Mo Season 2 — Netflix
Comedian Mohammed Amer’s gently funny exploration of the absurdities of the modern American immigrant experience returns for a second outing. Amer plays the titular “Mo”, a Palestinian refugee living in limbo in Houston while waiting for his asylum status to be granted. As he goes about the complicated business of being an immigrant, a stateless person and an ordinary guy with a family, a girlfriend and everyday challenges, Mo offers a bittersweet view at what it means to be these things in a country that is not welcoming to all immigrants.
Asphalt City — Showmax
Sean Penn does his best gritty, world-weary tough turn in this drama about the high-pressure lives of New York City paramedics. Tye Sheridan plays the young, naive newbie assigned to partner Penn’s gruff, seasoned veteran. It’s grim, unrelenting viewing with little in the way of hope or optimism. Director Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire attacks the material with sometimes too much effort, though Penn’s grizzled performance mostly holds everything together.
Ramy Youssef: More Feelings — Showmax
The comedian and creator of the Emmy-nominated Arab-American comedy series Ramy gets behind the microphone and steps into the spotlight for a standup special. He examines his place in US society as a Muslim celebrity, the expectations placed on him to speak out about the conflict in the Middle East and the difficult choices so many Muslims faced during last year’s US elections. Gently hilarious, quietly provocative and earnest in its plea for recognition of shared humanity, it’s a superior set from a smart and clear-eyed comedian.
Wicked — Buy from Apple TV+
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo team up for Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M Chu’s epic film adaptation of the Wizard of Oz prequel musical that’s been a regular fixture on Broadway and the West End for years. It’s a musical experience that has captured the hearts and ears of audiences around the world since its release at the end of last year, earning it an impressive 10 Oscar nominations.
Blink Twice — Prime Video
Zoe Kravitz’s directorial debut is a dark genre-masher that stars Channing Tatum as a tech billionaire, whom Naomi Ackie’s cocktail waitress joins on a luxurious vacation to his private island. Once there, she discovers that there’s something far more sinister going on behind the glinting façade of wealth on display and that she’ll have to dig deep if she ever wants to make it out alive. It’s not a perfect film, but it does demonstrate that Kravitz has the makings of a serious director to be watched in the future.
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