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 a big add this week with The Life of Chuck, the 2024 sci-fi drama . Based on a novella by Stephen King, this begins with the end, with end of the world, perhaps, and the end of the life of Charles ‘Chuck’ Krantz(Tom Hiddleston). But as we head backwards through Chuck’s life, we find he‘s an optimist,despite many problems. His life is filled with friends like Marty Anderson(Chiwetel Ejiofor), who make life, and the world’s chaos, more bearable. But Chuck’s childhood was plagued with heartache, which served to make him stronger, and perhaps, wiser. Karen Gillan, Mia Sara, Carl Lumbley and Mark Hamill(!) also star, while Mike Flanagan directs. And this movie won multiple awards in 2024, including Best Film at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. and it gets an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, but it’s not perfect. Wendy Ide of the Observer(UK) said “clever conceits all too easily tip over into synthetic contrivance. If The Life Of Chuck… just about manages to stay on the right side of that tricky balance, it’s largely thanks to solid work from the cast.” You decide. Hulu has also added Strange Harvest, a 2025 supernatural horror flick. This movie presents itself as a true crime documentary, with police on the hunt for the California killer, Mr Shiny. Fifteen years after ritualistic murders, they begin again, and San Bernardino County Homicide Detective Joe Kirby (Peter Zizzo) and Detective Lexi Taylor(Terri Apple) take up the case. But even as they close in on the sadistic killer, they may not have the tools to bring him in. Andy Lauer, Matthew Peschio, Jessee Clarkson and Janna Cardia also star, and Stuart Ortiz directed. And this movie gets a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Catherine Bray of the Guardian said “ignore the film’s marketing, which seems intent on positioning it as a run-of-the-mill masked maniac movie; this is a fascinating and neatly realised horror riff on the 2020s’ most popular genre.” But you know it’s too scary for me. Luckily , Hulu also offers Suspicious Minds, a 2025 Spanish thriller series. This finds master thief Amber Deval (Silvia Alonso)heading to Isla Esperanza, to steal the Tiara of Santa Águeda. Three yeas after being betrayed by her lover, and partner, Javier Ruiz (Álex González), while trying to steal the tiara, Amber holds nothing but bitterness and resentment for him. But then, on the eve of the heist, she finds Javier on the scene and knows why he’s there. And so, the pair have no choice but to work together, though distrust and suspicion pervades their relationship. Asier Etxeandia, Milena Radulovic, and Cumelen Sanz also star, and there are 6 episodes available for streaming now. And though this series gets just a 5.6/10 on IMDb, Joel Keller of the Decider says to stream it, adding “there’s enough dumb fun and sexual chemistry in Suspicious Minds to make it fun to watch. It’s not exactly going to tax your brain, but that’s the entire point of slick shows like these.” And the choices are fewer on Hulu this week, so I’m watching. And, finally, Hulu has added Made in Korea, a 2025 Disney+ K-drama thriller series. This takes place in 1970‘s Korea, with agent Baek Ki-tae(Hyun Bin) with the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA), who covertly runs (drug) smuggling rings. And Jang Geon-young(Jung Woo-sung) is the principled prosecutor who wants to bring corruption to an end, when Ki-tae comes to his attention. So the two face off in an epic battle of wills, and who will come out on top is anything but certain. Woo Do-hwan, Won Ji-an and Cho Yeo-jeong also star, and there are 2 episodes available now, with 4 more to come. and this series gets an incredible 8.3/10 on IMDb, and Shabnam Jahan of K-waves and Beyond calls it “a ruthless exploration of power, treachery, and the price of ambition.” And the production values and acting are so great, I’m definitely tuning in.
NETFLIX
Netflix has also added Goodbye June, the 2025 drama. This finds June (Helen Mirren) getting a dire cancer prognosis , right before Christmas time. With her cancer metastasized, she has only days to live, leaving her four children are reeling in shock and recriminations. As they try to deal with the situation, their former squabbles grow into wars, especially that between Julia (Kate Winslet!) and Molly (Andrea Riseborough!). Meanwhile they have to deal with their mom’s acid wit, who sometimes bristles at all the extra tender loving care. And her husband Bernie (Timothy Spall!) is having difficulty coming to terms with his wife’s impending death at all, preferring to drink at the pub. Toni Collette, Johnny Flynn and Timothy Spall also star, and Kate Winslet directed for the first time, here, while her son, Joe Anders, wrote the script. And it gets a 63% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Deborah Ross of the The Spectator said “the cast is so formidable it should be a slam-dunk festive weepie. But the characters are, alas, too thinly sketched, while their various trajectories take us into the kind of banal, maudlin territory most suited to a Call The Midwife special.” So, not for me. Luckily, Netflix also offers The Best You Can, a 2025 dramedy. Here, Dr. Cynthia Rand (Kyra Sedgwick!) is faced with declining health of her older husband, Warren (Judd Hirsch!), who is showing signs of dementia. Then she meets Stan Olszewski (Kevin Bacon), a security guard with problems of his own, including fears of prostate cancer, and worrying over his adult daughter, Sammi (Brittany O’Grady), who lives a somewhat wild life and dreams of being a singer. But the odd pair end up helping each other over their hard spots, and then end up falling in love. Olivia Luccardi, Meera Rohit Kumbhani and Heather Burns also star, while Michael J. Weithorn directs. And this movie gets an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Marya E. Gates of
RogerEbert.com says “it’s clear that the irrepressibly charming Sedgwick and Bacon love to share the screen, and it is an absolute joy to watch their effortless chemistry. I just wish it were in a better picture.” So it’s on my list. Netflix has also added Cover-Up, a 2025 documentary. This tells the thrilling story of the career of investigative political reporter Seymour Hersh, who broke some of the most important stories of the 20th and 21st centuries, from the massacre at My Lai , in Vietnam, in ’69, to Watergate in ‘75 all the way to the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in the early 2000‘s. And co-directors Laura Poitras (Citizenfour) and Mark Obenhaus unfold Hersh’s career like a political thriller, with input from star journalists like David Obst and Bob Woodward included. And this movie won Best Documentary at the 2025 Denver Film Festival and the 2025 National Board of Review awards. And it gets a stunning 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Manohla Dargis of New York Times says “Hersh is a tough, interesting cat, and this movie, by giving him his due and by addressing his failings, doesn’t simply tell the story of an individual but also of journalism.” And I am so tuning in. Also new and notable on Netfllix is Eden, the 2024 historical drama from Ron Howard. Based on a true story, this tells of the people who fled Europe with the rise of Fascism ,after WWI, in search of a better life. People like Dr. Friedrich Ritter(Jude Law!) went with his wife Dore (Vanessa Kirby), to the island of Floreana in the Galápagos islands, dreaming building a utopian lifestyle there. But then Heinz (Daniel Brühl),and Margret (Sydney Sweeney), appeared, with a Baroness and her lovers, following on their heels. And Dr. Ritter’s dreams of a new utopia are shattered, and violence looms. Ana de Armas,Felix Kammerer and Toby Wallace also star, and Noah Pink wrote the script. And this movie premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, and gets a 6.5/10 on IMDb, and Keith Phipps of The Reveal said “shot with stark beauty by Mathias Herndl, Eden offers enough twists and robust performances that it never becomes boring. But it’s also frustratingly superficial.” And I’m still watching. And, finally, Netflix has added Shine on Me, a 2025 Chinese romantic drama series. When college student Xiguang Nie (Jinmai Zhao) falls for the reserved student Zhuang Xu(Lai Wei Ming), it seems to be her fate, making her miserable and unhappy. But then, after graduation, she meets ex-doctor Yusen Lin(Song Weilong), with whom she clashes at first. But when Lin sticks around, he shows Nie she has a choice of who to love. And a second chance at life. Zhao Jinmai, Lai Weiming, Allen Lin, Bai Bingke and Fan Shiran also star, and there are 14 episodes available now, with two more to come. And this movie won 2025 Anticipated Television Series of the Year at the Tencent Video TV And Movie Award and the Beijing News Annual Television Ranking Award, and gets an outstanding 8.1/10 on IMDb. And so, though I can, as yet, find no reviews, I’m tuning in.
AMAZON
Amazon has a huge add with Sinners, the2025 Ryan Coogler’s horror movie. This takes place in 1932, with identical twins and World War I veterans Elijah “Smoke”(Michael B. Jordan!) and Elias “Stack” Moore(Michael B. Jordan!) returning to their hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi, after years in Chicago. Hoping for a simpler life, they buy a sawmill, hoping to turn it into a juke joint. But as they set up shop with a host of talented performers, and their cousin Sammie(Miles Caton) leading the way on the guitar, trouble looms. For a vampire, Remmick(Jack O’Connell) lingers outside the club, resentful about being refused admission, and so , begins to bite the Moore brothers’ customers as they exit. And soon, a fight for between good and evil begins that threatens to take all the losers have to give. Hailee Steinfeld, Saul Williams, Wunmi Mosaku and Omar Benson also star, and Ryan Coogler(!) wrote the script here, too, along with directing. And this movie has already won tons of awards, like Best Ensemble at the Gotham Awards, Best Director for Coogler, Best Cinematography for Autumn Durald Arkapaw and Best Film at the 2025 Boston Society of Film Critics Awards, and was named Movie of the Year at at the 2026 AFI Awards, USA. And it has gotten seven nominations at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards (including Best Picture), and seventeen nods at the 31st Critics’ Choice Awards (including Best Picture), and is sure to be feature prominently at the Oscars. And it gets an amazing 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Amy Nicholson of the Los Angeles Times said “what a blood rush to exit Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” aware that you’ve seen not merely a great movie but an eternal movie, one that will transcend today’s box office and tomorrow’s awards to live on as a forever favorite.” And I’ll definitely be tuning in, if I’m not under the bed. Amazon has also added Miss Sophie – Same Procedure as Every Year, a 2025 German comedy series. This takes place in 1919, with Miss Sophie (Alicia von Rittberg), inviting her suitors to Bournsmouth Manor, to compete for her hand in marriage. Miss Sophie needs to marry a rich man to save her from Bournsmouth‘s debts, but she’s long harbored feelings for the butler’s son, James (Kostja Ullmann). So while James , now a head butler, lingers in the background, one of Sophie’s suitors is murdered, causing a hiccup in her plans and much trouble besides. Lilly Vogler, Vladimir Korneev and Jacob Matschenz also star, and there are 6 episodes available for streaming now. This series is a riff on the famed German “Dinner for One” New Year’s comedy sketch, and gets only a 5.5/10 on IMDb. But Maddy Casale of the Decider says it “is still accessible (especially if you love period dramas) due to the absurd verbal and physical humor and spunky, likable leading lady…If you enjoy period dramas, foreign-language productions, and over-the-top farcical comedies, then you should STREAM IT.” So I’m watching. And, finally, Amazon has added Human Specimens, a 2025 Japanese psychological thriller series. Here, biology professor Shiro Sakaki (Shiro Sakaki)at Meikei University suddenly confesses to the murder of six teenage boys, turning them into art exhibits. As he dispassionately tells his story to the police, he describes meeting an old flame, Rumi Ichinose (Rie Miyazawa), an artist who he’d admired for years, who comes to live in his house. And then Shiro began to consider turning humans into art, including his son, Itaru (Somegorô Ichikawa). Aoi Itô, Towa Araki, and Jyutaro Yamanaka also star, and there are 5 episodes available for streaming now. And this dark series gets a shining 7.3/10 on IMDb, and Joel Keller of the Decider says to stream it , adding it ” is strange,..but the idea behind it is certainly an interesting one..” But it’s too much for me. You decide.
So sit back and binge this weekend, on classics, old and new, on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Enjoy!
