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 Dope Girls, a 2025 British historical drama series. This tells the story of Kate Galloway (Julianne Nicholson!), a widow and mother who finds herself broke and homeless in 1918 London. But other women are feeling the pinch, too, so Kate decides to start a nightclub in Soho, with the help of a great dancer named Billie (Umi Myers). But as drug dealing begins in the club, the police smell trouble , and have Violet(Eliza Scanlen), one of the first female policewomen, infiltrate in the club, as a dancer. But that’s just the beginning of Kate‘s troubles. Eilidh Fisher, Priya Kansara and Geraldine James also star, and there are 6 episodes available now. And it gets a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Anita Singh of the Daily Telegraph said it “has the nerve to say there are more interesting female stories to tell.” and I am so tuning in, but with subtitles, because the accents here are thick. Hulu has also added Memoir of a Snail, a 2024 stop motion animated movie . Here, Australian Grace Pudel(Sarah Snook!) looks back on her life as a child in Melbourne, whose life was upended when she and her twin brother Gilbert(Kodi Smit-McPhee) were separated, after their father died. Desperate to be reunited with him, Grace spent all her energies on that, but, luckily also meets Pinky(Jacki Weaver!), who befriended her. Meanwhile, Gilbert tried to survive his placement with Evangelicals, even it he had to resort to pyromania to do so. Eric Bana(!), Magda Szubanski and Charlotte Belsey also star, and Adam Elliot directed. And this movie was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 2025 Oscars, and went on to win Best Director for Elliot at the Australian Film Critics Association Awards, the Achievement in Animation Award at the 2024 Virginia Film Festival, and Best Feature at the 2025 Annecy International Animated Film Festival. And it gets an amazing 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 7.8/10 on IMDb. And Beth Webb of Empire Magazine said “weird and wonky in the best way, this is a compelling character study that makes its joys, however fleeting, feel truly earned.” And I am so watching. Hulu also offers Ancient Bodies: Secrets Revealed, a 2024 Nat Geo science/history series. This series focuses on 8 different well preserved humans, found in different parts of the world, and the efforts to study them. As the series begins with Otzi, easily the most famous ice man found in recent years, the show then moves on to lesser known cases like peat bodies, like Tollund Man, and Haraldskær Woman, both found in Denmark. It also tells the intriguing stories of humans found at Croghan Hill, in Ireland, where royals were thought to be buried. And finally the Incan mummies of Llullaillaco, where the perfectly preserved remains were found at 22,000 ft. And here, archaeologists, forensic scientists and other work together to find not only how these people died, but how they lived. And Michael Drew narrates, and there are 8 episodes available now. And this series gets a whopping 7.5/10 on IMDb, so, though I can find no online reviews, I’m definitely tuning in. And, finally, Hulu has added Lies Hidden in My Garden, a 2023 South Korean mystery series. Here, the wealthy Moon Joo Ran (Kim Tae Hee) lives a seemingly perfect life, married to Dr. Park Jae-ho(Kim Sung-oh). but then she notices a strange smell in the backyard, and feels she has to investigate her husband, who pooh pooh her concerns. Then she meets Chu Sang-eun(Lim Ji-yeon), a pregnant woman abused by her own husband, and, as the pair find they have much in common, they form a fast bond of friendship, that may help them survive the violence in their lives. Jeong Un-seon, Jung Woon-sun and Choi Jae-rim also star, and there are 8 episodes available for streaming now. And this series was nominated for Best Actress for Lim Ji-yeon and Best Director for Jung Ji-hyun at the 2024 Baeksang Arts awards, and went on to win Best Actress for Lim Ji-yeon at the Bechdel Day awards. And this series gets a 6.8/10 on IMDb, and Val M of the Review Geek calls it “a unique and interesting K-drama that comes off a slow burn with the potential to blow your mind one episode after the other.”
NETFLIX
Netflix has added Leanne, a 2025 comedy series. Leanne Morgan stars here, as Leanne, newly split from her husband of 33 years, Bill (Ryan Stiles), who is leaving her for another woman. Stunned, Leanne, luckily, gets support from her sister, Carol (Kristen Johnston!), while she goes through the rigors of divorce, hiring a lawyer, etc. She even starts dating, though the awkwardness is palpable. And then her husband comes back into the picture, hoping to reconcile. Celia Weston(!), Blake Clark, Hannah Pilkes and Graham Rogers also star, and there are 16 episodes available now. And, produced by Chuck Lorre, this is pretty much a typical network sitcom that gets a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Joel Keller of the Decider says to stream it, adding “the cast starts clicking pretty quickly, especially Morgan and Johnston, and that goes a long way to upping number of genuine laughs each episode has.” So I’m tuning in. Netflix has also added Marked, a 2025 South African thriller series. Here, Babalwa (Lerato Mvelase), is a good Christian armored truck driver and cop, who finds herself in desperate need of money, when her daughter, Palesa (Ama Qamata), becomes ill and in need of surgery. Babalwa and her husband Lungile (Bonko Khoza) use every resource to acquire a loan, but come up empty. And so she resorts to contacting the crime boss Baba G (Jerry Mofokeng),and finally, agrees to rob one of the trucks she drives. But when it goes wrong, Babalwa is even more frantic to save her daughter’s life, and so, gets in deeper than she had planned. Sphamandla Dhludhlu, S’dumo Mtshali, and Natasha Thahane also star, and there are 6 episodes available now. And it gets a 6.1/10 on IMDb, and Joel Keller of The Decider says to stream it adding “has the potential to be a pretty outlandish show, but grounding the main character’s dilemma in her faith will hopefully tamp down some of the potential outlandishness.” Netflix also offers The Lazarus Project, the 2024 British sci-fi series. This follows George (Paapa Essiedu), happily living with Sarah (Charly Clive), when he starts having strange experiences(visions? delusions?). Finally, he is contacted by the Lazarus Project,a mysterious group, who, it turns out, has been making time go backward, whenever mass extinction seemed likely. And so, George joins the group, aided by his mentor Archie (Anjli Mohindra), though he frequently wonders what he’s gotten himself into. And, with the ability to time travel, he is tempted to step in to avert tragedy in his own life, which could end in catastrophe. Caroline Quentin, Tom Burke and Rudi Dharmalingam also star, and there are 2 seasons, with 16 episodes, available now. and Paapa Essiedu was nominated for Best Leading Actor at the 2024 BAFTA Awards for his work here, while the series won the Best Television Drama at the BAFTA Awards, Wales. And this series gets a stunning 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Cristina Escobar of RogerEbert.com said it “has it all—a thoughtful exploration of moral questions, time traveling (of sorts), and plenty of suspense. So I’m definitely tuning in. Netflix has added The Color Purple, the 2023 musical version. Based on the Broadway musical, Fantasia Barrino stars as Celie, here, and Nettie (Halle Bailey), two sisters who fight to survive their father’s abuse together in rural Georgia . But then Celie is married off to the lecherous Mister (Colman Domingo!), and separated from Nettie and any other support she had in her community. But then, Celie connects with from Mister’s daughter-in-law, Sofia (Danielle Brooks) and her friend, Shug Avery (Taraji P Henson). And as she draws strength from them, Celie begins to heal and blossom, and finally, come into her own. Taraji P. Henson(!), Corey Hawkins, Deon Cole and Jon Batiste(!) also star, and Blitz Bazawule directed. And this movie won many awards last year, including Daniele Brooks winning Best Actress, Bazawule winning Directors to Watch at the 2024 Palm Springs International Film Festival, and 11 Image Awards, including Best Actress for Barrino, Best Ensemble Cast, and Outstanding Motion Picture. And it gets an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Shirley Li of The Atlantic said “this new version works well as a companion piece to the 1985 drama while, for the most part, standing alone as its own tear-jerking, exultant epic.” And the music is great, so I’m definitely watching. And, finally, Netflix has added Death Inc., a 2025 Spanish comedy series. This revolves around the Torregrosa Funeral Home, which Gonzalo Torregrosa ran for years. So when he dies, his assistant Dámaso Carrillo(Carlos Areces) jumps to take over. Which doesn’t sit well with Gonzalo’s widow, Nieves(Ascen López), who is determined to take charge, despite her daughter’s disapproval(she wants to close it down), and lack of help of her inept son-in-law, Chemi. And during the fight to control the facility, accidents happen, as staff the tries to maintain order. Amaia Salamanca, Lorea Intxausti Oregi and Adriana Torrebejano also star, and there are 2 seasons, with 14 total episodes, available now. And this series was nominated for 4 awards, including Best Comedy Series, at the 2024 Almería International Film Festival, and gets an impressive 7.1/10 on IMDb. And Pablo Veiga Carpenter of Cinemagravia.es says it “delves into the peculiar world of a family funeral home, addressing themes of succession, business competition, and personal conflicts with a biting and often hilarious tone.” So I’m tuning in.
AMAZON
Amazon’s big title added this week is Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the 2024 sci-fi adventure film. This iteration takes up where the last movie left off with the death of Caesar, the genius chimpanzee from the original movie. As the other chimps mythologize him, they promise to maintain his pacifism, but years later, of course, find themselves splintered into clans, that fight for supremacy. Noa (Owen Teague), luckily, finds Raka (Peter Macon), one of the apes that swear to follow Caesar’s teachings, but they have to contend with Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), who swears to be Caesar’s follower, but in fact, has only his own self-interest in mind. Freya Allan, Peter Macon, William H. Macy(!) and Lydia Peckham also star, and Wes Ball directed. And Matt Goldberg of TheWrap calls it “the typical bloated and bland franchise fodder that can only come out of a Hollywood that relishes IP as far as its name and no further,” but it still gets an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes. You decide. I’d rather watch Good Cop / Bad Cop, the 2025 comedy drama series. This takes place in Pacific Northwest town of Eden Vale, where police chief Big Hank (Clancy Brown) manipulates much to keep the crime rate low, even if it takes moving the city limits. His daughter Lou (Leighton Meester), is a police detective in town, who knows all is not well. But Big Hank wants the family back together, so he insists that Lou, and her compulsive little brother, and (Big Hank‘s estranged son) Henry (Luke Cook), have to be partners. Which grates on Lou, who works unconventionally, and with Henry, who obsessively follows the rules. But somehow, they may just solve some of the crimes that beset the town. Devon Terrell, Phillipa Northeast and Blazey Best also star, and there are 8 episodes available now. And this series gets an impressive 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Ben Travers of Indiewire says it “overcomes its meager production budget by leaning on lighthearted vibes. There’s solid physical comedy, clever quips, and endearing family bonding — and Meester isn’t the only actor capable of delivering them.” And I love a mystery, especially a funny one, so I’m watching. And finally, Amazon has season 1 of The Ex-Wife, a 2024 British thriller series from Britbox. Here, Tasha(Celine Buckens) lives a seemingly idyllic life with her husband, Jack, and their daughter. But Jack’s ex-wife Jen(Janet Montgomery) keeps visiting, insinuating herself into their lives, and finally hanging around Tasha’s daughter way too much. So Tasha asks Jack to cut things off with Jen, which he promises to do. But Tasha finds out otherwise, and soon discovers Jen isn’t her only problem. Jordan Stephens, Clare Foster and Liberty Miller also star, and there are 4 episodes available to devour now. And this series gets an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Joel Keller of the Decider says to stream it , adding “Buckens and Montgomery are compelling enough to keep us watching.” And I’m watching. Just remember to watch before September 1, when it all goes back to Britbox.
So sit back and binge this weekend, on classics, old and new, on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Enjoy!
Grownups Guide to Streaming 