Every week, MobileSyrup goes over some of the most notable movies and TV shows that recently hit Canadian streaming platforms.
Our ‘Streaming in Canada’ 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.
Finally, with the COVID-19 pandemic causing movies to hit digital platforms much sooner than planned, we’ll make note of any major films that fall into this category when applicable.
Amazon Prime Video [Amazon Original]
Chemical Hearts
Seventeen-year-old Henry falls in love with a transfer student after discovering her heartbreaking secret.
Based on Krystal Sutherland’s novel Our Chemical Hearts, the film was written and directed by Richard Tanne (Southside with You) and stars Lili Reinhart (Riverdale) and Austin Abrams (Euphoria).
Amazon Prime Video Canada release date: August 21st, 2020
Genre: Romantic drama
Runtime: 1 hour, 33 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 73 percent (based on 11 reviews)
Stream Chemical Hearts 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
The Assistant
A junior assistant to a powerful entertainment mogul takes a stand against the everyday abuse going on in the workplace, only to discover just how deep it all goes.
The Assistant was written and directed by Kitty Green (Casting JonBenet) and stars Julia Garner (Ozark), Matthew Macfayden (Succession), Mackenzie Leigh (Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk) and Kristine Froseth (The Society).
Original theatrical release date: January 31st, 2020 (limited)
Crave release date: August 21st, 2020
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 1 hour, 27 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92 percent (based on 207 reviews)
Stream The Assistant here. Note that a $19.98/month Crave + Movies + HBO subscription is required.
Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
After breaking up with The Joker, Harley Quinn finds herself on the run from Gotham’s biggest crime lord, forcing her to team up with a cop, a nightclub singer, an assassin and street-savvy thief.
Birds of Prey was directed by Cathy Yan (Dead Pigs) and stars Margot Robbie (I, Tonya), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Fargo), Jurnee Smollett-Bell (Underground), Rosie Perez (Fearless) and Ewan McGregor (Fargo).
Original theatrical release date: February 7th, 2020
Crave release date: August 21st, 2020
Genre: Superhero
Runtime: 1 hour, 49 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 78 percent (based on 406 reviews)
Stream Birds of Prey here. Note that a $19.98/month Crave + Movies + HBO subscription is required.
A standard Crave subscription costs $9.99/month, with Starz adding another $5.99/month and HBO an additional $9.99/month.
The full list of movies and shows that are hitting Crave this month can be found here.
Disney+
The One and Only Ivan [Disney+ Original]
Ivan, a 400-pound silverback gorilla, lives a simple life in a shopping mall with various animals until the arrival of a baby elephant causes him to question everything.
Based on K.A. Applegate’s 2012 children’s novel of the same name, The One and Only Ivan was directed by Thea Sharrock (Me Before You) and features the voices of Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Angelina Jolie (Changeling), Danny DeVito (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Helen Mirren (The Queen) and, in live-action, Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad).
It’s worth noting that the film was originally supposed to release in theatres on August 14th, but Disney has instead made it available exclusively on Disney+ amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Disney+ release date: August 21st, 2020
Genre: Fantasy, family
Runtime: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 64 percent (based on 39 reviews)
Stream The One and Only Ivan 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
High Score [Netflix Original]
Narrated by longtime Mario voice actor Charles Martinet, this docuseries looks back at the history of video games and highlights such classics as Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Sonic The Hedgehog, Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat.
Netflix Canada release date: August 19th, 2020
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: Six episodes (38 to 47 minutes each)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 78 percent (based on nine reviews)
Stream High Score here.
Hoops [Netflix Original]
A foul-mouthed high school basketball coach tries to make it to the big leagues by turning around his awful team.
Hoops was created by Ben Hoffman (The Late Late Show with James Corden) and features the voices of Jake Johnson (New Girl), Rob Riggle (Saturday Night Live), Natasha Leggero (Chelsea Lately), Ron Funches (Trolls) and A.D. Miles (The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon).
Netflix Canada release date: August 21st, 2020
Genre: Animated sitcom
Runtime: 10 episodes (about 22 minutes each)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 17 percent (based on six reviews)
Stream Hoops here.
How to Get Away With Murder (Season 6)
With the addition of the sixth and final season of How to Get Away With Murder, Netflix is now streaming every episode of Peter Nowalk’s (Grey’s Anatomy) award-winning series.
In the sixth season, Annalise and her students come head to head with the FBI.
How to Get Away With Murder stars Viola Davis (Fences), Billy Brown (Sons of Anarchy), Jack Falahee (Mercy Street), Rome Flynn (The Bold and the Beautiful) and Aja Naomi King (The Birth of a Nation).
Original TV broadcast run: September 2019 to May 2020 (ABC)
Netflix Canada release date: August 22nd, 2020
Genre: Legal thriller
Runtime: 15 episodes (about 44 minutes each)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 80 percent (based on five reviews)
Stream all seasons of How to Get Away With Murder here.
Lucifer (Season 5 — Part 1) [Netflix Original]
Lucifer has to contend with his twin brother Michael, who’s come to Earth to destroy and replace him.
Based on characters from Vertigo comics, Lucifer was created by Tom Kapinos (Californication) and stars Tom Ellis (EastEnders), Lauren German (Chicago Fire) and Kevin Alejandro (Southland).
It’s worth noting that in addition to the second half of Season 5 set to release sometime next year, Netflix has also renewed the series for a sixth and final season.
Netflix Canada release date: August 21st, 2020
Genre: Fantasy
Runtime: Eight episodes (about 50 minutes each)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 80 percent (based on five reviews)
Stream Lucifer (Season 5 — Part 1) here.
The Sleepover [Netflix Original]
A group of kids team up to rescue their parents from international thieves.
The Sleepover was directed by Trish Sie (Pitch Perfect 3) and stars Sadie Stanley (Kim Possible), Maxwell Simkins (And So It Goes), Ontario-raised Malin Åkerman (Billions), Ken Marino (Childrens Hospital) and Joe Manganiello (True Blood).
Netflix Canada release date: August 21st, 2020
Genre: Action-comedy, family
Runtime: 1 hour, 43 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: N/A
Stream The Sleepover 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 that are hitting Netflix Canada this month can be found here.
What are you planning on streaming this week? Let us know in the comments.
For more recommendations on what to watch, check out last week’s Streaming in Canada column here.
Image credit: Disney
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