If you haven’t seen Next Goal Wins, the 2023 sports comedy from director Taika Watiti, get yourself to Disney+ immediately. The movie is based on the true story of the American Samoa soccer (sorry, football) team’s battle to rise from dead last to qualify for the 2014 Fifa World Cup. It’s funny, it’s heartwarming, and it has that perfect Taika touch—the critics are wrong.
This week’s What to Watch picks include new AMC spinoff The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, Noomi Rapace conspiracy thriller Constellation, Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender, standup special Jenny Slate: Seasoned Professional, and WWE Elimination Chamber pro-wrestling action. Let’s get watching!
What’s new on TV this week
Series premiere, Sunday, February 25: Spinoff series Dead City and Daryl Dixon were solid additions to the Walking Dead franchise in 2023—will the new The Ones Who Live make it a three-peat? It’s centered on the zombie drama’s most popular characters, Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira), so it should be a no-splattered-brainer. When last we saw them, Michonne had set out in search of presumed-dead Rick; now, she has a scant (but eventful) six episodes to find him.
WWE Elimination Chamber | Peacock | Sports, wrestling
Coverage begins Saturday, February 24, 1:30 a.m. PT/4:30 a.m. ET: Why is this year’s Elimination Chamber streaming in the dead of night? Because it’s live from Perth, Australia—pound a Red Bull, it’ll be fine. Drew McIntyre, Randy Orton, Bobby Lashley, and LA Knight will fight it out in the men’s Elimination Chamber; Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, and Liv Morgan in the women’s. Also of note is a battle between two literal giants: Rhea Ripley vs. Nia Jax for the Women’s World Championship belt. Crickey!
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What to watch on Netflix this week
Avatar: The Last Airbender | Netflix | Drama, fantasy
Series premiere, Thursday, February 22: M. Night Shyamalan’s live-action remake of The Last Airbender animated series fell flat in 2010, but is Avatar: The Last Airbender going to fly? Netflix got it right with the anime adaptation One Piece last year, so … probably? The story remains the same: Air Nomad Aang (Gordon Cormier) teams up with Waterbender siblings Sokka (Ian Ousley) and Katara (Kiawentiio) to defeat Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim). Yes, it’s a lot. All eight episodes stream on February 22.
Mea Culpa | Netflix | Drama
Movie premiere, Friday, February 23: “Mea culpa” is a Latin phrase for expressing remorse, and the lead character of Mea Culpa is lawyer Mea Harper—get it? Writer/director Tyler Perry has another clever twist up his sleeve in that Mea Culpa is a throwback erotic legal thriller like the kind some of us rented on VHS tapes in the ’80s and ’90s (ahem). When Harper (Kelly Rowland) takes on the case of a hunky accused murderer (Trevante Rhodes), sexy time is soon factored into her billable hours. Oh, and danger.
What to watch on Max this week
Jellystone! | Max | Animation, comedy
Season 3 premiere, Thursday, February 22: Like Parks and Recreation recast with classic Hanna-Barbera characters and animated with retro-futuristic panache, Jellystone! is the smartest small-town comedy you’ve probably ignored because it looks like a kids’ show. While it is a kids’ show, Jellystone! also has plenty of winking laughs for grownups, especially those who themselves grew up on Yogi Bear, Top Cat, Huckleberry Hound, Jabberjaw, Magilla Gorilla, and the rest of the Hanna-Barbera gang.
Dicks: The Musical | Max | Comedy, musical
Movie, now streaming: Of course the first musical film release from A24 is Dicks: The Musical, a self-described “riotously funny and depraved” 2023 production that’s just arrived on Max this month. During a company merger, two self-obsessed business bros (writers Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp) learn that they’re long-lost twins and then set out to reunite their divorced parents (Megan Mulally and Nathan Lane). It gets weird (and tuneful) enough from there to make even John Waters proud.
What to watch on Prime Video this week
Jenny Slate: Seasoned Professional | Prime Video | Comedy
Standup special, Friday, February 23: Seasoned Professional isn’t a snarky title for comedian/actress Jenny Slate’s second standup special, as she’s been working in the funny business for nearly 20 years now. What to expect from Slate in the here-and-now onstage? Says Amazon Studios, “The highly anticipated special proves that being brave for love is worth it—even when it comes to pushing out a baby, stalking your therapist, or trusting your partner to not destroy you.” Strap in.
The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy | Prime Video | Animation, comedy
Series premiere, Friday, February 23: Best friends Dr. Klak (voiced by Keke Palmer) and Dr. Sleech (Stephanie Hsu) are alien surgeons—as in, they don’t operate on aliens, they are aliens. In The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy, the doc duo treats cases of deep-space STIs and anxiety-eating parasites while juggling their personal lives and the occasional illicit time loop. This intergalactic Grey’s Anatomy also features the voices of Maya Rudolph, Natasha Lyonne, and Kieran Culkin.
More of what to watch on streaming this week
Constellation | Apple TV+ | Drama, thriller
Series premiere, Wednesday, February 21: After surviving a disaster in space, astronaut Jo (Noomi Rapace) returns to Earth—but is it her Earth? Jo’s life is missing pieces of what she used to know, and there appears to be a shadowy conspiracy afoot. Dark psychological thriller Constellation was created and written by Peter Harness (Doctor Who) and features chapters directed by Michelle McLaren (Breaking Bad) and Oliver Hirschbiegel (Downfall). Three of eight episodes stream on February 21.
39th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards | YouTube | Awards
Special, Sunday, February 25: The Golden Globes is typically namechecked as the “fun” movie awards show, but that distinction has really always belonged to the Film Independent Spirit Awards. The ceremony is held in a tent on the Santa Monica Pier—see? Fun! This year’s event, the second away from longtime cable home IFC, will be hosted by Saturday Night Live alum Aidy Bryant and streamed live on YouTube. What’s airing on the “Independent Film Channel” tonight instead of the Spirit Awards? Die Hard, naturally.
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