There’s something streaming for everybody this week, from violent animated series Invincible and Blue Eye Samurai to fan-favourite female-led movies Quiz Girl and 80 for Brady, and more.
SERIES
Invincible S2
3 November 2023 – Prime Video
For years, while it was being published, I considered Invincible to be the best superhero comic on the market. So to say that I had some trepidation when Prime Video released an animated adaptation, was a huge understatement. And yet, with its star-filled cast, great storytelling, and jaw-dropping (or is that bloody jaw-destroying, eyeball-popping, face-melting?) action, the first season of Invincible blew me away. And now the story of Mark Grayson, the teenager who discovered his father is the world’s most powerful superhero and that he’s inherited his father’s physical gifts, continues in explosive fashion. I don’t want to give too many details away here so that those of you who still haven’t seen season one (WHY NOT?!) can catch up unspoiled. I’ll just say that you need to fix that ASAP!
Blue Eye Samurai S1
3 November 2023 – Netflix
And if you’re looking for more adult-oriented animated fare, look no further than Blue Eye Samurai. Co-created by the husband and wife writing team of Michael Green (Logan, Blade Runner: 2049) and Amber Noizumi, this eight-episode series is set in Japan’s 17th century Edo Period and follows a mixed-race swordmaster on a quest for vengeance. Like the classic samurai movies and anime it draws inspiration from, this one is most definitely not for the kids as it’s filled with blood-soaked action and plenty of sex. It also boasts quite the voice cast, featuring the likes of Masi Oka, George Takei, Ming-Na Wen, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Mark Dacascos, Stephanie Hsu, Randall Park, Harry Shum Jr., Brenda Song, Kenneth Branagh, and more.
Spinners S1
8 November 2023 – Showmax
If you grew up on the Cape Flats, like I did, you grew up around spinning. No, not the kind of spinning where you get yelled at as you sweat frantically on an exercise bike. The art of spinning is an extreme form of motorsports involve incredible talent, and Spinners – a new original co-production between Showmax and CANAL+ – takes us deep into this fast paced world of cars and drama. The upcoming series follows Ethan, a 17-year-old driver forced into gangsterism to support his younger brother. When Ethan’s driving skills makes him a rising star on the local spinning scene – and allows him to catch the eye of a young woman equally as good behind the wheel – it offers him a way out of his crime-ridden life. But the past does not let go that easily. Spinners has already drawn widespread acclaim from international and local critics, even receiving a standing ovation for its premiere in Paris.
Robbie Williams S1
8 November 2023 – Netflix
Once the poster child for British pop, a boy band superstar, a devil-may-care entertainer with a wild streak, and a global following of fans that bordered on the cultish, Robbie Williams is now a chilled family man with a wife and four kids. In this four-part documentary series the now-almost-50 music icon takes an unfiltered look back at his life, all captured raw on tape, from his meteoric rise as a teenage member of Take That to his mental downward spiral that forced him into stepping away from the industry that turned him into a household name.
The Buccaneers
8 November 2023 – Apple TV+
There are some things that never change, no matter the century… like wealthy young ladies wanting to have the time of their lives before having to settle down in marriage. Set among the reserved London aristocracy of the 1870s, Buccaneers is an eight-episode period drama about a group of fun-loving young American girls who cause quite the social stir when they are sent across the pond to find themselves posh English husbands during the British debutante season. But for the Buccaneers, as they call themselves, a boring marriage to a stuck-up lord is far from the top prize!
MOVIES
Fingernails
3 November 2023 – Apple TV+
Love at first sight may be incredible, but it’s actually kind of rare. Instead, feelings for somebody else can often start out rather nebulous. But what if there was a way to be sure? What if there was a test you could take that would categorically state that the person you think you may love, is 100% the person for you? And then what happens when you’re still not sure? That’s the premise for Fingernails, a quirky new comedy-drama starring Jessie Buckley as Anna, a lady who has been told via said test that she and her partner Ryan (Jeremy Allen White) definitely belong together. But when Anna starts working at the very institute doing the love testing, and meets Amir (Riz Ahmed), all the test results go out the window.
Sly
3 November 2023 – Netflix
Across his nearly 50-year career, Sylvester “Sly” Stallone has given us some of the most iconic movie characters ever, morphing from small-time dramatic filmmaker to musclebound action hero and everything in between. A true elder statesman of Hollywood, he has led a fascinating and inspirational life, worthy of one of his own underdog-story movies. This retrospective feature film documentary takes an intimate look into the life of Oscar-nominated actor/writer/director/producer.
Quiz Lady
3 November 2023 – Disney+
I will admit that up until a few days ago, I had never heard of Quiz Lady. And I have no idea why. The pitch alone sounds like a winner: Perennial scene-stealers Awkwafina and Sandra Oh respectively star as a super serious and booksmart young woman and her unhinged trainwreck of an older sister who have to reconcile the estrangement to cover their mother’s $80 000 gambling debt… by becoming game show champions. Sign me up for this one!
Nyad
3 November 2023 – Netflix
Sticking with a pair of amazing actresses, drama Nyad stars Annette Bening and Jodie Foster and tells the incredible true story of Diana Nyad. An author, motivational speaker, and lifelong competitive swimmer, the 60-year old Nyad (Bening) – with the help of her best friend/coach (Foster) committed to achieving her life-long dream of a 110-mile open ocean swim from Cuba to Florida. This inspirational film is the feature film directing debut of Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, the Oscar-winning documentary filmmakers behind the jaw-dropping Free Solo.
80 for Brady
6 November 2023 – Showmax
And if you somehow still haven’t had your fill of standout ladies, how about three Oscar winners and one Oscar nominee?. Based on a true story, 80 for Brady sees screen legends Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, and Sally Field star as a quartet of elderly lifelong friends, all megafans of the NFL’s New England Patriots, particularly the American football team’s star quarterback Tom Brady. When they win free tickets to watch the Patriots compete at Superbowl LI in 2017, it kicks off a wild adventure filled with chicken wings, drugs, parties, poker, Guy Fieri, and a whole lot of laughs.