Stream on Demand: ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ battles Darth Vader, Grand Inquisitor on Disney+
What’s new for home viewing on Video on Demand, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime and other streaming services.
Top streams for the week
Ewan McGregor returns to the “Star Wars” universe in “Obi-Wan Kenobi” (TV-14), an original series set between the films “Revenge of the Sith” and the original “Star Wars,” aka “A New Hope.” As Obi-Wan hides out on Tatooine to watch over the young Luke Skywalker, he’s hunted by the Grand Inquisitor (Rupert Friend) and Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen), his former student. Two episodes available, new episodes on Fridays. (Disney+)
Though it’s been almost three years since the last season, “Stranger Things 4: Volume 1” (TV-14) opens a mere six months later as a new threat from the Upside Down threatens the town of Hawkins and the Byers family struggles to build a new life in California. The new batch of episodes runs over an hour apiece. The second half of the season drops in July. (Netflix)
“Joe Pickett” (TV-14) stars Michael Dorman as a dedicated Wyoming game warden and family man, more at home with the wildlife than in their economically struggling town, who finds himself investigating a murder. Based on the novels of C.J. Box, it’s a rural crime drama in the tradition of “Longmire.” (Paramount+)
A night of partying on a college spring break gets a detour in “Emergency” (2022, R), a buddy comedy strewn through with anxiety, miscommunication and race. It won the screenwriting award at Sundance and streams a week after limited theatrical release. (Prime Video)
The documentary “Navalny” (2022, R) profiles Russian political activist and dissident Alexei Navalny in the aftermath of a failed assassination attempt and follows his efforts to track down the team who tried to murder him in August 2020. Winner of two Sundance Awards. (HBO Max)
The natural history series “Prehistoric Planet” (TV-PG) uses CGI to transport viewers back in time 66 million years and imagine dinosaur life. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough. All five episodes are available Friday. (Apple TV+)
Pay-Per-View / Video on Demand
Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum star in “The Lost City” (2022, PG-13), a mix of romantic comedy and exotic adventure. Also streams on Paramount+ and Epix.
“X” (2022, R) is filmmaker Ti West’s tribute to 1970s American horror. Also on DVD and at Redbox.
Netflix
“Afrobeats: the Backstory” (Nigeria, TV-MA) explores the rise of Afrobeats, the lively music that originated in Nigeria and spread around the world.
Hulu
“Letterkenny” creator Jared Keeso stars in the spinoff sports comedy “Shoresy” (TV-MA).
True stories: “Look at Me: XXXTentacion” (2022, TV-MA) looks at how Florida teenager Jahseh Onfroy became one of the most streamed rappers on the planet.
Other streams
Martin Freeman plays a cop on the night shift in Liverpool in the crime drama “The Responder” (not rated). New episodes on Tuesdays. (BritBox)
“The Dreamers” (Israel, not rated, with subtitles) tells the story of three young Palestinian students who travel to Tel Aviv in 2008 and help create an underground scene of young Jews and Palestinians. (AMC+ and Sundance Now)
New on disc and at Redbox
“The Batman,” “X”
Sean Axmaker is a Seattle film critic and writer. His reviews of streaming movies and television can be found at streamondemandathome.com.