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 big title added this week has to be The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, a 2025 remake of the 1992 thriller. This time, Caitlin ( Mary Elizabeth Winstead!)hires Polly (Maika Monroe), an old acquaintance she met at the grocery co-op. Soon, though, Polly worms her way into her daughter’s affections, and begins manipulating them, and then starts on Caitlin’s husband, Miguel (Raúl Castillo). But, as Caitlin realizes Polly‘s games, she fights to convince those she loves she’s not crazy. Mileiah Vega, Nora Contreras and Martin Starr also star, while Michelle Garza Cervera directs. But this movie gets only a 45% on Rotten Tomatoes, and David Rooney of the
The Hollywood Reporter says “the actors are fine, though Monroe has been more effective when subjected to menace rather than doling it out. Winstead does what’s required of her… But this is a remake with few persuasive reasons to exist.” I won’t be watching. But Hulu has also added Anyone But You, a 2023 romcom. Loosely based on Shakespeare‘s Much Ado About Nothing, the story here finds sworn enemies Bea(Sydney Sweeney) and Ben( Glen Powell) having to pretend to be friends for a wedding in Australia. But the pair have horrible history, after their romance went wrong, and it’s hard to maintain the pretense of good feelings. And, after disasters like falling overboard, and unintended fires, the couple is less than welcome at the wedding events . Still, in a predictable romcom like this one, you know they will get together, in the end. Alexandra Shipp, GaTa, Hadley Robinson, Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney, Darren Barnet, Bryan Brown(!) and Rachel Griffiths(!) also star, while Will Gluck directed. But this movie gets only a 47% on Rotten Tomatoes, and David Sims of The Atlantic said “Both leads are attractive, but their personal chemistry is nonexistent. Sweeney feels particularly uncalibrated for the film’s light, wacky tone, delivering every line with flattened portentousness even as she’s meant to be scatterbrained.” So I won’t be watching. Hulu also offers Corazonada, a 2022 Mexican caper movie. This based on a true story of a group of lottery employees try to rig the game to win millions of pesos. And they plan to do it by misreporting the numbers shown on camera, leaving the millions in prize money to themselves. But will they get away with it? Bruno Bichir, Osvaldo Benavides, Kristyan Ferrer, José Sefami and Michelle Renaud also star, and José Manuel Cravioto directed. And this movie was nominated for the Festival Award at the 2023 Hola México Film Festival and gets a respectable 6.3/10. So, though I can find no online reviews, I’m watching. I love a good caper movie. And, finally, Hulu has Would You Marry Me?, a 2025 K-drama romcom series. Here, Yoo Me-ri (Jung So Min), is having a run of very bad luck, when she finds out her fiancé, Kim Woo-joo, is cheating, and so, their upcoming marriage is cancelled. So, when she learns she won a contest for a dream house, she ecstatic, until she finds she must claim the prize with her husband. Luckily, Me-ri literally runs into another Woo-joo, this time Kim Woo-joo(Choi Woo-sik), a young man in need of money, and she devises a plan to get the house anyway. Seo Bum-june, Bae Na-ra and Shin Seul-ki also star, and there are 4 episodes available for streaming now. And this series gets an whopping 8/10 on IMDb, and Shabnan Jahan of K-waves and Beyond calls it “precisely the perfect weekend feel-good movie, warm, funny, and touching.” So I’m tuning in.
NETFLIX
Netflix has a huge add this week, with A House of Dynamite, a 2025 thriller. Here, the horrifying specter of nuclear war becomes all too real when the people in the White House Situation Room, including Captain Walker (Rebecca Ferguson)find there’s an armed ICBM headed for the United States. But the problem for Walker and others is that the missile is unattributed to any nation, and so their battle to save the country, and perhaps the world, just got harder. Idris Elba(!) plays the President and Anthony Ramos, Jared Harris, and Tracy Letts also star, and Kathryn Bigelow(!) directs. And this movie premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival 2025, where it was nominated for the Golden Lion, and gets an 84% on Rotten tomatoes. And John Powers of
NPR said “while all of this is unnerving, it’s also thrilling to watch. Bigelow directs with a maestro’s lucid precision, perfectly orchestrating the complicated shifts from person to person, time frame to time frame.” So it’s on my list, though it may be too intense for me to actually watch. Luckily, Netflix also has The Monster of Florence, a 2025 Italian crime drama series. Based on a true story, this tells of a serial killer that terrorized Italy from the 60′s to the 80‘s, killing couples around Florence. After the fifth killing, pressure increases, and assistant prosecutor Silvia Della Monica (Liliana Bottone) comes up with the idea to go back in the criminal files to find older crimes fitting the same MO. And they hit upon a man who had been imprisoned for murder, with those bullets from that crime matching the ones used in the more recent killings. But have they found the Monster of Florence? Giacomo Fadda, Francesca Olia, Giacomo Fadda and Antonio Tintis also star, and there are 4 episodes available now . And this series premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, and gets a 60% on Rotten Tomatoes. And though some critics complain this is a confusing series, Connie Chang of the New York Times says it’s “narrative’s complexity can sometimes be confusing, particularly when it hops between time periods in quick succession. But The Monster of Florence rewards repeat viewings: People change, and motivations emerge with each retelling. Above all, there are no easy answers — much like the case itself, which remains unsolved.” So I’m watching. Netflix also offers 27 Nights , a 2025 Argentinian dramedy. Based on a true story, this begins with 83 year-old Martha Hoffman(Marilú Marini) being forcibly removed from her home, and taken to a psychiatric hospital, at the behest of her two daughters. Released only on the condition of a court-ordered evaluation to be done by introverted Dr. Leandro Casales(Daniel Hendler) over 27 days, Martha returns to her apartment and bohemian lifestyle, of which her daughters disapproved. But as the evaluation continues, the tables are turned on the psychiatrist, as Martha and her friends try to encourage him out of his shell, and into the world. Humberto Tortonese, Julieta Zylberberg, Paula Grinszpan, and Carla Peterson also star, and Daniel Hendler directs. And this movie was nominated for Best Film at the San Sebastián International Film Festival, and gets a 6.4/10 on IMDb, and Arpita Samaddar of Leisure Byte calls it “a refreshing and entertaining film that is essentially based on real-life events and explores the themes of ageing and freedom.” And I am so tuning in. Netflix also has The Elixir, a 2025 Indonesian horror flick. This takes place in rural Indonesia, where pharmaceutical corporation CEO, Sadimin (Donny Damara) announces he has a cure-all, the elixir, that will bring youth and vitality. And so he bolts it down, hoping for eternal youth, but finds, instead, it turns him into a zombie. And as he infects one of his servants, who in turn passes it on to others, soon the whole area is zombified. And it’s up to Ningsih (Claresta Taufan) and her boyfriend Rahman (Ardit Erwandha), to save the world from the ravenous zombies. Mikha Tambayong, Eva Celia Latjuba and Donny Damara also star, while Kimo Stamboel directed. And though it gets only a 5.5/10 on IMDb, Rahul Malhotra of Collider says its “chewing up global competition on streaming.” And we all need horror in October. And, finally, Netflix has added Pray Speak What Has Happened, a 2025 Japanese drama series. this takes place in 1984 Shibuya, Tokyo, where the young theater director, Kazuo Mitsunari,(Masaki Suda), ousted by his own troupe, stumbles into the shady WS Theater. Disillusioned with art and theater, he finds work there, and interacts with it’s eccentric performers. And Kazuo is challenged and reinvigorated by his work and the resident troupe, and finds his love of theater reborn. Fumi Nikaido, Ryunosuke Kamiki, and Minami Hamabe also star, and there is one episode available now , with another dropping tomorrow. and though this series has no rating on IMDb, Anjali Sharma of the Midgard Times says “if you’re the kind of viewer who enjoys character-driven drama, a world heavy with atmosphere, and a slow-burn story about art, ambition, and reinvention, Pray Speak What Has Happened delivers.” So I’m tuning in.
AMAZON
Amazon has a big add with Harlen Coben’s Lazarus, a 2025 British thriller limited series. Based on a Harlan Coben novel, this finds forensic psychiatrist Dr Joel ‘Laz’ Lazarus (Sam Claflin) thrown for a loop with the unexpected death of his father, Dr L(Bill Nighy!). But when he’s told the death was a suicide, Lax doesn’t buy it, and he is still troubled by the unsolved death of his sister Sutton, 27 years ago. Thinking they’re linked, Laz goes searching for clues, but he is also beginning to see things, like his father’s ghost, and other murder victims. And while those around him fear for his sanity, he has more worries, as he is soon implicated in a murder. Eloise Caruthers-Little, Alexandra Roach and David Fynn also star, and there are 6 episodes available now. and this series gets a 6.2/10 on IMDb, and Aramide Tinubu of Variety says “shocking and alluring, the show is a mind-bending mystery that doesn’t reveal its true nature until the very end.” So I’m tuning in..if it’s not too scary. Amazon also offers The Capture, a 2020 British thriller series. This begins with the Shaun Emery (Callum Turner)a lance corporal in the British army, being acquitted of murder, due to a technical glitch with a video. But then Emery is charged with assault, on the basis of a video, and again, he claims his innocence. And as detective inspector Rachel Carey(Holliday Grainger) investigates Emery’s claim, she finds a conspiracy involving deepfake videos, with people charged for crimes that never took place. Laura Haddock, Ron Perlman(!) and Lia Williams also star, and there are 8 episodes available now. And this series gets a stunning 8/10 on IMDb, and a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Allison Keene of Paste Magazine said “this thoughtful but still thrilling series is a worthwhile watch that may leave you a little shaken, wanting to make sure your computer cameras are covered … just in case.” So I’m tuning in. And, finally, Amazon has Companion, the 2025 sci-fi horror movie. Here, Josh (Jack Quaid)and his girlfriend Iris (Sophie Thatcher) go for a weekend at the lake retreat owned by Russian businessman Sergei (Rupert Friend), along with some friends like Kat (Megan Suri) and Eli (Harvey Guillen). But then Iris kills someone, and she is told she is a robot, an emotional support robot, for Josh. And when she finds she will be deactivated, they find Iris will not go without a fight. Lucas Gage, Jaboukie Young-White and Matt McCarthy also star, and Drew Hancock directed. Drew Hancock won the Directors to Watch award at the 2025 Palm Springs International Film Festival, and this movie gets an impressive 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. And Jeannette Catsoulis of the New York Post said as it “cycling smoothly through multiple genres — rom-com, crime thriller, slasher sendup — the movie assembles a broad satire of gender dynamics from scraps of sci-fi and a generous dollop of technophobia.” But you know it’s too scary for me.
So sit back and binge this weekend, on classics, old and new, on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Enjoy!
Grownups Guide to Streaming 