Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream
Is Netflix having a theme weekend? Its two biggest releases this week are focused on the Sandman.
First we have the final batch of episodes of the TV series based on the Neil Gaiman Vertigo comic from the 90s. The Gaiman-aspect of it is something nobody is really talking up right now.
The bigger release is the sequel to VHS classic Happy Gilmore. Titled Happy Gilmore 2, Adam Sandler (known by fans as The Sandman) is back on the greens, Subway sandwich in hand.
But the show everyone is actually talking about is the season 4 return of Apple TV+ comedy Acapulco….
That’s obviously not true.
No, the show of the week is the season 27 (!!!) return of South Park. It’s always good to give funny people something to rail against and boy did Matt Stone & Trey Parker have something they wanted to say with the episode.
And their message was important: Donald Trump has a small weenie.
Washington Black, streaming now on the Disney-owned Hulu & Disney+ has had mixed reviews. It is based on the Esi Edugyan novel of the same name. It’s a steampunk drama under the shadow of slavery.
A couple of years ago during peak volume TV, I think this would have been an easy enough show to consider watching, but never quite ever find the time for because there was so much on. But nowadays that there are far fewer shows hitting our screens with regularity, it has the breathing room to warrant your attention.
The must-watch of the week though is UK thriller The Assassin. Keeley Hawes stars as the titular assassin who is called into duty after 10 years for one last job. The gimmick is that it is right when her adult son (Freddie Highmore) is coming to visit for the first time in four years. With just six episodes, the show never wears out its welcome.
Returning TV
South Park (s27), Acapulco (s04), The Sandman (s02-2)
New TV
The Assassin - Prime Video [US/UK] / Stan [AUS]
Stars: Keeley Hawes, Freddie Highmore, Shalom Brune-Franklin, David Dencik
A retired assassin reunites with her estranged son, but her dangerous past catches up with them, forcing them to go on the run together while uncovering a dark conspiracy that threatens their relationship.
Washington Black - Hulu [US] / Disney+ [Everywhere else]
Stars: Sterling K Brown, Tom Ellis
Follows the 19th century adventures of George Washington "Wash" Black, an 11-year-old boy on a Barbados sugar plantation who must flee after a gruesome death threatens to turn his life upside down.
My Melody & Kuromi - Netflix
Two adorable shop owners - a baker and a candy maker - must team up despite their differences to save their hometown.
Trigger - Netflix
Stars: Kim Nam-gil and Kim Young-kwang
As illegal firearms flood into a gun-free South Korea, a resolute cop and a mysterious partner join forces to stop the chaos from sweeping the nation.
Mandala Murders - Netflix
Stars: Vaani Kapoor, Vaibhav Raj Gupta, Surveen Chawla
Two investigators embark on a mission to uncover the enigma behind a series of murders, unveiling sinister secrets rooted in history.
New Movies
Happy Gilmore 2 - Netflix
Stars: Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Ben Stiller
Gilmore returns to the sport of golf since his retirement after winning his first Tour Championship, to finance his daughter's ballet classes.
A Normal Woman - Netflix
Stars: Marissa Anita, Dion Wiyoko, Gisella Anastasia, Widyawati, and Mima Shafa
Believing she's contracted a mysterious illness, a socialite begins sabotaging her own life in the face of rejection from her own body and her family.