Streaming Sneaks: Explosive secrets and surprise pairings in October

SINGAPORE – In this monthly column, The Straits Times’ streaming picks for October feature explosive secrets and surprise pairings, including a romantic connection between a rabbi and the host of a sex-and-dating podcast.

Nobody Wants This

Now streaming on Netflix

An unlikely romance blossoms between Joanne (Kristen Bell), the outspoken host of a sex-and-dating podcast, and Noah (Adam Brody), an unconventional rabbi.

But Noah’s family and congregation expect him to end up with a conservative Jewish girl, not the free-spirited and agnostic Joanne. So, their budding relationship must survive a series of awkward social situations, a good dose of familial meddling and the ire of an ex.

Why watch it: American stars Bell and Brody – once beloved for their roles in the teenage dramas Veronica Mars (2004 to 2007) and The O.C. (2003 to 2007), respectively – bring effortless chemistry and wit to this classic romcom, which also tries to grapple with some rather weighty psychological and religious notions.

Grotesquerie

Now streaming on Disney+

From American Horror Story (2011 to present) creator Ryan Murphy comes this unsettling new horror series, which sees an alcoholic detective and a foul-mouthed nun teaming up to investigate a series of gruesome small-town murders.

American actress Niecy Nash – who won an Emmy for Murphy’s serial killer drama Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022) – plays world-weary Detective Lois Tryon, whose personal life is a bit of a mess.

Faced with a string of bizarre murders with religious undertones, she accepts an offer of help from Sister Megan (Micaela Diamond), a nun who believes the killings have greater significance.

Why watch it: Murphy’s signature approach to horror – campy, offbeat humour plus over-the-top gore – adds a fun layer to what looks, at least on paper, like a buddy-cop crime procedural.

But Grotesquerie has also been making headlines for a surprise casting.

Fans of American pop star Taylor Swift may want to tune in for a glimpse of her American football player beau Travis Kelce in his first acting role, playing an as-yet-unnamed character who is introduced later in the show. It was a part that Murphy wrote with him in mind.  

“I cannot wait to see everybody’s reaction to me being in a mystery thriller. Kind of scary... It’ll get you thinking now,” Kelce said on his New Heights podcast.

Disclaimer

Premieres on Apple TV+ on Oct 11

Celebrated journalist Catherine Ravenscroft (Cate Blanchett) has made a career of exposing other people’s transgressions.

But one day, she receives a novel from an unknown author and realises it is about a terrible secret she has hidden for decades.

Written and directed by Mexican film-maker and five-time Oscar winner Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity, 2013; Roma, 2018), this seven-part psychological thriller co-stars British actor Sacha Baron Cohen as Catherine’s husband.

American Oscar winner Kevin Kline plays a man from her past and South Korean actress Jung Ho-yeon of Squid Game (2021 to present) fame is her assistant.

As Catherine races to uncover the identity of the book’s writer and stop her life from unravelling, she is forced to re-examine her past as well as her most important relationships.

Why watch it: Cuaron’s visionary direction and a stellar cast led by double Oscar winner and Australian star Blanchett suggest viewers can expect a stylish, well-acted drama along with some exquisite psychological torture.

The Diplomat 2

Premieres on Netflix on Oct 31

Keri Russell returns as Kate Wyler, the United States’ recently appointed ambassador to the United Kingdom, in the second season of this acclaimed political thriller created by The West Wing (1999 to 2006) writer-producer Debora Cahn.

Season 1 ended in a nail-biter, with Kate trying to stop a war and uncovering a covert plot to attack a British warship.

A car bombing in London also left the fate of her husband Hal (Rufus Sewell) as well as two colleagues in doubt.

The new season will reveal what happened to them, and Kate’s personal and professional life is as complicated as ever as she tries to prove the warship conspiracy.

And things are complicated by the arrival of US Vice-President Grace Penn – played by The West Wing alumnus Allison Janney – who thinks Kate is eyeing her job.

Why watch it: The first season deftly combined personal drama and international intrigue. Russell, who picked up an Emmy nomination for the role, is perfectly cast as the smart and steely Kate, and the series offers a unique take on the espionage and political thriller genres.