Top streams for the week
Not your usual video game movie, "Tetris" (2023, R) tells the story of how the creation of Russian inventor Alexey Pajitnov (Nikita Efremov) was transformed into one of the most popular video games in the world by Japan-based entrepreneur Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton). It's a success story by way of a Cold War thriller as Rogers spends his entire savings to travel to 1980s Soviet Union to negotiate with the government and navigate the corrupt politburo. Streams after a limited theatrical release. (Apple TV+)
In M. Night Shyamalan's "Knock at the Cabin" (2023, R), four strangers (led by a tormented, soft-spoken Dave Bautista) are driven by shared visions to take a young girl and her parents (Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge) hostage to prevent global apocalypse. It's less a horror film than a high-concept thriller with a mystery at its center. (Peacock)
Tom Cruise climbs back into the cockpit to lead the next generation of Navy fighter pilots in "Top Gun: Maverick" (2022, PG-13). Miles Teller and Jennifer Connelly costar and director Joseph Kosinski puts the audience in the pilot seat for the action sequences. (New on Prime Video, also on Paramount+ and MGM+)
Kiefer Sutherland stars as a corporate espionage operative with a secret life as a Robin Hood who targets the ultra-wealthy in "Rabbit Hole: Season 1" (TV-MA). When he's accused of murder, he goes on the run and off the grid to uncover the conspiracy behind everything. Two episodes available, new episodes on Sundays. (Paramount+)
The fourth and final season of the Emmy-winning "Succession" (TV-MA) pits the ruthless Roy family patriarch (Brian Cox) against his children, led by heir apparent Kendall (Jeremy Strong), in a power struggle for the family media empire. New episodes on Sundays. (HBO Max)
A mysterious machine that promises to reveal a person's true potential appears in a small town in the "The Big Door Prize: Season 1" (TV-MA), a comedy with a metaphysical dimension. Chris O'Dowd stars. New episodes on Wednesdays. (Apple TV+)
Pay-Per-View / Video on Demand
An airline pilot (Gerard Butler) and an accused murdered (Mike Colter) team up after an emergency landing in a war zone in the action thriller "Plane" (2023, R). Also on DVD.
"Missing" (2023, PG-13), a follow-up to 2018 thriller "Searching," stars Storm Reid as a young woman who harnesses digital tools to search for her mother (Nia Long). Also on DVD.
Netflix
Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston return for the mystery comedy "Murder Mystery 2" (2023, PG-13), this time investigating a kidnapping at a wedding.
Rob Lowe and John Owen Lowe co-create and star in the sitcom "Unstable: Season 1" (TV-14) as an eccentric father and introverted son who team up to save the family business.
"African Folktales: Reimagined: Season 1" (TV-MA, with subtitles) is a multilingual anthology series that explores themes of grief, love, and mysticism.
Streaming TV: a food critic jumps into a healthy living regime in the comedy "Wellmania: Season 1" (Australia, TV-MA)..
True stories: "Emergency: NYC: Season 1" (TV-MA) follows trauma team professionals saving lives in New York City.
International passport: a single mom tries to balance raising a teenage daughter with her career as a professional assassin in the action thriller "Kill Boksoon" (South Korea, 2023, TV-MA, with subtitle). Also new:
- "On the Fringe" (Spain, 2022, not rated, with subtitles), a social realist drama starring Penélope Cruz and Luis Tosar;
- "Amigos" (India, 2023, TV-MA, with subtitles), a mystery thriller of three new friends whose relationship hits a bump when one of them turns out to be a notorious fugitive.
International TV: a spate of grisly murders throws a city into chaos in the cat-and-mouse thriller "Copycat Killer: Season 1" (Taiwan, TV-MA, with subtitles) and the crime thriller "Unseen: Season 1" (South Africa, TV-MA) follows a house cleaner who gets tangled in a conspiracy while searching for her missing husband.
Stand-up: "Mae Martin: SAP" (TV-MA)
Hulu
The British romantic comedy "Rye Lane" (2023, R) stars David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah as twenty-somethings who connect over a long day while recovering from bad breakups.
Fionn Whitehead and Shalom Brune-Franklin star in the new miniseries "Great Expectations" (not rated), written for TV by Steve Knight and costarring Olivia Colman is the haunted Miss Havisham. (Hulu)
The limited docuseries "RapCaviar Presents" (not rated) looks at contemporary issues through the stories of hip-hop visionaries and emerging stars.
International passport: two Korean spies uncover a conspiracy to assassinate the South Korean president in "Hunt" (South Korea, 2022, not rated, with subtitles).
HBO Max
The action thriller "Those Who Wish Me Dead" (2021, R), directed by "Yellowstone" creator Taylor Sheridan, stars Angelina Jolie as a smoke jumper in Montana who protects a kid on the run from assassins.
Disney+
The second season of the family-friendly sitcom remake "Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.: Season 2" (TV-PG) debuts with all episodes streaming.
Also new are the Disney Channel shows "Saturdays: Season 1" (TV-G) with Danielle Jalade and "Secrets of Sulphur Springs: Season 3" (TV-PG)
Amazon Prime Video
The power balance in the world undergoes a seismic shift when adolescent girls develop the power to electrocute people at will in "The Power: Season 1" (2023, TV-MA), based on Naomi Alderman's award-winning novel and starring Toni Collette and John Leguizamo.
Abel Ferrara directs "Siberia" (2021, R) with Willem Dafoe, a magic-realist journey set in remote Russia, and the political thriller "Zeros and Ones" (2021) starring Ethan Hawke.
Paramount +
Renée Zellweger earned her second Academy Award for playing Judy Garland in "Judy" (2019, PG-13), which follows the legendary performer in London during the twilight of her career.
Will Smith became a superstar in the hit sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Complete Series" (1990-1996, TV-PG).
Apple TV+
Kid stuff: the animated "Eva the Owlet: Season 1" (TV-Y) is adapted from the bestselling Scholastic book series "Owl Diaries."
Other streams
The kidnapping of elementary school students in an affluent Athens neighborhood spirals into a conspiracy in the limited series "Silent Road" (Greece, not rated, with subtitles). Three episodes available, new episodes Thursdays. (Topic)
"Monumental: Ellie Goulding at Kew Gardens" (2023, TV-Y) features music from her fifth album along with an interview with the artist. Free with ads. (Amazon Freevee)
The limited series "The Dreamer: Becoming Karen Blixen" (Denmark, not rated, with subtitles) stars Connie Nielsen as the celebrated author. (Viaplay)
The documentary "a-ha: The Movie" (Norway, 2021, not rated, with subtitles) chronicles the career of the Norwegian pop after their 1985 hit song "Take Me On." (Viaplay)
Michael Sheen and David Tennant reunite for the third season of their pandemic-era comedy "Staged" (TV-MA). The first two seasons are also available to stream. (BritBox)
"Murdoch Mysteries: Season 16" (TV-14) brings back Yannick Bisson and Hélène Joy for another season solving crimes in early 20th century Toronto. (Acorn TV)
"Lars von Trier’s Europe Trilogy" collects the filmmaker's first three features, "The Element of Crime" (1984, not rated), "Epidemic" (1987, not rated), and "Europa" (1991, R), his exploration of the trouble soul of Europe. All from Denmark, with subtitles, accompanied by optional commentary tracks, documentaries, interviews, and other supplements. (Criterion Channel)
Mamoru Oshii's cyberpunk thriller "Ghost in the Shell" (Japan, 1995, TV-MA, with subtitles) is a landmark anime feature and streams along with its revised "2.0" edition. (MUBI)
The cult film "Switchblade Sisters" (1975) from director Jack Hill reimages "Othello" as an urban girl gang action thriller. (MUBI)
Sean Axmaker is a Seattle film critic and writer. His reviews of streaming movies and TV can be found at https://streamondemandathome.com.
Copyright © 2023 by Sean Axmaker
