We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+.
Under His Command (TVNZ+, September 8)
In season two of Under His Command, legendary local journalist John Campbell returns to further explore the controversies swirling around Destiny Church and its leader Brian Tamaki. Going behind closed doors, Campbell speaks to former congregants of the church about the devastating impact it has had on their lives and to those taking action to stop the self-proclaimed apostles’ exploitation of Aotearoa’s most vulnerable. Season one was described by The Spinoff’s Liam Rātana as “essential viewing for anyone trying to understand the growing intersection of religion, politics and power in Aotearoa,” so be sure to tune into this unsettling but vital docuseries.
Task (Neon, September 8)
In HBO’s Task, the latest outing from the creator of the highly-acclaimed Mare of Easttown, four-time Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo is Tom Brandis, a former priest turned Philly-based FBI agent. Caught in a perilous cat-and-mouse game with “a robber named Robbie with Robin Hood-like tendencies,” Brandis must track down the brazen masked burglar before the gang violence exponentially escalates. Described as a “masterful series” and “HBO’s next must-see,” Task is the kind of relentless high-calibre crime drama that’s sure to keep you hanging on.
Only Murders in the Building (Disney+, September 9)
Comedic greats Steve Martin and Martin Short return alongside global pop icon Selena Gomez as the unlikely but endearing ensemble of true crime obsessives return to solve yet another murder. Picking up where the prior season left off, the trio uncover a dangerous web of secrets in pursuit of doorman Lester’s killer, plunging them into the shadowy corners of New York. Alongside the three amigos, Meryl Streep returns with fresh faces to the series such as Logan Lerman, Christoph Waltz, Renée Zellweger and Keegan-Michael Key guest-starring. Touted as “sly, boisterous, and a bit melancholy,” this charming, classic-meets-modern whodunnit, is a “great pick-me-up” if life’s got you feeling blue.
Ellis Park (DocPlay, September 11)
Recently screening at the Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival, this “richly cinematic” profile of Warren Ellis, the virtuosic musician of the Dirty Three and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, is the first documentary outing from acclaimed Australian auteur Justin Kurzel. Unable to tour because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ellis, an “introspective person who has been to a lot of places, done a lot of dope and learned a lot of lessons,” shifts focus and co-founds a wildlife sanctuary in the lush, ancient forests of Sumatra. Drawing a “bow between his hedonistic, addictive years, his redemption, and the sanctuary’s traumatised residents,” this deeply personal fly-on-the-wall documentary is sure to make your soul swell.
The Girlfriend (Prime Video, September 10)
Directed by and starring Hollywood legend Robin Wright, this thrilling adaptation of Michelle Frances’ novel revolves around Laura (Wright), a wealthy woman and mother to her beloved son Daniel. Laura’s picture-perfect life begins to unravel after a frosty introduction to Cherry (Olivia Cooke), the new partner her son is head-over-heels for. Convinced that Cherry is concealing something, salacious secrets eventually bubble to the surface as the two fight for Daniel’s attention and affection. Reminiscent of A Simple Favour and Saltburn, The Girlfriend is bound to be a devilishly fun time.
Pick of the Flicks: The Dry (Prime Video, September 9)
The Dry, an adaptation of Jane Harper’s international bestseller of the same name, is another intense addition to Australian cinema’s long-standing tradition of unflinching, hard-hitting crime films. Eric Bana is a brooding federal police agent who returns to his tight-knit outback hometown for the funeral of a childhood friend. The sombre agent’s unwelcome homecoming fuels the fire of two smouldering mysteries, setting in motion a “taut, tough and tense” series of enigmatic events that “matches wide-open spaces with uncomfortably close drama.” If this slow-burning crime drama sparks your interest, there’s a scenic 2024 sequel to check out as well.
The rest
Netflix
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon S3 (September 8)
Her Mother’s Killer S2 (September 8)
Dr. Seuss’s Red Fish, Blue Fish (September 8)
Kiss or Die (September 9)
Jordan Jensen: Take Me With You (September 9)
The Dead Girls (September 10)
Love Is Blind: Brazil S5 (September 10)
Love Is Blind: France (September 10)
Diary of a Ditched Girl (September 11)
Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black S2 (September 11)
Ratu Ratu Queens: The Series (September 12)
Maledictions (September 12)
You and Everything Else (September 12)
TVNZ+
Under his Command (September 8)
Mediha (8 September)
What Walaa Wants (8 September)
Mutiny in Heaven: The Birthday Party (11 September)
Neon
Jellystone! S3 (September 8)
Task (September 8)
The Wolf of Wall Street (September 8)
Get Fast (September 9)
My Favourite Dead Person S3 (September 9)
Clear Cut (September 10)
Rambo: Last Blood (September 11)
Towards Zero (September 11)
Deepwater Horizon (September 12)
The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim (September 12)
Silver Linings Playbook (September 13)
911: Did The Killer Call? S6 (September 13)
Prime Video
Neighbours: S3 (September 9)
The Dry (September 9)
The Girlfriend (September 10)
Top End Bub (September 12)
Disney+
Only Murders in the Building S5 (September 9)
Tempest (September 10)
Breslau (September 12)
Call My Agent Berlin (September 12)
Lost in the Jungle (September 13)
Apple TV+
The Morning Show S4 (September 17)
Hayu
Death Row Confidential: Secrets of a Serial Killer (September 14)
Shudder/AMC+/Acorn/HIDIVE
Guts & Glory (Shudder, AMC+, September 9)
DocPlay
Mediha (September 8)
What Walaa Wants (September 8)
Ellis Park (September 11)
Mutiny in Heaven: The Birthday Party (September 11)