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‘s biggest title added this week is probably Andor, the 2022 Disney+ Star Wars sci-fi series. This tells the origin story of Rebel spy Cassian Andor (Diego Luna!), who would go on to become a rebel captain in Rogue One. But here, Andor is just starting out and just getting by, making a living as a thief, but showing a hatred of the Empire so intense that he attracts the interest of Rebel organiser named Luthena (Stellan Skarsgård!). But Andor also draws the attention of the Empire, which notices the rebellion seeping to the surface. Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, Genevieve O’Reilly and Forest Whitaker(!) also star, and there are 12 episodes available now. But this season only stay on Hulu until April 22, when the new season arrives, so binge now. Because this series was nominated for 8 Emmy Awards, and won 2 Peabody Awards. And it gets an astounding 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, and an 8.4/10 on IMDb. And Miles Surrey of The Ringer said it “isn’t just great by Star Wars standards—it’s one of the best shows of the year.” So I’m definitely tuning in. Hulu has also added Control Freak, a 2025 horror flick. Here, Kelly Marie Tran plays Valerie Nguyen, a driven motivational speaker, who seems to have everything, but time. But, the stressed out entrepreneur also has a relentless itch on the back of her head, that won’t go away. And she travels to Asia for a publicity tour, and takes the opportunity to hunt for her father, the stress grows, and her itch becomes even worse. And she learns that it is tied to her past, and perhaps to a demon that lives inside her. Callie Johnson, Miles Robbins, Kieu-Chinh and Zack Gold also star, while Shal Ngo directs. But this movie gets only a 57% on Rotten Tomatoes, but some good reviews, like Molly Henery of The Blogging Banshee who says “treads familiar ground, but manages to add something new to a tale of generational trauma by weaving Vietnamese folklore into the horrors.” But I didn’t even make it through the horrifying trailer, so you know I’m not watching. Hulu has also added New Life, a2023 sci-fi thriller. Here, Jess (Hayley Erin) finds herself on the run, after her husband is killed by a virus that hit them while they were camping. But the government wants to stop the spread of the disease, and so Agent Elsa (Sonya Walger) is put on Jess’s trail, with lethal intent. And so a game of cat and mouse begins, with no guarantee of survival for either woman. Tony Amendola, Ayanna Berkshire and Nick George also star, and John Rosman directed, along with writing the script. And this movie gets an impressive 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com said “as the film’s initial scope of Jessie and Elsa continues to zoom out, we suddenly all know the traumatic horror of New Life all too well. And we feel for our hero to a depth that action-thrillers have never known. What a delight, what a discovery.” But it’s still way to scary for me. And, finally Hulu has added The Roundup: No Way Out, a 2023 K-drama crime thriller. Here, Detective Ma Seok-do (Don Lee from Train to Busan) and his team investigate the death of a woman whose body was discovered on the docks. When they finds she had a new drug, hiper, in her system, Seok-do looks for the source of the drug. They find the White Shark Clan is responsible, and a dirty cop, Joo Song-chul (Lee Jun-hyuk), who has been helping the clan continue operations, without consequences. Until Ma Soek-do gets to him. Munetaka Aoki, Lee Beom-soo and Kim Min-jae also star, and Lee Sang-yong directed. And this movie was nominated for several awards in 2023, including Best Supporting Actor for Ko Kyu-pil at the Grand Bell Awards, and Best Supporting Actor for Lee Joon-hyuk at the Blue Dragon Awards. And it gets an incredible 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Jared Mobarak of Hey, Have You Seen …? said its “as consistently entertaining and engrossing as the previous chapter, it’s easy to see why the filmmakers are making a go at producing these sequels so quickly. Strike while the iron is hot.” And its funny too, so I’m watching.
NETFLIX
The biggest add on Netflix this week has to be Adolescence, a 2025 British crime thriller limited series. This tells of the chaos that erupts for the Miller family, when 13 year-old Jamie(Owen Cooper) is arrested for murder. As his parents, Eddie(Stephen Graham) and Manda (Christine Tremarco), are stunned at the proceedings, they head to the police station, where the crying boy is confronted by police, with his father offering support. Certain it is all a misunderstanding, soon to end, the parents are instead confronted by a different reality, told by Jamie‘s classmates and other witnesses, and the nightmare really begins. Ashley Walters, Erin Doherty and Amelie Pease also star, and Philip Barantini directs all 4 episodes available now. And this series gets an astounding 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Peter Travers of ABC News calls it an “emotional powerhouse that sneaks up and floors you. The young TV season sets a new gold standard with a series sure to rank with the year’s very best. Polish up Emmys for Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper as the father and son at the heart of the tale.” And I’m watching. But Netflix also offers Welcome to the Family, a 2025 Catalan dramedy series. Here, Àngela(Melani Olivares), a single mom of three, already struggling to make ends meet, finally finds her whole family evicted from their flat. Forced to turn to her estranged(and wealthy) dad, Eduardo (Simón Andreu), the whole troupe travels to his estate. But they find that he has remarried, to an retired actress Victoria (Yolanda Ramos), and, that he’s still as mean as ever. So when he erupts in a fit of anger, levelled at everyone around him, he suddenly dies in a paroxysm of rage. But when the two women also find he left them nothing at all, they decide to hide his death( and his body) until they can resolve his finances. Marimar Vega, Erika Buenfil, Ana Layevska, Martín Altomaro and Carla Adell also star, and there are 13 episodes available now. And this series was nominated for 3 Zapping Awards in 2019, where Yolanda Ramos went on to win Best Actress. And it gets a 6.7/10 on IMDb, and Jonathan Wilson of Ready Steady Cut said “another solid piece of overseas programming…refreshing to see, especially how Welcome to the Family challenges traditional definitions of what a “family” actually is, or what it might be given the chance.” So I’m tuning in. Netflix has also added latest horror flick from writer-director M. Night Shyamalan, the 2024 movie Trap. Josh Hartnett, stars here, as Cooper Adams, a warm and loving father, taking his tween daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to the concert of her favorite pop star, Lady Raven. But soon, Cooper discovers that all is not as it seems, as the police have set the whole concert up as a sting operation to capture the notorious serial killer, The Butcher. And guess who it is. But catching him will be harder than the police expected. Saleka Shyamalan, Allison Pill and Hayley Mills(!) also star, with Kid Cudi making a funny cameo appearance. And this movie won a couple of awards last year, including Best Sound Editing at the Directors Guild of Canada, and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Hartnett at the 2025 Golden Scythe Horror Awards. So, though it gets a mere 57% on Rotten Tomatoes, it does get some good reviews, like that from Hannah Strong of Little White Lies who calls Trap “a reminder that Shyamalan is one of the few A-List directors who still seems dedicated to original storytelling, and even when the scripts don’t quite fully deliver on their elaborate premises, his knack for creating interesting characters and casting the right actors to play them picks up the slack.” But I’m not tuning in, I’ll be under the bed. Netflix also offers The Redemption of Sin, a 2024 Indonesian horror movie. Here, Wening(Happy Salma) experiences a horrific car accident, in which her mother is killed, and her 11 year-old daughter, Nirmala, is left missing. And so, after the police give up, she goes in search of the girl, and is aided by a visiting Japanese researcher, Tetsuya, and a horror podcaster, Titra. And so, while they search for clues, Wening wrestles with guilt, visited by her mother’s spirit, and hopes to survive whatever they find. Putri Marino, Shogen and Laksmi Notokusumo also star, and Yosep Anggi Noen and Amar Haikal co-direct. and it gets a 6.5/10 on IMDb, and Anjali Sharma of the Midgard Times calls it “a haunting journey that lingers in the mind, prompting introspection on one’s own fears and desires.” But it’s too scary for me. And, finally, Netflix has added Japan’s Number One Jerk Salaryman, a 2025 Japanese comedy series. Shingo Katori stars, here, as Ippei Ohmori, a disgraced ex-tv reporter, who decides to rebuild his life and reputation. So he runs for city council, but needs help revamping his tarnished image. And so he asks his late sister’s husband, Shosuke Kohara ( Jun Shison) and his three children to move in with him, and add an air of respectability and warmth to his image, given the fact that he hates family life. And the results are sometimes ridiculous. Ai Tominaga, Risa Masuda, Soujiro Chiba and Yuka Kouri also star, and there are 5 episodes available now. And this series gets an 7.1/10 on IMDb, and Anjali Sharma of the Midgard Times calls it “hilarious dive into redemption ..a delightful addition to the world of dramedy. It showcases how unexpected circumstances can lead to profound personal transformations, all while keeping the audience laughing along the way” So I’m definitely tuning in.
AMAZON
Amazon‘s only big add this week is Season 3 of Wheel of Time, which I’ve already reviewed and recommended(find the link here). But Amazon also offers Arthur’s Whisky, the 2024 dramedy. this begins after the death of Arthur, husband of Joan(Patricia Hodge) , who is consoled by her visiting besties, Linda (Diane Keaton!) and Susan (Lulu!). But, when they toast Arthur with one of his old bottles of whiskey, they wake the next morning to find themselves young again, in their 20‘s in fact. And, though their regained youth only lasts 24 hours, the trio get an idea of selling the drink as a youth serum. Esme Lonsdale, Genevieve Gaunt, Joanna David and Hannah Howland also star, and Stephen Cookson directed. And this movie won Best Comedy at the 2024 National Film Awards(UK), and gets an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. And Brian Viner of the Daily Mail (UK) said its “is not an especially fine addition to the species, but it bowls along with appealing energy and just enough wit to keep the audience smiling, albeit a little indulgently at times.” So I’m watching. Amazon offers Season 1 of Velvet, a 2019 Spanish historical drama series from PBS Masterpiece channel. This tells the story of Alberto Márquez(Miguel Ángel Silvestre), heir to the Galerías Velvet, an esteemed fashion house in Madrid in the late 1950‘s. But Alberto’s father does not approve of his son’s childhood sweetheart Ana(Paula Echevarría), a mere seamstress at the design house. And so he forces Alberto to marry another, more appropriate woman, while Ana leaves Madrid, and Alberto continues to fight his father’s constant interference in his lie. Jose Sacristan, Adrian Lastra and Cecilia Freire also star, and there are 16 episodes available now. And this series has won multiple awards, including Best Actress for Cecilia Freire and Best Actor for José Sacristán at the Ondas Awards. And it gets an astounding 8/10 on IMDb, so though I can find few online reviews, I am including it. It’s exquisite production values and intriguing drama make it a worthy escape. But beware, they all disappear on April 1, when they disappear back into the PBS Masterpiece realm. And, finally, Amazon has added Life After Life, a 2022 drama series. This is a dramatic adaptation of the award winning novel by Kate Atkinson(!), and is the story of Ursula (Thomasin McKenzie!) who lives with her parents Hugh and Sylvie (James McArdle and Sian Clifford), and siblings in Edwardian England. But Ursula is not so ordinary, for she has died several times already, first during her troublesome birth, when a doctor revived her, but also drowning at sea, and dying of the Spanish Flu. But she always comes back, and so, has a unique view of life. Her mother sends her to a psychiatrist, Dr Kellet (John Hodgkinson), who helps Ursula deal with her dilemma, but also to introduce her to Hindu concepts of rebirth and reincarnation. Isla Johnston, Jessica Brown Findlay(Sybil of Downton Abbey!), and Louis Hofman also star, and there are 4 episodes available now. And Kate Atkinson herself wrote the screenplay, here. And it gets a stunning 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Adam Sweeting of The Arts Desk said it “achieves its seemingly unreachable goals by anchoring its philosophical ambitions with some wonderful performances and absorbing narrative themes.” 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 