Katrina Lenk, Julia Garner, Jason Bateman, Laura Linney in Season 4 of Ozark. Courtesy Of Netflix © 2021This week has big premieres, bigger finales, and some more-than-welcome returning movies. Whether you can’t wait to finish Ozark or get involved in some new dramas, there’s plenty of choice. For those who want a chiller, sweeter week of watching, there are quite a few fun throwbacks coming to streaming. As always, there’s something for everyone, but you’re more than welcome to watch everything.
What to watch on Netflix
Ozark
After five years, millions of dollars laundered, and dozens of deaths, Ozark is coming to an end. The Byrde’s opponents across all of its previous seasons have either combined or collapsed, but that hardly points to an easy resolution. Julia Garner’s electric Ruth Langmore is on the warpath, and long-simmering tensions are coming to a head. It’s unclear how the Byrde clan will make it through all of this, but some things are certain: Jason Bateman’s Marty will weasel his way out of at least a few more conflicts, Laura Linney’s Wendy will be chillingly, wonderfully manipulative, and bodies are bound to pile up. Part 2 of Ozark Season 4 premieres Friday, April 29th.
What to watch on Hulu
Crush
This sweet teen romcom promises to shake things up a bit when it comes to the typical tropes of high school romances. Crush focuses on Rowan Blanchard as socially awkward and artsy Paige, who joins the track team in a spur of the moment decision to try to get closer to her crush; (un)fortunately, she gets paired with her crush’s younger sister, played by Moana voice actress Auli’i Cravalho. It’s a neat twist on your typical love triangle, with enough young star power to make its romances fun, fresh, and believable. Crush premieres on Friday, April 29th.
Saving Face
Hulu is apparently cornering the market on gay female romcoms this week, which seems like something worth highlighting. Though the 2020 Netflix hit The Half of It might be what most people know from writer-director Alice Wu for, she made waves back in 2004 with Saving Face. Like its successor, Saving Face was a radical romcom departure in how its love story centers on two Asian women. It’s a reminder that diverse voices are not new in Hollywood, and they have great stories to tell. Saving Face will be available to stream starting Sunday, May 1st.
What to watch on Amazon Prime
Mamma Mia!
Remember when movies could just be silly? Mamma Mia! is a celebration of all things cheesy and fun, and it’s the perfect mid-2000s movie to return to if you’ve had any sort of stressful week. Between Meryl Streep letting her hair down, the joyful tunes of ABBA, and Pierce Brosnan’s eyebrow-raising singing abilities (or lack thereof), Mamma Mia! is goofy in the best way. Movie-musicals are few and far between these days, but let this one sweep you away on a Greek vacation filled with synth-pop disco. Mamma Mia! will be available to stream starting Sunday, May 1st.
What to watch on HBO Max
The Color Purple
For those of us who were reminded of just how great Steven Spielberg is at making movies with last year’s West Side Story, another strong Spielberg entry comes to streaming this week. The Color Purple is one of the director’s most moving efforts, and its cast is fascinating to look at in retrospect. Whoopi Goldberg has long been an icon, but she really broke through with her starring role as Celie, a woman who triumphs over extensive abuse and racism. She’s supported by a bombastic Oprah Winfrey as her daughter-in-law, Sofia. It remains a powerful story, led by powerful women. The Color Purple will be available to stream starting Sunday, May 1st.
The Staircase
If Mamma Mia! is too light for your weekly Colin Firth fare, then The Staircase should have you covered. The beloved British actor stars in this true-crime adaptation as Michael Peterson, a writer convicted of murdering his wife. The series doesn’t come down on either side of this surprisingly dense case, even including the making of the docuseries on Peterson’s life and trial. The ensemble cast of The Staircase runs deep: Toni Collette stars as Peterson’s late wife Kathleen, Michael Stuhlbarg serves as Firth’s defense lawyer, and French actress Juliette Binoche even finds her way into the series. The Staircase premieres Thursday, May 5th.
What to watch on Apple TV+
Shining Girls
Between The Handmaid’s Tale, Mad Men, and Top of the Lake, Elisabeth Moss has long been on the cutting edge of television talents and trends. This week, her newest starring vehicle, Shining Girls, bursts onto the scene. This trippy mystery follows Moss as Kirby, a newspaper archivist whose dreams of being a reporter were shattered years before, after she was the victim of an enigmatic attack. This trauma shifts her into a fascinatingly unreliable narrator, turning a potentially tired thriller into a far more complex story—one anchored by Moss’ commitment to the craziness. Shining Girls premieres Friday, April 29th.
What to Watch is a regular endorsement of movies and TV worth your streaming time.
