Every week, MobileSyrup goes over some of the most notable movies and TV shows that recently hit Canadian streaming platforms.
This column typically focuses on new content from Amazon Prime Video Canada, Crave and Netflix Canada, but other services like Apple TV+ and Disney+ will be mentioned when relevant.
We’ll also highlight shows or movies that are made in Canada, involve notable Canadian cast or crew and/or are filmed in Canada.
Amazon Prime Video
Honey Boy
A young actor struggles to reconcile with his father while dealing with his mental health.
Honey Boy was directed by Alma Har’el (Love True) and stars Nymphomaniac‘s Shia LaBoeuf (who wrote Honey Boy based on his own life), Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea), Noah Jupe (A Quiet Place) and singer FKA Twigs (“Magdalene”).
Original theatrical release date: November 8th, 2019
Amazon Prime Video Canada release date: May 8th, 2020
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 1 hour, 34 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94 percent (based on 218 reviews)
Stream Honey Boy here.
Jimmy O. Yang — Good Deal
Silicon Valley star Jimmy O. Yang’s first standup special is all about Asian representation, dating tall women and disappointing his Asian presents.
Amazon Prime Video Canada release date: May 8th, 2020
Genre: Standup comedy
Runtime: 1 hour
Rotten Tomatoes score: N/A
Stream Jimmy O. Yang — Good Deal here.
Scrubs (full series)
All nine seasons of ABC’s popular medical comedy-drama are now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Scrubs follows the lives of the employees of teaching hospital Sacred Heart.
Scrubs was created by Bill Lawrence (Boy Meets World) and stars Zach Braff (Garden State), Ottawa, Ontario’s Sarah Chalke (Roseanne), Donald Faison (Clueless) and Neil Flynn (The Middle).
Original TV broadcast run: October 2001 to March 2010
Amazon Prime Video Canada release date: May 4th, 2020
Genre: Comedy-drama
Runtime: 182 episodes (about 22 minutes each)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 83 percent (average score across all seasons)
Stream all episodes of Scrubs here.
Amazon Prime Video is included at no additional cost in a $79 CAD/year Amazon Prime subscription.
The full list of movies and shows that are hitting Amazon Prime Video Canada this month can be found here.
Crave
Downton Abbey
A year and a half after the end of the Downton Abbey series, the Crawley family and servants must prepare for a royal visit.
Downton Abbey was directed by Michael Engler (30 Rock) and features many returning cast members from the series, including Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton and Penelope Wilton.
Original theatrical release date: October 2001 to March 2010
Amazon Prime Video Canada release date: May 4th, 2020
Genre: Comedy-drama
Runtime: 182 episodes (about 22 minutes each)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 83 percent (average score across all seasons)
Stream Downton Abbey here. Note that a $19.98/month Crave + Movies + HBO subscription is required. It’s worth noting that all six seasons of the series are streaming on Amazon Prime Video, not Crave.
I Know This Much is True
A middle-aged man fights to get his paranoid schizophrenic twin brother released from an asylum.
I Know This Much is True is based on Wally Lamb’s 1998 novel of the same name, was adapted by Derek Cianfrance (The Place Beyond the Pines) and stars Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Rosie O’Donnell (The View), Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife) and Juliette Lewis (Cape Fear).
Crave/HBO Canada release date: May 1oth, 2020 at 9pm ET (first episode, new episodes every Sunday at 9pm ET)
Genre: Drama
Runtime: Six episodes (around one hour each)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 50 percent (based on 20 reviews)
Stream I Know This Much is True here. Note that a $19.98/month Crave + Movies + HBO subscription is required.
Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind
Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind explores late actor Natalie Wood’s life and career through the perspective of her daughter and others who knew her best.
The documentary was directed by Laurent Bouzereau (Five Came Back).
Crave/HBO Canada release date: May 10th, 2020
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 80 percent (based on 20 reviews)
Stream Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind here. Note that a $19.98/month Crave + Movies + HBO subscription is required.
A standard Crave subscription costs $9.99/month, with Starz costing another $5.99/month and HBO an additional $9.99/month
The full list of movies and shows hitting Crave this month can be found here.
Disney+
Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian [Disney+ Original]
The cast and crew of The Mandalorian discuss the making of the first-ever live-action Star Wars show. Some of the docuseries’ guests include creator Jon Favreau, star Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) and director Taika Waititi (also voices the droid IG-11).
Disney+ Canada release date: May 4th, 2020 (second episode debuted May 8th, subsequent new episodes every Friday)
Genre: Docuseries
Runtime: Eight episodes (around 30 minutes each)
Rotten Tomatoes score: N/A
Stream Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian here. All episodes of the first season of The Mandalorian, meanwhile, can be streamed here.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
In the conclusion to the decades-long Skywalker Saga, Rey and her friends face off one last time against Kylo Ren and his First Order, who are now allied with the resurrected Emperor Palpatine.
The Rise of Skywalker was co-written and directed by J.J. Abrams (The Force Awakens) and features an ensemble cast of returning Star Wars actors, including Carrie Fisher (a posthumous appearance), Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Billy Dee Williams and Ian McDiarmid.
Original theatrical release: December 20th, 2019
Disney+ Canada release date: May 4th, 2020
Genre: Sci-fi
Runtime: 2 hours, 22 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 52 percent (based on 483 reviews)
Stream The Rise of Skywalker here. It’s worth pointing out that all other Skywalker Saga films, as well as Rogue One, are also streaming on Disney+. Disney says this is the first time all of the main Star Wars films have been available to stream in one place. However, Solo will not come to Disney+ until July 9th as it’s currently licensed to Netflix.
It’s also worth noting that the series finale of The Clone Wars, the acclaimed Star Wars animated series that ran for seven seasons, also began streaming on May 4th. Check that out here.
A Disney+ subscription costs $8.99/month or $89.99/year in Canada.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Disney+ Canada this month can be found here.
Netflix
Dead to Me (Season 2) [Netflix Original]
Jen and Judy’s lives spiral out of control and secrets are revealed.
Dead to Me was created by Liz Feldman (The Ellen Degeneres Show) and stars Christina Applegate (Married… With Children) and Linda Cardellini (Freaks and Geeks).
Netflix Canada release date: May 8th, 2020
Genre: Dark comedy
Runtime: 10 episodes (29 to 34 minutes each)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93 percent (based on 15 reviews)
Stream Dead to Me (Season 2) here.
The Eddy [Netflix Original]
A Paris jazz club owner fights to protect his business, band and teenage daughter from dangerous criminals.
The series was created and co-written by Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) and stars André Holland (Moonlight), Joanna Kulig (Cold War) and Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give). It’s worth noting that Oscar winner Damien Chazelle (La La Land) directed the series’ first two episodes.
Netflix Canada release date: May 8th, 2020
Genre: Musical drama
Runtime: Eight episodes (53 to 70 minutes each)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 74 percent (based on 27 reviews)
Stream The Eddy here.
The Hollow (Season 2) [Netflix Original]
In the second season of this Canadian animated series, Adam, Mira and Kai have to work together to face their fears and even bigger challenges.
The Hollow was created by Toronto’s Vito Viscomi (Nerds and Monsters), was animated Vancouver-based studio Slap Happy (Nerds and Monsters) and features the voices of Toronto’s Adrian Petriw (Iron Man: Armored Adventures), Vancouver’s Ashleigh Ball (of the band Hey, Ocean!) and Kimberley, B.C.’s Connor Parnall (Beyblade Burst: Evolution).
Stream The Hollow (Season 2) here.
Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours to Kill [Netflix Original]
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld returns to standup to riff on talking vs. texting, bad buffets vs. so-called “great” restaurants and the magic of Pop-Tarts.
Netflix Canada release date: May 5th, 2020
Genre: Standup comedy
Runtime: 1 hour
Rotten Tomatoes score: 78 percent (based on nine reviews)
Stream Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours to Kill here.
A ‘Basic’ Netflix subscription costs $9.99/month, a ‘Standard’ subscription (HD-supported) costs $13.99/month and a ‘Premium’ membership is priced at $16.99/month (4K-supported).
The full list of movies and shows hitting Netflix Canada this month can be found here.
What are you planning to stream this week? Let us know in the comments.
Check out last week’s Streaming in Canada column here.
Image credit: HBO
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
