The Nowhere Man is about to start streaming on the US cable network Starz. The home of the Power Universe, which streams in Australia on Stan.
Why do I mention Starz and the Power Universe when this streams on Amazon inOz? Well, there is a connection. Naturi Naughton-Lewis who stars in both Power and sequel, Power Book II: Ghost stars as, Ruby who helps Lukas (Bonko Khoz from The Woman King) get his life back together.
The six episode run starts as Lukas is drawn back into a world of violence when he witnesses a home invasion and has no choice but to intervene.
Besides starring in the series, Naughton-Lewis (formerly Tasha St. Patrick in the Power universe) serves as an executive producer on the show.
The Nowhere Man was filmed on location in South Africa, whilst also starring, Dineo Rasedile, the hunky Nathan Castle & Greg Kriek.
This series was what Amazon do best at. Macho action series with a fairly basic plot to follow. It gives Jack Ryan or Reacher vibes, just set in South Africa. Also with multiple storylines on the go. Not just one major bad guy across all six episodes.
We encounter a couple of bad guys for Lukas to take out.
It's a fairly simple watch, whilst being interesting to see something come out of Africa.
So with a heatwave hitting Oz, my blog series might be correctly titled as Scorchin' Summer Streamin' 26.
Hope you are having a good new year and catching up on as many 2025 titles as I am that seemed to get missed in the busy year that was 2025.
Next up, Down Cemetery Road on Apple TV. Giving massive Slow Horses vibes.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North is a savagely beautiful five-part series charting the life of Dorrigo Evans (played by Jacob Elordi as a young man, with Ciarán Hinds as the older Dorrigo), through his passionate love affair with Amy Mulvaney (Odessa Young), his time held captive in a POW camp, and his later years spent as a revered surgeon & reluctant war hero.
The Australian drama is based on the novel of the same name by Richard Flanagan.
It was written by Shaun Grant, directed by Justin Kurzel and stars Jacob Elordi, Odessa Young, and Ciarán Hinds.
The series follows Dorrigo Evans across three periods: before his deployment to the Second World War, during his time as a Far East prisoner of war, and several decades after the war. Each period reveals different parts of Dorrigo's love affair with his uncle’s new young wife, Amy.
This was Amazon Prime's first of two local (Aussie - the brilliant Top End Bub was the other) series from 2025. Released mid-April, this series received critical acclaim.
Euphoria's Elordi/Hinds, Young, are joined by Olivia DeJonge, Heather Mitchell, Thomas Weatherall, Show Kasamatsu, Charles An, & E-Street's own Simon Baker.
An all-star Aussie cast, with Elordi's star continuing to rise. This year, he will star as Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell's upcoming adaptation of Wuthering Heights; the film is due to be released next month. He will also star in Ridley Scott's science fiction film The Dog Stars, which is currently scheduled to be released late August. Not to mention returning to Euphoria in April.
The miniseries is also one of the most nominated local series at the15th Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (generally known as the AACTA Awards).
The series follows Dorrigo Evans across three alternating timelines. In one, he is a young medical student in Australia who is preparing to ship out to war. He asks his girlfriend Ella to marry him. Meanwhile, he becomes close to his aunt, Amy.
In the second timeline, Dorrigo is shown as a prisoner of war in a Japanese labor camp. In the third, he is an old man, and a respected surgeon. He is interviewed by a journalist who asks him about his time in the war.
In the earlier timeline, Dorrigo is entertained by Amy at his uncle's suggestion when the uncle cannot meet. They get drunk and share an embrace and have an affair.
Episode four is a rough watch, however I can see why this show was loved by the critics. It tells a rough story of survival and and resilience.
This will not be for everyone, however it is well worth a look. I await Amazon's release of Deadloch's second run in late March.
Gosh there is some good Aussie content to come. Not to mention the gems like this already out there!
Hostage is another in my holidays Netflix series catch up blitz.
The British political thriller miniseries originally streamed back in August last year.
Starring Suranne Jones & Julie Delpy as the fictional British prime minister & French president respectively. An international summit between the French and British leaders goes awry when the husband of the British Prime Minister is kidnapped and the French president is blackmailed.
In this action-packed political thriller, the British Prime Minister (Jones) goes head to head with the French President (Delpy) and is forced to make an unimaginable decision.
Fighting political pressures, with a husband held hostage and a country to defend, she’s left with nearly no choice - but she will not give in.
No I have said a lot recently about the US, not knowing how to edit out the fluff of a miniseries. The recently Ryan Murphy Monster series was a perfect example. Too much filler, not all killer.
Hostage literally just goes for it. Shorter running times on the five episodes. And just like that, five episodes. DONE! This also was way more addictive. As my catch up blitz continues this UK series lead by Vigil legend Jones, streamed in August.
I think at the time it had some heat around it. Not as buzz worthy as some of the series on the world's biggest streamer, but still it got some buzz. Now Stranger Things has also concluded, Netflix will surely be on the hunt for the next big thing.
Now back to Hostage. If like me you were hooked on something else in August, maybe don't read on till you have binged this little gem.
During her time as a junior Foreign Office minister Dalton (Jones) orders British civilians to be evacuated from Belize after Guatemala invades, leaving local support staff behind.
General Livingston is revealed to be behind the conspiracy and giving Shagan his orders.
Ogilvy, now acting Prime Minister, declares a state of emergency following the explosion and deploys the British Army to the streets.
Dalton’s team discovered both Shagan and Livingston were stationed in Belize during the evacuation. With the help of Foreign Secretary Kathy MacIntyre, Dalton enters Ministry of Defence Headquarters and confronts Livingston, who is arrested after implicating himself in a fit of rage after criticising her military cuts. Shagan and Saskia kidnap Anderson, Sylvie and Matheo at a safehouse, killing two Protection Command officers.
Shagan demands that Dalton take their place. Matheo secretly calls 999 and then fights Saskia, but allows her to flee. Shagan tells Dalton his pregnant Belizean fiancée was killed by invading forces after Dalton ordered only British staff to be evacuated. Before he can kill Dalton, Sylvie takes Saskia’s discarded pistol and shoots Shagan after he confesses to killing her grandfather.
The no-confidence vote is voided, and Dalton is reinstated as Prime Minister.
Three months later, she announces a general election and, in tribute to Toussaint, promises utmost honesty with the electorate.
I enjoyed this whilst escaping some of the Fiji sun. It was a super easy watch unlike the next series I'm going to tackle on Amazon. Australian critical acclaimed series, The Narrow Road to the Deep North.
Another miniseries, also on a streaming giant, creating very little local content. So it's good to catch up with this series from April last year. Interesting it streamed whilst I was in Japan, considering the nature of the series.
Still to come, I finally jump into Down Cemetery Road and when I get home I'll continue Dept. Q! Till then, laters....
I tried, oh I tried with Stan's Sunny Nights just after Christmas. It was released Boxing Day, but could not get into it. This however, Dear Life, was gripping. One of the best Aussie TV shows on Stan in a long time.
Whilst He Had it Coming was fun, this was raw, emotional and beautiful. Brooke Satchwell was terrific.
I sadly missed Brooke in Kangaroo. I really wanted to see that late last year, however they only played it at family times whilst I was working. BOO!
That said, I never was a Satchwell fan whilst she was in Neighbours (RIP) or Wonderland. However she did pop up on the hugely underrated Mr Inbetween.
So what's the deal with Dear Life you ask? A woman (Satchwell), struggling to get over the death of her fiancé, finds comfort in seeking out the recipients of his organs, triggering a tangled chain of connection.
Alongside Satchwell its a solid Aussie cast including, Eleanor Matsuura, Ryan Johnson, Ben Lawson, Annie Maynard, Daniel Henshall, Kerry Armstrong, Megan Smart, & Khisraw Jones-Shukoor.
The series is written and directed by Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope. Filming took place across Victoria with locations including Ballarat, Melbourne and Yarra Valley.
With a far amount of Aussie content out right, it will be hard to top Dear Life. Sadly we will need to wait to the Logies in winter to see how this will fair at Aussie awards season.
This was top notch TV. Honestly Satchwell was incredible.
So whilst it's holiday season, if you are looking for a new drama to dive head foot into, then look no further than Dear Life. Just beautiful.
Ryan Murphy had a hit and miss 2025. However this is the first season not helmed by Murphy, with Brennan serving as the sole creator and writer.
Monster: The Ed Gein Story is the third season of the American biographical crime drama anthology television series Monster, created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan for Netflix.
This season focuses on convicted murderer, grave-robber, and suspected serial killer Ed Gein, portrayed by Sons of Anarchy Charlie Hunnam. The season incorporates meta commentary on the cultural obsession with true crime, exploring Gein's influence on Hollywood and pop culture.
The cast also includes Suzanna Son, Vicky Krieps, Laurie Metcalf, and Tom Hollander.
It is the third instalment in the Monster anthology series, following Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022) and Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (2024).
The series explores the life of convicted murderer and body snatcher Ed Gein through allusions to fictional cultural works inspired by his crimes, such as Psycho (1960), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), and The Silence of the Lambs (1991).
Now I am hella late to the third run of the Monster anthology. Upon its premiere, the season received negative reviews and was deemed inferior to its predecessors, with critics panning its meta commentary, subplots, runtime, excessive graphic violence, and factual inaccuracies.
While critical responses to Hunnam's performance were divided, he ultimately received nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film and the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries.
But like All's Fair (which I liked WAY more than this) Murphy is a TV producing icon. So it's no surprise a fourth season (based on parricide suspect Lizzie Borden) will land on Netflix in the future. For every miss (or critical miss) Murphy has, there is always a MONSTER hit just around the corner. Like the first run of this series, The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
So for those of you who have finished the eight episodes, read on. If not, come back when you have....
In the 1970s, Ted Bundy abducts, sexually assaults and kills his victims, cutting off their heads. FBI special agents Robert Ressler and John E. Douglas interview serial killers like Jerry Brudos for offender profiling and Ed, after many have expressed admiration for him.
He theorises that Bundy seeks his mother in his victims and advises them on the kind of hacksaw Bundy might use. Imprisoned murderer Richard Speck forwards to Ed a letter which Bundy has written to Speck.
Ed in turn gives it to the police, ultimately leading to Bundy's capture. After the arrest, Ed imagines meeting all serial killers who were inspired by him or idolise him.
In the 1980s, Ed is diagnosed with lung cancer and told he has only months to live. Roz, who has become a friend to him, encourages him to write his own story, saying that many people have distorted his story, but he refuses.
Adeline visits Ed one final time, confessing her own instability and intent to harm others; Ed urges her to abandon revenge. He later dies peacefully, imagining a reunion with his mother Augusta, who tells him he has "made a name for himself".
In 2000, a group of young people vandalises and steals Ed's gravestone.
One of the youths imagines the film characters inspired by Ed: Norman Bates, Leatherface, and Buffalo Bill.
Another series, that could have been halved. The last few episodes really felt like filler and overall the series did not reach the heights of previous seasons, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story & Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
Honestly I hope the next season is a lot better than this one. Critics were mostly right. This wasn't the best. Whilst I'm catching up on some Netflix content from 2025, they really do rely on their big titles to carry them throughout the calendar year.
Long Bright River is one of those shows I had on my watchlist since its release last March.
I can now catch up, with my long summer shutdown. This Peacock miniseries, tells the story of Mickey (Amanda Seyfried), a police officer who patrols a Philadelphia neighbourhood hard-hit by the opioid crisis. When a series of murders begins in the neighbourhood, Mickey realises that her personal history might be related to the case.
Long Bright River is based on the 2020 book of the same name by Liz Moore.
Seyfried follows up the three local women while seeking information about her own sister's disappearance across the eight episodes.
There are a few twists and turns, however I did guess who was the killer early on. That said, Seyfried's performance in the role was met with critical acclaim, receiving a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film.
She also earned nominations for Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie at the 5th Astra TV Awards & Best Actress in a Miniseries, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television at the 30th Satellite Awards.
Whilst, the majority of Peacock content now lives on Binge (excluding some legacy series like, Poker Face and Twisted Metal) this series is located on Stan.
Alongside Seyfried, Nicholas Pinnock was cast as Truman Dawes, along with Ashleigh Cummings, Callum Vinson, John Doman, Dash Mihok, Britne Oldford, Matthew Del Negro & Harriet Sansom Harris also starring.
In preparation for the role, Amanda Seyfried took part in a ride-along with Philadelphia police officers in January 2024.
I recently really enjoyed Seyfried in The Housemaid, so potentially this prompted me to tackle this series over others on my watchlist.
However, I would recommend this. If you like cop/crime dramas, this could be your next binge. It could really be six episodes, with some filler included. Or if this was made in the UK it would have been a tidy four episodes.
January however is heating up with new series. Run, Dear Life and Goolagong all lead streaming for new local series. Whilst Power Book IV: Force closes another Power chapter ahead of Tommy (a younger Tommy) featuring in Power: Origins. With both 9-1-1's, High Potential all returning from breaks. Industry and the latest Game of Thrones spin-off on HBO Max, while Ryan Murphy gives us a new series, The Beauty and Tell Me Lies returns to Hulu/Disney+.
So overall January is a PACKED month. Less time for catch ups, like Long Bright River. Also BULA, I'm off to Fiji, later punks!
Rental Family is a pure delight. Since I posted my best movies of 2025, the films I have seen have actually been a vast improvement on what I watched during January to late December last year.
So firstly happy new year!
Set against modern-day Tokyo, this film, follows an American actor (Brendan Fraser) who struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese "rental family" agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers.
As he immerses himself in his clients’ worlds, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality. Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the quiet beauty of human connection.
The comedy-drama film directed by Hikari, who co-wrote the script with Stephen Blahut.
Alongside Fraser, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Shannon Mahina Gorman, & Akira Emoto all star in this beautiful film.
An international co-production between the United States and Japan, the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, then released in the USA by Searchlight Pictures in November.
Thus far, Rental Family received positive reviews from critics, who have praised Fraser's performance. The National Board of Review named it as one of the top ten films of 2025.
I honestly also think this would have been one of the best films of the past 12 months.
This was emotional, sweet and heart warming. The perfect movie to kick start the new year. Good vibes, beautiful story telling and the return of Brendan Fraser. From blockbusters to serious films, Fraser is having a second chance at Hollywood.
Honestly this was top notch. 4.5 Stars. See it NOW!
