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 no big titles added this week, but they do have Griffin in Summer, a 2024 coming-of-age comedy. This tells of Griffin(Everett Blunck), an aspiring playwright, and 14-year-old, living with his mom, Helen (Melanie Lynskey!). While Griffin dreams of going to New York City and having his plays on Broadway, this summer, he has to settle for putting on his play Regrets of Autumn, with his friends’ help. But then his mom hires a handyman Brad Rizzo(Owen Teague), and though Griffin is, at first, annoyed with his presence, he later develops a crush. And Griffin is delighted when Brad, an out-of -work actor, agrees to be the star of his play. But then things fall apart, with Brad, going back toNYC, and Griffin follows him. And when he gets home, with his production is in a shambles, Griffin isn’t sure he can save it. Until his friends step in. Abby Ryder Fortson, Alivia Bellamy andFrancine Berk also star, and Nicholas Colia directed. And this movie premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Festival, where it won the awards for Best U.S. Narrative Feature and Best Screenplay. It went on to win numerous other awards, including Best Film, Best Director for Colia and Best Actor forBlunck at the Film Club’s The Lost Weekend awards. And it gets an impressive 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Kate Erbland of IndieWire said “As a showcase for [Nicholas Colia’s] stellar casting abilities and knack for heartwarming storytelling, Griffin in Summer is a very fine feature directorial debut.” So I’m watching. Hulu also has Inheritance, a2025 drama. Here, Maya(Phoebe Dynevor) is still grieving the death of her mom, when her estranged father, Sam (Rhys Ifans), suddenly shows up at the funeral. Though wary, Maya accepts his offer for her to work for his realty company inCairo(!), and heads off for Egypt. But his actions immediately set off alarms for her, what with him using a passport with a different name, and all. Soon he admits to being closer to a spy then a realtor, though he has retired from that work. But then she receives first a phone call from him telling her to leave , then another phone call saying he has been kidnapped. And the kidnappers want her to travel toIndia, to retrieve somethingSam had hidden in a safe deposit box there. And so, she takes off , against the advice ofInterpol agents whoalso want the contents of the safe deposit box. And soon,Maya is being chased by both the kidnappers and Interpol, trying to save her father’s life, and maybe, begin a career of her own. Necar Zadegan, Kersti Bryan and Ciara Baxendale also star, andNeil Burger directs. But it gets a 55% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Alison Foreman of IndieWire said “in the context of Burger’s legacy (a real mixed bag ever since “The Illusionist”), “Inheritance” is hardly a crown jewel. It’s predictable, one-note, and a knock againstDynevor as a viable action star.” So I probably won’t watch. Luckily, Hulu has also added Maggie’s Plan, a2015 comedy. This finds Brooklynite Maggie (Greta Gerwig!) wanting to have a baby, though she’s not so good at long-term relationships. When she mentions the idea of artificial insemination to herbest friend Tony (Bill Hader!), he laughs it off. But then Maggie meets(married)anthropology professor John (Ethan Hawke!), and they begin an affair. But Maggie’s soon put off by John‘s narcissism and other faults, and begins to regret the whole thing. So she formulates a plan to get him back together with his wife Georgette (Julianne Moore!), and make everything better. Maya Rudolph(!) plays her friendFelicia, andMonte Greene, Fredi Walker-Browne and Mina Sundwall also star, andRebecca Miller directed. And it gets an 86% onRotten Tomatoes, and Geoffrey Macnab of theIndependent(UK) said “early on,writer-director Rebecca Miller‘s comedy drama is utterly delightful – an acutely observed, very witty drama with another of Greta Gerwig‘s winning performances as aNew York everywoman trying to make sense of her private life.” And I’m watching. And, finally,Hulu has added Bossam: Steal the Fate, a 2021 K-drama historical epic series. This takes place in the Joseon period, in the reign of King Gwanghae, where ex-noble Ba Wu (Jung Il Woo), survives as a Bossam man, who abducts widows, for other men to marry. But then he mistakenly kidnapsSu Gyeong (Kwon Yu Ri), the widowed daughter of the king, and the daughter-in-law of his enemy Lee Yi Cheom, the man who killed his father. And so the pair go on the run, and decide to find a way to strike back atYi-Cheom. Shin Hyun-soo, Lee Jae-yong, andKim Tae-woo also star, and there are 20 episodes available now. And this series gets a whopping 7.6/10 on IMDb, anNoSleep4Dramas calls it “one of the BEST historical Korean dramas I have ever seen.” So I’m tuning in.
NETFLIX
Netflix has a huge add this week with Jay Kelly , the 2025 dramedy fromNoah Baumbach. George Clooney(!) plays the title character,Jay Kelly, a movie star who finds himself at a crossroads, after the death of his mentor. Feeling his life is empty except for movies, he heads forEurope, but with his huge entourage in tow. So with hisagent, Ron Sukenick(Adam Sandler!), andpublicist Liz(Laura Dern!), in tow, he searches for something more real, and maybe reconnecting with his youngest daughter. Grace Edwards, Isla Fisher, Emily Mortimer(!) andBilly Crudup(!) also star, and Baumbach co-wrote the script here, with Emily Mortimer(!). And this movie gets a 76% on Rotten Tomatoes, andMick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle calls it “Baumbach’s best film and, from an artistic standpoint, his first complete success.” And I’m watching before awards season, when it’s sure to figure prominently. Netflix has also added The Abandons, a 2025 western drama series. This takes place in the 1850s, withFiona Nolan(Lena Headey) seeking to make a home in Angel’s Ridge, Oregon, with her four adopted children . But she runs up against Constance Van Ness(Gillian Anderson), head of the ominously powerfulVan Ness family, who decides she wants the land thatFiona lives on, to mine silver there. Nolan firmly says no, and the battle begins that absorbs the rest of this tale. Nick Robinson, Diana Silvers, Aisling Franciosi and Lucas Till also star, and there are 7 episodes available now. But this series gets only a25% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Clint Worthington of RogerEbert.com says “the nuggets of melodrama, and some sumptuous Western production design, can’t make up for the feeling that, save the novelty of its female-led focus, we’ve seen so much of this kind of show before. Its scope is vast, but its depth is shallow.” So it’s not for me. Luckily, Netflix also offers Caught Stealing, the2025 thriller. Here, Hank Thompson(Austin Butler), an ex-ball player and bartender, who agrees to take care of the cat of his neighbor, Russ(Matt Smith!), while he’s away. But unfortunately, Russ has been involved with some very nasty people who come to call while he’s gone, and who end up beating Hank to a pulp. But that’s just the beginning, because it seems Russ stole something very valuable, that leads to Hasidic gangsters, sadistickillers andNYPD Detective Roman (Regina King) chasing him all overNew York City. So, Hank and his girlfriend Yvonne(Zoë Kravitz) seek out the clues to save their lives. Griffin Dunne(!), Liev Schreiber(!) and Vincent D’Onofrio(!) also star, and Darren Aronofsky(!) directed. And it gets an84% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Robert Daniels of RogerEbert.com said “The unevencrime thriller Caught Stealing is an admirable attempt by Darren Aronofsky to be friskier yet more conventional in a genre that often rewards a by-the-numbers approach.” So it’s on my list. Netflix has also added Pro Bono, a 2025 K-drama series. This tells of Kang Da-wit(Jung Kyung–ho), a young and impressivedistrict court judge, on his way to being appointed to theSupreme Court. And then he is caught in a scandal, through no fault of his own, and he is forced to resign. So he ends up working at thePro Bono organization, with no pay, serving as an attorney to all who need him. And he finds his interest in the law and justice reignited by his work with his needy clients. So Joo-yeon, Seo Hye-won and Lee Yoo-young also star, and there is one episode available now, with11 more to come. And it gets a 6.7/10 on IMDb, andNeerja Choudhuri of the Midgard Times says it’s “a must watch legal drama.” And I’m watching. And, finally,Netflix has added The Price of Confession, a 2025 K-drama thriller series. Here, art teacher An Yun Su(Jeon Do-yeon), is accused of her husband’s murder, and is imprisoned, though she declares her innocence. But in jail, she meets the notoriouskiller Mo Un(Kim Go-eun), who approaches her with a deal. She will confess to the murder of Yun-su’s husband,if Yun-su commits a murder for her. But there might be one detective who can help Yun-su out of this mess, if there’s time. Park Hae-soo, Jin Sun-kyu and Choi Young-joon also star, and there are 12 episodes available for streaming now. And this series gets an outstanding8/10 onIMDb, andNeerja Choudhuri of the Midgard Times calls it a “great thriller…[an]amazing classic.” So I’m definitely tuning in.
AMAZON
Amazon has added Oh. What. Fun., the 2025 holiday comedy. Here, Claire Clauster (Michelle Pfeiffer) is a hard-working mom who goes to great lengths to choreograph the perfect holiday for her family. But as Claire works to brighten everyone’s holiday, no one remembers her, and so, when they all take off for a Christmas Eve show, and forget her, she heads for California. To the annual Holiday Moms awards, to be exact, for which she was not nominated(by her family). How will it all end? Well, considering it’s a holiday movie, we pretty much know. Denis Leary, Felicity Jones, Chloë Grace Moretz and Eva Longoria also star, while Michael Showalter directs. But this movie only gets a 36% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Randy Myers of the San Jose Mercury News says it “survives on the fluid talent of its cast instead of its lackluster and flaccid screenplay. It’s a holiday film that tries way too hard and just not hard enough.” not for me. Luckily, Amazon has also added The Phoenician Scheme, the 2025 comedy from Wes Anderson. Here, the shady millionaire businessman Zsa-zsa Korda(Benicio del Toro) after barely surviving the latest assassination attempt on his life, tries to convince his estranged daughter and novice Sister Liesl(Mia Threapleton),to be his sole heir. As she accompanies him on a trip around the world, trying to save his company by any dubious means possible, they are joined by his sons’ tutor, Bjørn (Michael Cera). But they soon become aware that that a traitor is in their midst, wishing to foil Zsa-zsa’s companies and take his life. Riz Ahmed(!), Tom Hanks(!), Bryan Cranston(!),Willem Dafoe(!)and Mathieu Amalric also star, and Anderson co-wrote the script here, with Roman Coppola, along with directing. And this movie was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, and gets a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes. And David Sims of the Atlantic said “each set is carefully assembled, with the blocking of each shot perfectly aligned, and Anderson’s rat-a-tat dialogue is delivered exactly as written. Still, there’s a spontaneity to the storytelling and the world it’s moving through.” And I’m watching, again. And, finally, Amazon offers season 1 of Master Crimes, a 2023 French crime drama series from MHz Choice. Here, criminology professor (and ex-cop) Louise Arbus(Muriel Robin) is called back to the crime scene by her old friend, (and Police Chief) Oscar Rugasira(Olivier Claverie) . And, though the professor manages to ruffle the feathers of Detective Barbara Delandre (Anne Le Nen) when they first meet, they end up working as an efficient team. And they are helped by some of professor Arbus’ grad students who end up offering some pithy insights. Astrid Roos, Nordine Ganso and Thais Vauquieres also star, and there are 6 episodes available now . And this series gets a 6.3/10 on IMDb, and Max Glass of Patch said it “offers a nice balance among the murders du jour, character development and levity.” So I’m watching. But be sure to finish up before January 1, when this returns to the MHz Choice premium channel.
So sit back and binge this weekend, on classics, old and new, on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Enjoy!
Grownups Guide to Streaming 