A Gentleman In Moscow
Credit: Paramount / Showtime
See my streaming guide from last weekend right here:
It’s Easter weekend so I’m off to hunt rascally rabbits! In fact, on our hike yesterday my dogs almost caught a jackrabbit, though I’m sure if they had it would not have been suitable for cooking into rabbit pot-pies. And seriously, folks, next Easter I plan on making rabbit pot-pies for Easter dinner because my kids are old enough to appreciate irony now.
I do miss the Easters of yore, when the kids were into hunting for chocolate eggs and we’d dye hard-boiled eggs. But then, this is the normal thing for parents. And both my kids are teens now, so of course I’m nostalgic for when they were little. We used to go on a stroll on Easter out in the woods and my dad—their Bapa—would drop jelly beans or chocolate easter eggs out in the forest, and we’d pretend to see the Easter Bunny out in the woods. And they’d believe it. That youthful gullible imagination, so pliable. The fun little lies we tell our children.
In any case, let’s take a look at the movies, shows, documentaries and whatever else are out this weekend, including any new theatrical releases because as convenient as streaming is, it’s always fun to go to the movies. Onward!
New This Weekend
There aren’t as many new shows and movies out this weekend as last—which had an inordinate number of new releases both on streaming and in theaters—but there’s still some good-looking stuff out there and a couple I’m very excited about. We’ll start with . . . .
A Gentleman In Moscow (Paramount+ w/Showtime)
Ewan McGregor stars across from Mary Elizabeth Winstead in this historical drama. It’s the second time the married couple has been in a show together, though the last time they weren’t married and they looked like this:
Fargo Season 3
Credit: FX
I’ve always found Winstead to be quite stunning, though less so in Wicked Witch green for her Ahsoka character. Here we have her as a blond, and McGregor has an enormous mustache. McGregor plays Count Alexander Rostov, a Russian noble who escapes execution after the Soviet revolution but is placed under house arrest for life—living out his days in the attic of a fancy Russian hotel. Episodes land on Fridays and the series runs until the middle of May. The trailer looks quite good!
Parish (AMC)
Giancarlo Esposito returns to AMC in this tense-looking crime drama. I really can’t wait for this one! Right after The Ones Who Live Sunday. It looks much, much better than The Walking Dead. Maybe this will be the new Breaking Bad… New episodes air Sunday evenings.
STEVE! (martin. a documentary in 2 pieces) — Apple TV+
A documentary about Steve Martin, you say? Ever since Only Murders In The Building reminded me how much I enjoy him (and Martin Short) I’ve been looking forward to more of his stuff—both his comedy and his banjo playing. This looks good.
We Were The Lucky Ones (Hulu)
Another historical drama that—like A Gentleman In Moscow—is based on a novel, We Were The Lucky Ones is about a Polish Jewish family and their struggles during WWII. The series stars Joey King and Logan Lerman and is executive produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. New episodes come out Fridays on Hulu.
The Beautiful Game (Netflix)
This feel-good film about a homeless British soccer team making it to a tournament in Rome looks, well, quite charming and heart-warming. If you’re in the mood for something less violent and depressing than the Russian Revolution or WWII, this might tick that box!
Vikings Seasons 1 – 6 (Netflix)
Also coming to Netflix this weekend are all six seasons of Vikings which I do highly recommend with one caveat: It goes downhill around Season 4/5. I reviewed this show for a long, long time (I think Season 3 – 6) and it still holds a special place in my heart. Ragnar, Lagertha, Rollo, Floki and all the wonderful characters. Please do give it a whirl. Season 1 is a bit shaky but it really picks up after that.
Both volumes of Kill Bill and all three Hunger Games movies also drop this Sunday on Netflix, and—somewhat ironically—on Prime Video you’ll be able to watch the Japanese film Battle Royale that inspired those books and movies.
Recent And Ongoing Shows & Movies
Here’s where I list some of the ongoing shows I’m either watching and covering, or just keeping on your radar as they’re airing weekly.
X-Men 97 (Disney+)
I’ve started X-Men 97 and it’s really great. I need to write something up about it. My nostalgia buttons have all been pressed. I was actually more into the comics than the show back in the day, but I did enjoy it and it’s awesome to have such a faithful return to the story of Earth’s most heroic mutants. Critics give this one 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences are close behind at 93%.
3 Body Problem (Netflix)
I’ve tried several times to get into this series, but the Netflix adaptation of the popular sci-fi novels by Cixin Liu (Author) and Ken Liu (Translator) keeps leaving me a bit cold. I’ll give it another try.
Palm Royale (Apple TV+)
Lots of vintage stuff out this weekend. Palm Royale takes place in the 60s and stars a very blonde Kristen Wiig. I’m not sure this is exactly my cup of tea but man do I love the costumes and style. And it has a great cast. Audiences like this one much more than critics. The latter give this a 55% and the former 83%.
Shogun (FX / Hulu)
You can read my latest review of this terrific historical drama here. Shogun remains one of my favorite ongoing series and you really should watch it if you have any interest in feudal Japan. It has all the political machinations of something like Game Of Thrones, along with terrific costumes, cinematography and a cast of truly phenomenal actors. So good!
The Regime (HBO / Max)
I still haven’t started Kate Winslet’s new show. I’ve been watching The Fall lately and that’s taken up a lot of my time. It’s an older show but really damn good! If you enjoy dark cat-and-mouse type detective drama (and serial killers) definitely check it out. I’ve heard mixed things about The Regime. I promise I’ll start it soon!
Resident Alien (Peacock)
Alan Tudyk is amazing. Watch this on Netflix if you haven’t yet. Then sign up for Peacock to watch Season 3. Just a wonderfully charming and funny show with great characters and a fun alien plot.
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live (AMC)
The finale of The Ones Who Live lands this weekend. I’ve sort of lost all hope with this one, after yet another disappointing episode last weekend. Maybe they’ll wrap it up in a bow with the finale, but I’m struggling to see how. But you can watch Parish afterwards!
Other recommendations and pieces I’ve written recently:
What are you watching this weekend? Did I miss anything? Let me know on Twitter and Facebook.
