Happy Sunday, Streamers.
This week, we’ve got a black comedy about a murderous sorority of sisters in our Rec Room and another seasonally-spooky round of Stream It or Skip It.
P.S. we’re not pitching Andor this week only because I wrote about it for Collider here. You should check the show out, even if you don’t like Star Wars. It has more in common with The Wire and Blade Runner than anything we’ve ever seen in the galaxy, far, far away.
Now let’s get to it.
Rec Room
Bad Sisters
What It’s About: In this Irish comedic thriller, five sisters team up to kill their prick of a brother-in-law.
Why You Should Watch: If you’re close with your sisters, like to laugh, love mystery, want to learn how to covertly murder someone, or are looking for a new villain to hate.
Sharon Horgan is one of those talents that quietly has been killing it (sorry) for years, and Bad Sisters might be the best thing she’s done. In front of the camera she delivers her usual brand of jaded-maternal-drunk with a heart of gold, and behind the camera she crafts a smart, fun, suspenseful thriller that will make you laugh as much as it will keep you guessing. The show makes no bones about the fact the sisters killed their prick of a brother-in-law John Paul right from the get-go, but what keeps Bad Sisters interesting is the smart decision to keep the audience in the dark regarding each sister’s individual motivations, and more importantly, how exactly they offed him. The show plays most with the reveal of the second, and delivers most of the laughs via a series of near-misses in which the sisters almost kill John Paul but fail. The stakes are raised further by a weasel insurance broker who, determined to prove foul play so as not to have to pay out John Paul’s large life insurance policy, insists on poking holes in their bogus story and alibi. The only complaint would be sometimes John Paul’s villainy reaches cartoonish levels - a choice likely meant to endear the audience to the sisters’ cause, but more often results in the feeling you’re watching an Irish, mild-mannered Jafar. But otherwise, Bad Sisters is a worthwhile and clever story about the murderous ties that bind.
Who’s In It, and Where You Probably Know Them From:
Sharon Horgan - A writer, actor, and producer, you may recognize her from Catastrophe, Game Night, or, more recently, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
Brian Gleeson - Peaky Blinders, Phantom Thread, Mother!, Logan Lucky, or being the son of Brendan Gleeson and Domhnall Gleeson's brother.
Claes Bang - Most recently as the very-naked antagonist in Robert Eggers’ truly-unhinged The Northman, but also from The Affair, Dracula, The Girl in the Spider’s Web, and The Square.
Anne Marie-Duff - Sex Education, His Dark Materials, and as Fiona Gallagher in the original British version of Shameless that I just learned the American version was based on.
Sarah Greene - Normal People
Eva Birthistle - The Last Kingdom and Brooklyn
Eve Hewson - You may recognize her from The Knick or Enough Said, but it’s more likely you realize that Irish twinkle in her eye because she inherited it from another famous Irishman who happens to be her father: Bono.
Daryl McCormack - Peaky Blinders, Vikings, and Good Luck To You Leo Grande
Who Made It, and What Else Have They Done: Veterans Brett Baer and Dave Finkel, who together have produced shows like New Girl, 30 Rock, and Just Shoot Me!, are co-creators along with Sharon Hogan (see above).
Where You Can Watch: Apple TV+
Stream It or Skip It?
First, the results from last week. Apparently, it’s too early for spooky season, as none of you had any interest in Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story or Hocus Pocus 2.
Well, I have bad news: this week, the fright fest continues with another two seasonally-scary pieces of content up for a vote. Let us know in the polls - are you going to Stream It or Skip It?
Marvel Studios’ Special Presentation: Werewolf By Night
Marvel’s out-of-nowhere black and white throwback to the classic horror films of the 1930s arrives on Disney+ October 7th.
Hellraiser
This reboot of the Hellraiser franchise (which I admittedly had no idea was comprised of ten films) comes to Hulu October 7th.