After a streaming dry spell last week, we get some big releases this week in Apple TV+’s Ghosted, Prime Video’s Dead Ringers, the return of Netflix’s Sweet Tooth, Shazam 2 hitting VOD rental, and much more!
MOVIES
Ghosted
Apple TV+ – 21 April 2023
The last time Chris Evans and Ana de Armas shared a screen together was the incredible Knives Out. Although I’m expecting nothing but fireworks from the fan-favourite duo’s new collaboration, Ghosted could not see the two playing more different roles. Erstwhile superhero Evans plays average everyman (ha!) Cole who finds himself falling head-over-heels for de Armas’ nice girl Sadie after a random meeting. When Sadie suddenly ghosts Cole, the lovesick beau decides to romantically surprise her in London… only to discover that the nice girl is actually a badass CIA agent and totally-out-of-his-depth Cole is now caught up in the middle of crazy espionage action! With a script from the writers behind Deadpool and Spider-Man: No Way Home, and directed by Dexter Fletcher (Rocketman, Eddie the Eagle), this should be a fun romp!
A Tourist’s Guide to Love
Netflix – 21 April 2023
If you prefer your romance with less gunfire and fewer car chases, there’s also A Tourist’s Guide to Love. Starring Rachel Leigh Cook, Scott Ly, and Missi Pyle, this one follows an American executive, recently dumped out of a long-term relationship, goes to Vietnam for work and to get over her heartbreak… only to run into a handsome local tour guide who teaches her how to experience love and life again. Yes, it’s a lot more by the numbers but that’s what romantic genre fans love, isn’t it?
Quasi
Disney+ – 20 April 2023
This is my bad as I actually missed this one in last week’s round-up, but hitting Disney+ yesterday was Quasi, the latest bit of absurd buffoonery from Broken Lizard, the comedy group behind such cult classics as Super Troopers and Beerfest. This time around the group of funny people is setting its comedic sights on a certain famous hunchbacked character. Quasi is a hapless man, spurned by the local townspeople for his infamous deformity, who bumbles his way into a feud between the Pope and the king of France after each respective man unwittingly orders Quasi to kill the other. Cue the medieval shenanigans!
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Apple TV – 20 April 2023
Also, dropping yesterday – in a rather quick fashion after its theatrical debut in March – was Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which is now available for rental on Apple TV for R169. You’ve probably seen all the reports about the DC Comics movie sequel’s bombing at the box office and star Zachary Levi’s increasingly cringey appeals to audiences to watch it, but I’m actually going to tell you to ignore all that negative press. Shazam! Fury of the Gods definitely has its issues and feels superfluous given the DCEU’s impending reboot at the hands of James Gunn, but it also has a crap load of really fun superhero action, a surprising bit of heart, and arguably the most hilarious scene involving the reading of a letter ever put on screen. If you missed this one in cinema, you should probably give it a watch now.
SERIES
Dead Ringers S1
Amazon Prime Video – 21 April 2023
Know what’s the only thing better than Rachel Weisz starring in a twisty, sexy thriller series? Two Rachel Weiszes starring in twisty, sexy thriller series! Prime Video’s modern TV series remake of David Cronenberg’s 1988 feature film sees Weisz taking over from original actor Jeremy Irons in a gender-switched role as twin sisters Elliot and Beverly Mantle. Both gynecologists, the pair are extremely close – some would argue too much so – as they share everything from lovers and drugs to an obsessive drive to push the boundaries of women’s medical technology, no matter the physical and moral costs. Awards buzz for Weizs’ dual performance is already swirling on this one.
Drops of God S1
Apple TV+ – 21 April 2023
Here’s a collection of words I never thought I would put next to each other: Filmed in French, English, and Japanese, Drops of God is the live-action adaptation of the Japanese manga of the same name that tells a suspense-filled tale of gastronomy and oenology as the estranged daughter and talented star pupil of a wealthy recently deceased connoisseur engage in a duel of the senses to determine who will inherit a wine collection worth $140 million. This looks surprisingly gripping and continues the recent trend of tense foodie film fare like The Menu and Hunger.
Yizo Yizo S1 & S2
Netflix – 21 April 2023
No, you’re not mistaken. Yes, it’s that Yizo Yizo coming to Netflix. Originally airing on SABC2 in the late 1990s and drawing controversy at the time for its graphic depiction of violence, Yizo Yizo was set in a fictional Johannesburg school, Supatsela High, and focused on the students, teachers, and their families as they dealt with the hardships of life while also striving for their dreams in the midst of rising gangsterism. Commissioned by South African Department of Education to directly address the types of issues schoolchildren were experiencing in townships, Yizo Yizo would go on to reach true local classic status. And now, those longtime fans who want to relive the drama, or maybe newcomers wanting to see what the fuss is about, can watch the first two of the show’s three aired seasons on Netflix.
Sweet Tooth S2
Netflix – 27 April 2023
Everybody’s favourite hybrid (not named Prius) is back! Season 1 of Netflix’s adaptation of Jeff Lemire’s much beloved comic book saw the sheltered and naive Gus make his way out into a post-apocalyptic world to find his mom, only to find a society that does not take kindly to half-human/half-animal children like himself. When we last left Gus, he had been captured by the Last Men, with his reluctant protector Big Man left for dead. That was all the way back in mid-2021 though, so don’t feel bad if some of the details aren’t as fresh anymore. I would advise you watch a recap to prepare yourself for what’s to come because season two is looking… sweet!