Whether you want to experience 18th century debauchery or see Jennifer Lopez get your ass kicked, this week’s list has something for you. Dramas, comedies and a few mysteries continue to stream interestingly this week, so be sure to scroll and watch!
What to watch on Netflix
The mother
From the director of the recent live-action Mulan comes an exciting new action movie starring Jennifer Lopez. The mother features the multi-talented star as a former assassin who comes out of hiding to save her daughter from a dangerous gang of kidnappers – think Taken but with JLo. It’s an exciting departure from the actress’s recent return to rom-coms, and she gets to show off another one of her particular skills. The film gives Lopez a bevy of friends who could very well turn out to be enemies, starring Omari Hardwick, Gael García Bernal and Joseph Fiennes. The mother premieres on Friday, May 12e.
What to watch on Hulu
The big
Huzzah, for season 3 of The big coming in this weekend! Elle Fanning returns as Catherine the Great, Russia’s longest-reigning female ruler, in this razor-sharp historical drama series. Anarchically anachronistic, the show highlights the debauchery and political turmoil of the court in 18th century Russia. Nicholas Hoult works wonders as the petulant Emperor Peter, and he and Fanning work to create a delightfully toxic dynamic as their characters vie for the throne and each other’s affections. Last season welcomed a new baby, old mommy issues, and a few assassination attempts, so anything is possible in the upcoming episodes. Season 3 of The big premieres on Friday, May 12e.
Saint Omer
This award-winning French legal drama “is so gripping that you can hardly take your eyes off the screen afterwards.” The French documentary maker Alice Diop first focused on making narrative films with Saint Omer, a movie based on her own experience watching a trial of a mother accused of killing her child. The story follows a pregnant novelist and literature professor as she hopes to find inspiration in the court proceedings, but instead finds herself entranced by the story and the mother’s struggles. It’s a smart and deeply felt drama, one that emphasizes humanity above all else. Saint Omer streams from Friday 12 Maye.
What to watch on HBO Max
Land of gold
In this non-traditional road trip film, a first-generation Punjabi-American truck driver helps a young Latina stowaway and struggles with his own experiences with the American Dream. Kiran is about to become a father, with a heavily pregnant wife almost demanding that he stop taking jobs until the baby is born. He goes against her wishes and, whether for the money or for the brief stint of quasi-freedom, takes a last-minute job that involves more than he bargained for: namely, an undocumented pre-teen girl who asks to take with you abroad. . Land of gold will be available to stream starting Monday, May 15e.
What to watch on Apple TV+
City on fire
An adaptation of the hit novel of the same name, City on fire tells the story of a citywide unraveling that takes place after a mysterious murder. When an NYU student is gunned down in Central Park on the 4e In July, a web of strange connections emerges between the city’s underground music scene, the wealthiest real estate mogul and a strange set of crusaders from the university. It all takes place in New York City circa 2003, and the city is just as important as any of the actors in the mystery ensemble. City on fire premieres on Friday, May 12e.
High desert
For lovers of Poker face who miss the series, High desert might just be the perfect show to fill that Natasha Lyonne mystery-solving hole. Patricia Arquette stars as Peggy, an addict who decides to become a private investigator after the death of her mother. In her small California desert town, Peggy makes her way into a failing PI firm (run by Brad Garrett), tries to evade her very charming ex (Matt Dillon) and deals with a newly minted mystic guru (Rupert Friend) . The southwestern setting keeps things wonderfully dusty, fringed and goofy, which is all you really need in a show like this. High desert premieres on Wednesday, May 17e.
What to watch is a regular endorsement of movies and TV worth your streaming time.
