It’s a globe-trotting week for the many new movies and shows on streaming. An international murder mystery comedy, a continent-jumping sci-fi series, a true story about America’s follies in the War on Terror, and romantic comedies centered in New York and London are just some of the enticing titles.
What to watch on Netflix
Murder Mystery 2
Few things unite people quite like an Adam Sandler comedy, and the perennial funny-man is returning with a sequel. Murder Mystery 2 sees Sandler and Jennifer Aniston star as Nick and Audrey Spitz, a married couple who have opened their own private investigation agency following the events of their first crime-solving success. Now, they must look into the kidnapping of a beloved billionaire friend at his own wedding. Mélanie Laurent, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Mark Strong round out the cast, along with plenty of other usual comedy suspects. Murder Mystery 2 premieres Friday, March 31st.
The Mauritanian
This politically-charged legal drama comes from the real-life story of Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a man detained at Guantanamo Bay for fourteen years over suspicions that he was part of the September 11th plot. The Mauritanian depicts the complex legal battle between a wrongfully imprisoned suspected terrorist and the United States government, detailing everything from the torture used in Guantanamo to the blind patriotism of those who allowed it. Tahar Rahim stars as Slahi, with Jodie Foster and Shailene Woodley playing his lawyers and Benedict Cumberbatch serving as the government’s representative. The Mauritanian starts streaming Saturday, April 1st.
What to watch on Hulu
Rye Lane
Rye Lane is a delightful new rom-com with a healthily heavy dose of Britishness mixed in. Twenty-somethings Yas and Dom are both in the throes of their own respective bad break-ups, but they find a kindred soul and a mate to spend the rest of the day with in each other. The film has plenty of cheeky nods to its genre’s roots, blending silly, slapstick beats with moments of blossoming romance, all with the surprisingly bright backdrop of South London. Charming and chuckle-worthy in equal measure, it’s a great movie to kick off your weekend. Rye Lane premieres Friday, March 31st.
What to watch on Amazon Prime
The Power
Based on the popular novel of the same name, The Power imagines a world where girls and women suddenly develop the ability to control electricity, turning gender roles and expectations on their head. The sci-fi drama creates the basis of a global matriarchy, starting with Margot (Toni Collette), the mayor of Seattle and mother of three, and traveling across the globe to tell the other women’s stories. Auli’i Cravalho, John Leguizamo, and Toheeb Jimoh also star. With an all-female writer’s room and only women in the director’s chair for the nine episodes, the series refreshingly practices what it’s preaching too. The Power premieres Friday, March 31st.
Bros
As absurd as it may sound for as far as we think we’ve come, last year’s Bros was the first rom-com centering on gay men produced by a major studio. That milestone and its many implications aside, Bros does the genre proud. Billy Eichner stars as a podcasting activist who has recently accepted a position as a curator at a new LGBTQ+ museum. He’s also proudly single. So when a hot guy flirts with him at a night club, he knows this guy is not worth his time — unless he actually is. Bros streams starting Tuesday, April 4th.
What to watch on HBO Max
Lemon
For fans of the indie crime comedy Zola, writer-director Janicza Bravo’s earlier film Lemon comes to streaming this week, and it’s just as offbeat. Brett Gelman stars as a struggling actor-slash-acting teacher, slumping his way through life. His girlfriend leaves him, his family is messy, and his students are becoming more successful than him — typical bleak indie comedy stuff. It’s weird, it’s unconventional, and sometimes it’s even uncomfortable, but it’s in the wheelhouse of the cast and crew, including supporting actors Michael Cera, Judy Greer, Nia Long, and Gillian Jacobs. Lemon will be available to stream starting Saturday, April 1st.
What to watch on Apple TV+
Schmigadoon!
Schmigadoon! returns for its second season next week, this time with a new twist. While the musical comedy began as a parody of Golden Age musicals of the ‘40s and ‘50s, this season serves as an homage to the more risqué theater of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key reprise their roles as a New York City couple who are eager to get away from their day jobs and return to the magical, musical town of Schmigadoon. Ensemble cast members Dove Cameron, Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Ariana DeBose, Jane Krakowski, and Aaron Tveit also return. Season 2 of Schmigadoon! premieres Wednesday, April 5th.
What to Watch is a regular endorsement of movies and TV worth your streaming time.
