An uncertain 2021 looks heading for a wet finish, with the skies opening up practically every day over Singapore, and flash floods becoming all too common. How about staying indoors a bit more? And maybe plan out a proper binge-watching schedule? Check out TheHomeGround Asia’s recommendations for this month.
As the nation braces itself for heavier rain due to the Indian Ocean Dipole for the next two months, expect yourself to cancel plans and stay indoors in the coming weeks. Put simply, cuddle weather—perfect for you, your friends and family to gather on a comfy sofa and binge on your favourite shows— beckons. As August wanes and September approaches, a slew of exciting new shows and films await us on our favourite TV streaming services: Netflix, Viu and Apple TV+. From an award-winning crime drama series to a thriller drama series about a survival game, we are sure you’d be hooked.
Truth To Be Told: Season 2
In this award-winning crime drama series, Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer plays Poppy Parnell, a true-crime podcaster and former investigative reporter, while Kate Hudson—her first lead role in a television series—plays Poppy’s childhood friend Micah Keith. In its second season, Poppy dives into a case involving the murder of Micah’s husband, putting a strain on her relationship with Micah along the way. Nichelle Tramble Spellman serves as writer, showrunner and executive producer, alongside Spencer who is also an executive producer.
Truth To Be Told: Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+.
Money Heist Part 5: Volume 1
As one of our favourite Spanish crime dramas on Netflix, it’s sad to say that Money Heist (or La Casa de Papel) will end its run with its fifth and final season soon. Bittersweet as it may be, there’s a lot to love from watching the characters—with captivating personalities, no less—pull off seemingly impossible robberies with high stakes. According to Netflix’s synopsis, which has us all hyped up, the gang finds themselves stuck in the Bank of Spain for over 100 hours and yes, even the ever-prepared Professor does not have an escape plan. Its creator Álex Pina promises in an interview with Deadline that the fifth season will be the “most epic and exciting season” where characters see themselves getting into “situations that are irreversible”.
Money Heist Part 5: Volume 1 will be streaming on Netflix from 3 September 2021.
Beautiful Vampire
Having lived a quiet life for half a century, Ran, who is a vampire, makes ends meet as a boutique makeup artist. Having made peace with her thirst for human blood, she has lived peacefully with humans and only drinks animal blood to survive. She owns and runs a quiet makeup business in the neighbourhood of Mangwon in Seoul. And yet, things change when the new landlord’s son stumbles into her life and falls in love with her, resulting in her appetite for human blood to return. The film, which was first released in 2018, stars Jung Yeon-joo as Ran and Song Kang as Lee So-nyeon, Ran’s love interest.
Beautiful Vampire will be streaming on Viu from 3 September 2021.
Squid Game
This brand-new South Korean thriller drama Squid Game is sure to have you on the edge of your seat. Here, 456 contestants are invited to participate in a secret survival game to stand a chance to win ₩45.6 billion. Financially motivated and cash-strapped, the contestants come from various backgrounds. At first glance, the games the contestants will be playing resemble the likes of what they played in their childhood, but a closer inspection reveals their killer nature. Those who fail to survive the ground or refuse to play will be executed.
The eight-episode drama stars Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo and Heo Sung-tae. The show’s director Hwang Dong-hyuk is most known for his films “The Fortress” (2017) and “Miss Granny” (2013). In an interview with South Korean entertainment site Soompi, Hwang says: “I wanted to create a sense of connection between the nostalgic games we played in our childhood and the sense of never-ending competition that modern adults feel. There’s an irony in our most beautiful and innocent memories being changed into the most horrifying reality.”
Squid Game will be streaming on Netflix from 17 September 2021.
One The Woman
The up-and-coming South Korean rom-com drama tells the story of a corrupt prosecutor Jo Yeon-joo (Lee Ha-nee) who loses her memory after getting into a car accident. When she wakes from the coma, the hot-tempered prosecutor soon discovers she is now living as Kang Mi-Na, the youngest daughter of a chaebol (a large family-owned business conglomerate) family, with no recollection of her past. Lee is joined by actor Lee Sang-yoon, who plays the son and third-generation chaebol. Princely South Korean actor Lee Won-keun (who starred in the popular historical TV drama “Moon Embracing Sun” in 2012) will also Ha-nee and Sang-yoon in this drama, and this would be his first drama since his discharge from the military.
One The Woman will be streaming on Viu from 18 September 2021.
The Morning Show Season 2
For the uninitiated, The Morning Show is one of Apple TV+’s flagship series. Come September, the iconic TV series, starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell, will return for its sophomore season, and this time it promises to up the ante. The show, which revolves around the ever-chaotic and cutthroat world of newsrooms (and their anchors), received an Emmy nomination for its first season. Season two will pick up from the aftermath of co-anchors Alex Levy’s (Aniston) and Bradley Jackson’s (Witherspoon) actions and address issues—such as racism—that are even more relatable today.
The star-studded returning cast for season two includes Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, and more. Greta Lee, Ruairi O’Connor, Hasan Minhaj, and Emmy Award-winner Holland Taylor will join the team as new cast members.
The Morning Show Season 2 will be streaming on Apple TV+ on 17 September 2021.
Dali and the Cocky Prince
Despite lacking formal education and book smarts, the second son of a global restaurant chain Jin Mu-hak (Kim Min-jae) is extremely resourceful and possesses a talent for making money. Researcher Kim Dal-li (Park Gyu-Young) hails from a prestigious family and is well-educated, but fares poorly when it comes to handling household chores. An initial encounter at the airport propels the two of them to develop interest and fascination for each other. Despite not knowing each other’s background, Mu-hak and Dal-li join hands to save an arsingaporeasiaasit gallery from going bankrupt.
Dali and the Cocky Prince will be streaming on Viu on 23 September 2021.
Bangkok Breaking
sFor most people, we know Bangkok as a food haven or a city of opportunities. For Wanchai (played by the hunky Sukollawat “Weir” Kanarot), the main protagonist of Thai film Bangkok Breaking, what’s meant to be a simple redeployment to Bangkok city eventually unveils as an unfortunate series of events, leaving him and local journalist Kat (Sushar “Aom” Manaying) tangled in a dark mess. As the duo dives deeper to unravel the city-wide conspiracy, they find themselves getting acquainted with dangerous individuals, many of whom hold political powers. This up-and-coming film will be the second Netflix Thai original production.
Bangkok Breaking will be streaming on Netflix from 23 September 2021.
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