There are 13 new titles this week so let’s skip the prologue and get right in. New series by women come from Japan, Korea, Nigeria, the U.K, and the U.S. New movies directed by women come from Italy, South Africa, and the U.S.
NEW SERIES
Unnatural (Netflix)
showrunner Nogi Akiko
Mikoto is a doctor working at a forensic lab. She runs a team that looks into deaths that don’t quite make sense, and uncovers a serial poisoning case.
I am over-the-moon that this series is finally widely available in the U.S. It’s by Nogi Akiko, who also wrote and showran “MIU404”, a police procedural that tackled toxic genre issues and offered an antidote to antagonistic policing. It was one of the best portrayals I’ve seen of a functional, multi-talented team valuing each others’ perspectives in realistic ways.
All 10 episodes of “Unnatural” are out on Netflix.
A Man in Full (Netflix)
half-directed by Regina King
Jeff Daniels plays an Atlanta real estate mogul unexpectedly facing bankruptcy. He goes to (corporate) war to keep what he has. Diane Lane and Lucy Liu costar. The series is based on the Tom Wolfe novel.
Regina King directs 3 of the 6 episodes of the David E. Kelley series. She won an Oscar for her performance in “If Beale Street Could Talk”, and has directed on “Scandal”, “Shameless”, and “This Is Us”. Her 2020 film “One Night in Miami…” saw three Oscar nominations. She has an argument as the best actor-director working today.
All 6 episodes of “A Man in Full” are out on Netflix.
CW: The Holocaust
The Tattooist of Auschwitz (Peacock)
showrunner Tali Shalom Ezer
A Jewish prisoner is given the job of tattooing identification numbers on fellow prisoners’ arms. It’s based on the novel of the same name by Heather Morris. Harvey Keitel and Melanie Lynskey star.
Tali Shalom-Ezer directs. She also helmed “My Days of Mercy”.
All 6 episodes of “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” are out on Peacock.
Frankly Speaking (Netflix)
showrunner Jang Ji Yeon
Ki Baek is a 33-year-old broadcast announcer, stricken with a disease that causes him to say whatever comes to mind. This catches the eye of Woo Joo, a variety writer who wants to feature his unfiltered takes in an attempt to save her show.
Jang Ji Yeon directs/showruns. She also helmed romance “Nevertheless”.
The premiere of “Frankly Speaking” is out on Netflix, with a new episode as it airs in Korea dropping every Wednesday.
Postcards (Netflix)
directed by Hamisha Daryani Ahuja
Four Nigerians attempt to establish their daily lives and find their own community in India.
There’s not a lot of information available about this one, but it is out on Netflix tomorrow, Friday May 3.
NEW MOVIES
I Saw the TV Glow (in theaters)
directed by Jane Schoenbrun
This A24 horror film follows two suburban teens who bond over a late-night TV show, which suggests a supernatural world exists below their own. Reality begins to take the hint.
Writer-director Jane Schoenbrun also made “We’re All Going to the World’s Fair”, a no-budget, reality-bending horror which gained traction online over the COVID shut-in.
“I Saw the TV Glow” starts in limited release tomorrow, Friday May 3.
Prom Dates (Hulu)
directed by Kim O. Nguyen
Two girls make a pact to have the perfect prom, but they break up with their dates less than 24 hours before the dance. They have a night to find new dates, an effort that spirals into an ever-growing crisis.
Kim O. Nguyen directs. She’s also helmed episodes of “Never Have I Ever” and “With Love”.
“Prom Dates” is out on Hulu tomorrow, Friday May 3.
Turtles All the Way Down (Max)
directed by Hannah Marks
This is a confusing one. The official synopsis reads that a teenager with OCD is determined to solve the disappearance of a fugitive billionaire, which is also the plot of the novel it’s based on. The trailer mentions nothing about this, and seems to be about a teen with OCD embarking on her first romance. Maybe it’s both? Rarely do I come across advertising that seems so at odds with itself, but it’s probably about at least one of those two things.
Hannah Marks directs and costars. She also directed poly comedy “Mark, Mary & Some Other People” and John Cho father-daughter drama “Don’t Make Me Go”.
“Turtles All the Way Down” is out on Max.
Lost Soulz (in theaters)
directed by Katherine Propper
A rapper sets out with a group of touring hip-hop musicians, determined to build his music career on a road trip through Texas.
“Lost Soulz” sees a limited release in theaters tomorrow, Friday May 3.
Beautiful Rebel (Netflix)
directed by Cinzia Th. Torrini
This Italian biopic follows rock star Gianna Nannini. Starting her career in the late 70s, her breakthrough finally happened in 1984.
Cinzia Th. Torrini has helmed a number of Italian series.
“Beautiful Rebel” is on Netflix.
Lola (Netflix)
directed by Nicola Peltz Beckham
Lola works with one goal in mind: to get her younger sibling Arlo out of their toxic home. An unexpected crisis turns her plans on their head.
Nicola Peltz Beckham writes, directs, and stars in her feature debut.
“Lola” is out on Netflix.
Tarot (in theaters)
co-directed by Anna Halberg
A group of friends uses a set of cursed cards to do a tarot reading, which is generally a bad idea in a horror movie titled “Tarot”.
Anna Halberg directs with Spenser Cohen. This is her first film directing. She started in the industry as a casting and assistant director.
“Tarot” has a wide release tomorrow, Friday May 3.
Thabo and the Rhino Case (in theaters)
directed by Mara Eibl-Eibesfeldt
A boy named Thabo wants to become a private detective. His first case is the death of a rhino, killed in a safari park for its horn.
Mara Eibl-Eibesfeldt directs.
“Thabo and the Rhino Case” is out in theaters tomorrow, Friday May 3.
Take a look at new shows + movies by women from past weeks.
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Gabriel Diego Valdez 