3 Best all-new Netflix and Prime Video arrivals for a mid-week binge (Sep 21-25)
More big additions beckon this week
Every week is a big week when you're Netflix and Prime Video, locked in a never-ending battle to be the biggest streaming service in the world, knowing that the only way you'll cement your position is by releasing new content all the time. People expect a lot of volume from their subscriptions now, after all, with prices only ever seeming to trend upwards.
If you've got a quiet week with some evenings free this time around, and either a Netflix or Prime Video subscription (or both), you might be interested to know what the big additions this week will be. I've gone through both streamers' release schedules in detail to pick out three highlights around which you could anchor your week – with release dates and trailers for you to check out, too.
The Love Hypothesis
- Streaming on: Prime Video from 23 September
This steamy looking romance movie clearly verges into comedy territory at times, but I have a feeling it's going to be a refreshingly old-school romantic story rather than one that undercuts its own sincerity. Lili Reinhart stars a Olive, a PhD student who makes an impulsive decision to kiss someone in an attempt to convince her friend to go on a date of her own.
The man she kisses just happens to be senior to her in the lab, but he's surprisingly interested in a potential ruse – they can pretend to be an item and each benefit from the conclusions that others make about the situation. Needless to say, they're clearly going to develop feelings for each other in no time at all, and that should bring with it plenty of fodder for romantic situations.
Unabomber
- Streaming on: Netflix from 25 September
Netflix has become a specialist at adapting true crime stories into dramatic, tense series, and it looks like Unabomber might be one of its biggest examples yet. Jacob Tremblay stars as the young bomber, a boy turning into a man and encountering all sorts of pressures and triggers as he realises that he doesn't feel at home in the world.
In a split timeline, we'll also see the police as they embark on a major manhunt to find the criminal once his spree has started, and this should mean we get plenty of tension along with the psychological depth of Tremblay's performance. How exactly those two timelines are juggled will be fascinating to observe, and nobody should be surprised when this storms to the top of Netflix's charts on release.
Wonka's The Golden Ticket
- Streaming on: Netflix from 23 September
Reality shows haven't always been the biggest hits for Netflix, at least in terms of quality and critical reception, but this one looks as big-budget as any I can recall seeing. It basically puts on a real-life version of Wonka's chocolate factory, and thenm puts a group of contestants into it to compete in confectionary-themed games against each other.
With sets that look frankly unbelievable at times, and the impression that some of those games will push people to their limits, this could actually be a surprise hit. Netflix clearly thinks it's on to something, given the resources it's put behind the show, and its finale will have a week-long delay before it airs on 30 September, to build up the suspense.
