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 a huge add this week with A Real Pain, the award-winning 2024 comedy/ drama. Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin star as cousins, David and Benji, respectively, who travel to Poland to revisit their grandmother’s childhood home, and perhaps, something of her history there, as well. But Benji‘s still mourning the recent death of their grandmother, and getting on David’s nerves. And as their tour with a guided group reaches her hometown, and then the concentration camp of Lublin, the pressure on the pair rises, and their relationship may suffer because of it. Olha Bosova, Jennifer Grey(!), Banner Eisenberg and Jakub Gasowski also star, and Jesse Eisenberg wrote the script, along with directing here. and this movie has won multiple awards already this year, was named one of the Top Ten Films by the National Board of Review, and is nominated for 2 BAFTAs, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Kieran Culkin. And look for more nods at the 2025 Oscars. And it gets a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Gal Beckerman of the The Atlantic said “the wonder of this film is its smallness, despite the large historical and emotional backdrop against which it plays out. These characters want their presence in Poland to mean something, to transform them in some way, but it won’t.” So I’m watching. Hulu also offers My Penguin Friend, a 2924 family drama. Based on a true story, this tells of João, played by Jean Reno(!), a fisherman in Argentina who suffers a traumatic loss, and heartbreak afterwards. But when he meets with a lone penguin, later called Dindim, who needs his help, he quickly acts. João looks after the little guy, who moves in with the fisherman and his wife, Maria(Adriana Barrazza), while he recovers. But soon , João realizes that Dindim needs the sea and his friends, so he releases him into the ocean. But Dindim seems to have ideas of his own, and the pair may not be separated after all. Alexia Moyano, Nicolás Francella and Juan José Garnica also star, and David Schurmann directs. And this movie gets an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Christy Lemire of RogerEbert.com called it “an earnest, crowd-pleasing family film – nothing snarky or self-referential, no on-the-nose needle drops – just a sweet, beautifully made movie that earns the emotion it’ll surely draw from its viewers.” And I’m definitely tuning in. Hulu also has Cristóbal Balenciaga, a 2024 Spanish Disney+ drama series. This tells the truish story of Basque designer Balenciaga, played by Alberto San Juan, which tells of his career, with his popularity booming in Spain. But when he went to Paris in the late 1930s, Balenciaga found his popularity did not follow him, and so he had to change to meet the demands of a world audience. And then deal with the Occupation, and the threat of the Nazi regime to the world. Thomas Coumans, Patrice Thibaud, Anouk Grinberg and Gemma Whelan also star, and there are 6 episodes available now. And this series has won multiple awards, including Best Actor for Alberto San Juan at the Iris Awards in Spain, and Best Actor in a Miniseries, again for San Juan, at the Almería International Film Festival. And it gets an astounding 7.4/10 on IMDb, and Alberto Carlos of Espinof calls it “one of the great Spanish series of 2024 thanks to a sober but fascinating exploration of a fashion icon and a production that exudes, from all sides, love for haute couture.” So its on my list. And, finally, Hulu has Unmasked, a 2025 crime drama Kdrama series. This follows a group of investigative journalists, known as the “Trigger” team, who’re led by Oh So-Ryong(Kim Hye-soo) who is driven to keep the team going. But while they investigate a cult like church, which drugs it’s members, along with other offenses, the Trigger team itself is targeted by dissenters, and by a someone known only as Dr.Trigger, who spreads cruel rumors and smears about the journalists. And endangers their lives and the existence of the Trigger team. Jung Sung-il, Joo Jong-hyuk, Lee Hae-young, and Jang Hye-jin also star, and there are 2 episodes available now, with more to come. And this series gets a whopping 8.3/10 on IMDb, and Sarah Musnicky of But Why Tho? calls it “a potentially fun pairing..the pacing is good, the characters are entertaining, and the crime portion of the story works so far.” So I’m tuning in.
NETFLIX
Netflix, surprisingly, has very few big adds this week, but it does have Kingdom 4: Return of The Great General, a 2024 Japanese historical epic. This 4th chapter in the Kingdom saga finds Qin still fighting for the unification of China, with General Ohki(Takao Osawa) leading his forces. But while the Qin are focused on that, another army decides to invade their territory. Then the war god Pang Nuan attacks, with Ohki serving as a special target. Yûko Araki, Kento Yamazaki, Kanna Hashimoto and Yusuke Hirayama also star, and Shinsuke Sato directs. And this movie has already been nominated for multiple awards, and Kento Yamazaki won Best from the East Award 23rd New York Asian Film Festival. And this movie gets an impressive 7.2/10 on IMDb, and Panos Kotzathanasis of Asian Movie Pulse says it “continues in the same, rather high quality of the previous movies, while has enough elements, particularly regarding the permeating drama, to make it stand out.” So I’m tuning in. But Netflix has also added Hell for You, a 2025 Japanese thriller series. As this series opens, Sachiko Tachibana(Nozomi Sasaki) interviews for a babysitting job for pianist Rena Hanai(Nagisa Shibuya), stressing her training in child psychology and childcare, and pressing to get the job. As she begins work, her shy and earnest demeanor make a good impression, but behind that facade(partially aided by plastic surgery), is a woman with deep emotional scars. Deep scars marked by violence and death, at the hands of Rena. And Sachiko is determined to get revenge and to make her employer suffer the pain she has felt. Yuka Kouri, Yurina Yanagi and Itsuji Itao also star, and there is 1 episode available now. And , though I have found zero reviews or online ratings online, this is an intriguing show, and one that I intend to keep watching. Netflix also offers Lovers Anonymous, a 2025 Turkish comedy series. Here, Cem(Halit Ergenç) is a cynic , with a painful past, and scientist, who runs a love hospital in Turkey. Determined to cure people of the damage love has done, he wants to heal a patient’s heart, while warning of the harm love does. But then Hazel(Funda Eryigit) joins the team at the hospital, and she is a fan of love, thinking it heals, rather than hurts. And, though the hospital does better with Hazel, and has a better recovery rate, she and Cem are constantly at it arguing and fighting over their disparate views. Riza Kocaoglu, Zerrin Nisanci and Seda Akman also star, and there are 8 episodes available now. And this series gets a 6.2/10 on IMDb, and Riya Singh of Leisure Byte calls it “an intriguing romantic drama ” adding, “it is unique and worth the watch.” So I’m tuning in. Netflix has also added Public Disorder, a 2025 Italian action crime series. Based on a controversial novel by Charles Bonini, this follows a riot squad in Rome, and its tense status after a protester is beaten by one of the squad, and left in a coma. As the unit faces anger and outright hatred from civilians, they also face investigation from the higher up, while the officers lie about what happened. And as certain members are uncomfortable with the actions on that night, others have no qualms about their brutal tactics. Meanwhile , they grapple with family and personal problems, like any other human being. Marco Giallini, Adriano Giannini, Julia Messina, Francesco Buttironi and Francesco Primavera also star, and there are 6 episodes available now. And this series gets a 6.2/10 on IMDb, and Riya Singh of Leisure Byte calls it “an intriguing and real look into the lives of the members of a riot squad.” So its on my list. And, finally, Netflix has Galileo, a 2014 Japanese crime drama series. Here, a physics professor, Manabu Yukawa(Masaharu Fukuyama) and a rookie female detective, Kaoru Utsumi(Ko Shibasaki), team up to solve some of the perplexing crimes around. And as they encounter cases with seemingly supernatural or ghostly causes, Professor Yukawa, nicknamed Detective Galileo by the cops, and Detective Utsumi, find a rational and scientific solution for the case. Ikkei Watanabe, Yuriko Yoshitaka, Hiroshi Shinagawa and Miki Maya also star, and there are 11 episodes available now. And this series won the Special Prize at the 2014 Seoul International Drama Awards, and gets a rousing 7.4/10 on IMDb. And Anjali Sharma of the Midgard Times calls it “a worthwhile choice. It’s a show that challenges the mind and entertains, offering a refreshing perspective on solving crimes through the lens of science.” And I love a mystery, and science, so I’m definitely tuning in.
AMAZON
Amazon has Wild Cards, a 2024 Canadian crime drama series. Here, recently demoted detective Cole Ellis(Giacomo Gianniotti), now working maritime and forced to book con artist Max(Vanessa Morgan), finds she may actually have some information that could help crack a big robbery case. So he takes her information to heart, and finds, when they make great advances in the case, he may be in line for a promotion back to his old job. But there’s a hitch- he has to work with Max on whatever case the police assign him to in the next two months- and, they both can avoid breaking the rules, and solve the cases. Michael Xavier, Amy Goodmurphy and Karin Konoval also star, and there are 10 episodes available for streaming now. And this series was nominated for 4 Leo Awards in 2024, and gets a stunning 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Anna Govert of Paste Magazine says “buoyed by a palpable adoration for this specific subgenre married with a crackling chemistry between the series’ adorably charismatic leads, Wild Cards has yet to quite reach the heights of its predecessors, but it’s a damn good time anyway.” So I’m tuning in. Amazon has also added Unstoppable, a 2024 biographical drama. Based on a true story, this tells of athlete Anthony Robles(Jharrel Jerome), born with one leg, but determined to become a champion wrestler, anyway. Aided by the determination of his mom, Judy(Jennifer Lopez!), and his high school coach, (Michael Peña), Anthony encounters disbelief and doubt from many, including his dad(Bobby Cannavale!). But he makes his way, and ends up becoming the 2011 Champ. Don Cheadle(!), Mykelti Williamson and Noen Perez also star, and William Goldenberg directs. And this movie gets a 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, but Marya E. Gates of RogerEbert.com says “while the role of Robles offers [Jerome] the perfect vehicle for his immense talent, the film around him struggles to reach his same heights.” You decide. And, finally, Amazon has Paatal Lok, a 2020 Indian crime thriller series. Inspector Hathi Ram Chaudhary(Jaideep Ahlawat) finally gets to investigate a big case, the attempted murder of prime time journalist Sanjeev Mehra. And when he and his partners catch four would-be assassins, the job seems to be done. But Chaudhary soon realizes nothing is as it seems, here, and the key to the violence seems to lie in the local underworld, the Pataal Lok. Ishwak Singh, Gul Panag, Neeraj Kabi, Abhishek Banerjee and Niharika Lyra Dutt also star, and there are 9 episodes available now. And this series has been nominated for multiple awards in 2020, and went onto win Best Original Digital Drama Series at the Asian Television Awards, and Best Director and Best series at the Filmfare OTT Awards. And it gets an outrageous 8.1/10 on IMDb, and Greg Wheeler of the Review Geek calls it “an enjoyable, self-contained crime thriller that’s certainly worth a watch.” So I’m 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 