Lady Gaga’s seventh studio album “Mayhem” and a new lifestyle series on Netflix from the Duchess of Sussex called “With Love, Meghan” are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.
Also, among the streaming offerings worth your time: Carrie Underwood ascends to a judge on “American Idol “and a new series launches featuring the Marvel hero Daredevil.
MOVIES TO STREAM
Hugh Grant is deliciously deranged in “Heretic,” in which two young, unsuspecting missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) have the misfortune of knocking on the door of his Mr. Reed one day. In his review, critic Mark Kennedy writes, “So beautifully constructed and acted in the first half is ‘Heretic’ that you won’t really notice when it turns into a horror movie. You might be a step ahead of the missionaries, but not by much. Mr. Reed alternates between creepy and funny, well versed in Spider-Man and Voltaire, Radiohead and the Hollies, Wendy’s and Taco Bell. Grant has gloriously weaponized his natural charm.” The A24 film begins streaming on Max on Friday, March 7.
There’s no shortage of media projects about the Manson murders, but when a filmmaker like Errol Morris (“The Thin Blue Line,” “The Fog of War”) decides to delve into the killing spree you pay attention. “CHAOS: The Manson Murders,” debuting on Netflix on Friday, March 7 promises new links between the CIA, LSD and Charles Manson. In speaking to the Netflix publication Tudum, Morris said: “You could encapsulate the mystery in just one question: How is it that Manson managed to convince the people around him that killing was, OK?”
Cate Blanchett, Charles Dance and Alicia Vikander star in “Rumours,” an absurdist satire and genre-hopping apocalypse film about world leaders gathered at the G7 who get lost in the woods. Guy Maddin (“My Winnipeg”) co-directed the film with Evan and Galen Johnson, now streaming on Paramount+.
MUSIC TO STREAM
She hath returned. Lady Gaga — whose theatrical pop once recalled Madonna and now serves as a reminder that big belts are cinema, whisper singers be damned — will release her seventh studio album on Friday, March 7. Titled “Mayhem,” and following 2024’s “Joker: Folie à Deux” soundtrack record and 2020’s colorful “Chromatica,” the album suggests a kind of revitalization of big pop.
Seven years ago, global pop phenomenon Jennie became the first member of the K-pop group Blackpink to go “SOLO.” Her debut single was a product of its time — nostalgic EDM-pop with pitched up whistle effects and simple, declarative lyrics: “I’m goin’ solo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo.” She wasn’t leaving her band, but a lackluster relationship. And she still isn’t: On Friday, March 7, Jennie will release her first solo full-length album, “Ruby.” It’s stacked with ambitious collaborations – Doechii, Childish Gambino, Dua Lipa and Kali Uchis among them — but at the core is Jennie and her message of self-empowerment.
The Wiggles have gone country. On their latest album, “Wiggle Up, Giddy Up — with Friends!” the Australian children’s entertainers have collaborated with Dolly Parton, Orville Peck, Lainey Wilson, Dasha and more for a twang-y good time.
SHOWS TO STREAM
Actor Charlie Cox says that “Daredevil: Born Again,” available on Disney+ pretty much picks up where the third season on Netflix left off. “You don’t have to have seen all the back catalog to understand it, but essentially it is a continuation,” Cox told the AP at the show’s premiere. Cox plays blind lawyer Matt Murdock, who by night fights for justice as Daredevil. Vincent D’Onofrio reprises his role as Wilson Fisk. Jon Bernthal also returns as the Punisher.
“With Love, Meghan,” the lifestyle series starring the Duchess of Sussex was originally scheduled to premiere on Netflix in January but was delayed due to the Los Angeles-area wildfires. It’s now streaming, and we’ve recently learned that the Netflix has teamed up with Meghan on her new company, As Ever. She made the announcement recently in a video posted to her new Instagram account. “With Love, Meghan,” says Netflix, is not about a quest for perfection but more about finding joy in the little things.
When Carrie Underwood won the fourth season of “American Idol” in 2005, she had no idea that 20 years later she would be a judge on that very same show. Underwood will sit alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan at the judges’ table, replacing Katy Perry, who departed to focus on her own music career. It will be interesting to see how Underwood interacts with the contestants because she’s been in their shoes. “Idol” premieres Sunday, March 9 on ABC and also streams on Hulu.
The fourth and final season of “Righteous Gemstones” debuts Sunday, March 9 on HBO and HBO Max. Created by and starring Danny McBride, the show follows a family of televangelists who run a successful megachurch. Their private lives are nothing like their public image. John Goodman and Adam DeVine also star.
Season three of the critically acclaimed noir drama “Dark Winds” returns to AMC on Sunday, March 9. Set in the 1970s, the series follows three Navajo Tribal Police officer who patrol the Four Corners region of the Southwest (where the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet.) George R. R. Martin and Robert Redford are executive producers. “Dark Winds” is 100% fresh on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes and a fourth season has already been ordered. It also streams on AMC+.
VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
Like many gamers, I tend to bounce between fantasy and science fiction when I need to escape. Split Fiction, the latest adventure from Sweden’s Hazelight Studios, asks: Why not have both? It’s the story of two writers, Mio and Zoe, who are drawn into each other’s imaginary creations. In Zoe’s world, you get to cast spells and ride dragons, while Mio’s world has laser swords and flying cars. Like Hazelight’s previous game, the award-winning It Takes Two, Split Fiction is strictly two-player co-op. Get ready to snuggle up Thursday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.
