Hi friends, Two pieces of big news this week: the first is that Hulu’s Predator prequel, Prey, has now become the streamer’s most popular film yet. Despite not having a theatrical release, it debuts as one of summer’s biggest films, and deservedly so. It’s inventive and involving, a nice refresh of a well-worn franchise. #PreyMovie has scored the best premiere on Hulu ever, including all film and TV series debuts, according to the streamer: thr.cm/Gq87LN7 The second is that Disney+ has reportedly surpassed Netflix’s subscriber count. It only took a handful of years for the media conglomerate to unlock Netflix’s decades-worth of streaming secrets. As always, I hope you have a good weekend! OUR TOP TV SHOW OF THE WEEKNever Have I EverSeason 3 is new on Netflix 🍅 rating: 89% It’s been a hot minute since a Netflix series made it to our top picks, but the latest season of Never Have I Ever is here to finally break that sorry streak. The show, which centers on sexually curious high schooler Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), is arguably even more riotous and tender than the previous seasons. Here, it takes more of its time hashing out Devi’s insecurities and identity, resulting in an entertaining and heartwarming watch. That’s kind of hard to come by these days on Netflix—as one review puts it, “In the end, Never Have I Ever offers a rambunctious good time in a sea of bad-to-average Netflix originals.” OUR TOP MOVIE OF THE WEEKDopeNew on Netflix 🍅 rating: 88% Make sure you don’t miss out on the 2015 gem that is Dope. It follows trio Malcolm, Job, and Diggy, high school geeks whose lives take a thrilling turn when they unwittingly get involved in the underground drug trade. Despite mounting tangles, Malcolm hustles to get into his dream school, Harvard. It’s “Superbad meets Boyz in the Hood,” as Bilal accurately describes in the recommendation we’ve made on the site—a cheeky comedy, a smart commentary, and as with both of the mentioned films, a tender coming of age story. Top picks outside of Netflix and Amazon Prime
New titles worth your time
Great titles that will soon expire
That’s all for this week. This edition of the newsletter will be back on Friday, August 19. Till then, Renee You’re a free subscriber to The Watch. For the full experience, become a paid subscriber. |