Lily James as Pamela Anderson and Sebastian Stan as Tommy Lee in Pam & Tommy. Erin Simkin/HuluA teen horror K-drama! Multiple murder-mystery parodies! Lily James as Pamela Anderson! It’s a fantastic week for all things new! Why the streaming powers that be choose to overwhelm us with such a wealth of choices, I cannot say. But what I can do is tell you what’s worth the watch this week.
What to watch on Netflix
All of Us Are Dead
Netflix’s K-drama dominance continues this week with the premiere of All of Us Are Dead, a new zombie thriller series. When a South Korean high school becomes the site of a zombie virus outbreak, students must fight amongst themselves—both the living and the dead—to escape. Mixed with this horror plot are the beats that comes with any high school story; along with the trials and tribulations of being a teenager, these students face a threat that could very well prevent them from finishing their coming-of-age stories. All of Us Are Dead premieres Friday, January 28th.
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window
Well, that certainly was a mouthful, or, well, a keyboard-ful. But Netflix’s newest true-crime parody promises to be far zippier than its title, with Kristen Bell leading the charge as the titular woman who notices increasingly suspicious happenings around her quaint neighborhood. Between The Girl on the Train, The Woman in the Window, and most Lifetime movies, the “single woman takes on potential murderer” genre has gotten a bit tired, to say the least. The Woman in the House promises to liven up those overdone tropes with some much-needed wit, all while still following a fun mystery. The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window premieres Friday, January 28th.
What to watch on Hulu
Pam & Tommy
To throw critical distance out the window for a moment, I am so excited for Pam & Tommy. I have posters of both I, Tonya and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again hanging in my home, so anything that combines director Craig Gillespie with actors Sebastian Stan and Lily James is bound to be a massive hit in my book. Luckily, most critics seem to agree with me. The series tackles the highly publicized marriage, honeymoon, and sex-tape leak of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. James’ turn as Anderson has already been praised as revelatory, and I for one cannot wait to watch. Pam & Tommy premieres Wednesday, February 2nd.
Nightmare Alley
For continuity’s sake, I must say that I also have a poster of The Shape of Water on my wall, and I will always shill for director Guillermo del Toro. This week, that means letting everyone know that Nightmare Alley is arriving on streaming. This current awards contender stars Bradley Cooper as Stanton Carlisle, a man who slinks across the country as a carnival carny and con man. As always, del Toro crafts the film with his signature spooky style, and Cate Blanchett’s femme fatale is worth the price of your streaming service alone. Nightmare Alley will be available to stream (on both Hulu and HBO Max) on Tuesday, February 1st.
What to watch on Amazon Prime
The Legend of Vox Machina
If Invincible proved anything, it’s that Amazon Prime seems to know what it’s doing in the adult animation department. With The Legend of Vox Machina, they’re looking to stay on top of this world, albeit in very different way. The show comes from the successful web series Critical Role, where a group of voice actors stream Dungeons & Dragons campaigns across different story arcs. The animated series represents an interesting development in modern storytelling, blending elements of comic books, live streaming, and roleplaying into a real, well-funded show. The Legend of Vox Machina premieres Friday, January 28th.
What to watch on HBO Max
West Side Story (1961)
In a timely acquisition, HBO is giving everyone the chance to watch the original film adaptation of West Side Story. Whether or not you’ve seen the Spielberg version from last year—and you definitely should see it, for too many reasons to list here—it’s always a treat to take a look at how big-budget movies were made back in the day. The camerawork is no less fluid, the dancing no less dynamic, and Rita Moreno? She’s pitch perfect in both movies, across both centuries. West Side Story will be available to stream starting February 1st.
What to watch on Apple TV+
The Afterparty
The Afterparty is a new murder-mystery comedy series that’s sure to reel you in. For one thing, it’s filled to the brim with big names, from Jump Street comedic duo Christopher Miller and Phil Lord behind the camera to actors Tiffany Haddish, Ilana Glazer, and Dave Franco in front of it. Also, following the murder of a former classmate at a high school reunion afterparty, the show takes a creative approach to deconstructing its mystery in that each episode comes from a different character’s perspective. Who doesn’t love an unreliable narrator (or 8)? The Afterparty premieres Friday, January 28th.
Keeping Watch is a regular endorsement of movies and TV worth your time.
