As November 2022 picks up and the end of the year looms on the horizon, audiences are spending more time inside as temperatures steadily drop and the final weeks of autumn unfold. Prime Video and Hulu have each added new film and television programming to their respective streaming libraries to kick off the month, offering viewers plenty to choose from across a myriad of genres. CBR is here to help viewers sort through the extensive catalogs of the two streaming services and decide what they want to binge this first weekend of November.
Here are all the biggest and best choices to stream on Hulu and Prime Video this weekend, from the eagerly anticipated return of a certain anime property to some fan-favorite horror movie fare in the aftermath of Halloween.
My Policeman Reports for Duty on Prime Video
Between the behind-the-scenes drama with Don’t Worry Darling, a new album and tabloid-scrutinized romance, Harry Styles has spent much of the year in the limelight. Styles’ latest project is starring in the Prime Video original movie My Policeman, adapting the 2012 novel of the same name written by Bethan Roberts. And compared to the more dystopian melodrama of his performance in Don’t Worry Darling, Styles turns in a much more understated performance in the British romantic drama.
Styles stars as English policeman Tom Burgess who marries a young schoolteacher while carrying a gay love affair with a local museum curator in Brighton. With homosexuality illegal under the ‘50s British government, the three must keep the true extent of their love lives a secret from prying eyes. A quiet and methodically paced character piece, My Policeman provides a somber look at life and love in a more repressed society.
Saw Revs up on Hulu
As a new Saw film enters active development, with longtime franchise star Tobin Bell returning as the bloodthirsty Jigsaw, the movie series has arrived on Hulu. Everything from the 2004 original movie, helmed by acclaimed filmmaker James Wan, to 2010’s Saw 3D has been added to the streaming service’s library. These films join the 2021 revival film Spiral, which previously arrived on the digital platform.
The Saw film series focuses on Jigsaw, a scheming serial killer who decides to put his victims through torturous challenges to redeem themselves for perceived slights and remind themselves not to take life for granted. As Jigsaw finds himself on the run from the police at every turn, he stages an escalating set of grisly challenges and traps for new victims while training an apprentice to take his place. Not for the faint of heart, the Saw film series provides the perfect post-Halloween scare.
Underworld Howls Again on Hulu
Saw isn’t the only post-Halloween fun to be had on Hulu, with the Underworld film series also added to the streaming service. Depicting a long-running war between werewolves and vampires, the movies blend supernatural horror with slick and stylish action. From the 2003 original film to 2014’s Underworld: Awakening, there are plenty of thrills from this popular cinematic monster mash.
Following the vampire warrior Selene, Underworld has Selene fall in love with a newly minted Lycan named Michael before stumbling across a conspiracy involving both factions. As the series continues, Selene faces a newly evolved form of monster that threatens to plunge the world into eternal darkness. Hulu has also added the 2009 prequel film Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, depicting the early years of the monstrous war and introducing several key players to the overarching story.
Face/Off Pairs up on Prime Video
On paper, a cinematic showdown between Nicolas Cage and John Travolta that's helmed by groundbreaking Hong Kong action movie filmmaker John Woo seems like a game of Hollywood Mad Libs. However, the resulting 1997 film Face/Off not only succeeds under these odd parameters but has become a genuine cult classic in the 25 years since its release. Marking Woo’s most high-profile projects outside of Hong Kong, Face/Off provides Cage with a cinematic canvas to truly go unhinged in his performance.
Travolta plays FBI agent Sean Archer while Cage plays notorious terrorist Castor Troy, who change each other’s physical appearances to engage in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. Travolta and Cage go for broke in their respective performances as each other’s initial characters, clearly having a blast at the opportunity. Backed by Woo’s stylish eye for explosive action, Face/Off remains a highlight in the three men’s careers and an over-the-top tour-de-force now available to stream on Prime Video.
Bleach Makes Its Long-Awaited Return on Hulu
After a decade-long hiatus, Tite Kubo’s acclaimed manga/anime franchise Bleach returns with new episodes to adapt the manga’s final story arc, “Thousand-Year Blood War.” Following the adventures of Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki, the teenager assists the souls of the recently departed to reach the afterlife peacefully. After a mysterious new enemy causes a string of disturbing disappearances, Ichigo and his friends leap back into action to prevent any more souls from being harmed.
Bleach fans have been clamoring for the anime series’ return to complete Kubo’s full manga story, and the wait is finally over on Hulu. With the anime production working closely with Kubo to bring his creative vision to life, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War picks up where the classic series left off and then some. With new episodes released on Fridays on Hulu, fans can finally witness the full scope of the Bleach saga on-screen.