9 new TV shows and movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and more this week

[Karlston]

9 new TV shows and movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and more this week

What you can watch this week

(Image credit: SAEED ADYANI/NETFLIX)

 

As the lockdown continues for many of us around the world, the packed release schedules of Netflix and other streaming services suddenly are a bit of a blessing. Below, we've picked out eight highlights you can enjoy on Netflix and Amazon Prime this week, including a couple of movies and two documentaries.

 

They're a varied bunch, including a new sci-fi comedy from the creator of The Office,
an eyebrow-raising Knives Out imitator and the latest big series from American Horror Story maestro Ryan Murphy. Hopefully you'll find something here to put on your watch list this week. 

Never Have I Ever

 

Never Have I Ever is a teen comedy drama from The Office and The Mindy Project's Mindy Kaling, so you're guaranteed a few laughs this new show. It's about an Indian American high-school girl who attempts to reinvent herself in the hopes of finding romance. The above trailer is pretty promising, if you're usually averse to shows primarily featuring teenagers. 

 

To be honest, it's nice that there's a teen show where a) the actors mostly look the right age for their characters and b) the premise isn't about the darker side of youth (13 Reasons Why and I Am Not Okay With This, for example). 

 

Now streaming on Netflix

Explained (Netflix)

 

Netflix dropped a new episode of the excellent documentary series Explained on Sunday, this time focused on (what else?) coronavirus. The thought of spending any more of your spare time learning about this killer virus may not be appealing, but this'll only take up 26 minutes of your time, and it'll be well-informed.

 

Now streaming on Netflix

Upload (Amazon Prime)

 

 

The trailer above sure makes this new comedy series look like a knock-off of The Good Place, but we've seen four episodes of the show, and it's a very different beast. Created by The Office's Greg Daniels, Upload stars Robbie Amell as a smart but vain jerk who is nearing death after an automated car accident. To preserve his being, his consciousness is uploaded into a digital afterlife (somewhat against his consent). 

 

 

 

He then bonds with the moderator of this digital space, and begins to uncover sinister details about the circumstances that led to his death. Amell's character steadily becomes more likeable over the course of the series (even if he's slightly too handsome for a comedy lead), and the dystopian tech elements give this a different edge to The Good Place.

 

Streaming on Amazon Prime Video from May 1

Parks and Recreation (NBC)

(Image credit: Parks & Recreation / NBC)

NBC comedy favorite Parks and Recreation gets a reunion episode this week, featuring all of the original cast (including Chris Pratt) and shot from home, in lockdown. The whole thing is a fundraising effort for Feeding America, and it was conceived by series creator Michael Schur. The episode airs on Thursday April 30 in the US at 8.30pm ET/PT, and it'll stream the next day on NBC.com.

 

Streaming from May 1 on NBC.com

Hollywood (Netflix)

 

 

American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy's next big Netflix drama is about the golden age of its titular setting, following a group of people who will do anything to make it big. 

 

 

Hollywood looks extremely expensive, based on the trailer. If you're worried this'll just be a depressing amalgamation of stories about the nasty side of fame, the likes of which are told excellently in the podcast You Must Remember This, it won't just be about that. Hollywood will apparently have an aspirational, revisionist angle to Hollywood's history as well.

Murphy's last series, The Politician, didn't seem to leave much of a lasting impact, so it'll be interesting to see if this takes off. 

 

Streaming on Netflix from 1 May

All Day and a Night (Netflix)

 

 

If you're in the mood for a heavy-hitting drama, Jeffrey Wright stars in this film about a young man who tries to avoid ending up in the same cruel cycle as his father. All Day and a Night is from Black Panther co-writer Joe Robert Cole, but be wary of the above trailer, as it seems to give away a lot of the film's story. 

 

Streaming on Netflix from May 1

Extracurricular (Netflix)

 

 

Extracurricular is a South Korean drama about a successful student who indulges in a dangerous life of crime to help pay the cost of living. Soon, though, he'll attract the interest of a couple of troublesome classmates who start to take an interest in what he's up to, which is when events take a nasty turn. The entire first season is coming this week. 

 

Streaming on Netflix from April 29

Dangerous Lies (Netflix)

 

 

How do you feel about a worse-looking version of Knives Out? It's hard not to think about Rian Johnson's brilliant mystery movie when you see the trailer for this film, even though their similarities are hopefully just a coincidence. A wealthy man (Elliot Gould, still handsome) leaves his fortune to his carer (Camila Mendes, who you may recognize from Riverdale), which rouses suspicion. Dangerous Lies looks a little...trashy based on the trailer above, but it's a new film released at a time when all the cinemas are closed. It is, therefore, something you can watch. If you want to.

 

Streaming on Netflix from April 30

Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story (Netflix)

 

 

This true crime documentary is about Cyntoia Brown, who was 16 when she was sentenced to life in prison for murder and robbery, but ultimately released when her sentence was commuted. Brown herself, now released, says this documentary does not feature her participation, though, calling it 'unauthorized'. Keep that in mind if you decide to give it a look. 

 

Streaming from April 29

 

 

Source: 9 new TV shows and movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and more this week (TechRadar)