2023 is kicking off with a bang in terms of streaming entertainment, as one of the most-anticipated titles of the year, The Last of Us, debuts this coming week. The video game adaptation is not alone though, as we also get the return of Hunters, the premiere of That ’90s Show, and more!
SERIES
Hunters S2
Amazon Prime Video – 13 January 2023
Despite boasting living-legend Al Pacino in the lead, the first season of Hunters flew under many people’s radars. I would suggest you rectify that posthaste (if you plan to, then DON’T WATCH THE TRAILER ABOVE). The fantastic drama saw Pacino playing a wealthy Jewish man in 1970s New York City who leads an eclectic group – recently joined by Logan Lerman’s hot-headed young man – as they hunt Nazis who have been hiding in America since the end of WWII. The first season ended on a shocker of note though, presumably ending one major story arc but somehow the trailer is suggesting that things are not as closed off as we thought.
Break Point – Part 1
Netflix – 13 January 2023
I will admit, I didn’t think much of this upcoming documentary focusing on the world of professional tennis when I first heard about it. I haven’t really been following the sport for around two decades. However, it’s the “From the team behind F1: Drive to Survive” part at the start of the blurb in this trailer that has my attention. If they can do for tennis, what they did for Formula 1 – educating newbies while spinning out incredible behind-the-scenes drama – then this should be a riveting watch. The five-episode Part 1 drops today, with the remaining five episodes landing in June.
The Last of Us S1
Showmax – 16 January 2023
Without a doubt the big release for January, The Last of Us appears to not only be continuing the recent trend of surprisingly great video game adaptations, but also setting the new benchmark for excellence. Adapted from developer Naughty Dog’s multiple-award-winning game – with game director Neil Druckmann acting as co-showrunner with two-time Emmy winner Craig Mazin – at the time of writing, The Last of Us is sitting on a 97% approval. Those glowing reviews have praised the leads Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as they bring to life the gut-wrenching story of Joel and Ellie, a mismatched duo forced to undertake a harrowing cross-country journey in a post-apocalyptic America. Episodes will be releasing weekly on Showmax, just one day behind their international release on HBO Max.
This England S1
Showmax – 16 January 2023
Britain’s Brexit was one of the biggest political fumbles of modern times, but on the back of that horrendous own goals, it saw Boris Johnson win a landslide victory as Prime Minister in the December 2019 British general election. The shortcomings of Brexit though paled in comparison as to what came next as the COVID pandemic gripped the world months later, and the mishandling of the crisis by the government saw a grievous death toll that could potentially have been avoided. Docudrama This England takes us behind the curtain of what happened, all based on testimonies of insiders from the Boris administration as well as other governmental institutions. And although you may not have noticed it thanks to some incredible makeup work, that’s Sir Kenneth Branagh bringing Johnson to life in this 6-part miniseries.
That ’90s Show
Netflix – 19 January 2023
That ’70s Show is a verifiable classic 90s sitcom… so of course somebody would try to revive it. However, there’s no Eric Forman or Donna Pinciotti (although you can expect cameo appearances from them and some of the original gang) as the story appropriately moves forward two decades for That ’90s Show. This time it focuses on Leia Forman, Eric and Donna’s teenage daughter, as she spends the summer of 1995 with her grandparents, played once again by the inimitable duo of Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp as the iconic Red and Kitty Forman. Honestly, it’s the return of the latter that is the big appeal here, so we’ll have to see if Leia hanging out with her friends in the same basement her parents used to will be as entertaining.
MOVIES
The Menu
Disney+ – 11 January 2023
One of the buzziest releases recently, The Menu just quietly slipped onto Disney+ a few days ago with surprisingly little fanfare. Don’t let that lack of platform hype fool you though, as this comedy-horror is apparently a must-see. Ralph Fiennes stars as a celebrity chef with a star-studded supporting cast playing the dinner guests attending his exclusive restaurant, only for the night’s culinary treats to go very wrong… and very bloody!
Dog Gone
Netflix – 13 January 2023
And now for a palate cleanser, if you will, after that meaty meal. I’ll be honest that I didn’t even know this movie existed until I saw a tweet yesterday of star Rob Lowe posing on the red carpet of its premiere with a series of increasingly cute canine co-stars, and really that was all I needed to know. I don’t even think I need to read the plot synopsis to know that this one will probably be tugging on the heartstrings, making you “awwww” as much you bawl.