Stream on Demand: ‘Run’ for your devices, ‘The Crown’ and ‘His Dark Materials’ are back
What’s new for home viewing on Video on Demand and Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO and other streaming services.
Top streams for the week
Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen presents “Small Axe” (TV-14), an anthology of five original films set over two decades in London’s West Indian community. The debut feature “Mangrove” tells the true story of the Mangrove Nine and the racial violence by London police in 1970. Stars Shaun Parkes and Letitia Wright. New films in the series arrive every Friday. (Amazon Prime Video)
Olivia Colman returns as Queen Elizabeth in “The Crown: Season 4” (TV-MA), which follows the British monarchy into the 1980s as Elizabeth clashes with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson) and Prince Charles marries Lady Diana Spencer (Emma Corrin). Tobias Menzies and Helena Bonham Carter co-star as Prince Philip and Princess Margaret. (Netflix)
The fantasy epic “His Dark Materials” (TV-14) returns for Season 2. Young hero (Dafne Keen) is sent to a whole new world while the battle continues in her own world. Ruth Wilson and Lin-Manuel Miranda co-star. New episodes each Monday. (All HBO platforms)
The rapidly paced thriller “Run” (2020, PG-13) stars “American Horror Story” veteran Sarah Paulson as the maniacally controlling mother of an isolated teenager (Kiera Allen) who flees when she discovers her mother’s dark secrets. It’s the second feature from “Searching” writer/director Aneesh Chaganty. (Hulu)
Tilda Cobham-Hervey plays the Australian-born singer Helen Reddy in “I Am Woman” (2020, TV-MA), a biographical drama named after her iconic hit song, which became an anthem for ‘70s feminists. Danielle Macdonald and Evan Peters co-star. (Netflix)
“Loving” (2016, PG-13) stars Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga as Richard and Mildred Loving, whose interracial marriage defied the racist laws of 1960s Virginia and was fought all the way to the Supreme Court. (Netflix)
True stories: The documentary series “The Reagans” (TV-PG) chronicles the political lives of Ronald and Nancy Reagan. New episodes each Sunday. (Showtime Anytime)
Holiday trimmings: Dolly Parton stars in the holiday drama “Christmas on the Square” (2020, not rated) and provides 14 original songs (Netflix), and the animated “LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special” (2020, TV-G) celebrates Life Day with Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewie, Rose and the droids (Disney+).
News: HBO Max is now available on Amazon Fire devices. If you have HBO Now, you can upgrade to the expanded HBO Max at no extra cost.
Pay-Per-View / Video on Demand
Dev Patel stars in “The Personal History of David Copperfield” (2019, PG), Armando Iannucci’s jaunty, energetic adaptation of the sprawling Charles Dickens classic. Also new:
• Superhero movie “The New Mutants” (2020, PG-13) with Maisie Williams and Anya Taylor-Joy;
• Acclaimed mother-daughter drama “Miss Juneteeth” (2020, not rated) with Nicole Beharie;
• “The Broken Hearts Gallery” (2020, PG-13), a romantic comedy with Geraldine Viswanathan;
• “Dreamland” (2020, R), a Depression-era romantic crime drama starring Margot Robbie;
• “The Nest” (2020, R) starring Jude Law and Carrie Coon as a couple imploding in 1980s England;
• Young adult drama “Words on Bathroom Walls” (2020, PG-13) with Charlie Plummer and Taylor Russell;
• “Joan of Arc” (France, 2019, not rated, with subtitles), a musical directed by Bruno Dumont and starring 10-year-old Lise Leplat Prudhomme as the Maid of Orleans.
Premium VOD: The horror film “Come Play” (2020, PG-13) pits the parents (Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher, Jr.) of a young boy against a malevolent force that uses electronic devices.
Netflix
The animated short film “If Anything Happens I Love You” (2020) confronts grieving after a high school shooting.
True stories: “Voices of Fire” (not rated) follows Pharrell Williams’ hometown church and its gospel choir, and “Whose Streets?” (2017, R) chronicles the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Streaming TV: “We Are the Champions: Season 1” focuses on offbeat competitions such as cheese rolling, chili eating, fantasy hairstyling, yo-yo, dog dancing and frog jumping. Rainn Wilson produces and narrates. Also new:
• “America’s Next Top Model: Seasons 19 & 20” (TV-14);
• “Survivor: Seasons 20 & 28 (Cagayan and Heroes vs. Villains)” (TV-14).
More holiday trimmings: It’s Vanessa Hudgens times two in the sequel “The Princess Switch: Switched Again” (2020, TV-PG). Also new:
• Stop-motion animation adventure “Alien Xmas” (2020, TV-Y);
• Family comedy “The App That Stole Christmas” (2020, TV-PG);
• “Holiday Home Makeover With Mr. Christmas: Season 1” (not rated) with Benjamin Bradley.
Kid stuff: “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2” (2013, PG) features a genetic zoo of experimental hybrids that are both animal and vegetable: the foodimal.
Stand-up:
Amazon Prime Video
The competition series “The Pack: Season 1” (TV-PG) sends 12 teams of dogs and their human companions on a global adventure. Skier Lindsey Vonn hosts with her dog Lucy.
Quentin Tarantino’s twist on the World War II thriller “Inglourious Basterds” (2009, R) was nominated for eight Oscars and won for supporting actor Christoph Waltz. Also from Tarantino is his action double feature “Kill Bill: Vol. 1” (2003, R) and “Kill Bill: Vol. 2” (2004, R) with Uma Thurman.
Scarlett Johansson is the “Girl With a Pearl Earring” (2003, PG-13) in the drama inspired by the famous Vermeer painting, and actor Robert Duvall and screenwriter Horton Foote won Oscars for the touching drama “Tender Mercies” (1983, PG).
Binge alert: Zach Braff, Donald Faison and Sarah Chalke star in the hospital TV sitcom “Scrubs: Complete Series” (2002-2010, TV-14).
More streaming TV: Before Kevin Spacey, Ian Richardson was TV’s most mercenary politician in the original British “House of Cards Trilogy” (1990-1995, TV-14).Mary K. Blige stars in “Body Cam” (2020, R), a cop thriller with a supernatural twist. Also newly arrived:
• “Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss” (2018, TV-MA), a dark comedy starring Kate Micucci, Sam Huntington and Taika Waititi;
• “The Dictator” (2012, R), a comedy from writer/star Sacha Baron Cohen.
Holiday trimmings: The made-for cable movies “12 Pups of Christmas” (2019, not rated), “A Christmas Crush” (2019, TV-G) and “A Christmas Movie Christmas” (2019) stream for the holidays.
Hulu
Ethan Hawke plays Nikola Tesla, the legendary electrical engineer and pioneering inventor, in Michael Almereyda’s unconventional biographical drama “Tesla” (2020, PG-13), which mixes history, commentary and invented scenes. Kyle MacLachlan is rival Thomas Edison and Jim Gaffigan and Eve Hewson co-star.
”69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez” (2020, TV-MA) profiles rap sensation and internet troll Tekashi69, who testified against Brooklyn gang the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods in a landmark trial. More true stories:
• “The Mole Agent” (2019, Chile, not rated, with subtitles), a comic documentary about a civilian hired to go undercover in a retirement home;
• “McQueen” (2018, R) on the life and career of British fashion designer Alexander McQueen.
Streaming TV: A French airline pilot dives into the Syrian civil war in search of his sister in “No Man’s Land: Season 1” (France, not rated, with subtitles).
Kid stuff: “Animaniacs: Season 1” (TV-G) revives the animated comedy about the Warner siblings Yakko, Wakko and Dot. Also new is “Trollstopia: Season 1” (TV-Y7), a spinoff of the animated movie series.
Episodes from the new ABC series “Big Sky” (not rated) and new episodes of “For Life” (TV-14) and “A Million Little Things” (TV-14) stream a day after their network TV debuts.
HBO Max / HBO Now
The 10-episode limited series “Valley of Tears” (Israel, TV-MA, with subtitles) follows a group of young Israeli soldiers in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Four episodes available, two new episodes each Thursday. (HBO Max)
Will Smith leads the cast of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion” (TV-14). (HBO Max)
True stories: Linda Ronstadt travels to Mexico to explore her family history and cultural roots in “Linda and the Mockingbirds” (2020, TV-14) (All HBO platforms). Also new:
• True crime limited series “Murder on Middle Beach” (TV-MA), with new episodes each Monday (All HBO platforms) ;
• “Crazy, Not Insane” (2020, TV-14), about the work of forensic psychiatrist Dorothy Otnow Lewis and her controversial work studying serial killers (HBO Max).
Other streams
Anthology series “Marvel’s 616” (not rated) presents a series of documentaries on the history and legacy of Marvel Comics. New episodes each Friday on Disney+. Also new:
• Animated anthology “The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse: Season 1” (TV-G), with new episodes each Friday
• Documentary “The Real Right Stuff” (2020, TV-14), which chronicles NASA’s Project Mercury program.
The limited series “Cold Call” (2019, not rated) stars Sally Lindsay as a single mother who seeks revenge after her life is upended by a single telephone. (Sundance Now)
Sean Axmaker is a Seattle film critic and writer. His reviews of streaming movies and television can be found at streamondemandathome.com.