Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Back on the beat: Season 2 of ‘Tokyo Vice’ debuts
WHAT’S NEW ON MAX
“Tokyo Vice” - Season 2
Dive deeper into the belly of the beast with the Max original crime thriller “Tokyo Vice,” premiering on the streaming platform Thursday, Feb. 8. Based on the 2009 memoir of the same name by American journalist Jake Adelstein, the series recounts the story of Adelstein’s (portrayed by Ansel Elgort, “West Side Story,” 2021) life as the first American journalist working for a major Japanese newspaper in the early 1990s. Taken under the wing of an older detective (Ken Watanabe, “Inception,” 2010) in the department’s vice squad, young Adelstein starts to explore Japan’s underworld and the dark and dangerous activities of the Yakuza. In the 10-episode second season, the series dives deeper into Tokyo’s criminal underworld, as Adelstein realizes he, and those he cares about, are in terrible danger. Adapted for television by series creator J.T. Rogers (“Oslo,” 2021), Season 2 also stars Rachel Keller (“Fargo”), Sho Kasamatsu (“Love You as the World Ends”), Rinko Kikuchi (“Invasion”) and Ayumi Ito (“Swallowtail Butterfly,” 1996), alongside new series regulars Yosuke Kubozuka (“Silence,” 2016) and Miki Maya (“Downtown Rocket”).
WHAT’S NEW ON PARAMOUNT+
“Halo” - Season 2
One story that took the gaming world by storm takes on new life when “Halo” continues with its second season on Paramount+ Thursday, Feb. 8. First introduced to gaming fans in 2001, the story, set in the 26th century, follows the epic battle between humanity and an alien threat known at the Covenant. This season, Master Chief John-117 (Pablo Schreiber, “American Gods”) and his team of elite Spartans bravely face down the Covenant. But “in the wake of a shocking event on a desolate planet, John cannot shake the feeling that his war is about to change and risks everything to prove what no one else will believe — that the Covenant is preparing to attack humanity’s greatest stronghold” (per Paramount+). With the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance, John sets out to find the Halo, which will either prove itself to be the key to humanity’s salvation or its extinction. From series creators Steven Kane (“The Closer”) and Kyle Killen (“Mind Games”) and showrunner and executive producer David Wiener (“Brave New World”), “Halo” Season 2 also stars Natascha McElhone (“Californication”), Jen Taylor (from the Halo game series), Bokeem Woodbine (“Fargo”), Shabana Azmi (“24: India”), Natasha Culzac (“The Witcher”), Olive Gray (“Half Moon Investigations”), Yerin Ha (“Reef Break”), Bentley Kalu (“Avengers: Age of Ultron,” 2015), Kate Kennedy (“Haar,” 2023), Charlie Murphy (“Peaky Blinders”), Danny Sapani (“Penny Dreadful”), Joseph Morgan (“The Originals”), Christina Rodlo (“Too Old to Die Young”), Fiona O’Shaughnessy (“Utopia”) and new talent Tylan Bailey.
WHAT’S NEW ON NETFLIX
“One Day”
Based on the worldwide bestseller by David Nicholls, the new limited series “One Day” premieres Thursday, Feb. 8, on Netflix. On the night of their graduation on July 15, 1988, Emma Morley (Ambika Mod, “This Is Going to Hurt”) and Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall, “The White Lotus”) speak to each other for the very first time. The next day, they go their separate ways, until the fateful day they reunite one year later. And the next year, and the year after that, and every year that follows. In a love story spanning decades, each new episode finds Dexter and Emma one year older on the same date, as they grow and change together and as individuals. Created for television by Nicole Taylor (“Wild Rose,” 2018), “One Day” also stars Essie Davis (“Faraway Downs”), Tim McInnerny (“Notting Hill,” 1999), Amber Grappy (“Smothered”), Jonny Weldon (“House of the Dragon”), Eleanor Tomlinson (“Poldark”), Joely Richardson (“Nip/Tuck”) and Toby Stephens (“Treat Yourself,” 2018). Directed by Molly Manners (“In My Skin”), Kate Hewitt (“Life”), John Hardwick (“Brassic”) and Luke Snellin (“Suspects”), the series is executive produced by Nicholls, Taylor, Roanna Benn (“Doctor Foster: A Woman Scorned”) and Jude Liknaitzky (“My Mad Fat Diary”).
WHAT’S NEW ON PRIME VIDEO
“Upgraded” (2024)
Take off with the new romantic comedy “Upgraded,” premiering Friday, Feb. 9, on Prime Video. An ambitious intern with sky-high dreams of a career in the art world, Ana (Camila Mendes, “Riverdale”) works tirelessly to try to impress her demanding boss, Claire (Marisa Tomei, “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” 2017). When Ana’s upgraded to first class on her flight while on a work trip, she meets a handsome and wealthy fellow traveler, Will (Archie Renaux, “Shadow and Bone”), who mistakes Ana for her boss. When Ana goes along with what at first seems like a harmless little white lie, it sets off a chain of events that takes her down a glamorous path to romance and opportunity. But when her true identity threatens to surface, it could all come crumbling down around her. Directed by Carlson Young (“Scream: The TV Series”), “Upgraded” is written by Christine Lenig (“Unsolved Mysteries”), Luke Spencer Roberts (“The Duel,” 2023) and Justin Matthews (“The Morning Show”). The cast is rounded out by Lena Olin (“Alias”), Anthony Head (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), Thomas Kretschmann (“Gran Turismo,” 2023), Grégory Montel (“Call My Agent!”), Rachel Matthews (“Looking For Alaska”), Fola Evans-Akingbola (“The Night Agent”), Aimee Carrero (“The Menu,” 2022), Andrew Shulz (“You People,” 2023) and Saoirse-Monica Jackson (“Derry Girls”).
WHAT’S NEW ON HULU
“Suncoast” (2024)
Marking the feature film debut from writer and director Laura Chinn (“Florida Girls”), the new coming-of-age drama “Suncoast” premieres Friday, Feb. 9, on Hulu. Inspired by Chinn’s real-life experience from the early 2000s, this semi-autobiographical film follows the story of a teenager (Nico Parker, “The Last of Us”) as she and her strong-willed mother (Laura Linney, “Ozark”) must take her brother (Cree Kawa, “Never Have I Ever”) to live at a specialized facility. While there, the teen finds an unlikely friendship in an eccentric activist (Woody Harrelson, “White House Plumbers”) amid the protests surrounding a landmark medical case. Executive produced by Amy Greene (“Somewhere in Queens,” 2022) and Chris Stinson (“The Holdovers,” 2023), “Suncoast” is produced by Kevin Chinoy (“What You Wish For,” 2023), Oliver Obst (“The Resident”), Jeremy Plager (“Champions,” 2023) and Francesca Silvestri (“The Florida Project,” 2017). The film also stars Daniella Taylor (“Grown-ish”), Ella Anderson (“The Glass Castle,” 2017), Amarr (“American Housewife”), Ariel Martin (“Zombies 2,” 2020) and Keyla Monterroso Mejia (“Freeridge”).