Chances are that you’re still working your way through last week’s glut of streaming releases. That said, below are the standout series and movie premieres from the coming week to add to your Watch List.
SERIES
A League of Their Own
Amazon Prime Video – 12 August
Comedy drama A League of Their Own revisits the same slice of American history previously explored in the 1992 Geena Davis, Madonna and Tom Hanks movie of the same name. Set in 1943, the series centres on the aspiring women athletes who try out for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which sprung up while male players were fighting overseas during World War II. Rules were broken, new connections made, and still others had to forge a new path to pursue their dreams.
Five Days at Memorial
Apple TV+ – 12 August
Based on actual events and adapted from the book by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Sheri Fink, Five Days at Memorial chronicles the impact of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath on a local hospital. When the floodwaters rose, power failed and heat soared, exhausted caregivers at a New Orleans hospital were forced to make decisions that would follow them for years to come. Vera Farmiga heads the cast of this eight-part limited series which has been described as harrowing, but must watch.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
Disney+ – 18 August
Its debut was pushed back a single day, but as of next Thursday you’ll be able to watch the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – which takes a fourth wall-breaking comedic turn over the course of nine 30-minute episodes. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law stars Tatiana Maslany as She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters, a single thirtysomething lawyer who, after gaining the same powers as her cousin Bruce Banner, specializes in superhuman-oriented legal cases. She-Hulk will welcome a host of Marvel characters to the series, including the Hulk, played by Mark Ruffalo, Daredevil/Matt Murdock, played by Charlie Cox, and the Abomination, played by Tim Roth.
MOVIES
Day Shift
Netflix – 12 August
Jamie Foxx stars as a hard working blue collar dad who just wants to provide a good life for his daughter, but his mundane San Fernando Valley pool cleaning job is a front for his real source of income: hunting and killing vampires as part of an international Union of vampire hunters. Now he has a week to come up with the cash to pay for his kid’s tuition and braces. This action-fueled horror comedy co-stars Dave Franco, Meagan Good and Snoop Dogg.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City
Netflix – 15 August
Not had enough live-action Resident Evil in your life? Coming to Netflix is 2021 film Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, which leans harder into the horror of the video game series than any previous big screen adaptations. Set in 1998, this origin story explores the secrets of the mysterious Spencer Mansion and the ill-fated Raccoon City, once the booming home of pharmaceutical giant Umbrella Corporation but now a dying Midwestern town. When a great evil is unleashed, a small group of survivors must work together to uncover the truth behind Umbrella and make it through the night. Starring Kaya Scodelario (Claire Redfield), Hannah John-Kamen (Jill Valentine), Robbie Amell (Chris Redfield), and Tom Hopper (Albert Wesker).
Look Both Ways
Netflix – 17 August
Remember Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow? Look Both Ways seems to be in the same vein, depicting how one moment can dramatically alter someone’s life. Lili Reinhart stars as Natalie, a young woman whose life diverges into two different paths on the night of her college graduation. In one life, she becomes pregnant and must navigate motherhood as a young adult in her hometown. In the other she moves to LA to pursue her career. In both journeys, Natalie experiences life-changing love, pursues her dream career as an artist, and rediscovers herself.
Inside the Mind of a Cat
Netflix – 18 August
Calling all cat lovers. In this hour-long documentary, cat experts dive into the mind of the feline to reveal their true capabilities by unlocking their geneti and behavioural secrets. A new generation of scientists challenge preconceptions about cats, while attempting to make up for the fact that feline research is lagging behind dogs.
In terms of recent highlights on the video on demand front, you can now buy or rent Elvis on Google TV/Apple iTunes (starting at R170), and own – though we’re not sure why you’d want it – a copy of Morbius as well (SD R135, HD R173). Via Apple you can already rent the Jared Leto vampire superhero tale for R45.