What to Stream This Week: Billie Eilish and Zayn Malik Albums ‘Bridgerton’ and ‘American Fiction’
Billie Eilish’s third studio album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft” and the return of “Bridgerton” are some of the new television, film, music and games coming to a device near you.
Also among the worthwhile streaming offerings selected by The Associated Press entertainment journalists: Zayn Malik releases new album, video game Homeworld returns after more than 20 years and Cord Jefferson’s Oscar-winning “American Fiction” , arrives on Prime Video.
NEW MOVIES TO STREAM
– Cord Jefferson’s Oscar-winning “American Fiction,” one of the most celebrated directorial debuts of recent years, arrives on Prime Video on Tuesday. Jeffrey Wright stars Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, a frustrated novelist who, in a drunken rage, writes a satirical book parodying what is popular but which becomes a sensation. Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Issa Rae and Leslie Uggams complete a fantastic ensemble. In her review, AP film writer Lindsey Bahr wrote that “American Fiction” “is immensely watchable, staged without flash or pretension, relying on its sharp script and talented, charismatic actors to carry the audience along.”
– A trio of new films coming to Netflix covers a wide range. The animated film “Thelma the Unicorn” (airing Friday) is about a little pony painted to look like a unicorn, voiced by Grammy-winning singer and guitarist Brittany Howard. Yance Ford’s “Power” (streaming Friday) examines the roots of American policing and its evolution over time. And “Madame Web,” Marvel’s much-maligned entry into Sony’s Spider-Man film universe, arrives Tuesday on Netflix. Dakota Johnson stars in what Bahr wrote in his review “feels like the cobbled together product of a group of people who weren’t really collaborating.”
— The odds are more in favor of “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Birds and Snakes,” which begins streaming Tuesday on Starz after a successful theatrical run last November. It’s a prequel to The Hunger Games themselves. The games are in their 10th year and ratings are declining, but a few twists will catapult them to center stage in Panem. The origin story is also of the man who will become President Coriolanus Snow, played by Donald Sutherland in the first four films. Here, the young and ambitious Snow is played by Tom Blythe, whose performance elevates the film. In my review, I wrote: “As with Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen-led ‘Hunger Games’ films, the new one proves how much you can sacrifice in the story when you have an exciting young actor commanding the screen.”
— AP Film Writer Jake Coyle
NEW MUSIC TO STREAM
— What can listeners expect from Billie Eilish’s third studio album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft”? It’s a mystery, and the pop star keeps it that way for a reason. Last month, Eilish announced the album by sharing the artwork on Instagram. It depicts Eilish floating in a body of water after being ejected through a door. In the caption, she wrote that she will not be releasing singles before release. “I want to give you everything at once,” she captioned the image. “I really couldn’t be more proud of this album.” Here’s what we know: Eilish once again worked with her brother and longtime collaborator Finneas on “Hit Me Hard and Soft.”
– Once known as a heartthrob with the best songs from British boy band One Direction, Zayn Malik was the first to bravely break away and leave the group that kicked off his career and launched a pop R&B career. That was a long time ago — now, on Friday, he will release his fourth solo studio album, “Room Under the Stairs,” conceived and written at his home in rural Pennsylvania. This time, he worked with legendary country producer Dave Cobb (known for his work with Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, and Brandi Carlile, among others) for Malik’s folkiest release to date. It’s part R&B, part soul and part acoustic – a fresh, matured Malik for a new era.
— For several years, SQÜRL, the musical nickname of the filmmaker duo Jim Jarmusch and Carter Logan, has created sound compositions in partnership with the cinematographic works of Dadaist Man Ray. On Friday, all this work reaches its natural culmination when they release a new album, “Music for Man Ray,” on the 100th anniversary of Man Ray’s filmmaking activities. (For film fans reading this, you may have realized this would happen when Man Ray’s recently restored film, “Return to Reason ”, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.) Surrealist music for the senses.
— Alternative rock fans, there’s a new documentary series for you. “Billy Corgan’s Adventures in Carnyland” is an unscripted eight-part CW series that follows the Smashing Pumpkins frontman as he navigates fatherhood, being in a band and his other idiosyncratic pursuits as a wrestling promoter and owner of the National Wrestling Alliance . . Stream on the CW App and cwtv.com on Tuesday.
—AP Music Writer Maria Sherman
NEW SHOWS TO STREAM
– Seasons one and two of “Bridgerton” followed the first two novels in the series by Julia Quinn. Taking place in Regency-era London, each book is about the love story of a member of the Bridgerton family. Season 3, however, jumps to book #4 with Colin Bridgerton’s (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) dating pals. Netflix has split the season into two parts with the first batch of new episodes debuting Thursday.
– Sophie Rundle from “Peaky Blinders” stars in “After the Flood” as a police officer in a UK town that is devastated by flooding. The six-episode series is both a thriller and a red flag about the consequences of climate change. The series premieres Monday on BritBox.
— Josh Brolin fronts “Outer Range” on Prime Video, a Western about neighboring farmers fighting over land that quickly becomes mind-bending with time travel. Lili Taylor, Tom Pelphrey, Imogen Poots and Shaun Sipos also star. All seven episodes of season two will be released on Thursday.
— André Holland (“Moonlight”) plays Black Panther founder Huey P. Newton in the new series “The Big Cigar” for Apple TV+. It delves into the true story of how, in 1974, Holland was being pursued by the FBI on charges of murder and assault. He received help from a film producer named Bert Schneider to escape to Cuba. The six-episode series premieres Friday.
– The popular food competition series “Ciao House” returns for its second season on Sunday, May 19, on Food Network. In the program, 12 chefs live together in a Tuscan village and compete in various culinary challenges. Competitors form alliances and rivalries. In the end, the winner trains with master Italian chefs. “Iron Chef” champion Alex Guarnaschelli and Gabe Bertaccini return as hosts.
– Alicia Rancilio
NEW VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
– Twenty-one years isn’t a long time on a cosmic scale, but for fans of the sci-fi epic Homeworld – who have waited since 2003 for the last completed chapter – it was an eternity. When Gearbox Publishing’s Homeworld 3 begins, the galaxy has enjoyed an era of prosperity thanks to the discovery of a network of hyperspace gates. The good times may be ending as some of the gates are mysteriously collapsing. Developer Blackbird Interactive, which includes some veterans of the original game, promises much of the 3D outer space combat that made it a hit, whether you want to fly solo or engage in wrestling against your friends. Takeoff is Monday on PC.
– If you prefer your mysteries a little more earthbound, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes from Annapurna Interactive has you covered. You have been invited to explore an old hotel somewhere in Europe, where you will soon find yourself “involved in a game of illusions”. The aesthetic is classic film noir, with eerie black and white settings accented with touches of red. Swedish studio Simogo, known for mind-bending games like Year Walk and Device 6, promises “a huge amount of handcrafted puzzles,” so if you want a really big escape room, check it out Thursday on Nintendo Switch and PRAÇA.
-Lou Kesten
___
Follow AP’s entertainment coverage here:
