At the centre of every great story is a person (or several people) exploring who they are and what motivates them. Existential quests of this nature dominate the streamers this week. Sharper is a neo-noir thriller starring Julianne Moore, Sebastian Stan, John Lithgow and Justice Smith as wealthy New Yorkers competing for money and power while trying to conceal their true selves. There’s also the streaming debut of The Woman King, a historical epic about a group of African women warriors whose identities are shaped by their duty. On the reality TV side, check out Perfect Match, a dating competition show that pits stars from different reality series against one another. Here are the 10 most anticipated titles available on Prime Video, Netflix, Crave, CBC Gem and Apple TV Plus this week.
10. Planet Sex with Cara Delevingne (Prime Video)
In this six-part series, British model and actor Cara Delevingne travels the world to explore different aspects of sex and how our most intimate desires are what make us human. Follow along as she travels to Germany—where orgasms are “donated” to science—creates vagina art in Japan and visits an ethical porn set. February 14
9. Full Swing (Netflix)
Formula 1 racing and professional tennis have already received the deep-dive docuseries treatment. Now, it’s golf’s turn. Full Swing comes from the same team behind Drive to Survive and Break Point and follows players—including Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson—on the 2022 PGA Tour, which was rocked by an unexpected development: increased competition from controversial rival tour LIV Golf. February 15
8. African Queens: Njinga (Netflix)
Njinga was the powerful 17th-century warrior queen of Ndongo and Matamba (what we know today as Angola), known for her military prowess and diplomatic skills. Her story comes to life via dramatizations and expert interviews in this sweeping documentary executive produced by Jada Pinkett Smith. February 15
7. Canada’s Ultimate Challenge (CBC Gem)
Hosted by snowboarder-analyst Craig McMorris and sportscaster Nikki Reyes, this reality competition series brings six teams of athletic Canadians together to perform immense obstacle-course feats at iconic landmarks across the country. They won’t have to go it alone, though—the teams will be coached by Canadian sporting legends, including sprinter Donovan Bailey, water polo star Waneek Horn-Miller, and Olympic cyclist and speed skater Clara Hughes. February 16
6. The Upshaws, Part 3 (Netflix)
This family comedy—co-created by star Wanda Sykes—is back for another round of hilarious hijinks. This time, the Upshaws are facing some major challenges. Patriarch Bennie (Mike Epps) has been arrested with his sister-in-law Lucretia (Sykes), and she’s putting all the blame on him. Meanwhile, matriarch Regina (Kim Fields) has recently become unemployed. February 16
5. The Woman King (Crave)
This Gina Prince-Bythewood epic stars Viola Davis in the story of the all-women warrior group that protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s. If you caught it in theatres, then you probably shared in the outrage at the film’s exclusion from this year’s Oscar nominations. If you didn’t, now is your chance to see what all the fuss was about. February 17
4. Perfect Match (Netflix)
What happens when you take a group of fan-favourite former contestants from Netflix reality shows (like The Circle, Love Is Blind and Too Hot to Handle) and ask them to compete to form the most compatible relationship? That’s the premise of this new drama-filled dating series, hosted by none other than Nick Lachey. February 14
3. Hello Tomorrow! (Apple TV Plus)
Set in a retro-futuristic world, this sci-fi dramedy follows a group of travelling salesmen as they attempt to sell timeshares on the moon. What could go wrong? Billy Crudup, Hank Azaria, Haneefah Wood and Alison Pill star. February 17
2. Thunder Bay (Crave)
Following the critical acclaim of his Canadaland podcast of the same name, Anishinaabe journalist Ryan McMahon produced, wrote and co-directed this four-part documentary series that investigates racism against Indigenous people in Thunder Bay. McMahon attempts to understand the reasons behind the city’s historically high rates of homicides and hate crimes by looking at unexplained deaths, the failings of the police service, Canadian colonialism, and much more. February 17
1. Sharper (Apple TV Plus)
Julianne Moore, Sebastian Stan, John Lithgow, Justice Smith and Briana Middleton star in this neo-noir thriller that follows a group of New Yorkers competing for power and money. The characters struggle to keep their true selves and intentions hidden as greed and jealousy get the best of them. February 17
