Binge-r #246: The Best New Shows of 2021 (so far)
Mother Superior: Claudia Karvan (Angie) in Bump
20 – THE ONE
A British science-fiction thriller about tech CEO woes and sharp plot twists (Netflix)
19 – LISEY’S STORY
An uneven Stephen King horror adaptation headlined by Julianne Moore (Apple TV+)
18 – LOKI
One of Marvel’s best villains – and Owen Wilson – gets a show (Disney+)
17 – SHADOWPLAY
Ambitious but uneven post-World War II drama about Berlin intrigue (SBS on Demand)
16 – WANDAVISION
The first Marvel series was a primer on TV history and what superheroes can do (Disney+)
15 – LUPIN
A slick but enjoyable French heist drama with an impossibly charismatic lead (Netflix)
14 – HALSTON
This fashion biopic from the 1970s with Ewan McGregor looks fabulous (Netflix)
13 – SHADOW AND BONE
A YA fantasy a cut above: intrigue, passion, and immersive detail (Netflix)
12 – YOUR HONOR
Bryan Cranston is impeccable in a crime thriller that ratchets up the tension (Stan)
11 – SWEET TOOTH
A post-apocalyptic, science-fiction, coming of age story – it’s a lot but it works (Netflix)
Blood on the Tracks: Chase W. Dillon (Homer) and Joel Edgerton (Ridgeway) in The Underground Railroad
10 – BEFOREIGNERS
Scandinavian time travel drama where the murder and metaphor tie together (SBS on Demand)
9 – MADE FOR LOVE
An acerbic black comedy about a digital future you don’t want to share (Stan)
8 – BUMP
A frank, winning teenage pregnancy comedy set in Sydney (Stan)
7 – THE SERPENT
An historic period crime thriller that generates white-knuckle tension (Netflix)
6 – GIRLS5EVA
When a girl group reunites loopy comedy and smart verdicts sing together (Stan)
5 – IT’S A SIN
A heart-wrenching British drama about love and freedom in the shadow of HIV (Stan)
4 – THIS WAY UP
Expertly played and bittersweet comedy about a woman trying to hold it together (Stan)
3 – PRETEND IT’S A CITY
Humourist Fran Lebowitz and filmmaker Martin Scorsese have the best talks (Netflix)
2 – THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
Filmmaker Barry Jenkins delivers an intensely powerful depiction of slavery’s grasp (Amazon)
1 – THE VIRTUES
Stephen Graham is amazing in this raw, riveting drama about trauma’s brutal hold (Stan)
>> Missed last week’s BINGE-R? Click here to read about Disney+’s new Marvel (and Owen Wilson) adventure Loki and SBS on Demand’s Sydney satire The Unusual Suspects.
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>> Check the complete BINGE-R archive: 314 series reviewed here, 162 movies reviewed here, and 40 lists compiled here.
