Mirren glitters in based-on-fact ‘Woman in Gold’
What’s new for home viewing on video-on-demand and Netflix, Amazon Prime and other streaming services.
Pay-per-view / video on demand
Helen Mirren takes the Austrian government to court to recover a painting looted from her Jewish family by the Nazis in “Woman in Gold,” an underdog drama inspired by a true story. Ryan Reynolds co-stars as her novice American lawyer. It’s PG-13 for language and flashbacks of Nazi brutality. Also on Blu-ray and DVD.
The Iranian-American vampire movie “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night,” long available on Netflix and on VOD through iTunes and Amazon Instant, now hits Cable on Demand. No rating, features adult content.
“ ’71” stars Jack O’Connell as a British soldier cut off from his unit on the violent streets of 1971 Belfast. Rated R, also on DVD.
Available same day as select theaters nationwide are the thriller “Strangerland” with Nicole Kidman and Joseph Fiennes (rated R), the comedy “What We Did on Our Holiday” with Rosamund Pike and David Tennant (PG-13), and the documentary “Do I Sound Gay?” (no rating).
Netflix
“NCIS,” an investigative procedural in a military setting, became the top-rated scripted show on TV in 2009, thanks to cast chemistry and a surprisingly light touch. It’s a sunnier alternative to its darker, more acclaimed counterpart “CSI,” and Netflix now has seasons 1-11.
Netflix also has “ Hell on Wheels: Season 4” a week before the fifth season rolls out, and the final seasons of “ White Collar” and “ Witches of East End.”
Underwhelmed by “Terminator Genisys”? Netflix has the original “ The Terminator” (1984) with Arnold as a rampaging cyborg killer. It’s rated R. For a kid-friendly 1980s summer movie flashback, see Matthew Broderick in “ WarGames” (1983) as a hacker in the dial-up age and in “ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” as the hardest-working slacker in high school.
Amazon Instant Prime
In “ The Expendables 3” (2014), Sylvester Stallone leads his geriatric squad to save the new blood from supervillain Mel Gibson. Harrison Ford and Kelsey Grammer get in on the PG-13 action this time around.
“ Extant: Season 2” is now running on CBS, but Prime subscribers can see new episodes the day after their network premiere. Two episodes currently available.
Hulu Plus
“Prime Suspect: Series 1-7” is not just a great British TV crime drama. The original 1991 miniseries gave Helen Mirren her best role to date and relaunched her career at an age when most actresses find their options narrowed. Six more series followed. Hulu has them all.