A young woman (Erin Doherty) obsessed with the seemingly perfect life of a childhood friend turns from online stalking to social infiltration after her friend's suicide in the limited series "Chloe" (2022, TV-MA). The British psychological thriller follows the emboldened woman down the rabbit hole of false identities and confidence games. All six episodes streaming. (Amazon Prime Video)
Maya Rudolph stars in the comedy "Loot: Season 1" (TV-MA) as a high-living society woman whose dream life is upended by a cheating husband and public divorce. She decides to find herself—and put her fortune to good use—by throwing herself into charity work. Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Ron Funches, Nat Faxon, and Joel Kim Booster costar. Three episodes available, new episodes on Fridays. (Apple TV+)
In "The Bear: Season 1" (not rated), a successful chef (Jeremy Allen White) returns home after a death in his family to run a Chicago sandwich shop. The dark comedy drops the drama of a restaurant reality show in the dysfunctional kitchen of a struggling family business. All episodes streaming. (Hulu)
Rowan Atkinson returns to the physical comedy of "Mr. Bean" in "Man Vs Bee: Season 1" (TV-PG), playing a sweetly incompetent housesitter in a high-tech mansion bedeviled by… well, it's all in the title. (Netflix)
The animated musical sequel "Sing 2" (2021, PG) reunites the tuneful critters to take their show on the road. Returning voice cast members Matthew McConaughey, Taron Egerton, Scarlett Johansson, and Reese Witherspoon are joined by Bono as a reclusive rock star they coax out of retirement. (Netflix)
"Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe" (2022, PG-13) brings the idiot best friends back to the screen for the first time in over a decade with an animated feature that promises to be "the dumbest science fiction film ever made." Mike Judge writes, directs, and voices the bumbling buddies and the voice cast includes Gary Cole, Chris Diamantopoulos, Nat Faxon, Tig Notaro, and Jimmy O. Yang. (Paramount+)
Kevin Hart is a hapless salesman who is mistaken for a notorious assassin known only as "The Man from Toronto" (2022, PG-13) and is enlisted by the CIA to impersonate the killer (played by Woody Harrelson). It's a buddy action comedy from "The Hitman's Bodyguard" director Patrick Hughes. (Netflix)
Pay-Per-View / Video on Demand
Nicolas Cage plays the role he was born to play—movie star Nicolas Cage—in the self-aware action comedy "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" (2022, R). Also on DVD and at Redbox.
"The Bad Guys" (2022, PG) try their hand at being good guys in the animated comedy featuring the voices of Sam Rockwell, Craig Robinson, and Awkwafina. Also on DVD and at Redbox.
Now for rent at non-premium rates are Michael Bay's action thriller "Ambulance" (2022, R), which is also streaming on Peacock, and "The Batman" (2022, PG-13) with Robert Pattinson, also streaming on HBO Max.
Available same day as select theaters is "Flux Gourmet" (2022), Peter Strickland's surreal drama set at an avant-garde institute that marries cuisine and music.
Netflix
The third season of the offbeat superhero series "The Umbrella Academy" (TV-MA) pits the dysfunctional family of adoptive siblings against an alternate timeline team called The Sparrow Academy. (Netflix)
A group of kids are haunted and hunted by a demonic clown (Bill Skarsgard) in the sleeper horror movie hit "It" (2017, R), based on the Stephen King novel.
Dame Judi Dench stars in "Philomena" (2013, PG-13) as a working class woman in search of the child she was forced to give up for adoption decades ago when she was an unwed Irish teenager.
True stories: "Civil" (2022, PG-13) puts a spotlight on maverick civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who helped the families of George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, and Breonna Taylor seek justice. Also new:
- "The Future Of: Season 1" (TV-14), a look at new technologies that could revolutionize the world, narrated by Jurnee Smollet;
- "The Hidden Lives of Pets" (2022, TV-PG), narrated by Hugh Bonneville;
- Oscar-nominated "Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom" (2021, TV-14).
Streaming TV: the British reality series "Snowflake Mountain: Season 1" (TV-MA) sends spoiled young adults to a wilderness camp. Also newly arrived:
- supernatural shows "Charmed: Season 4" (TV-14) and "Legacies: Season 4" (TV-14) from CW;
- the first seasons of the Nickelodeon shows "Kenan and Kel" (1996-1997, TV-G) with young Kenan Thompson, "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide" (2004-2006, TV-G), and "Zoey 101" (2004-2006, TV-G)
International TV: "Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area" (South Korea, TV-MA, with subtitles) reinvents the hit Spanish series for a heist of the Korean Mint.-
International passport: a high school grad spends a summer in Rome in the teen romantic comedy "Love & Gelato" (2022, Italy).
Stand-up: "Joel Kim Booster: Psychosexual" (TV-MA).
Hulu
In the coming-of-age drama "Wildhood" (2022, not rated), a two-spirit Mi’kmaw teenager (Phillip Lewitski) and his younger half-brother (Avery Winters-Anthony) leave their abusive father to find the elder boy's birth mother.
Sharlto Copley plays Ted Kaczynski in "Ted K" (2021, R), a drama about the making of the Unabomber.
The final season of the science fiction series "Motherland: Fort Salem" (TV-14) begins with new episodes on Wednesdays.
HBO Max
A Dominican family starts a new life in 1980s Miami in semi-autobiographical, family comedy "Gordita Chronicles: Season 1" (PG).
The six-part docuseries "Mind Over Murder" (TV-14) delves into the death of 68-year-old grandmother in 1985 and the exoneration of the six people convicted of her murder decades later. New episodes on Mondays. More true stories:
- "Endangered" (2022, TV-14) chronicles journalists under threat in free and democratic countries;
- "Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes" (2022, TV-14) features newly uncovered archival footage and recorded interviews with survivors of the nuclear disaster;
- "Menudo: Forever Young" (2022, TV-MA) casts light on the dark story behind the famous Latin American boy band.
Streaming TV: the complete third season of the cult comedy "Wellington Paranormal" (TV-PG) now streams.
Disney+
The inspirational drama "Rise" (2022, PG) tells the true story of Antetokounmpo brothers, Nigerian immigrants who learned basketball on the streets of Greece and were drafted by the NBA.
"Trevor: The Musical" (2022, not rated) gives viewers a front-row seat to a performance of the off-Broadway stage production.
Amazon Prime Video
Rodrigo Santoro stars as Magellan in "Boundless: Season 1" (Spain, TV-MA, with subtitles), a drama about the first voyage to successfully sail around the world. Simon West directs the international production.
Streaming TV: Australian pop star Betty Who hosts the reality dating series "The One That Got Away" (2022, TV-MA).
Other streams
The home makeover series "Hip Hop My House: Season 1" (TV-PG) turns a superfan's home into a tribute to their favorite rap artist. (Paramount+)
"Hidden: Season 3" (not rated) brings the Welsh crime drama to an end. (Acorn TV)
Two young women must hide their love in "Circumstance" (Iran, 2011, with subtitles), a drama that lifts the veil on Iranian society forced underground. (Criterion Channel)
New on disc and available at Redbox:
"The Unbearable Talent of Massive Talent," "The Bad Guys"
Sean Axmaker is a Seattle film critic and writer. His reviews of streaming movies and TV can be found at https://streamondemandathome.com.
Copyright © 2022 by Sean Axmaker
