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
The big add on Hulu this week has to be Chad Powers, the 2025 sports comedy series. Glen Powell(!) stars, here, as Russ Holliday, an arrogant quarterback, who ends his career with a disastrous play, and afterward, an awful incident on the sidelines. But he can’t accept the end of his career, so he creates a new identity, that of Chad Powers, who can, with prosthetics and makeup help of his friend Danny Cruz(Frankie A. Rodriguez), try out for the Georgia Catfish. But even once on the team , Chad‘s ego gets in the way of his success, and it’s anyone’s guess if he will win in the end. Perry Mattfeld, Quentin Plair, Wynn Everett and Steve Zahn(!) also star, and there are 6 episodes available now. And it gets a 59% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Joel Keller of the Decider says “we’re not 100 percent sold on Chad Powers yet, but if it concentrates on the redemption arcs and steps away from the goofiness, it should be a satisfying show to watch.” I’m not sold, either, so I won’t be watching, but you decide. Hulu also offers Call My Agent Berlin, a 2025 German Disney+ dramedy series. This German iteration of the famed French series finds The Stern actor’s agency struggling to survive, and then the CEO, dies. When his widow takes over, she finds the agency in chaos, with many calling new clients outside of the acting biz, like influencers, which is heresy for some of the agents. Into this maelstrom walks Sophie Goldbach ( Dana Herfurth) , who lands a job as assistant to Sascha Massko ( Karin Hanczewski ),without even intending to apply. Not welcomed as an insider, she watches as the battles of egos ensue, with the comic adventures of trying to deal with (real ) German movie stars, never ends. Michael Klammer ,Lucas Gregorowicz and Gabrielle Scharnitzky also star, and there are 10 episodes available for streaming now. And this series gets a 7/10 on IMDb, and Thomas Schultze of calls it “an outstanding German high-end series.” so i’m watching. Hulu has also added Cleopatra’s Final Secret , the 2025 Nat Geo documovie. This tells of archaeologist Kathleen Martinez’s latest search for the great Cleopatra’s tomb, which leads her to excavate at the temple Taposiris Magna. Amazingly, she finds a tunnel, leading to a sunken port off the coast of Egypt, replete with sunken ceramic pots and storage jars. It’s Martinez’ theory that Cleopatra’s body was taken to Taposiris Magna to be hidden, and saved from the Romans. And though Cleopatra’s tomb has not yet been found, a new (ancient ) Egyptian seaport is a great find, not to mention what could be a notable Cleopatra statue. With many stunning graphics and great 3-D imagery, this documentary gets an impressive 7.9/10 on IMDb, and so, though I can find no review at this time, I’m tuning in. Exciting stuff. And, finally, Hulu has added Promesas de Campaña, a 2020 Mexican comedy series. Here, the super popular FLAN party’s candidate, Gregorio Cuartas(Ruben Zamora), suffering a stroke during a liaison with his mistress, leaving the party little time to find a replacement. Enter unemployed taxi driver, Leopoldo Chica(Alejandro Montes), whose son manages to get capture the attention of the party. Even Cuartas‘ wife and mistress enter the fray, trying to help Chica get the nomination. But is Cuartas himself going to spoil everything, and refuse to bow out? Fernanda Borches, Juan Carlos Remolina, Darío Ripoll, and Silverio Palacios also star, and there are 13 episodes available for streaming now. And this series was nominated for Best Comedy at the 2021 International Emmy Awards, and gets a stunning 8.9/10 on IMDb, and so, though I can find no reviews as yet, for this, I’m watching.
NETFLIX
Netflix has a huge add with Steve, the 2025 British drama. This takes place in the 90‘s with Steve(Cillian Murphy!) a dedicated head teacher at a Stanton Wood, a British boys correctional school . As Steve devotes himself to be available to the boys, some desperately in need of help, he becomes more and more overwhelmed with his work, even self-medicating to survive. And when he learns that officials plan to close Stanton Wood down, and a film crew comes to document a typical day in school, Steve goes over the edge. Tracey Ullman, Jay Lycurgo, Joshua Barry, Charles Beaven, and Leanne Everitt also star, while Tim Mielants directed. And this movie gets a 7.2/10 on IMDb, and Wendy Ide of the Guardian says it’s “is gripping and exhausting, sharing common themes with Destin Daniel Cretton’s Short Term 12 and Nora Fingscheidt’s electrifying System Crasher. But this film — and Murphy’s devastating performance — exist in a class of their own.” But beware, it can be harrowing and heartbreaking to watch. Luckily, Netflix also offers The New Force, a 2025 Swedish historical drama series. This takes place in 1958 Stockholm, when the city finally accepts its first new female police officers, forced by a hiring shortage. As 6 new women join, they find, of course, much sexism, and little welcome from the male officers, many of whom don’t even consider them real police. But officers Carin Eriksson (Josefin Asplund) and her roomies Siv Morell (Agnes Rase) and Ingrid Gustafsson (Malin Persson), persist, even after being sent to work in one of the worst neighborhoods in Stockholm . And while some women are stuck with partners who basically ignore them , Carin might actually find an ally in her male partner, Johan Reimer (Christopher Wagelin). Camila Bejarano Whalgren, Hannes Fohlin and Cilla Thorell also star, and there are 6 episodes available for streaming now. And, though this series is too new for a rating on IMDb, it gets good reviews, like that of Srijoni Rudra of DM Talkies calls it “an impactful drama rooted In recent history.” So I’m definitely tuning in. Netflix has also added Monster: The Ed Gein Story, a 2025 limited series. This third installment of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s “Monster” anthology series, tells the overly graphic story of a notorious American murderer, Ed Gein, made famous in Hitchcock’s Psycho. Here, Gein lives on a Wisconsin farm with his cruel and overbearing mom, Augusta(Laurie Metcalf!). When she falls ill, Gein tries to find connection, finally becoming involved with Adeline Watkins (Suzanna Son). But soon, as you know, everything goes off the rails. Suzanna Son, Tom Hollander, Vicky Krieps and Olivia Williams also star, and there are 8 grisly episodes available now. And this series gets only a 42% on Rotten tomatoes, and Aramide Tinubu of Variety calls it “graphically violent and too unfocused.” Like many, I am bewildered as to why Netflix(or Ryan Murphy) repeatedly invested in this hyperviolent celebration of American murderers, but I certainly won’t be wasting my time on this. Luckily, Netflix has also added Goodbye, Farewell, a 2024 Indonesian romance. this finds Wyn(Putri Marino) traveling to Seoul, in search of her boyfriend , Dani(Jourdy Pranata). Feeling alone and overwhelmed in the city, she meets Rey (Jerome Kurnia), another Indonesian, who agrees to help her in her search. but what Rey sees of Dani’s disappearance doesn’t add up, and when Wyn finally reunites with Dani, all does not go well. But will Wyn be able to see the futility of that previous relationship and, perhaps, look in a different direction? Lutesha, Sang-Il Han and Kiki Narendra also star, and Adriyanto Dewo directed. And this movie gets an astounding 7.5/10 on IMDb, and Anjali Sharma of the Midgard Times says it “has an emotional core that pulses.” So I’m watching.And, finally, Netflix has added Old Dog, New Tricks, a 2025 Spanish dramedy series. Here, Antón( Luis Zahera), an older vet in the Galician countryside, is forced by lack of funds, to take a job in Santiago de Compostela. but it’s at the pet boutique, Kawanda, where rich people bring in their pets for some of the most ridiculous reasons, like Pipo the dog, whose owner believes is dyslexic. Luckily, the cantankerous Antón has Uxía(Lucía Caraballo), the manager of Kawanda , to help orient him in this strange, new absurd world. Nuno Gallego, Carmen Ruiz and Darío Loureiro also star, and there are 9 episodes available now. And this series gets a sparkling 7.4/10 on IMDb, and Ben Carter of Gazettely calls it has “The grumpy charm of a man out of place…a polished, unpretentious piece of work that understands its own strengths.” And I’m definitely tuning in.
AMAZON
Amazon has one big title added this week, with Play Dirty, a 2025 action thriller. Based on the Parker series by Donald E. Westlake, this finds the professional thieves Parker(Mark Wahlburg) and Philly(LaKeith Stanfield!) planning a robbery of a counting room at a racetrack, only to have an employee with a gun kill one robber, and injure Philly, and take the dough. So Parker follows him and kills him, retrieving the money. But Parker is also bent on revenge, and so assembles a new team to Keegan-Michael Key, Chukwudi Iwuji, Gretchen Mol, Thomas Jane, and Tony Shalhoub() also star, while Shane Black directs. But this movie is a disappointment after other movies based on Westlake‘s Parker novels, like The Outfit and The Payback. And so it gets only a 47% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Robert Daniels of the New York Times says ” Play Dirty, Shane Black’s adaptation of Donald E. Westlake’s Parker crime novels, is a faint shadow of the director’s best work.” So I’m not watching. Amazon also offers season 1 of Queens of Mystery, a 2019 British comedy/mystery series. Here, Detective Matilda Stone(Olivia Vinall) assigned finds herself assigned to the constabulary in her hometown of Wildemarsh. But Wildemarsh is also where her three crime-writing aunts Cat Stone(Julie Graham), Jane( Siobhan Redmond) and Beth(Sarah Woodward) live, and soon, Matilda finds them insinuating themselves into her cases. And each episode features a different aunt, either in trouble, or offering help, with a mystery that has stunned the town. Andrew Leung, Rebecca Grant and Martin Trenaman also star, and there are 6 episodes available to eat up now, before they all go back to the Acorn+ channel, on Nov. 1. And this series gets a 7.3/10 on IMDb, and Brad Newsome of the Sydney Morning Herald called it a “cheerful sort of thing made for the dunking of digestive biscuits into nice cups of tea as the bodies turn up remarkably unbloodied in quaint cottage gardens full of riotously blooming floral borders.” So I’m tuning in. And, finally, Amazon has added LOLA, a 2022 British sci-fi historical drama. Here, orphaned sisters Thomasina(Emma Appleton) and Martha (Stefanie Martini)develop a machine they call LOLA(after their late mom) that allows you to see video broadcasts from the future. And, in 1940 Britain, with the Blitz at full tilt, it is an exciting escape for them, and for the general public. And as the pair use the machine to prevent fatalities from attacks by the Germans, they attract the attention of British intelligence. But then their future broadcasts begin to show a world gone amok, featuring a Nazi invasion of England, and the pair wonder if their own changes to the past, allowed the future to change. And they battle to change things back. Eva O’Brien, Francesca Brabazon Legge, and Rory Fleck-Byrne also star, while Andrew Legge directed. And this movie won numerous awards in 2023, including the Avant-Garde and Genre award at the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema and Best Motion Picture at the Sitges – Catalonian International Film Festival. And it gets an amazing 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Lee Jutton of Film Inquiry called it “an intriguing experiment in lo-fi science-fiction—not to mention, a cautionary tale of the kind of artistic expression we can expect under fascism.” And I’m definitely watching.
So sit back and binge this weekend, on classics, old and new, on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Enjoy!
