By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on X.
The weekend is approaching and so are some intriguing new shows and movies on the nation’s leading streaming services. Here’s a look at four top titles coming between Friday, April 12, and Sunday, April 14, to Netflix, Apple TV+, Hulu and HBO/Max.
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Franklin (Apple TV+. Debuts Friday, April 12)
Michael Douglas plays Ben Franklin as ribald genius in this eight-episode series about the founding father. Franklin is dispatched to France to win support for the colonies’ battle for independence from England but soon discovers Paris is inhabited by political conspirators and femme fatales, one played deliciously by Ludvine Sagnier (Swimming Pool). Even at 79, Michael Douglas can’t resist getting it on in character.
Strange Way of Life (Netflix. Debuts Friday, April 12)
Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal star as two gunslingers who reunite after 25 years in this Pedro Almdovar-directed Western movie with a twist. What’s the twist? The bond between the two men seems to have taken a sexual turn for one and the consequences could be deadly. Sounds like Brokeback Mountain meets The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
The Sympathizer (HBO, Max. Debuts Sunday, April 14, 9 p.m. ET.)
Hoa Xuande stars in this seven-episode satirical series as a North Vietnamese military officer who flees to the United States disguised as a South Vietnamese soldier during the Vietnam War. Once there, he starts to spy on a Vietnamese community and reports his findings back to the Viet Cong. But his mission is sometimes derailed by multiple American characters, each played by Robert Downey, Jr. The premise plus Downey in multiple roles makes this one worth checking out. RDJ is one of the era’s best actors and it sounds like The Sympathizer will let him cook like no show or movie has ever.
The Greatest Hits (Hulu. Debuts Friday, April 12.)
Lucy Boynton stars as a young woman who discovers that certain tunes can transport her back in time when the song was released. While time traveling, she’s tempted to reverse a tragic car accident that killed her former boyfriend. But while contemplating her dilemma, she meets who could be the love of her life.
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