Sure, this is a TV Watch List, but this week the emphasis is on the movies, with seemingly more must-watch features than the last few months in the theater combined. From a steamy new thriller with Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, to a movie where renegade ice skaters transport goods across a frozen body of water to a thriller starring Jesse Plemons, Lily Collins and Jason Segel, this week really does have a stellar line-up of new movies. Plus shows starring Jared Leto, Rosario Dawson and Jake Johnson.
On with the television!
“WeCrashed”
Friday, March 18, AppleTV+
If you haven’t had your fill of starry prestige dramas based on real-life con artists (after “Inventing Anna” and “The Dropout,” among others), then have we got a starry prestige drama based on a real-life con artist! In this case, it’s “WeCrashed,” focusing on Adam Neumann (played by Jared Leto) and his wife Rebekah (Anne Hathaway), a pair of kooks who sold WeWork as the next great advancement in office culture and then screwed it up almost beyond repair. It’s always fun to watch Leto do his extreme Method shtick (this time dying his hair, wearing prosthetics and affecting an exaggerated Israeli accent) and the story is as fascinating as it is well-documented (last year, the company was the subject of a terrific Hulu documentary, “WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn”). Obviously office culture has been extremely disrupted due to the pandemic. Maybe they were just ahead of the curve? (Yes, they were definitely also scammers.) The first three episodes of “WeCrashed” debut on March 18, with episodes streaming weekly after that. [TRAILER]
“Resident Alien”
Wednesday, March 16 at 9 p.m., Syfy
Syfy specializes in genre shows that are both entertaining and can be enjoyed while folding laundry. “Resident Alien” definitely falls into this category, although you might want to put down the socks for what is described as a “second season spring finale.” (Maybe that means it’ll come back sooner?) The first season of “Resident Alien” was an almost indescribable sci-fi comedy murder mystery medical drama, and while the second season has become more streamlined (the medical drama aspect has been largely abandoned but there’s some new political intrigue), it remains one of the best hidden gems on television. Alan Tudyk is outstanding as the titular alien, and the assortment of character actors who fill out the cast (led by the genuinely great Sara Tomko) make for wonderful comic foils. Also Nathan Fillion, voicing a telepathic octopus that is rescued from a Chinese restaurant fish tank, has become a series regular, making for the oddest “Firefly” reunion you could ever expect. [RATINGS]
“Deep Water”
Friday, March 18, Hulu
Adrian Lyne was the groundbreaking provocateur behind a series of edgy erotic thrillers in the 1980s and ’90s, including “Flashdance,” “9/2 Weeks,” “Fatal Attraction” and “Indecent Proposal.” And then, after 2002’s outstanding “Unfaithful,” he disappeared. Now, 20 years later, he’s back with “Deep Water,” starring Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas as a married couple whose relationship starts to have a stranger, more murderous component. (It is based on the 1957 novel by “Talented Mr. Ripley” author Patricia Highsmith. This is the third filmed adaptation.) The trailers so far have had a nicely sexy kick; they really don’t make too many movies like this anymore, especially with one of the masters in semi-retirement. The world would be better off with a few more erotic thrillers. [TRAILER]
“Phoenix Rising”
Tuesday, March 15, 9 p.m., HBO
This two-part documentary (the second part airs the following night on HBO, or you can stream it immediately after on HBO Max) chronicles actress Evan Rachel Wood’s crusade against the statute of limitations on domestic violence charges. This is, of course, based on what she has alleged was an abusive relationship with shock rocker Marilyn Manson. (Following Wood’s allegations, many other women have come forward with similar stories, which he has strongly denied. Earlier this month, he even filed a defamation lawsuit against Wood.) Documentary filmmaker Amy Berg has tackled thorny subject matter before – from the West Memphis Three (“West of Memphis”) to the proliferation of pedophilia in Hollywood (“An Open Secret”) to the Adnan Syed case, which was famously profiled on the true-crime podcast “Serial” (“The Case Against Adnan Syed”). This will undoubtedly be as riveting as it is harrowing and deeply important. [REVIEW]
“Daredevil,” “Jessica Jones,” “Iron Fist,” “Luke Cage,” “The Defenders,” “Punisher”
Disney+
The first stabs at live-action Marvel streaming series, originally produced for Netflix, are moving in with their corporate brothers and sisters on Disney+! In recent months, with Daredevil (Charlie Cox) popping up in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and Daredevil’s big bad Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) facing off against Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) in the Disney+ series of the same, there has been an integration of characters from these properties into the Marvel Cinematic Universe proper. (The delay in their appearances stemmed from some very weird legal roadblocks.) And the Netflix shows were pretty good, particularly the first seasons of “Daredevil,” “Jessica Jones” and “Luke Cage.” (The less said about “Iron Fist,” the better, unless it’s to praise Jessica Henwick as the true star of that show.) Netflix’s attempt to bring the disparate series together with the “Avengers”-like miniseries “The Defenders” didn’t quite work. But these series are occasionally quite thrilling – and who knows if other characters will show up in another quadrant of the MCU. (ABC’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” is also being added to Disney+.) [WATCH, starting on Wednesday, March 16]
“DMZ”
Thursday, March 17, HBO Max
The latest miniseries based on a DC Comics property is very different from what you might expect. Instead of superheroes and capes, “DMZ” is based on a gritty adult comic book from the pages of prestige DC imprint Vertigo Comics. (The comics’ writer, Brian Wood, has since seen a very public fall from grace after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.) Rosario Dawson plays a mother determined to retrieve her child from a postapocalyptic Manhattan, which in the years following a Second Civil War has become a demilitarized zone (hence the title). Ava DuVernay helped develop the property and directed the first episode (four episodes drop on March 17). It might hit a little too close to home given current events, but should still be a great watch. [TRAILER]
“Minx”
Thursday, March 17, HBO Max
Ready to double up on “Minx”? The first two episodes of the new HBO original series, created by Ellen Rapoport and produced by Paul Feig, are streaming this Thursday (with two more episodes dropping each week for the next five weeks). Set in 1970s Los Angeles, “Minx” follows the exploits of a feminist (Ophelia Lovibond) who joins forces with a scuzzy publisher (Jake Johnson) to create the first erotic magazine for women. Word of mouth has been strong, and at the very least “Minx” will continue the streak of male nudity on cable. The tide has turned! Or maybe the paradigm has shifted. [TRAILER]
“Black Crab”
Friday, March 18, Netflix
There has been a very specific subgenre of Netflix original film, wherein original “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” Noomi Rapace stars in a serviceable, European-produced high-concept genre thriller (see also: “The Trip” and “Whatever Happened to Monday”). The latest in this line of films is “Black Crab.” Set in a postapocalyptic world, Rapace plays the leader of a group of soldiers who embark on a mission to transport a package across a frozen archipelago. And how are they going about their mission? On ice skates of course! This looks like a fine addition to the canon. [TRAILER]
“Master”
Friday, March 18, Amazon Prime Video
The latest chiller to combine scares with social commentary, “Master” follows three women at a prestigious New England college – “master” professor Gail Bishop (Regina Hall), freshman Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee) and literature professor Liv Beckman (Amber Gray). A series of strange, racially motivated attacks plague the campus, perhaps pointing to an even deeper conspiracy. “Master” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and will play the South by Southwest Film Festival a few days before its release. Nothing beats the combination of prestige and populist appeal, especially if it offers some good thrills too.
“Windfall”
Friday, March 18, Netflix
Well, this looks great. “Windfall” is a contained neo-noir, written by Andrew Kevin Walker (“Seven”) and directed by Charlie McDowell (“The One I Love”), starring Jason Segel as a thief and Jesse Plemons and Lily Collins as the couple he’s robbing (they were supposed to be out of town). Expect plenty of twists and turns, if the trailer is anything to be believed. Do you need anything else? [TRAILER]
