Zombies, romance, and villains. Coupledom and comedy, too. Do you want to know where you’ll find the best bang for your buck among the streaming services? As always (and this is still a great problem to have), there’s a ton of fresh content on tap this week, so we are here to help you decide which service will bring you the most joy, if you only had to pick one… or two of them.
This week, the top prize goes to Netflix, which is bringing us a highly anticipated zombie flick (from Zack Snyder) that will keep your home theater fires burning, along with the return of Aziz Ansari’s brainchild after a four-year absence and a few other fresh selections. The runner up this weekend would be Hulu, which has a fantastic new animated Marvel series starring Patton Oswalt, and not too far behind would be HBO Max, which has two more new episodes of Jean Smart’s new series and more. Be sure to check out the new anthology series from Amazon Prime and a joint project from Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry on Apple TV+, all while Disney+ and Paramount+ have a few intriguing options as well. You’ll never be bored with all of these offerings.
Netflix
Army Of The Dead (Netflix film) — Zack Snyder’s pretty much the King of Streaming at the moment after Justice League scored big for HBO Max on the superhero front, and he’s spreading his love around over at Netflix while going back to his undead-loving roots. This zombie-heist movie follows a group of mercenaries who head into the Las Vegas quarantine zone to pull off the ultimate heist. Watch out for those intelligent zombies, through, and an undead tiger. Fortunately, Dave Bautista is aided by hot Tig Notaro (who replaced Chris D’Elia) — both good reasons to root for humanity.
Master of None: Season 3 (Netflix series) — It’s been (four) years since we’ve seen Aziz Ansari’s brainchild do its thing, and that’s not even (officially, at least) down to the pandemic. Ansari’s been largely out of the public eye following sexual misconduct allegations, although he did emerge a few years ago for an insightful comedy special that goes a long way to show that gazing inward, and this new batch of episodes proves it. Aziz takes a step behind the camera to direct in a season that he cowrote with the Emmy-winning Lena Waithe, whose character moves to the forefront.
Who Killed Sara?: Season 2 (Netflix series) — Alex Guzmán’s working hard to uncover the Lazcano family’s darkest secrets, which might have something to do with his sister’s death. In the process, he unmasks Sara’s true nature that she kept hidden from almost everyone. Meanwhile, a mystery corpse is discovered buried in his patio, which doesn’t help the whole return-to-prison factor. Enjoy all of those investigative hats, dude.
Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous: Season 3 (Netflix series) — Honestly, it’s amazing that this series keeps cranking out the seasons during the pandemic, and these wild-and-crazy campers are still on the run from dinosaurs during their supposedly idealistic summer camp experience. Maybe don’t mess with nature, adults? And kids, stop thinking that baby T-Rexes are adorable. Nothing good can come of that, ever.
Hulu
Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. (Hulu series) — Patton Oswalt’s indisputable knack for voice work recently managed to shock The Boys audience (that’s what happens when you “cameo” as a set of gills for the lead pervert character), and now he’s the leading man in a very adult-oriented animated series. Here, Oswalt’s portraying an egomaniacal supervillain (with a massive, unwieldy noggin) who’s struggling to balance his day job as a bad dude with family life (it happens, even to the most evil among us!). In the process, he’s gotta deal with a certain busybody named Tony Stark/Iron Man, who’s voiced by freaking Jon Hamm. Expect to hear Bill Hader, Whoopi Goldberg, Ben Schwartz, and Nathan Fillion all join the chorus as everyone on this show seems to want to push a bad man down.
Shrill: Season 3 (Hulu series) — The Lorne Michaels and Elizabeth Banks-produced series picks up with Aidy Bryant’s Annie feeling good about breaking up with her awful boyfriend and crushing everything at work. However, now that she can have everything that she wants, she must decide, you know, what she really wants. A blind date, an embarrassing doctor’s visit, and a wild girl’s night are all on tap this season, so get ready to be vicariously awkward.
HBO Max
Hacks (HBO Max series premiere) — Jean Smart’s not-so-quiet domination of recent prestige TV shows (Fargo, Watchmen, Mare of Easttown, Legion) and other popular shows of late (Big Mouth, Dirty John) has finally culminated with this leading-lady turn in a role she was arguably meant to play. Hacks hails from executive producer Michael Schur and has three Broad City alums in the writers’ room, so get ready for a (Las Vegas) buffet of complex female characters. Smart portrays a legendary comedian who forges a “dark mentorship” to a 20-something newcomer in town. Don’t miss this one.
Pause With Sam Jay (HBO Max series) — Emmy-nominated SNL writer Sam Jay will host a six-episode season that hopes to revamp the late-night talk show format with each episode taking place at Sam’s apartment, where she’s throwing a party. Each group will dive into divisive cultural issues, so get ready for some feisty conversations and, hopefully, a sense of understanding between those who hold different perspectives.
Gomorrah: Season 4 (HBO Max+ series) — The Italian crime drama shifts focus toward the lone Savastano dynasty survivor, Genny, who’s morphed from a Mafia brat into the family boss. Naturally, he’s also dealing with family drama, and he’s currently on his best behavior while there’s (of course) that Corleone-like struggle going on with some parties (to shift into legit business interests) while others embrace the life of underground crime.
Adventure Time: Distant Lands – Together Again (HBO Max series) — Cartoon Network heroes Finn and Jake are far from home following a break from adventuring. Mysterious events have transformed their current situation beyond expectations, and they must face off with an evil entity and, as the title indicates, take an adventure.
Mare Of Easttown (HBO series streaming on HBO Max) — Kate Winslet returns not only to TV but to HBO (a decade after her award-winning Mildred Pierce turn) to star as a hard-vaping detective in a small town where she both portrays and elevates the “complicated” cop trope. She’s captivating while digging into a murder mystery that has rocked her small town and caused the community to feel utterly claustrophobic. This show will suck you in, and you won’t mind one bit.
The Nevers (HBO series streaming on HBO Max) — This Joss Whedon-created show offers an intriguing setup about a group of “orphans” (almost exclusively women) who find themselves “gifted” with supernaturally-powered abilities. Although there’s far too many plot lines (and some plot holes), there’s also a fair amount of butt-kicking, and the atmosphere is killer. The embattled Buffy and Firefly creator officially exited the series last year, but you won’t be able to forget his presence.
Amazon Prime
Solos (Amazon Prime limited series) — This dramatic anthology series, which hails from David Weil (who also created Hunters), aims to explore the power of human connection while gazing through the eyes of seven individuals, who embody their own stories. The series stars Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway, Helen Mirren, Uzo Aduba, Nicole Beharie, Anthony Mackie, Dan Stevens, and Constance Wu, and expect to witness stories that will illuminate the human experience, even during times of isolation.
P!NK: All I Know So Far (Amazon Prime film) — The impressively long-lasting pop star invites fans to take a behind-the-scenes look at how she wrestles with balancing her career, including grueling tour schedules, and her family life. The energizing documentary will take viewers through the process of prepping for 2019’s Beautiful Trauma world tour, which included her very first Wembley Stadium show.
The Underground Railroad (Amazon Prime limited series) — Awe-inspiring cinematography aside in this trailer, one of the biggest attractions to this project, of course, is Oscar winner Barry Jenkins in the director’s seat. Also, Brad Pitt’s executive producing here through his Plan B production company. The story chronicles the desperate bid for freedom by slave Cora Randall (newcomer Thuso Mbedu) as she’s pursued by a bounty hunter, Ridgeway (Joel Edgerton). The ensemble cast includes William Jackson Harper (as Royal, who was born free and helps guide Cora along part of her journey), Lily Rabe, and Damon “Dewey Crowe” Herriman.
Apple TV+
The Me You Can’t See (Apple TV+ series) — On the heels of *that* interview, Prince Harry and Oprah are teaming up as co-creators and executive producers of this series that will dig into stories that revolve around mental health and emotional well-being. Expect a variety of guests, including Lady Gaga, the NBA’s DeMar DeRozan and Langston Galloway, plus a popular chef, and more.
1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything (Apple TV series) — This docuseries dives into a year that was overstuffed with musical innovation and a sense of rebirth, all of which was fueled by cultural and political upheaval. Artists obliterated boundaries and stars reached higher than they’d ever done before this fateful moment.
Trying: Season 2 (Apple TV+ series) — Esther Smith and Rafe Spall return as a married couple who are painstakingly wading through the adoption process after learning that they’re unable to conceive a biological child. That particular angle on parenthood isn’t frequently tackled on TV, but as the couple moves past conquering the almighty adoption panel, they’ve got even harder work ahead of them. This show’s already landed a Season 3 renewal, so there’s an ultimate plan out there for this couple.
Mythic Quest: Season 2 (Apple TV+ series) — Two pandemic specials sustained viewers between seasons of Rob McElhenney’s workplace comedy, which shall see plenty of awkward maneuvering while the crew comes back to the office after you-know-what forced the work-at-home situation. The best news: Snoop Dogg stops by this season to spread his feel-good… vibes.
Disney+
Inside Pixar: Unpacked (Disney+ series) — This docuseries packs a whole lot into its batch premiere. The season will dive into the artistry and culture within Pixar animation studios and emerge with a look at villains, the character known as “time,” the balance that the studio aims to strike between realistic characters and caricature, and the importance of background characters. The whole thing’s narrated by W. Kamau Bell, so you’re in for an extra special treat.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch: Episode 3 (Disney+ series) — You might prefer to think of this show as the Star Wars franchise’s version of D.C.’s Suicide Squad, but fear no Leto-Joker intrusion. Instead, this The Clone Wars spinoff follows the conclusion of its flagship series that recently wound down on Disney+. Dave Filoni is executive producing, and the show focuses on a mercenary squad of sorts that’s made up of (as the title indicates) “the Bad Batch” or Clone Force 99. These elite soldiers stand apart from standard clones due to their unique physical capabilities like super strength, super eyesight, and so on.
Paramount+
From Cradle To Stage (Paramount+ series) — This Dave Grohl-directed series follows Dave and his mom, Virginia, meeting up with another artist and their mom each week. This time, iconic country singer Miranda Lambert joins in the fun. in Lindale, Texas. Her mom’s her manager and also a former private investigator, so of course, she’s a badass, too. Moms rule, and so does Dave Grohl.
