Stream on Demand: Rachel Weisz takes on dual roles in ‘Dead Ringers’ for Prime
What’s new for home viewing on Video on Demand and Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, and other streaming services.
Top streams for the week
Rachel Weisz plays the double role of Elliot and Beverly Mantle, twin gynecologists who spiral into a destructive codependence, in “Dead Ringers” (2023, TV-MA), a limited series that reimagines David Cronenberg’s 1988 thriller. They’re opposites in almost every way – Beverly is sensitive and quiet, Elliot hedonistic and ambitious – except in their commitment to women’s health and reproductive care. They even regularly swap identities, which creates complications as they both fall for the same woman (Britne Oldford).
Showrunner Alice Birch (“Normal People”) updates the setting and shifts the perspective while preserving Cronenberg’s madness and horror. All episodes streaming. (Prime Video)
A nun (Betty Gilpin) and her former boyfriend (Jake McDorman) go on a globe-trotting odyssey to stop an all-powerful artificial intelligence that has taken over the world in “Mrs. Davis: Season 1” (TV-MA), a surreal science fiction thriller from “Lost” mastermind Damon Lindelof and showrunner Tara Hernandez. The wild mix of genres and tones sends it veering from apocalyptic fantasy to religious thriller to cartoonish comedy. (Peacock)
The fifth and final season of the Emmy-winning “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (TV-MA), starring Rachel Brosnahan as a trailblazing stand-up comedian in the male-dominated arena of the early 1960s, is underway. Four episodes available, new episodes on Fridays. (Prime Video)
The fourth and final season of the dark comedy “Barry” (TV-MA) opens with the emotionally troubled hitman (played by Emmy-winner Bill Hader) in prison and confronting his legacy. Two episodes available, new episodes on Sundays. (HBO Max)
A regular guy (Chris Evans) falls for an enigmatic woman (Ana de Armas) who turns out to be a secret agent and gets swept up in an international adventure in “Ghosted” (2023, PG-13), a rom-com with a spy movie twist. It’s from the writers of the “Deadpool” movies and the director of “Rocketman.” (Apple TV+)
International pick: Jafar Panahi’s “No Bears” (Iran, 2022, not rated, with subtitles) tackles the responsibility of a filmmaker to those impacted while covertly making an illegal film. It won the Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. (Criterion Channel)
Classic pick: Stanley Kubrick took on the heist thriller in “The Killing” (1956), a race-track caper with Sterling Hayden and a cast of B-movie lowlifes. (Paramount+)
Netflix
The newly appointed U.S. ambassador (Keri Russell) to England is immediately plunged into an international crisis in the political thriller “The Diplomat: Season 1” (TV-MA). Rufus Sewell and Rory Kinnear costar.
The sixth and final season of “Better Call Saul” (TV-MA), the “Breaking Bad” prequel starring Bob Odenkirk, comes to Netflix.
Hulu
“Quasi” (2023, R) is a comedy riff on “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” from the Broken Lizard comedy troupe (“Super Troopers”).
Amazon Prime Video
True stories: “Judy Blume Forever” (2023, 16+) profiles the life and career of the beloved author who helped generations of girls with her stories of growing up.
Apple TV+
The estranged daughter (Fleur Geffrier) of a wine expert competes with her father’s protégé (Tomohisa Yamashita) in “Drops of God: Season 1” (France, TV-MA, with subtitles).
Sean Axmaker is a Seattle film critic and writer. His reviews of streaming movies and TV can be found at streamondemandathome.com.