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.
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
21 Bridges
An NYPD detective shuts down all of Manhattan’s 21 eponymous bridges in pursuit of two suspected cop killers.
21 Bridges was directed by Brian Kirk (Game of Thrones) and stars Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), Sienna Miller (American Sniper), Toronto’s own Stephan James (Homecoming), Kelowna, B.C.’s own Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights) and J.K. Simmons (Whiplash).
Original theatrical release date: November 22nd, 2019
Amazon Prime Video Canada release date: May 29th, 2020
Genre: Action, thriller
Runtime: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 52 percent (based on 127 reviews)
Stream 21 Bridges here.
Ramy (Season 2)
Ramy, a first-generation Egyptian-American, is caught between his Muslim commitments and millennial desires to party and live it up.
The series was co-created by comedian Ramy Youssef, Ari Katcher (The Carmichael Show) and Ryan Welch (On the Count of Three) and stars Youssef, Mohammed Amer (Allah Made Me Funny), Hiam Abbass (Succession) and Mahershala Ali (Green Book).
Hulu/Amazon Prime Video: May 29th, 2020
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 10 episodes (23 to 44 minutes each)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93 percent (based on 14 reviews)
Stream Ramy (Season 2) here. Note that a $5.99/month Starz add-on is required.
It’s worth noting that both seasons of Ramy are also available on Crave with the $5.99/month Starz add-on.
The Vast of Night [Amazon Original]
In the 1950s, two children investigate a mysterious frequency that could change their town forever.
The Vast of Night is the directorial debut of Andrew Patterson and stars Sierra McCormick (Ramona and Beezus) and Jake Horowitz (Adam Bloom).
Amazon Prime Video Canada release date: May 29th, 2020
Genre: Sci-fi, thriller
Runtime: 1 hour, 29 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93 percent (based on 110 reviews)
Stream The Vast of Night 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.
Apple TV+
Central Park [Apple TV+ Original]
From the team behind Bob’s Burgers comes Central Park, a new animated sitcom about a family of caretakers that lives and works in the eponymous New York park.
Central Park was created by Bob’s Burgers‘ Loren Bouchard and Nora Smith and Frozen‘s Josh Gad and features the voices of Gad, Kristen Bell (Frozen), Titus Burgess (The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Daveed Diggs (Blindspotting) Kathryn Hahn (Transparent) and H. Jon Benjamin (Bob’s Burgers).
Apple TV+ Canada release date: May 29th, 2020 (first two episodes, new episodes every Friday)
Genre: Animated comedy, musical
Runtime: 13 episodes (around 25 minutes each)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100 percent (based on 18 reviews)
Stream Central Park here.
Find out what’s coming to Apple TV+ over the next few weeks here.
An Apple TV+ subscription costs $5.99/month in Canada.
Crave
All About Who You Know
To write his most ambitious script yet, an aspiring screenwriter plots a rom-com relationship to meet his screenwriting idol.
All About Who You Know was written and directed by Toronto filmmaker Jake Horowitz (Spun Out) and stars Toronto’s Dylan Everett (Degrassi: The Next Generation), Oakville, Ontario’s Niamh Wilson (Degrassi: The Next Generation) and Toronto’s Stephen Joffe (Alias Grace).
The film was shot in and around Orillia, Ontario.
Crave release date: May 29th, 2020
Genre: Romantic comedy
Runtime: 1 hour, 51 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: N/A
Stream All About Who You Know here. Note that a $19.98 Crave + Movies + HBO subscription is required.
HBO Max originals
As part of Bell’s deal with Warner Media, a selection of original series on HBO Max — an otherwise U.S.-only service — will stream exclusively on Crave in Canada.
Following the May 27th launch of HBO Max, these three series are now available on Crave:
- Craftopia — a kids crafting competition show hosted by St. Catharines, Ontario-born YouTube star LaurDIY (all eight episodes premiered on Crave on May 27th)
- Legendary — an underground ballroom competition series featuring celebrity judges (Episodes 1-2 premiered on May 27th; subsequent new episodes every Wednesday)
- Love Life — a new romantic comedy series starring Anna Kendrick (Episodes 1-3 premiered on Crave on May 27th; subsequent new episodes every Thursday)
According to Bell, other HBO Max originals, such as The Gossip Girl reboot, Greg Berlanti’s Green Lantern series, Mindy Kaling’s The College Girls and Quebec-born director Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: The Sisterhood will come to Crave sometime in the future as well.
All of these series are accessible on Crave via the $19.98/month Crave + Movies + HBO subscription.
Parasite
Parasite, co-writer-director Bong Joon-ho’s Best Picture winner is now streaming exclusively on Crave.
The genre-bending film follows a lower-class family as it works its way up the social ladder by posing as the staff of a wealthy family.
Parasite stars Song Kang-ho (Snowpiercer), Lee Sun-kyun (Helpless), Choi Woo-sik (Train to Busan) and Park So-dam (Three Meals a Day: Mountain Village)
Fun fact: Woo-sik spent much of his childhood in Coquitlam, B.C. before returning to South Korea.
Original theatrical release date: October 11th, 2019 (North America)
Crave release date: May 29th, 2020
Genre: Black comedy, drama, thriller
Runtime: 2 hours, 12 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 99 percent (based on 433 reviews)
Stream Parasite 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 $9.99/month.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Crave this month can be found here.
Netflix
Hannah Gadsby: Douglas [Netflix Original]
In her second standup special, Hannah Gadsby jokes about the complexities of popularity, identity and her most unusual dog park encounter.
Netflix Canada release date: May 26th, 2020
Genre: Standup comedy
Runtime: 1 hour, 12 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90 percent (based on 20 reviews)
Stream Hannah Gadsby: Douglas here.
Somebody Feed Phil (Season 3) [Netflix Original]
Philip Rosenthal, creator of Everybody Loves Raymond, tours different cities to discover new cuisines.
This season, Rosenthal goes to Marrakesh, Chicago, London, Seoul and Montreal.
Netflix Canada release date: May 29th, 2020
Genre: Reality
Runtime: Five episodes (46 to 51 minutes each)
Rotten Tomatoes score: N/A
Stream Somebody Feed Phil (Season 3) here.
Space Force [Netflix Original]
The Office creator Greg Daniels reunites with Steve Carell on a new sitcom that follows a group of people tasked with establishing the sixth branch of the United States Armed Forces, the United States Space Force.
Space Force co-stars John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich), Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation), Diana Silvers (Ma) and Tawny Newsome (Bajillion Dollar Propertie$).
Netflix Canada release date: May 29th, 2020
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 10 episodes (28 to 37 minutes each)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 37 percent (based on 59 percent)
Stream Space Force 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.
Several new and noteworthy shows have hit streaming services this week, on top of a big Oscar-winning film. With all of that said, what are you planning on streaming this week? Sound off below!
Check out last week’s Streaming in Canada column here.
Image credit: Apple
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