this be the new Happy Valley?” So I’m definitely tuning in. Hulu also offers Critical Incident, a 2024 Australian crime drama series. Akshay Khanna, plays Zil Ahmed , here, a police officer who mistakenly believes Dalia (Zoë Boe) to be a wanted suspect, and so, proceeds to chase her. But when they get to a train station, their chase results in a tragic accident, and Zil is put under investigation. And as he tries to prove his innocence, pushing Dalia to tell the truth of their chase, she retreats to a criminal group, trying to escape her own troubled past. Roxie Mohebbi, Hunter Page-Lochard and Jai Waetford also star, and there are 6 episodes available now. And this series gets a 6.4/10 on IMDb, and Vikas Yadav of The Midgard Times calls the series “one hell of a ride.” So I’m watching. Hulu has also added The Convert, a 2023 historical drama. This finds Thomas Munro(Guy Pearce), a 1830’s British lay minister, landing in New Zealand, after a horrible sea journey . But he lands right in the middle of a war between two Maori tribes, and tries to save the life of Rangimai(Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne),a chieftain’s daughter. But as Munro and his wife go to live in Epworth, on tribal lands, with Rangimai as their ward, they face harsh racism against the young woman, with the townspeople withholding even medical treatment from her. And as villagers arm the Maoris and the tribes edge toward war, Munro finds he must choose a side, and take a stand. Antonio Te Maioha, Jacqueline McKenzie, and Lawrence Makoare also star, while Lee Tamahori directed. And this movie was nominated for multiple awards this year, and Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne won Best Actress at the Rencontres Internationales du Cinema des Antipodes. And it gets an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Monica Castillo of RogerEbert.com said “takes on a bittersweet note, bringing history to life in all its messy complexity – and the everyday players who shape it.” So I’m tuning in. And, finally, Hulu has Coup!, the 2023 satirical comedy/thriller. This takes place in 1918, with the effects of the war, and now the flu, bearing down on the U.S. , so the rich family of Jay Horton(Billy Magnussen), isolate themselves on their posh retreat on New York’s Egg Island. But then Floyd Monk, played by Peter Sarsgaard (!) comes to their estate, posing as a chef, and the Hortons fate is cast. As Floyd prepares the vegetarian dishes preferred by Jay, he also meets and befriends the diverse, put-upon staff at the manor. And as the area becomes cut off from the mainland, and grocery stores close, Floyd promises to provide the food, and his hold on the family grows, to the consternation of his rich employers. Sarah Gadon, Kristine Nielsen, Skye P. Marshall and Faran Tahir also star, and Joseph Schuman and Austin Stark co-direct. And this movie gets an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Katie Walsh of the L.A. Times calls it “a tasty morsel of social commentary about problems that continue to plague our world.” And I’m definitely watching.
NETFLIX
Netflix has several huge adds this week, starting with One Hundred Years of Solitude, the 2024 Columbian drama series. Based on the classic magnum opus by Gabriel García Márquez, this tells of José Arcadio Buendía (Marco Gonzalez ), his wife Úrsula Iguarán (Susana Morales) and their founding of the mythical town of Macondo. There, the rich do not rule, and the working class gets a fair shake. But as the 100 years of it’s existence pass, many things happen, with 6 generations of the Buendías falling in love, falling ill, and experiencing triumph and tragedy. And, with the years, the village is encroached upon by the Columbian government and the Catholic church, and the Thousand Day Columbian War . Marleyda Soto, Claudio Catañ, Nicole Montenegro and Laura Grueso also star, and there are 8 episodes available for bingeing now. And this series gets an amazing 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, and an 8.5/10 on IMDb. And Aramide Tinubu of Variety calls it “exquisitely detailed and layered in intricate symbolism. The show is one of the most faithful page-to-screen adaptations in recent years.” But Netflix has also added Maria, the 2024 Biopic. This tells the heartbreaking story of the end of the career of the sublime opera singer, Maria Callas, played by Angelina Jolie. Living in Paris, in the 1970‘s, with her butler (Pierfrancesco Favino) and housemaid (Alba Rohrwacher), Maria‘s career is on the wane. No longer able to depend upon her voice, with her marriage to Aristotle Onassis over, Callas depends more upon prescription drugs, and her dreams to keep her alive. But as the press hounds her for one more picture, and news of her ailing voice, a documentarian asks her to tell her story, while she still can. Kodi Smit-McPhee, Haluk Bilginer and Aggelina Papadopoulou also star, while Steven Knight directs. And this movie has won several awards already this year, including the Tribute Award at the Gotham Awards, and is nominated for 2 Golden Globes, and almost certain to include some Oscar nominations next year. But though it gets a respectable 73% on Rotten Tomatoes, but Amy Nicholson of the L.A. Times says “Callas could sing three octaves, but the film is mostly one note.” And I agree, and this Callas fan isn’t watching. Luckily, Netflix has also added No Good Deed, a 2024 comedy/drama series. Here, problems begin for Lydia (Lisa Kudrow) and Paul Morgan (Ray Romano) starts when they go to sell their L.A. home. With their debts growing and their family shrinking, and recent trauma in the house, makes it seem like a good time to sell. But as they receive people for their open house, the pair begin to realize more is going on than just the sale of the house. And as someone tries blackmail them over the happenings in the house, the couple wonder if they’ll ever get out. Linda Lavin(!), Linda Cardellini and Denis Leary also star, and there are 8 episodes available now. And this series gets a 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Kaiya Shunyata of RogerEbert.com says “if the housing market wasn’t scary enough, Netflix and Feldman have cooked up a sharp black comedy that if you can afford a house in this economy, might make you think twice about buying.” Netflix also offers La Palma, a 2024 Norwegian disaster limited series. This finds a Norwegian family returning to a resort, La Palma, in the Canary Islands , for their annual Christmas vacation. And while Jennifer (Ingrid Bolsø Berdal) is up for new adventure, with her husband, Fredrik (Anders Baasmo), they are not expecting a volcano to erupt, nearby. And that is only the beginning , for a tsunami is now predicted for the island, and as the family tries to evacuate with hundreds of others, as the island may not survive the coming havoc, intact. Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Alma Günther and Bernard Storm Lager also star, and there are 4 episodes available now. And this series was created by Harald Rosenløw Eeg (The Wave!), and it gets a 6.5/10 on IMDb, and Archi Sengupta of the Midgard Times calls it “engaging and terrifyingly beautiful….well-made and require your attention to deliver something goosebump-worthy.” And I’m so tuning in. And, finally Netflix has added Happiness, a 2021 kdrama horror series. This begins in the wake of the Covid pandemic, but instead of gradually returning to normal life, the people of Seoul find a new epidemic, the ‘Madman disease,’ that turns humans into blood-seeking zombies. As the zombies seek blood from unaffected humans, the luxury apartment building where Sae Boom ( Han Hyo-joo) lives is put into quarantine, and shut off from the outside world. And with the zombies among them, Sae Boom and her husband must find a way to maintain order, find food, and avoid catching the disease. Park Hyung-sik, Jo Woo-jin and Park Joo-hee also star, and there are 12 episodes available for bingeing now. and this series gets an astounding 7.8/10 on IMDb, and Karina “ScreamQueen” Adelgaard of Heaven of Horror says “If you’re a fan of South Korean productions or zombie stories, be sure to check this out. If you’re a fan of both –you will definitely want to watch this.”
AMAZON
Amazon’s big title added this week is Red One, a 2024 Christmas movie. Here, Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons) gets kidnapped(?) and Callum Drift(Dwayne Johnson), head of Santa security, is called upon to retrieve the Red One(Santa’s code name).His boss Zoe (Lucy Liu) also calls in Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans) to handle the job. Bonnie Hunt, Kiernan Shipka and Kristofer Hivju also star, and Jake Kasdan directs. But this is pure nonsense that gets only a 30% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Mark Kermode of Kermode and Mayo’s Take says “this is the big American blockbuster of the week, and it is absolute crap.” And I’m definitely not tuning in. Luckily, Amazon also has added The Bikeriders, the 2024 drama. Based on a photography book (!) by Danny Lyon, this tells of the legendary(and fictional) motorcycle club, the Vandals, based in the 1960‘s Chicago area. It begins with Benny (Austin Butler) a member of the Vandals, meeting Kathy(Jodie Comer!), and soon marrying her. As they roar on their motorcycles, duck punches in sleazy bars, and still remain stunningly beautiful, they soon butt heads with club leader, Johnny(Tom Hardy). As Danny Lyon (Mike Faist) interviews Kathy, we see the bike club shamble downhill, and finally, die. Damon Herriman, Boyd Holbrook and Michael Shannon(!)also star, while Jeff Nichols directed. But though this highly romanticized movie gets an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, Leaf Arbuthnot of the New Statesman said it “can’t dispel an ambient sense of its own pointlessness. Scenes don’t build towards anything, but shuffle decorously by.” There’s no story here, and I won’t be watching. And, finally, Amazon has Voltaire High, a 2021 French drama series. This begins in 1963, with the opening of coeducation at Voltaire High, the first year of mixing of boys and girls at the school. As 11 girls join the all-boy school, shockwaves hit the school, and attention is drawn to all of them, but none more than the prettiest, Annick Sabiani (Lula Cotton-Frapier). But she doesn’t want any romantic interest from the boys, only attention from the teachers, some of whom won’t call on a female interloper in their previously all-male domain. And, as the student hijinks snowball, and resentment grows among some misogynists, Vice Principal Paul Bellanger (Pierre Deladonchamps) is left to restore order, and bring the school into the modern world. Maud Wyler, Nina Meurisse and Nathan Parent also star, and there are 8 episodes available now. And this series gets an astounding 7.9/10 on IMDb, and Deborah Young of HeadPhonesThoughts says”I highly recommend this Amazon original show for its unique storyline and exploration of historical challenges.” 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 