From the return of the Netflix show The Recruit, to the Golden Globe-winning performance from Fernanda Torres in I’m Still Here, newly released TV shows and movies impressed this week. And if you’re having trouble narrowing down what to watch this weekend, a handy rating is coming your way.
While some TV shows and movies proved to be stronger than others for me, documentary lovers, political thriller fans and rom-com enthusiasts all have new entertainment to enjoy. Whether you want to stay home and stream TV shows and movies on Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+ and Paramount+, or you want to go to the movie theatre, there are options for everyone.
Each week Yahoo Canada will break down newly released TV shows and movies, recommending what to watch next, and what you may want to skip:
Companion — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Drew Hancock’s Companion, starring Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid and Lukas Gage, is absolutely my highlight of the week. This dark comedy is clever, full of surprises and a ton of fun, sprinkled with the perfect amount of gore to add an appealing shock value.
This film already feels like it has a place among the movies that I always go back to because they’re equally as entertaining every single time.
Where to watch ‘Companion’: Now in theatres
Mythic Quest, Season 4 — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For most shows I expect to see ebbs and flows from season to season, some being better than others, but I’m temped to lock in Mythic Quest, Season 4 as my favourite season of the whole series. Season 4 still leans into the hilarity of the gaming industry, but also adds this compelling focus on the personal lives of its characters. It feels like the perfect direction for the show at this point in its life.
Just like previous seasons of Mythic Quest, stars Rob McElhenney, Charlotte Nicdao, David Hornsby, Imani Hakim, Danny Pudi, Jessie Ennis, Ashly Burch and Naomi Ekperigin are exceptional, taking us to even funnier spaces for Season 4.
Where to watch ‘Mythic Quest’: Apple TV+
I’m Still Here — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heart-wrenching and breathtaking, I’m Still Here is the most powerful new movie to watch this week, following the film’s star, Fernanda Torres, winning a Golden Globe award for her role. The film is based on the true story of Rubens Paiva, a former congressman who was taken from his home in Rio de Janeiro in 1971.
I’m Still Here is more than emotional, it’s chilling, with the script for the Brazilian film effectively crafted under the presence of its political landscape, with Walter Salles sitting in the weight of this family drama.
Where to watch ‘I’m Still Here’: Now in theatres
Paradise — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sterling K. Brown and This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman have given us another addictive series, but it’s nothing like This Is Us. At a time when political thrillers are starting to feel quite unimaginative, Paradise reminds us why the genre has been so popular.
Littered with twists and shocks, Fogelman also make sure to thoroughly flesh out many of the characters on this show, which quickly made me so invested in their journeys, I just couldn’t stop watching.
Where to watch ‘Paradise’: Disney+ in Canada, Hulu in the U.S.
The Recruit — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In the realm of action-pack spy thrillers The Recruit continues to be a particularly lovable addition to the large collections of films in that genre. Alexi Hawley’s storytelling includes a great amount of fun and comedy in a deadly spy story.
Noah Centineo is a natural leading man, able to amplify the playfulness of Owen Hendricks, a lawyer who ends up being wrapped up in spy missions, while also packing a punch (literally) in the action sequences. In Season 2, Centineo is also able to effortlessly extend Owen’s story by looking at his childhood past left behind in South Korea.
Sometimes The Recruit may lean too far into melodrama, but I can’t knock an overall fun ride.
Where to watch ‘The Recruit’: Netflix
School Spirits, Season 2 — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I have to note from the top that this review is only based on the first three episodes of School Spirits, Season 2, so I’m hoping the show maintains its thrills, particularly with this interesting blend of the ghost and human worlds.
Peyton List continues to be a core strength of the show. The actor has this incredibly impressive ability to affect me so deeply during the emotional moments of the series, but also makes me laugh and gives me the thrills of the mysteries. She’s undeniably a powerhouse performer who is a pleasure to watch.
Where to watch ‘School Spirits’: Paramount+
Vietnam: The War That Changed America — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The list of movies and shows that have been made about the Vietnam War is extensive, so it takes something special to stand out from the crowd. How Vietnam: The War That Changed America achieved that is by really making this a docuseries about human connect between people who have a shared experience.
It’s equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming, and really rests on the specific perspectives and experiences of the individuals impacted by the war, which is what is often lacking in other projects about this time in history.
Where to watch Vietnam: The War That Changed America: Apple TV+
You’re Cordially Invited — ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Starring Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell, You’re Cordially Invited is a movie that falls victim to great talent that does their best with slim material to work with. The film is a rom-com that works best in its least romantic moments, but often feels like the comedy is too forced than it needs to be, particularly with such an impressive cast.
But there is something that’s still charming about the film, mostly resting on the talent of actors like Geraldine Viswanathan, Leanne Morgan, Celia Weston and Rory Scovel, along with Witherspoon and Ferrell.
