Kate Winslet stars as a police detective in "Mare of Easttown" (TV-MA), a limited series crime drama steeped in the depressed culture of its small Pennsylvania town, where everyone knows everybody else and they all hold grudges and secrets in equal measure. Winslet's divorced, beaten-down cop, still haunted by an unsolved case of a missing teenager, bears the brunt of both when a dead body is found. As much character drama as murder mystery, it is sustained by the performances of Winslet and Jean Smart, who plays her sneering mother. Julianne Nicholson and Guy Pearce costar and the seven episode limited series, created and written by Brad Ingelsby, is directed by independent filmmaker Craig Zobel. New episodes Sundays. (HBO Max and all HBO platforms)
Also set in a small Northeastern town, the comedy "Rutherford Falls: Season 1" (TV-14) stars Ed Helms as a clueless guy whose obsession with championing his family legacy (his ancestor founded the town) collides with the Native American community, including his best friend (Jana Schmieding), curator of a small tribal cultural center at the nearby reservation. Helms created the comedy with Mike Schur ("Parks and Recreation" and "The Good Place") and Sierra Teller Ornelas ("Superstore"), and it uses Schur's brand of character comedy to take on issues of history, representation, and identity. The writing team features numerous Indigenous writers who give the Native culture a dimensionality not seen before on American TV. New episodes each Thursday. (Peacock)
The historical fantasy epic "Shadow and Bone: Season 1" (TV-MA) follows the journey of an orphan (Jessie Mei Li) who discovers she holds powerful magic and trains with an elite army of magical soldiers. Developed by Oscar-nominated screenwriter/producer Eric Heisserer ("Arrival") from the young adult fantasy novels of Leigh Bardugo, it's Netflix's attempt at a young adult version of "Game of Thrones, complete with an imagined past of rival kingdoms, political intrigue, monsters, and magic, and featuring a cast of teenage heroes. (Netflix)
International passport: With the addition of "Quo Vadis, Aida?" (Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2020, not rated, with subtitles), "Better Days" (China, 2019, PG, with subtitles), and "The Man Who Sold His Skin" (Tunisia, 2020, not rated, with subtitles), all five Oscar nominees for best international feature are now streaming on Hulu.
True stories: "Secrets of the Whales" (2021, TV-PG) delves into the complex communication skills and social structures of five whale species (Disney+) and "Life in Color with David Attenborough" (TV-PG) uses revolutionary camera technology to reveal the extraordinary and never-before-seen ways animals use color to survive and thrive (Netflix). Both limited series documentaries debut for Earth Day.
"Mortal
Kombat" (2021, R), the new big screen spinoff
of the hit video game, stars Lewis Tan as a fighter taking on the
champions from all the realms in a battle to the death. Jessica
McNamee, Josh Lawson, Joe Taslim, and Tadanobu Asano costar. It
debuts the same day it opens in theaters and streams for 31 days
only. (HBO Max)
Last chance: the giant monster mash-up
"Godzilla
vs. Kong" (2021, PG-13) leaves HBO Max on
April 30.
Pay-Per-View / Video on Demand
In the romantic comedy "We Broke Up" (2021, not rated), a couple (Aya Cash and William Jackson Harper) pretends to be happily in love at a friend's wedding.
Netflix
The lives of astronauts on a mission to Mars are jeopardized by a "Stowaway" (2021, TV-MA) in the science fiction thriller starring Anna Kendrick, Toni Collette, Daniel Dae Kim, and Shamier Anderson.
Jessica Chastain is a high-powered lobbyist who takes on the gun lobby in "Miss Sloane" (2016, R), a drama of cold-blooded politics and morality for sale.
Ron Howard directs the racing drama "Rush" (2013, R) starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl as real-life Formula One rivals James Hunt and Niki Lauda.
True stories: "Chadwick Boseman: Portrait of an Artist" (2021, TV-MA) pays tribute to the late actor with remembrances from costars, directors, and others. Also new is "Searching For Sheela" (India, 2021, TV-MA, with subtitles), a follow-up to "Wild Wild Country" focused on former Rajneesh commune spokesperson Ma Anand Sheela.
International passport: a shy teenager with the power to turn invisible fights to defend his neighborhood in "Zero: Season 1" (Italy, TV-MA, with subtitles), the latest in the run of superhero-themes shows.
Amazon Prime Video
Four women who worked as code-breakers in World War II reunite to solve mysteries in 1950s London in "The Bletchley Circle: Complete Series" (TV-14). Anna Maxwell Martin, Julie Graham, Rachael Stirling, and Sophie Rundle star. Also on PBS Masterpiece.
"JCVD" (2012, R) is a clever, a self-aware, satirical action thriller starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.
"Merantau" (Indonesia, 2010, R, with subtitles) is the first collaboration between "The Raid" directed by Gareth Evans and star Iko Uwais.
Hulu
The young adult thriller "Cruel Summer: Season 1" (not rated) follows the kidnapping of a high school girl and its reverberations for three girls over three summers. Two episodes streaming, new episodes on Tuesdays.
Mark Weber directs and stars in "The Place of No Words" (2020, not rated), a mix of family drama and fantasy, with Teresa Palmer and Bodhi Palmer.
True stories: the BBC limited series documentary "Greta Thunberg: A Year to Change the World" (2021, TV-PG) follows the student activist as she travels the world calling for action on climate change and "Sasquatch" (TV-MA) mixes true crime with Bigfoot mythology.
HBO Max
The documentary limited series "Pray, Obey, Kill" (Sweden, TV-14, with subtitles) delves into a notorious murder in a Pentecostal congregation in a remote Swedish village. New episodes Mondays.
The second season of "A Black Lady Sketch Show" (TV-MA) debuts with new episodes each Friday.
Other streams
The documentary "Going to Pot: The High and Low of It" (2021, not rated) looks at the rapidly growing business of legal recreational marijuana. (Paramount+)
The 22nd season of rural mystery series "Midsomer Murders" (TV-14) debuts with two feature-length mysteries. Four additional mysteries are slated to arrive in the fall. (Acorn TV)
Sean Axmaker is a Seattle film critic and writer. His reviews of streaming movies and TV can be found at https://streamondemandathome.com.
