Every week, MobileSyrup goes over some of the most notable movies and TV shows to recently hit Canadian streaming platforms.
Typically, this column focuses on content from Amazon Prime Video Canada, Crave and Netflix Canada, although other streaming services may be mentioned when relevant.
Shows or movies that are made in Canada, involve notable Canadian cast or crew or are filmed in Canada will also be highlighted.
Amazon Prime Video
12 Monkeys (Season 4)
The fourth and final season of Syfy’s sci-fi mystery drama series 12 Monkeys is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Loosely based on Terry Gilliam’s 1995 film of the same name, the series follows two time travelling strangers who must team up to stop a villainous organization called “Army of the 12 Monkeys.”
It’s worth noting that much of the series was filmed in Toronto.
12 Monkeys was created by Nikita alums Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett and stars Aaron Stanford (X2: X-Men United), Amanda Schull (Pretty Little Liars), Kirk Acevedo (Band of Brothers), Noah Bean (Nikita) and Todd Stashwick (The Originals).
Original broadcast date: June 15th, 2018 to July 6th, 2018 (Syfy)
Amazon Prime Video Canada release date: June 19th, 2019
Runtime: 11 episodes (42 to 48 minutes each)
Stream all four seasons of 12 Monkeys here.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Amazon Prime Video Canada this month can be found here.
Crave
The Hate U Give
Based on Angie Thomas’ 2017 novel of the same name, the critically-acclaimed The Hate U Give follows Starr Carter, a high schooler who must stand up for what’s right once she witnesses a fatal police shooting.
Directed by George Tillman, Jr. (Barbershop), The Hate U Give stars Amandla Stenberg (The Hunger Games), Regina Hall (Girls Trip), Russell Hornsby (Grimm), KJ Apa (Riverdale), Common (John Wick: Chapter Two) and Anthony Mackie (Captain America: The Winter Soldier).
Original theatrical release date: October 5th, 2018
Crave release date: June 21st, 2019
Runtime: 2 hours, 13 minutes
Stream The Hate U Give here. Note that a $15.98 CAD/month Crave + Starz subscription is required.
Killjoys (Season 4)
Just a few weeks ahead of the premiere of Killjoys‘ fifth and final season, Crave has added the fourth season of the popular Canadian Space Channel series.
Killjoys is set in space and follows a trio of bounty hunters that must fight to protect both their friends and themselves once their pasts come back to haunt them.
The shot-in-Toronto series was created by Michelle Lovretta (Lost Girl) and stars Hannah John-Kamen (Ant-Man and the Wasp), Richmond, B.C.’s Aaron Ashmore (Smallville) and London, Ontario’s Luke Macfarlane (Brothers & Sisters).
Original broadcast date: July 20th, 2018 to September 21st, 2018
Crave release date: June 21st, 2019
Runtime: 10 episodes (41 to 43 minutes each)
Stream all four seasons of Killjoys here.
The Old Man & the Gun
The Old Man & the Gun is based on the real-life career bank robber who was famously profiled in David Grann’s 2003 The New Yorker article of the same name.
The film was written and directed by David Lowery (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints) and stars Robert Redford (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea), Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon) and Tika Sumpter (Gossip Girl).
It’s worth noting that Redford announced his retirement from acting after completing The Old Man & the Gun, not including the legendary actor’s already-filmed cameo for Avengers: Endgame, which released several months later.
Original theatrical release date: September 28th, 2018
Crave release date: June 22nd, 2019
Runtime: 1 hour, 33 minutes
Stream The Old Man & the Gun here. Note that a $19.98 Crave + Movies + HBO subscription is required.
Saw (I — VI and 3D)
Crave has added the first seven movies from Lionsgate’s popular Saw horror franchise — I through VI, as well as 2010’s 3D. Crave already had 2017’s Jigsaw, the eighth film in the franchise, meaning that the streaming service now has the entire Saw franchise available for viewing.
The Saw movies focus on the deranged Jigsaw Killer, who forces his victims into elaborate, lethal traps to see who can escape.
Saw 1 — VI and 3D were released between 2004 and 2010. The series was created by frequent horror movie collaborators James Wan and Leigh Whannell (Insidious).
Stream all eight Saw movies here. Note that a $15.98 CAD/month Crave + Starz subscription is required.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Crave this month can be found here.
Netflix
The Avengers
With the original Avengers given their proper sendoff in Avengers: Endgame, revisit where it all began in 2012’s seminal The Avengers. The film follows Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye as they team up to save the Earth from the villainous Loki.
Written and directed by Joss Whedon (Firefly), The Avengers stars Robert Downey, Jr. (Tropic Thunder), Chris Evans (Snowpiercer), Chris Hemsworth (Rush), Scarlett Johansson (Lost in Translation), Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher) and Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker).
It’s interesting to see Netflix get an older Marvel Studios movie, given that new release Disney-owned content isn’t coming to the streaming service as the Mouse House gears up to launch Disney+ later this year.
Original theatrical release date: May 4th, 2012
Netflix Canada release date: June 22nd, 2019
Runtime: 2 hours, 23 minutes
Stream The Avengers here.
Beats
Beats is a Netflix Original coming-of-age drama about an introverted teenage musical prodigy who befriends a down-on-his-luck high school security guard.
The film was directed by Chris Robinson (Nas’ “One Mic”) and stars Anthony Anderson (Black-ish), Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black), Emayatzy Evett Corinealdi (Middle of Nowhere) and Paul Walter Hauser (Key & Peele).
Netflix Canada release date: June 19th, 2019
Runtime: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Stream Beats here.
The Confession Tapes (Season 2)
The second season of Netflix’s well-received true crime series The Confession Tapes is now streaming, investigating four other cases of people confessing to crimes they didn’t actually commit.
The series was created by documentarian Kelly Loudenberg (Black Ice).
Netflix Canada release date: June 21st, 2019
Runtime: Four episodes (41 to 46 minutes each)
Stream both seasons of The Confession Tapes here.
Dark (Season 2)
The second season of Netflix’s acclaimed Original German sci-fi thriller series Dark is now streaming. Dark is a time-travelling story that follows various families as they try to find their missing children.
The series was created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese (The Last Silence) and stars Louis Hofmann (Land of Mine), Oliver Masucci (Er Ist Wieder Da) and Jördis Triebel (Emmas Glück).
Netflix Canada release date: June 21st, 2019
Runtime: Eight episodes (54 to 61 minutes each)
Stream Dark here.
Mr. D (Season 8)
The eighth and final season of hit Canadian comedy series Mr. D is now on Netflix. The shot-in-Halifax series follows the misadventures of an under-qualified schoolteacher named Gerry Duncan.
Mr. D was created by Scarborough, Ontario’s Gerry Dee (Last Comic Standing) and Michael Volpe (Trailer Park Boys) and stars Dee, Charlottetown’s Jonathan Torrens (Trailer Park Boys), Campbell River, B.C.’s Lauren Hammersley (Orphan Black) and Sydney, Nova Scotia’s Bette MacDonald (Rideau Hall).
Original broadcast run: November 1st to December 19th, 2018 (CBC)
Netflix Canada release date: June 19th, 2o19
Runtime: Eight episodes (21 minutes each)
Stream all eight seasons of Mr. D here.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Netflix Canada this month can be found here.
What are you streaming this weekend? Let us know in the comments.
Image credit: Space Channel
