As storms swirl across the hemisphere and winter fatigue sets in, the Watercooler’s writers have picked five of the best new releases for every frame of mind to hunker down with — or to head out for — this weekend.
A High Fantasy Escape Watch: Wheel of Time
More fun and female centered than the other ambitious fantasy epics, Wheel of Time just returned for its third and best season — with enough set-up to jump in without a required catch-up watch. It’s the story of a hero from a special order of magical women who joins forces with a group of villagers to seek out “the Dragon Reborn”—a figure prophesied to either save or destroy the world. Rosamund Pike stars in the adaptation of the Robert Jordan series that mixes big themes with magic and adventure. Fans of The Witcher will embrace it. Where to stream Wheel of Time: Prime Video
A Laugh Out Loud Thriller: Am I Being Unreasonable?
A darkly comedic thriller about a British mom in an unfulfilling marriage who finds a kindred soul in a fellow school mom, the duo’s secrets and lies unravel in wildly unpredictable ways in this binge-worthy mystery that was a BBC hit in the UK a few years back. Created by and starring the BAFTA-winning Daisy May Cooper (This Comedy) and Selin Hizli (Land Girls). Where to stream Am I Being Unreasonable? Hulu
A Buzzy Psychological Drama: Adolescence
You’ll hear people talking about this harrowing and thought-provoking British psychological drama on Netflix that has been embraced by top critics. It follows a 13-year-old boy who’s arrested for the murder of one of his classmates, and shifts the perspective from the boy’s family to a therapist to the detective in charge. From Stephen Graham (Peaky Blinders) and Jack Thorne, each episode is one continuous take, and it’s earned high praise for asking big questions and refusing easy answers. Where to stream Adolescence: Netflix
4: The Cabin Fever Night Out: Black Bag
When the storms let up, you will want to get out! The best reason to head to the theaters is this steamy and cerebral spy thriller from five-time Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh, says our writer Felipe Patterson. Black Bag follows a top British intelligence agent (Michael Fassbender) as he hunts for a deadly malware capable of causing a nuclear catastrophe. But he’s confronted with an even greater dilemma: identifying which of his friends, all listed as suspects, is the culprit, and whether his wife (Cate Blanchett) – listed among them – is also cheating on him. Screenwriter David Koepp, who also penned Mission: Impossible (1996), has cited 1970s paranoia thrillers like All the President’s Men as major inspirations. From Felipe: “It shows. The tension, the distrust, the sense that the walls are closing in? It’s all here.” Read Felipe’s take. Get tickets for Black Bag.
5: Suddenly Timely Hidden Gem: Dark Winds
The third season of the thriller from Robert Redford and Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin follows Navajo police officers as they investigate the disappearance of two boys — and a chilling Border Patrol conspiracy surrounding human and drug smuggling. But this season has departed from the previous two as it probes deeper into Navajo spirituality and the psychological impacts of the past on the present. Start from the beginning if you can, but it’s not required. Stream Seasons 1 & 2 of Dark Winds and new episodes of 3 (each Sunday) on AMC+.
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