New to Streaming This Week (4/26/21), Including ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ and ‘22 vs. Earth’
Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” based on Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel, kicks off season four. It opens with June plotting revenge against the Jezebels, before she and the Handmaids escape the farm for the next safe house. It stars Elizabeth Moss, who says the characters change “dramatically” this season.
On a more spiritual note, a new short from Pixar Animation Studios, “22 vs. Earth” revisits the skeptical soul long before she met “Soul’s” Joe Gardner. Debuting on Disney+, “22 vs. Earth” welcomes Tina Fey back to The Great Before as the voice of sassy 22. She defies the rules and attempts a rebellion — while learning the meaning of life.
Monday, April 26
- The Artist (HBO Max) The black-and-white silent French film, which nabbed five Oscars, charts the romance between a silent-era movie legend and a rising starlet.
- Bäckström (Acorn) a Swedish crime thriller about a detective on a global mission to discover the secrets behind a woman’s mysterious death.
Tuesday, April 27
- August: Osage County (Netflix) A dysfunctional Midwest family reveals their rivalries and secrets.
- Battle of Los Angeles (Netflix) A Marine platoon fights to protect the world from powerful aliens. It stars Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Rodriguez.
- Fatma (Netflix) A house cleaner, dealing with a tragedy, kicks off a murder spree as she looks for her missing husband.
- When Philip Met Missy - April 27 (discovery+) The documentary chronicles a small-town murder. Philip has a missing wife, but Missy doesn’t seem to care. Yet it’s through her eyes, and restaurant surveillance of the couple’s conversations, that the truth comes out.
- Strangers on a Train (TCM) The Hitchcock classic about crisscross murders, where nothing connects the would-be killer to the victim. Starring Robert Walker and Farley Granger, the final carousel scene is a masterful piece of cinema suspense.
Wednesday, April 28
- Arrival (Hulu) A linguistics professor (Amy Adams) leads an elite team of investigators when spaceships land on Earth and she needs to decipher their language.
- Headspace Guide to Sleep (Netflix) The show teaches people how to sleep better with Headspace. Each episode explodes sleep myths and offers tips to make slumber easier.
- The Handmaid’s Tale: Season 4 Premiere (Hulu) Women rebel against the totalitarian state that is imprisoning them.
- Life Under Renovation (discovery+) The six-episode series follows five families as they cope with the biggest renovation of their lives.
Thursday, April 29
- Things Heard and Seen (Netflix) After moving to a small town with her husband, a young artist begins to suspect their home carries a dark secret.
- Yasuke (Netflix) An original anime based on the historical figure, a warrior of African descent who served under a Japanese feudal lord in the 16th century.
- Looney Tunes Cartoons, Season 1D (HBO Max) Classic favorites like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Sylvester, as well as new hits and streamer originals.
- Chasing Ocean Giants (discovery+) From blues whales off the coast of Sri Lanka, to the biggest population of Orcas in the Norwegian fjords, the eight-episode series explores the wonders of the oceanic world.
- The Third Man (TCM) Orson Welles’ masterpiece about post-WWII corruption in Vienna — and the American behind a lethal scam.
Friday April 30
- 22 vs. Earth (Disney+) Set before the events of “Soul,” the original Pixar short revisits the skeptical soul long before she ever met Joe Gardner.
- The Innocent (Netflix) Based on Harlan Coben’s novel about an accidental killing that haunts a man. And just as he finds freedom, the nightmare returns.
- The Mitchells vs. The Machines (Netflix) Katie is on a road trip with her family, about to start film school. But their plans get waylaid. Blame the robot apocalypse.
- Adventures in Wonderland (Disney+) Live-action/puppet musical takes its cue from Lewis Carroll’s famed novel about Alice, who falls down a rabbit hole.
- Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse (Amazon Prime Video) The film tells the origin story of John Kelly (Michael B. Jordan), a U.S. Navy SEAL who uncovers an international conspiracy while looking for his wife’s killers.