What are you going to be watching this week? We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+.
The biggies
One Piece (on Netflix from August 31)
One Piece is literally one of the most popular cultural products on the planet, being both the best-selling manga series and comic book series of all time, with over half a billion copies in circulation. The series, and this live-action Netflix adaptation, follows the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates, as they travel the seas in search of the titular “One Piece”, a treasure that will confer the title of “King of the Pirates” upon their captain, Monkey D. Luffy. The cast is made up of mostly unknowns (with the exception of narrator Ian McShane), but hey! It could be good – or it could go the route of… other Netflix live action anime adaptations. / Sam Brooks
Starstruck (on TVNZ+ from September 2)
From Alie Benge’s review of the first season: “Starstruck is something we don’t see so much any more, at least on the big screen: a romantic comedy with depth and charm. Observational comedy works best when the characters live in the same world as us. And this comedy is beautifully observational. Though tipping its hat to the golden era of romcoms, it updates the style by observing the ways we live, work and date now.”
Alone: Australia (on TVNZ+ from August 29)
Your new reality obsession? Quite possibly! Alone: Australia is taking the world by storm, and features survivalists competing for $250,000 after being dropped off – alone – across the Tasmanian wilderness where they must deal with the forces of nature, hunger and loneliness. The twist? They get to (have to?) document it themselves. Sounds traumatising!/ SB
The notables
My Dead Ex (on Neon from August 30)
This show is nearly half a decade old now, but the premise makes it sound goddamned delightful. Charley is your perfectly average high school girl with a crush, but her annoying ex keeps popping into the picture. Until he dies, and then… he pops into the picture slightly more. I’ll take a bit of Truly, Madly, Deeply, even through a high school lens, so count me in. / SB
The Following Events are Based on a Pack of Lies (on TVNZ+ from August 30)
This incredibly named series follows two women, formidable PA Alice (Rebekah Station), and best-selling fantasy author Cheryl (Academy Award nominee Marianne Jean-Baptiste), who become trapped in a strange triangle with Rob (Alistair Petrie) who may be trying to destroy them both. The (early) twist? Alice was married to Rob 15 years ago, before he disappeared without a trace. A con-man thriller? Yes please!/ SB
The Wheel of Time (on Prime Video from September 1)
Remember Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power? Let me recommend a much better fantasy series on the very same platform that doesn’t extend its reach beyond its grasp. The Wheel of Time is based on the Robert Jordan novel series of the same name, and stars Rosamund Pike and our very own Zoë Robins. It’s fun, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it looks seriously great. / SB
The films
Choose Love (on Netflix from August 31)
Love romantic comedies but wish you could pick the ending? Look no further than Choose Love, the latest in Netflix’s sporadic offerings of interactive live-action content. The film, which is noticeably shot but not set in New Zealand, centres around Cami (Laura Marano) a recording engineer with the perfect life: perfect job, perfect boyfriend, perfect future. But is she missing out on something else? Well, you, the viewer, get to play Sliding Doors and send Cami through multiple endings and multiple love interests, including rock star Rex Galier (Avan Jogia) or her first boyfriend (Jordi Webber). Happy hunting! / SB
Jackie Brown (on TVNZ+ from September 1)
Jackie Brown is definitely Quentin Tarantino’s most underrated film. A flight attendant, Jackie (Pam Grier, in a towering performance) is caught smuggling gun money and has to choose between teaming up with the cops to bust her arms dealer boss or concealing the information and going to jail. Tarantino’s first work post Pulp Fiction, this film really strips back the ostentatious style of that film to reveal something warmer and more tender, but still pretty hard-hearted. And hey, if this isn’t your vibe, there’s a bunch of other Tarantino films coming to TVNZ+ on the same day./ SB
The Lord of the Rings series (on Neon from September 1)
You know what this is. If you’ve made it to The Spinoff without knowing what The Lord of the Rings is, can I recommend our Rings Week from a few years ago? / SB
Netflix
August 30
Miss Adrenaline: A Tale of Twins
Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones
August 31
Choose Love
Karate Sheep: Season 2
September 1
Disenchantment: Part 5
Love is Blind: After the Altar: Season 4
A Day and a Half
Friday Night Plan
Happy Endings
September 2
Dune
Neon
August 28
Jailhouse Rock
August 29
Horrible Bosses
Horrible Bosses 2
August 30
My Dead Ex
August 31
The Last Airbender
September 1
The Carrie Diaries: Season 1-2
September 2
Spyders: Season 1-2
TVNZ+
August 29
Alone: Australia
August 30
Open Season
Surf’s Up 2: Wavemania
The Swan Princess: A Royal Family Tale
Hachi: A Dog’s Tale
The Following Events are Based on a Pack of Lies
September 1
The Goldbergs: Season 1
The Tower: Season 2
Django Unchained
Reservoir Dogs
Kill Bill Vol 1.
Kill Bill Vol 2.
Jackie Brown
Dear Comrades
Mandibles
The Genius of Roald Dahl
The Story of Mr Men
The Real Sherlock Holmes
Hotel for Refugees
Cradle Did Fall
Lies Beneath the Surface
Maid for Revenge
River Hunters
Shark Land
Da Fuq?: Season 4
Pride: Season 3
Camp Wanakiki: Season 5a
OUTspoken: The Queer Devotional
Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking
Falklands: Islands of Secrets
The Gig is Up
My Father and Me
September 2
Starstruck: Season 3
ThreeNow
N/A
Disney+
August 30
Chip ‘n’ Dale: Park Life: Season 2
Impure: Season 4
NCT 127: The Lost Boys
Never Say Never with Jeff Jenkins
Life on Mars
Strangers from Hell: Season 1
Prime Video
August 29
Beautiful Disaster
September 1
Wheel of Time: Season 2
Apple TV+
N/A
Acorn
August 28
Under the Vines: Season 1
The Chelsea Detective: Season 2
Shudder
August 28
Death in Brunswick
Inn of the Damned
September 1
Perpetrator
Motherly
AMC+
N/A