Every week, MobileSyrup outlines 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, Crave and Netflix, but other services like Apple TV+ and Disney+ are mentioned when relevant. Premium video-on-demand (PVOD) platforms are also fair game as movies continue to come to digital early.
Finally, we’ll highlight shows or movies that are made by Canadian companies, involve notable Canadian cast or crew and/or are filmed in Canada.
Amazon Prime Video
Men in Kilts (Season 2)
Amazon Prime Video Canada release date: August 13th, 2023
Genre: Travel documentary
Runtime: Four episodes (around 30 minutes each)
In the show’s sophomore season, Scottish Outlander stars Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish leave their homeland to venture to New Zealand for more cultural and geographical discoveries.
Stream Men in Kilts here. Note that a $12.99/month StackTV subscription is required.
Red, White & Royal Blue [Amazon Original]
Amazon Prime Video Canada release date: August 11th, 2023
Genre: Romantic comedy
Runtime: 2 hours
The long-running feud between the U.S. president’s son and a British prince becomes something different entirely once sparks start to fly between them.
Based on Casey McQuiston’s 2019 novel of the same name, Red, White & Royal Blue was directed by Matthew Lopez (The Inheritance) and stars Taylor Zakhar Perez (The Kissing Booth), Nicholas Galitzine (Cinderella), Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction), Stephen Fry (Wilde) and Sarah Shahi (Sex/Life).
Stream Red, White & Royal Blue here.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Original theatrical release date: April 5th, 2023
Amazon Prime Video Canada release date: August 11th, 2023
Genre: Animated comedy
Runtime: 1 hour, 32 minutes
After being transported to a mysterious world, Mario must team up with Princess Peach and Donkey Kong to save his brother Luigi from the villainous Bowser.
Based on Nintendo’s Mario video games, The Super Mario Bros. Movie was directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic (Teen Titans Go!) and features the voices of Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit), Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Jack Black (School of Rock) and Vancouver’s Seth Rogen (Superbad).
Stream The Super Mario Bros. Movie here.
An Amazon Prime Video subscription is included at no additional cost with an Amazon Prime membership, which is priced at $99/year.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Prime Video Canada this month can be found here.
Apple TV+
Strange Planet [Apple Original]
Apple TV+ Canada release date: August 9th, 2023
Genre: Animated comedy
Runtime: 10 episodes (around 30 minutes each)
This adaptation of Nathan W. Pyle’s popular eponymous webcomic explores human traditions through blue alien creatures.
Strange Planet was created by Pyle and Dan Harmon (Community) and features the voices of Tunde Adebimpe (Rachel Getting Married), Demi Adejuyigbe (The Amber Ruffin Show), Lori Tan Chinn (Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens), Danny Pudi (Community) and Hannah Einbinder (Hacks).
Stream Strange Planet here.
An Apple TV+ membership costs $8.99/month and is also included in Apple One subscription bundles, which start at $18.95/month.
Crave
Alice, Darling
Original theatrical release date: February 3rd, 2023
Crave release date: August 11th, 2023
Genre: Psychological thriller
Runtime: 1 hour, 29 minutes
In this Canadian co-production, Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air) stars as Alice, a woman pushed to the breaking point by her psychologically abusive boyfriend.
Alice, Darling was directed by Mary Nighy (directorial debut) and co-stars Ottawa’s Kaniehtiio Horn (Rutherford Falls), Charlie Carrick (Deep Water) and Wunmi Mosaku (Loki).
It’s worth noting that the film is set in Toronto and was shot in the city.
Stream Alice, Darling here.
Billions (Season 7)
Crave release date: August 11th, 2023 (first episode, new episodes on Fridays)
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 12 episodes (around one hour each)
In the series’ final season, the stakes go from Wall Street to the world when Bobby Axelrod returns.
Billions was created by The Illusionist producers Brian Koppelman and David Levien and New York Times journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin and stars Paul Giamatti (Cinderella Man), Damien Lewis (Homeland), Corey Stoll (House of Cards) and Maggie Siff (Sons of Anarchy).
Stream Billions here.
Fantastic Friends (Season 2)
Crave release date: August 9th, 2023 (first episode, new episodes on Wednesdays)
Genre: Travel documentary
Runtime: Eight episodes (around one hour each)
James and Oliver Phelps (Harry Potter) series travel the world with their famous friends.
This season’s guests include Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones), Genesis Rodriguez (The Umbrella Academy) and fellow Potter alums Matthew Lewis and Natalia Tena.
Stream Fantastic Friends here.
Recently, Crave rolled out two new ad-supported plans. As such, Crave’s standard $19.99/month membership has been renamed to ‘Crave Premium Ad-Free.’ Meanwhile, there’s now a ‘Crave Basic with Ads’ for $9.99/month and ‘Crave Standard with Ads’ for $14.99/month. (Starz remains ad-free and at the same price). More information is available here.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Crave this month can be found here.
Disney+
Only Murders in the Building (Season 3)
Disney+ Canada release date: August 8th, 2023 (first episode, new episodes on Tuesdays)
Genre: Mystery comedy-drama
Runtime: Eight episodes (around half an hour each)
Charles, Oliver and Mabel investigate a murder at a Broadway show.
Only Murders in the Building was created by Steve Martin (Planes, Trains & Automobiles) and John Robert Hoffman (Grace & Frankie) and stars Martin, Hamilton, Ontario’s Martin Short (SCTV) and Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverly Place), with Paul Rudd (Friends) and Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) joining the cast in Season 3.
Stream Only Murders in the Building here.
A Disney+ subscription costs $11.99/month or $119.99/year.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Disney+ Canada this month can be found here.
Netflix
Heart of Stone [Netflix Original]
Netflix Canada release date: August 12th, 2023
Genre: Spy thriller
Runtime: 2 hours, 3 minutes
An intelligence operative races to stop a hacker from stealing a deadly weapon.
Heart of Stone was directed by Tom Harper (The Aeronauts) and stars Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Jamie Dornan (Belfast), Alia Bhatt (RRR) and Sophie Okonodo (Hotel Rwanda).
Stream Heart of Stone here.
Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop [Netflix Original]
Netflix Canada release date: August 9th, 2023
Genre: Music documentary
Runtime: Four episodes (around one hour each)
This docuseries examines the role women have played in hip-hop over the decades, featuring the likes of Queen Latifah, Sha-Rock, Roxanne Shante, Rah Digga and Latto.
The series was directed by Hannah Beacher, production designer for Lemonade.
Stream Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop here.
Mech Cadets [Netflix Original]
Netflix Canada release date: August 10th, 2023
Genre: Animated kids
Runtime: Ten episodes (around 30 minutes each)
An underdog teen joins a group of young Cadets who must bond with Robo Mechs to defend Earth against alien invaders.
Based on Greg Pak and Takeshi Miyazawa’s comic series, Mech Cadets features the voices of Brandon Soo Hoo (Incredible Crew), Aparna Brielle (A.P. Bio) and Victoria Grace (Days of Our Lives).
Stream Mech Cadets here.
Painkiller [Netflix Original]
Netflix Canada release date: August 10th, 2023
Genre: Drama
Runtime: Six episodes (around one hour each)
A fictionalized retelling of the origins and aftermath of the opioid crisis in America featuring the perpetrators, victims and truth-seekers.
Painkiller was created by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) and stars Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black), Sam Anderson (Lost), Kelowna, B.C.’s Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights).
Stream Painkiller here.
A ‘Standard with Ads’ subscription costs $5.99/month, a ‘Standard’ subscription (HD-supported) costs $16.49/month and a ‘Premium’ membership is priced at $20.99/month (4K-supported). It’s important to note that the old $9.99 ‘Basic’ membership is no longer available, while other subscriptions have been renamed to ‘Standard.’
The full list of movies and shows hitting Netflix Canada this month can be found here.
Paramount+
Twisted Metal
Original premiere date: July 27th, 2023 (Peacock in the U.S.)
Paramount+ Canada premiere date: August 10th, 2023
Genre: Action-comedy
Runtime: Ten episodes (around 30 minutes each)
A courier simply known as ‘John Doe’ is tasked with transporting an important package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland overrun by outlaws in deadly vehicles.
Based on PlayStation’s vehicular combat game series of the same name, Twisted Metal was created by Rhett Reese and Toronto’s Paul Wernick (Deadpool series) and Michael Jonathan Smith (Cobra Kai) and stars Anthony Mackie (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Thomas Haden Church (Wings) and wrestler Samoa Joe and Toronto’s Will Arnett (Arrested Development) as the body and voice of Sweet Tooth). It’s worth noting that Guelph, Ontario’s Neve Campbell (Scream) also has a recurring role in the series.
Our take: When the first clip of the Twisted Metal series was revealed at Summer Game Fest, a lot of people were down with it, both in the theatre I was in and online. It’s a sentiment I’ve seen carry over leading up to the show’s launch. However, I think that apprehension has been completely unwarranted. Based on the first three episodes of the series, Twisted Metal is a hell of a good time.
Admittedly, it’s unfortunate timing that this is the next live-action PlayStation series after the acclaimed The Last of Us. That was an awards-worthy HBO series that was intended to be prestige television. However, Twisted Metal isn’t trying to be that at all. In fact, co-creators Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick and Michael Jonathan Smith have a clear handle on exactly what this show really is: a delightfully over-the-top and violent post-apocalyptic romp. In a lot of ways, it’s reminiscent of Reese and Wernick’s Zombieland both in subject matter and tone. Meanwhile, the “buddy cop road trip” premise also lends itself well to the TV format, giving each episode to throw different obstacles at John.
Anchoring all of that are charming lead performances from Anthony Mackie and Stephanie Beatriz, and fun appearances from the likes of Thomas Haden Church, Neve Campbell and especially Samoa Joe/Will Arnett as Twisted Metal mascot Sweet Tooth. The series doesn’t always juggle the cast that effectively — some scenes dedicated to Church’s Stone and his sadistic law enforcement agency aren’t as compelling as those with Mackie and Beatriz — but on the whole, it’s consistently entertaining.
Whether you’re a fan of the games or a newcomer like me, Twisted Metal is definitely worth checking out. Stream Twisted Metal here.
A Paramount+ subscription costs $8.99/month in Canada.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Paramount+ Canada in August can be found here.
What are you planning on watching this week? Let us know in the comments.
For more suggestions, check out last week’s Streaming in Canada column.
Image credit: Paramount
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