What to watch on Netflix Canada this week

Real life is hitting the streamers this week. First up is Descendant, an award-winning doc about the last known slave ship. There’s also The Vow Part II, which shares updates about the NXIVM cult, and Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On, an in-depth look at the life and career of the Indigenous icon. If you prefer escaping reality, check out The School for Good and Evil, a star-studded fairytale from Bridesmaids director Paul Feig, or tune in for From Scratch, a new rom-com featuring Zoe Saldana. Here are our picks for the most notable titles available on Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV Plus and Crave this week.

NETFLIX

The School for Good and Evil

Paul Feig—director of Bridesmaids and A Simple Favor—is back with this fantasy tale that follows two best friends who are taken to a fairytale school for heroes and villains only to end up on opposing sides of a battle. The A-list cast includes stars Kerry Washington, Charlize Theron, Laurence Fishburne, Michelle Yeoh and Patti LuPone. October 19

Love Is Blind (Season 3)

Love Is Blind is back! This time, an entirely new group of singles from Dallas enters the reality show’s pods to speak with potential romantic partners. The goal? To find love and get engaged without ever meeting face-to-face. Will anyone who makes it down the aisle this season actually have a marriage that lasts? Let’s see. October 19

Descendant

This award-winning documentary tells the story of the Clotilda—the last known slave ship that smuggled enslaved Africans into the United States—and the generations of living descendants in Africatown, Alabama. It picked up a special jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival, where it premiered earlier this year, capturing the attention of Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground. October 21

From Scratch

Inspired by Tembi Locke’s bestselling memoir of the same name, this romantic drama showcases the love story between aspiring American artist Amy (Zoe Saldana) and Sicilian chef Lino (Eugenio Mastrandrea). The two meet, fall in love, move across the world, start a family and face a health crisis that could tear them apart. Keep the tissues handy for this one. October 21

PRIME VIDEO

The Peripheral

Chloë Grace Moretz stars in this twisty sci-fi series as Flynne, a young woman in the American South who earns extra money playing virtual reality games for rich people. But when she tests out a new headset that transports her to a version of London that’s 70 years in the future, she discovers that the world she’s entered is actually real. October 21

APPLE TV PLUS

Acapulco (Season 2)

This bilingual comedy is set in two timelines. The first takes place in the ’80s and follows young, working-class Maximo (Enrique Arrizon) as he lands an exciting job at Mexico’s lavish Las Colinas resort. The second unfolds in the present day as a now wealthy Maximo (Eugenio Derbez) shares his life story with his nephew. In this season, grown-up Maximo decides to return to Mexico to confront some of his past mistakes. October 21

Raymond & Ray

Estranged half-brothers Raymond (Ewan McGregor) and Ray (Ethan Hawke) had a difficult relationship with their unreliable father, so his death brings up a slew of complicated feelings. Even more complicated? His final wish was that his sons reunite not only to attend his funeral but to dig his grave. The frustrating bit? Everyone they meet attests to their father’s charisma. October 21

CRAVE

The Vow Part II

The story of NXIVM—the cult built around founder Keith Raniere who made headlines in 2018 when charges of abuse and sex crimes were brought against him—continues. Following HBO’s original 2020 doc, this six-episode sequel details Raniere’s federal trial and includes interviews with leader and co-founder, Nancy Salzman. October 17

Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On

Trailblazing musician, artist and activist Buffy Sainte-Marie takes centre stage in this documentary chronicling her life and decades-long career through archival footage, interviews and newer performances. Among the talking heads interviewed is singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. October 21

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Nicolas Cage plays a highly exaggerated version of Nicolas Cage in this action-comedy. The plot begins to unfold when Cage accepts $1 million to attend the party of a wealthy fan, Javi (Pedro Pascal). But it turns out that Javi is a suspected criminal, and soon the CIA recruits Cage to help take him down. October 21