As we approach the summer of 2021, with countless cinemas across the world still shuttered and the future uncertain, Netflix — exceeding all expectations — continues to roll out hit after hit. Up next? A psychological chiller featuring Amy Adams and Julianne Moore, a miniseries chronicling the life of a fashion icon and the return of two binge-worthy shows that proved to be essential quarantine viewing the first time around. These are the five releases to add to your watch list now.
The Woman in the Window (out 14 May)
Woman in the Window (2021)
Photo: Melinda Sue Gordon / Netflix
A distressed Amy Adams plays an agoraphobic child psychologist who watches her neighbours through the windows of her New York brownstone in Joe Wright’s twisty horror movie. She makes a new friend (Julianne Moore), but then witnesses her being attacked, after which her cloistered existence unravels entirely. The supporting cast is stellar (Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie, Brian Tyree Henry and Jennifer Jason Leigh) and the powerful sense of claustrophobia undeniably timely.
Halston (out 14 May)
Created by Sharr White, directed by Daniel Minahan and executive produced by Ryan Murphy, this glittering five-part drama casts Ewan McGregor as the titular designer who changed the face of American fashion. As we track his stratospheric rise and eventual downfall, as a result of addiction and ill-advised business decisions, expect flamboyant 1970s costumes, wild nights at Studio 54 and an introduction to his circle, which included actor Liza Minnelli and jewellery designer Elsa Peretti.
Army of the Dead (out 21 May)
What happens when a group of mercenaries are hired to retrieve $200m from a Las Vegas casino during a zombie outbreak? Prepare to find out in Zack Snyder’s delightfully bombastic action epic which centres on Dave Bautista as a war hero who assembles an eclectic crew (Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera, Tig Notaro and Matthias Schweighöfer). It has all the ingredients of a summer blockbuster: shoot-outs, spectacular set pieces and laughs, not to mention a zombie tiger.
Never Have I Ever (expected July 2021)
Never Have I Ever (2021)
Photo: Isabella B. Vosmikova / Netflix
As charming as it was quietly revolutionary, the first season of Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher’s high-school comedy about Indian-American teenager Devi won hearts the world over. Now, its magnetic lead, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, is back for the second instalment with a slew of new additions, from Megan Suri as a fellow student to Common as a potential love interest for Devi’s mother (Poorna Jagannathan). It’ll be worth watching for the side-splitting one-liners and shattered stereotypes.
Lupin (expected summer 2021)
If you’re still reeling from the cliffhanger ending of the first part of George Kay’s ingenious thriller, take solace in the fact that the second half is on its way. It’ll follow the charismatic Omar Sy in the role of Assane, a thief hellbent on avenging his father’s death whose son (Etan Simon) has just been abducted by his enemies. There are sure to be more shocking revelations, tense standoffs, elaborate disguises and the same sleight of hand that made the earliest episodes so irresistible.
Editor
Radhika Seth
