A stop-motion horror film from a special effects master hits Shudder, a new film from the director of Top Gun: Maverick arrives on Netflix and more this week
OUT NOW:
‘Mad God’ (Shudder)
From a Hollywood special effects legend comes a film unlike anything you’ve seen before. Follow The Assassin through a forbidding world of tortured souls, decrepit bunkers, and wretched monstrosities forged from the most primordial horrors of the subconscious mind. Directed by Phil Tippett (Star Wars, Jurassic Park), the world’s pre-eminent stop motion animator, every set, creature, and effigy in this macabre masterpiece is hand-crafted and painstakingly animated using traditional stop-motion techniques.
‘Spiderhead’ (Netflix)
Two inmates (Miles Teller & Jurnee Smollett) form a connection while grappling with their pasts in a state-of-the-art penitentiary run by a brilliant visionary (Chris Hemsworth) who experiments on his subjects with mind-altering drugs. Directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick, Tron: Legacy). Based on The New Yorker short story, “Escape From Spiderhead,” by George Saunders.
‘Evil (Season 3)’ (Paramount+)
A new season of terror has arrived. Priest-to-be David Acosta (Mike Colter), forensic psychologist Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers), and tech expert Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi) continue to investigate claims of demonic possession in a third season that’s stronger than ever.
‘Here Before’ (Hulu)
When a young girl moves next door, a grieving mother (Andrea Riseborough) is convinced the child may be the reincarnation of her own deceased daughter. As the mother’s obsession deepens, a sinister secret surfaces that threatens to destroy both families.
‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ (Apple TV+)
Fresh out of college and without a clear life path going forward, 22-year-old Andrew (Cooper Raif) is stuck back at home with his family in New Jersey. But if there’s one thing that belongs on his nonexistent résumé, it’s how to get a party started, which lands him the perfect job of motivational dancing at the bar and bat mitzvahs for his younger brother’s classmates. When Andrew befriends a local mom, Domino (Dakota Johnson), and her daughter, Lola (Vanessa Burghardt), he finally discovers a future he wants – even if it might not be his own.
‘Players’ (Paramount+)
From the Peabody Award-winning creators of American Vandal, Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault, Players is a comedic documentary-style series that follows a fictional pro League of Legends esports team, as they pursue their first championship after years of close calls and heartache. To win it all, they will need their prodigy, a 17-year-old rookie (Da’Jour Jones), and their 27-year-old veteran (Misha Brooks) to put their egos aside and work together.
‘The Wrath of God’ (Netflix)
Luciana (Macarena Achaga) endures a series of mysterious family deaths and begins to suspect her boss (Diego Peretti), an enigmatic writer, may be involved.
‘The Clovehitch Killer’ (Shudder)
yler Burnside (Charlie Plummer) is a Boy Scout, a volunteer at his local church, and the dutiful son of an upstanding, community leader dad (Dylan McDermott). Only one thing troubles the quiet Kentucky town he lives in: the unsolved murders—in which ten women were brutally tortured and killed by a psychopath known as Clovehitch—that rocked the community more than a decade ago. When Tyler discovers a cache of disturbing images in his father’s possession, he begins to suspect that the man he trusts most in the world may be Clovehitch—and that his deadly rampage may not be over.
‘The Worst Person in the World’ (Hulu)
The Worst Person in The World is a modern dramedy about the quest for love and meaning in contemporary Oslo. It chronicles four years in the life of Julie (Renate Reinsve), a young woman who navigates the troubled waters of her love life and struggles to find her career path, leading her to take a realistic look at who she really is.
‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’ (Netflix)
This documentary takes an intimate look at America’s favorite neighbor: Mister Fred Rogers. A portrait of a man whom we all think we know, this emotional and moving film takes us beyond the zip-up cardigans and the land of make-believe, and into the heart of a creative genius who inspired generations of children with compassion and limitless imagination.
CONTINUED WEEKLY EPISODES:
‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ (Paramount+)
Paramount+ continues its all-in approach to the Star Trek universe with yet another series to add the franchise. This latest is based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The series will feature fan favorites from season two of Star Trek: Discovery. Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock. The series will follow Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock and Number One in the years before Captain Kirk boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy. The first seven episodes are now streaming.
‘Tehran (Season 2)’ (Apple TV+)
Tamar (Niv Sultan) is a Mossad hacker-agent who infiltrates Tehran under a false identity to help destroy Iran’s nuclear reactor. But when the mission fails and she’s trapped in a new life, Tamar must plan an operation that will place everyone dear to her in jeopardy. Glenn Close joins the second season. All episodes are now streaming.
‘The Baby’ (HBO Max)
The new limited series blends horror and comedy in a surrealist study on motherhood. When a controlling baby with violent powers mysteriously lands in Natasha’s (Michelle de Swarte) lap, she must figure out how to wrestle her life back: She doesn’t want a baby. The baby wants her. All episodes are now streaming.
‘Barry (Season 3)’
Desperate to leave his violent past behind in favor of his newfound passion, Barry (Hader) is attempting to untangle himself from the world of contract killing and fully immerse himself in acting. But getting out is messy. While Barry has eliminated many of the external factors that pushed him towards violence, he soon discovers they weren’t the only forces at play. What is it about his own psyche that led him to become a killer in the first place? All episodes are now streaming.
‘The Offer’ (Paramount+)
This biographical dramatic miniseries tells the true story of producer Al Ruddy’s (Miles Teller) experience of making the 1972 film The Godfather with Francis Ford Coppola. From development to production, the series lays out the process of creating one of the greatest films of all time. All episodes are now streaming.
‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ (Disney+)
The story begins 10 years after the dramatic events of “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” where Obi-Wan Kenobi faced his greatest defeat—the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, who turned to the dark side as evil Sith Lord Darth Vader. The series stars Ewan McGregor, reprising his role as the iconic Jedi Master, and also marks the return of Hayden Christensen in the role of Darth Vader. The first five episodes are now streaming with the finale arriving next week.
‘Ms. Marvel’ (Disney+)
The latest Disney+ series to come from the mighty Marvel universe focuses on one of the comics’ newest heroes. Kamala (Iman Vellani) is a superhero fan with an imagination, particularly when it comes to Captain Marvel; Kamala feels like she doesn’t fit in at school and sometimes even at home, that is until she gets superpowers like the heroes she’s looked up to. The coming-of-age story is likely to pay off big in future installments for the MCU. The first two episodes are now streaming.
‘The Orville: New Horizons’ (Hulu)
Seth McFarlane’s sci-fi series finally returns with a move to Hulu just in time for its third season. Set 400 years in the future, New Horizons finds the crew of the U.S.S. Orville continuing their mission of exploration, as they navigate both the mysteries of the universe and the complexities of their own interpersonal relationships. The first three episodes are now streaming.
‘For All Mankind (Season 3)’ (Apple TV+)
For All Mankind is a sprawling story that began with a provocative premise: What if the Russians landed on the moon first, before Americans? The space race never ended and the two Cold War foes only ramped up the competition to colonize the moon and beyond. Season 3 jumps ahead in this alternate history into the 90s, where Americans, Soviets, and a mysterious private company are all tussling over the future of mankind on Mars. The first two episodes are now streaming.
‘Irma Vep’ (HBO Max)
Mira (Alicia Vikander) is an American movie star disillusioned by her career and a recent breakup, who comes to France to star as “Irma Vep” in a remake of the French silent film classic, “Les Vampires.” Set against the backdrop of a lurid crime thriller, Mira struggles as the distinctions between herself and the character she plays begin to blur and merge. The first two episodes are now streaming.
Also streaming now:
Netflix – ‘Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America’, ‘Centaur’, ‘God’s Favorite Idiot’, ‘Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies and the Internet’, ‘Speed Kills’
Hulu – ‘WarHunt’, ‘The Free Fall’, ‘The Burning Plain’, ‘Europa Report’, ‘Frontera’, ‘The Good Doctor’, ‘I Melt With You’, ‘Obsessed with the Babysitter’, ‘Scary Movie 5’, ‘Secrets of a Gold Digger Killer’, ‘The Wrecking Crew’, ‘Two Lovers’, ‘World’s Greatest Dad’
Shudder – ‘All About Evil’
HBO Max – ‘Father of the Bride’, ‘Non-stop’
Disney+ – ‘Love, Victor’, ‘Life Below Zero: The Next Generation (Season 3)’, ‘The Wonder Years’
Paramount+ – ‘Jerry & Marge Go Large’
COMING NEXT WEEK:
Netflix – ‘It’, ‘Philomena’, ‘Doom of Love’, ‘Sing 2’, ‘The Mist’, ‘The Umbrella Academy (Season 3)’, ‘The Man from Toronto’, ‘Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area’
Hulu – ‘The Ledge’, ‘Ted K’, ‘The Bear’, ‘The Burning Sea’
Shudder – ‘Revealer’, ‘The Freakmaker’, ‘Grizzly’, ‘Day of the Animals’
HBO Max – ‘Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes’, ‘Tuca & Bertie (Season 2)’
Disney+ – ‘Rise’, ‘Trevor: The Musical’
Apple TV+ – ‘Loot’