Stream on Demand: ‘Pachinko’ spans generations of Korean family
What’s new for home viewing on Video on Demand and Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime and other streaming services.
Top streams for the week
The limited series “Pachinko” (TV-MA, with subtitles), adapted from the novel by Min Jin Lee, straddles multiple generations in the story of one Korean family from 1915, where young Sunja lives under oppressive Japanese occupation, to 1989, where her American-educated grandson faces prejudice working at a Japanese bank. It’s an epic story with an intimate focus. Three episodes available, new episodes on Fridays. (Apple TV+)
The second season of “Bridgerton” (TV-MA), the romantic costume drama set in Regency-era London from producer Shonda Rhimes, shifts focus to Viscount Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey). As he pursues elegant society newcomer Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran), he meets his match in her headstrong older sister (Simone Ashley). (Netflix)
Humanity is under attack from an alien threat known as the Covenant in “Halo” (not rated), a lavish science-fiction series set in the 26th century of the original 2001 Halo video game. New episodes on Thursdays. (Paramount+)
Modern Western meets supernatural thriller in “Outer Range” (TV-MA), starring Josh Brolin as a family rancher at the edge of Wyoming’s wilderness battling a takeover from a rival ranch when a black void appears in a pasture. (Prime Video)
Will Smith stars as the father of Venus and Serena Williams in “King Richard” (2021, PG-13), an Oscar-nominated drama based on the complicated early life of the tennis champions and the father who drove them to success. Smith and co-star Aunjanue Ellis received Oscar nods. (HBO Max)
Guy Ritchie’s “Wrath of Man” (2021, R), starring Jason Statham as a security guard with a personal agenda, is a violent, action-strewn revenge thriller woven through an elaborate heist scheme. (Hulu and Peacock)
Netflix
The limited-series documentary “The Principles of Pleasure” (TV-MA) explores and celebrates women’s sexuality.
International TV: A high school teacher is suddenly elevated to the presidency in the political satire “Servant of the People” (Ukraine, 2015, TV-14, with subtitles), the show that elevated its star Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the presidency of Ukraine in real life.
Hulu / Paramount+
Flashback to 1982 in “Summer Days, Summer Nights” (2021, TV-MA), a coming-of-age drama set on the Long Island beach from director Ed Burns. (Hulu and Paramount+)
HBO Max
Filmmakers Patty Jenkins, Aaron Sorkin, Kasi Lemmons, Jon M. Chu, Malcolm D. Lee and Michael Mann celebrate their favorite movie moments in “One Perfect Shot” (TV-MA).
The Emmy-winning Canadian youth drama “Degrassi: The Next Generation: Complete Series” (2001-2015, TV-PG) is one of the great shows about teenage issues.
Disney+
“Parallels” (France, TV-14, with subtitles) follows four friends sent into parallel dimensions after an experiment at the world’s largest particle collider.
Amazon Prime Video
“Red Light” (Belgium/Netherlands, TV-MA, with subtitles), created by producers and stars Carice van Houten and Halina Reijn, follows three women battling prostitution and sex trafficking.
Other streams
The animated fantasy “The Spine of Night” (2021, not rated) uses old-school rotoscope animation to tell a saga that straddles different eras. (AMC+ and Shudder)
“Arrebato” (Spain, 1979, not rated, with subtitles), the cult psychodrama from underground filmmaker Iván Zulueta, was restored in 2021. (Criterion Channel)
Sean Axmaker is a Seattle film critic and writer. His reviews of streaming movies and television can be found at streamondemandathome.com.