Stream on Demand: Margaret Atwood’s ‘Alias Grace’ comes to Netflix as mini-series
What’s new for home viewing on video-on-demand and Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other streaming services beginning Friday:
Top streams for the week
The Netflix original mini-series “Alias Grace,” the based on novel by Margaret Atwood, explores the true story of a servant girl (Sarah Gadon) convicted of murder in 19th century Canada. All six episodes now available.
“Arrival” (2016, PG-13), starring Amy Adams as a linguist making first contact with an alien race with no spoken language, is both a brainy science fiction drama and a touching human story. Now streaming on Amazon Prime and Hulu.
“Winter’s Bone” (2010, R), a coming-of-age survival story set in the crime and poverty of the Ozark Mountains, features a superb break-out performance by Jennifer Lawrence. Now streaming on Hulu.
Pay-Per-View / Video-On-Demand
Idris Elba is the last Gunslinger and Matthew McConaughey is his evil nemesis in “The Dark Tower” (2017, PG-13 and unrated versions), based on the novel by Stephen King. Also on DVD and Blu-ray and at Redbox.
Also new: action thriller “Kidnap” (2017, R) with Halle Berry, family drama “Columbus” (2017, not rated) with John Cho, and documentary “Frank Serpico” (2017, not rated).
Available before theaters is hitman thriller “24 Hours to Live” (2017, R) with Ethan Hawke and same day as theaters is war drama “On Wings of Eagles” (2016, PG-13, with subtitles).
Netflix
“42” (2013, PG-13) stars Chadwick Boseman as baseball legend Jackie Robinson, who integrated major league baseball.
Netflix debuts two new foodie programs: the competition series “Zumbo’s Just Desserts” (Netflix Original) and unscripted British show “The Big Family Cooking Showdown” from Britain.
Kid stuff: Julia Roberts is the voice of Charlotte in “Charlotte’s Web” (2006, G).
Amazon Prime Video
Jeff Bridges is an alcoholic writer giving life lessons to a privileged teenager (Callum Turner) in the coming of age drama “The Only Living Boy in New York” (2017, R).
Streaming TV: the first season of the USA series “Falling Water” follows three characters whose lives are entwined by a shared dream. 10 episodes.
Get a start on your Christmas watchlist by adding the classic TV special “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” (1963).
Hulu
Anne Hathaway is a different kind of Cinderella in “Ella Enchanted” (2004, PG) and for younger kids there are animated Disney classics “The Sword in the Stone” (1963, G), “The Aristocats” (1970, G), and “The Rescuers” (1977, G).
HBO Now
James McAvoy is a kidnapper with multiple personalities in M. Night Shyamalan’s “Split” (2017, PG-13) and Anya Taylor Joy attempts to navigate the personalities to escape.
At Redbox:
“War for the Planet of the Apes,” “The Dark Tower,” “The Book of Henry,” “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”
Sean Axmaker is a Seattle film critic and writer. His reviews of streaming movies and TV can be found at http://streamondemandathome.com.