From star-studded mystery series to an emerging Oscar frontrunner, it’s a week with all sorts of streaming options. Plus, comedic actors like Kevin Hart, Kaley Cuoco, and Jake Johnson get to show off some of their other talents, and there’s some action to enjoy too.
What to watch on Netflix
Lift
From director F. Gary Gray comes a thrilling new heist flick starring Kevin Hart. In Lift, the comedian-slash-actor plays Cyrus, the head of an internationally infamous crew of criminals that includes the likes of Vincent D’Onofrio, Úrsala Corberó, and Billy Magnussen. After a high-risk heist doesn’t go according to plan and they’re busted by an Interpol agent (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the crew is recruited to steal $500 million in gold. Of course, that much money can’t come easy—it’s being transported via plane, so the thieves must lift their loot mid-flight. Lift premieres Friday, January 12th.
What to watch on Hulu
Self Reliance
Jake Johnson has won over plenty of fans for his comedic acting chops, but for his feature directorial debut, Self Reliance, he stars as a down-and-out guy offered the chance to win $1 million through a reality TV game show broadcast via the dark web. The game? To stay alive for 30 days as a bevy of assassins try to take him out. The catch? They can only get at him when he’s alone. He tries to recruit friends and family to stick with him so he can stay safe, but that’s easier said than done. Self Reliance premieres Friday, January 12th.
Death and Other Details
This exciting new mystery series makes for a kind of The White Lotus meets Knives Out at sea. Death and Other Details revolves around a luxury ocean liner setting sail in the Mediterranean. When one of the high-powered guests is murdered, it’s anyone’s guess who the prime suspect is—except for the fact that the impertinent Imogene put herself in quite the compromising position, naturally caught on the cruise ship’s camera. Can she convince her fellow passengers (among them a famed detective played by Mandy Patinkin) of her innocence? Death and Other Details premieres Tuesday, January 16th.
What to watch on Amazon Prime
Role Play
Kaley Cuoco and David Oyelowo star in this action comedy about a couple whose attempt to spice things up gets a little too real. Role Play sees Cuoco play Emma, a loving mother and wife who’s hiding a secret from her family: she’s a big-time assassin with a bounty on her head. When she’s discovered while she and her hubby are role playing as strangers at a bar, romance ends up as the last thing on her mind. Instead, she must rely on herself and her many secret skills to protect her family. Role Play premieres Friday, January 12th.
Fast X
Fast cars, big explosions and countless invocations of the word “family”—what else could you want from the 10th installment of the Fast & Furious franchise? Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto and co. return once more in Fast X, facing off against a new threat: Dante (played by Jason Momoa with quite a bit of pizzazz), the son of a drug dealer who was busted by the speed racers five movies ago. The movie is as blissfully ridiculous as anyone could hope for, with an ensemble cast that’s still more than game. Fast X streams starting Tuesday, January 16th. Read Observer’s review.
What to watch on Max
True Detective: Night Country
True Detective returns with a new anthology installment. True Detective: Night Country touts Jodie Foster as its star, with the veteran actress playing detective Liz Danvers opposite boxer-turned-actress Kali Reis. The series revolves around a group of missing scientists at an Alaskan research station, their disappearance set against the period of winter where the northernmost state goes long stretches of time without sunlight. It’s hardly the sweltering Louisiana setting that first put True Detective on the map, but it’s certainly an equally eerie substitution. The supporting players (and potential suspects) in this small, strange town include Fiona Shaw, Christopher Eccleston, and John Hawkes. True Detective: Night Country premieres Sunday, January 14th.
What to watch on Apple TV+
Killers of the Flower Moon
Martin Scorsese’s American epic is as important as it is a showcase of the auteur’s endless cinematic skill. Killers of the Flower Moon sees the filmmaker turn his attention to some of the darkest parts of American history, exploring the true story of the Osage nation and how it was exploited (and nearly exterminated) by power hungry white men. Lily Gladstone (in a Golden Globe-winning performance) stars as Mollie Kyle, an Osage woman with significant oil headrights. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Ernest Burkhart, a dim-witted but debatably earnest man whose uncle (Robert De Niro) sets him up with Mollie to secure her family fortune. Killers of the Flower Moon premieres Friday, January 12th. Read Observer’s review.
What to watch on Peacock
Nope
Jordan Peele’s largest movie to date, Nope sees the director embrace sci-fi more than his typical high-concept horror fare. Daniel Kaluuya and the scene-stealing Keke Palmer star as a pair of siblings whose family horse farm gets threatened by a strange alien invader. While they try to keep the extra-creepy E.T. away, their theme park-owning, former child star neighbor (Steven Yeun) thinks this visitor may be the key to his renewed success. With breathtaking, hair-raising set pieces and a wholly original alien design, it’s yet another perfect Peele project. Nope will be available to stream starting Thursday, January 18th.
What to Watch is a regular endorsement of movies and TV worth your streaming time.
