Top streams for the week
Here there be dragons once more. "House of the Dragon: Season 1" (TV-MA), set 200 years before "Game of Thrones," chronicles an earlier war for succession when the Targeryan lineage (the ancestors of Daenerys, the Queen of Dragons) ruled the Seven Kingdoms. Paddy Considine is the king who upends tradition by naming his daughter Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) heir to the Iron Throne and Matt Smith is his younger brother, a brutal warrior and decadent royal who believes the throne should be his. Like the original series, it's full of palace intrigue, bloody battles, sex and nudity, and of course dragons, but the initial episodes lean toward exposition and world-building. Author George R.R. Martin is directly involved in developing this prequel, based in part on his novel "Fire & Blood." Emma D'Arcy plays the adult Rhaenyra in later episodes and Rhys Ifans, Eve Best, and Olivia Cooke costar. New episodes on Sundays. (HBO Max)
Trevante Rhodes plays Mike Tyson in "Mike" (TV-MA), a limited series drama that explores the thrilling career and tumultuous personal life of the boxing legend, whose victories in the ring were often overshadowed by his violence outside of it. Harvey Keitel costars as Tyson's trainer Cus D'Amato and Russel Hornsby is Don King. It comes from the creators of "I, Tanya." New episodes on Thursdays. (Hulu)
The young adult romantic dramedy "Everything I Know About Love: Season 1" (TV-MA) follows four twentysomething friends navigating their first years of adulthood in a shared flat in London. Based on the novel by Dolly Alderton, it stars Emma Appleton and Bel Powley. All episodes available. (Peacock)
Kevin Hart plays a stay-at-home father who gets some "Me Time" (2022, R) and heads out with his old buddy (Mark Wahlberg) for what turns out to a much wilder time than he anticipated. Regina Hall costars in the comedy from director John Hamburg ("I Love You, Man"). (Netflix)
True stories: "Katrina Babies" (2022, TV-14) revisits the impact of the devastating 2005 hurricane on the families and communities of New Orleans through archival footage and interviews with the survivors who, as children, were evacuated and displaced by the disaster. The documentary also explores the systemic racism and government neglect that African-American communities faced. (HBO Max)
Netflix
"That's Amor" (2022, TV-14) is the latest romantic comedy from the streamer, this one involving a dashing Spanish chef.
"Disobedience" (2017, R) stars Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams as women in love in London's Orthodox Jewish community but this film is less a romance than a compassionate drama of family and identity.
Streaming TV: "Partner Track: Season 1" (TV-MA), based on the novel by Helen Wan, follows a young associate (Arden Cho) competing for partner as an elite New York City law firm. Also new:
- "Mo: Season 1" (TV-MA), a dramedy starring Arab-American comedian Mo Amer as a Palestinian refugee in Texas;
- mockumentary "Chad and JT Go Deep: Season 1" (TV-MA) about buddies using pranks to spread positivity.
Reality TV: "Queer Eye: Brazil" (Brazil, TV-14, with subtitles) takes the makeover show to South America with a Fab Five.
International passport: the heist thriller "Seoul Vibe" (South Korea, 2022, TV-MA, with subtitles) sends a crew of drivers and mechanics after a money-laundering ring in the days before the 1988 Olympics. Also new:
- "Loving Adults" (Denmark, 2022, TV-MA, with subtitles), a dark thriller that revolves around a romantic triangle.
- "Watch Out, We're Mad" (2022, Italy, TV-14, with subtitles), a remake of the Italian action comedy starring Edoardo Pesce and Alessandro Roja.
International TV: "Under Fire: Season 1" (Belgium, TV-MA, with subtitles) is a first-responders drama about a team of firefighters.
Kid stuff: toy searches the countryside for the young boy who lost him in the limited series "Lost Ollie" (TV-PG), a fantasy family inspired by the children's book "Ollie's Odyssey."
Hulu
"Little Demon: Season 1" (TV-MA) is a gory animated comedy about a 13-year-old girl whose desire for an ordinary life is thwarted by her father, who happens to be Satan. Features the voices of Danny DeVito, Aubrey Plaza, and Lucy DeVito.
The reality series "Welcome to Wrexham: Season 1" (TV-MA) follows a struggling Welsh football club after Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney take ownership.
The animated spy spoof "Archer: Season 13" (TV-MA) begins.
HBO Max
Bradley Cooper stars as Navy SEAL sharpshooter Chris Kyle in "American Sniper" (2014, R), directed by Clint Eastwood.
Streaming TV: the sitcom "Abbott Elementary: Season 1" (TV-PG), nominated for seven Emmys, now streams on HBO Max as well as Hulu.
Amazon Prime Video
"Samaritan" (2022, PG-13) stars Sylvester Stallone as a recluse who turns out to be a former superhero that a young neighbor coaxes back into action to save their city.
True stories: "Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby" (2022, R) charts the rise of the Grammy-winning rapper.
Peacock
In "The End is Nye: Season 1" (not rated), science guy Bill Nye looks at potential planet-wide natural disasters and how we can survive them.
Other streams
The final seasons of "Kevin Can F**k Himself" (TV-MA) with Annie Murray (AMC+) and the science fiction thriller "See" (TV-MA) with Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard (Apple TV+) begin this week.
The horror film "Watcher" (2022, R) plunges the audience into the paranoia of an American woman (Maika Monroe) in Bucharest who unravels as a mysterious stranger stalks her. (AMC+ and Shudder)
The limited series drama "Anne" (not rated) stars Maxine Peake as a mother looking for answers for her son's death at a football match in 1989. (Acorn TV)
Based on a true story, the limited series "The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe" (not rated) stars Eddie Marsan as former teacher who fakes his death for the insurance payout and drags his wife into a spiral of lies and deception. (BritBox)
A German mother travels to Hong Kong to visit her estranged son in "Wood and Water" (Germany, 2021, not rated, with subtitles), a sensitive drama of self-discover. (Criterion Channel)
Twelve films "Starring David Gulpilil" celebrate the legacy of the great Australian actor and First Nations artist who died last year, from his feature debut in Nicolas Roeg's "Walkabout" (1971) to "Charlie's Country" (2013), cowritten by Gulpilul with director Rolf de Heer. Among the highlights of the collection are Peter Weir's metaphysical thriller "The Last Wave" (1977), historical escape drama "Rabbit-Proof Fence" (2002), and Australian western "The Proposition" (2005). Also features two bonus documentaries.
A woman recalls a tumultuous love affair in the drama "My King" (France, 2015, with subtitles, not rated) with Vincent Cassel and Emmanuelle Bercot and an abandoned tire plots turns homicidal in the surreal "Rubber" (France, 2010, R, with subtitles). (MUBI)
Visit the paper's website online for more options and recommendations.
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
