NEW TO STREAM
Rundown of what’s arriving on entertainment platforms
MOVIES
Jonathan Glazer’s best picture nominee
“The Zone of Interest” is now streaming on Max. The film, haunting and formalist, depicts the daily life of Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel), and his wife, Hedwig (Sandra Hüller), while living in their home next door to Auschwitz. Since its premiere at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, “The Zone of Interest” has been hailed as harrowing drama about human capacity for compartmentalizing atrocity. In her review, Associated Press writer Jocelyn Noveck said that “the horror assaults our senses in other, deeper ways.” At the Oscars, where “The Zone of Interest” won best international film, Glazer spoke out against Israel’s war in Gaza, sparking a backlash from some in Hollywood.
A nonfiction highlight of
the year, Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine’s “Girls State” is now streaming on Apple TV+. The film is a companion piece to their prize-winning 2020 documentary “Boys State.” Like that film, “Girls State” follows a handful of teenagers over a week in a mock-government program. That this time it’s high school girls changes not only the tenor of discourse around political issues like abortion but finds added tension in the inequities between the girls and boys.
Disney Animation’s
“Wish” has landed on Disney+. Released last fall in theaters, “Wish” — an origin story for the wishing star, stuffed with nods to past Disney classics — seemed like quintessential Mouse House magic but fizzled with critics and audiences. In her review, Associated Press writer Lindsey Bahr called it “more concept than story, a strained and forgettable attempt to pay homage to the studio’s 100 years.” The voice cast includes Ariana DeBose and Chris Pine.
— Jake Coyle, Associated Press
MUSIC
Sheila E., the Princementored Queen of Percussion, has released her first salsa album, titled “Bailar.” It is a celebration of the genre — and a new chapter in Sheila E.’s rich musical history, beginning with a re-imagination of “Bemba Colorá,” originally performed by Celia Cruz, now featuring Gloria Estefan and Mimy Succar and, of course, a drum solo. Ruben Blades, Gilberto Santa Rosa and Luis Enrique are also featured on the album.
A few days before Tori
Kelly released her 2023 EP, “tori,” the R&B-pop vocalist was rushed to the ICU at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after suffering a blood-clot related collapse. She has healed since — and just eight months later, she has released her fifth studio album, “Tori.” The period is appropriate — the album feels definitive; Kelly stretching her familiar soulful tone in to classicsounding songs about love (“cut”) and loss (“high water”).
He’s a lonely dancer, so
dance with him so he doesn’t cry! Gen Z musician (and Olivia Rodrigo BFF) Conan Gray’s third studio album, “Found Heaven,” deepens his penchant for synth-pop. Max Martin is a producer (known for his work with Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, Robyn … the list goes on and on). And the lead single, the ’80s revisionist “Lonely Dancers,” is an earworm for the ages. “Your lover left, broke up tonight/ My lover’s busy, kissing other guys/ We’re
both alone now, tears in our eyes,” he sings. “We’re lonely dancers, there’s no need to hide/ We’re lonely dancers, baby/ Dance with me so we don’t cry.” If it is ascendant depressive tunes with a musical theater sensibility you’re after, well, you’ve found it! The album is available now.
The Grammy-nominated
R&B and hip-hop hit-maker Bryson Tiller’s eponymous fourth studio album is a bit of a mystery. His last album, “Anniversary,” was released four years ago, and little is known about his new era. A week before it dropped, only one song had been released, “Whatever She Wants” — which Tiller has said doesn’t sound like anything on the album. Grammy best new artist winner Victoria Monét is a feature on the album, now available. Both artists are reason enough to get excited. — Maria Sherman, Associated Press
TELEVISION
“Lopez vs. Lopez,” a comedy
starring George Lopez and his daughter, Mayan Lopez, has returned for Season 2 on NBC. The show, airing on Tuesdays, is based on the ups-and-downs in the actors’ real-life relationship. Guest stars include Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias and Jaime Camil. Episodes also stream on Peacock.
As the CW looks to establish a new identity as a major network, one of the four originals renewed for this season has premiered. The fourth season of Jared Padalecki’s “Walker,” is now airing on Wednesdays and streaming on Max.
“Ted Lasso” may be dunzo (although it’s good to have a dream), but there are still a number of feelgood shows on Apple TV+ worth checking out. “Loot,” starring Maya Rudolph, falls under that category. It recently debuted its second season. Rudolph*
plays Molly, the ex-wife of a billionaire (Adam Scott) who decides to donate a majority of her money to good causes. The show also stars Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Joel Kim Booster, Ron Funches and Nat Faxon.
We’ve seen him as a hot
priest, but if you watched Andrew Scott on “Sherlock,” you know he’s also great at playing bad. This time, Scott steps into the role of Tim Ripley, the fraudster-turned-killer created by author Patricia Highsmith, for a limitedseries. “Ripley” is now streaming on Netflix.
Colin Farrell plays a private investigator in the new series “Sugar” for Apple TV+, where the central mystery is to locate the missing granddaughter of a big time Hollywood producer. Reviews are already screaming about a plot twist so proceed with caution online if you don’t
want spoilers. “Sugar” is now streaming.
— Alicia Rancilio, Associated Press
VIDEO GAMES
I’m a sports fan, but you’d
have to pay me a lot to get me to sit through televised golf or auto racing. Combine the two in a video game? Now you’re talking! In Turbo Golf Racing, your job is to guide a ball across a hazard-filled course, keeping it in bounds and eventually knocking it into a hole. But the ball is enormous, you’re striking it with a car rather than a club, and other vehicles are battling you on the fairway at the same time. Oh, and sometimes the hazards explode. The U.K.’s Hugecalf Studios hopes the result is the kind of multiplayer mayhem that made Rocket League (soccer plus demolition derby) a hit. Tee off now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S/One and PC.