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Reviews of Adolescence (Netflix), Dope Thief (Apple TV+), Long Bright River (Hulu) and Ludwig (BritBox), plus a weekly watchlist

Happy Thursday! Today is a momentous day: the season finale of Severance airs tonight. We have so many questions—too many than can possibly be answered even in the 76-minute long episode Ben Stiller and team have in store. Luckily, there’s strong evidence that the third season is already underway even if it hasn’t been officially announced yet.

In today’s edition:
Weekly Watchlist
Ludwig (BritBox)
Dope Thief (Apple TV+)
Adolescence (Netflix)
Long Bright River (Peacock)

— Jess Spoll and Jenni Cullen

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Below is a selection of new shows and movies premiering this week on streaming. Our unabridged list of March releases, including 2 additional streaming movies and 5 movies premiering in theaters this week, is available for premium subscribers.

• O’Dessa (Movie) — Set in a post-apocalyptic future, this rock opera musical follows a farm girl (Sadie Sink) on an epic quest to recover a cherished family heirloom.
  Watch on Hulu: March 20

• Happy Face (Limited Series) — Based on the true story behind the Happy Face podcast, this crime drama follows a woman (Annaleigh Ashford) who discovers her father is one of America’s most notorious serial killers.
  Watch on Paramount+: March 20 (2 of 8 episodes, then weekly)

• Ludwig (Season 1) — This cozy case-of-the-week detective series starring David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell about a puzzle maker solving crimes finally hits U.S. screens.
  Watch on BritBox: March 20 (2 of 6 episodes, then weekly)

• The Residence (Season 1) — From Scandal creator Shonda Rhimes, this political murder mystery set in the White House follows an investigation into a shocking crime among Washington’s elite.
  Watch on Netflix: March 20 (all 8 episodes)

• Wicked - Part 1* (Movie) — In this film adaptation of the famous musical, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande star as Elphaba and Galinda before they were The Wicked and Good Witches of Oz.
  Watch on Peacock: March 21 (*Streaming Premiere)

• Sing Sing* (Movie) — Colman Domingo stars in this moving drama about a real-life prison theater program, where inmates find redemption through storytelling and performance.
  Watch on Max: March 21 (*Streaming Premiere)

• The Studio (Season 1) — Seth Rogen stars as the newly appointed head of a movie studio in this showbiz comedy also starring Catherine O’Hara.
  Watch on Apple TV+: March 26 (2 of 10 episodes, then weekly)

• Side Quest (Season 1) — Following the model of Mythic Quest’s standalone episodes, this companion anthology series explores the lives of employees, players, and fans who are impacted by the game.
  Watch on Apple TV+: March 26 (all 4 episodes)

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Our thoughts on brand new streaming content, and where you can watch.

Ludwig

Photo: BBC One

Keywords: detective, British, comedy-drama
Watch if you like: Only Murders in the Building, Sherlock, Monk
Jenni’s Rating: A-

I have some great news for a small subset of our readers (i.e. those of you in the U.S. or Canada with a BritBox subscription). Ludwig is finally stateside!

You may remember my review of this case-of-the-week detective series from back in November. But if not, here’s the quick pitch: David Mitchell stars as John “Ludwig” Taylor, a reclusive puzzle setter who’s forced to impersonate his missing identical twin—a detective in the Cambridge Police Authority—while secretly searching for clues to his brother’s disappearance.

What follows is a cozy mystery that’s equal parts light brainteaser and British comedy-drama. John may fumble through social situations at his fake job, but his puzzle-solving instincts keep kicking in at crime scenes and he can’t seem to stop solving murders.

If you’re in the mood for something clever and comforting, Ludwig is worth the watch—especially now that it’s easier to find on this side of the pond.

— Jenni

Length: 60-min runtime, 1 season / 6 episodes
Watch on: BritBox / BBC One

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Dope Thief

Photo: Apple TV+

Keywords: crime drama, thriller, based on a book
Watch if you like: The Shield, Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad
Jess’s Rating: B-

Based on Dennis Tafoya’s novel of the same name, Dope Thief is a crime thriller that feels like it was pulled straight from the FX golden era of Justified and Sons of Anarchy. The series leans into the grit and moral ambiguity of those early-2010s dramas, this story following two small-time criminals impersonating DEA agents to rob drug dealers. With Ridley Scott directing the pilot and Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura leading the cast, Dope Thief has the pedigree and atmosphere of a great crime series. Three episodes in, it’s compelling, but it risks falling into the same trap as so many streaming-era crime miniseries: dragging its plot across too many episodes, padding the runtime with unnecessary subplots, and relying on last-minute twists.

Henry and Moura's relationship is the show’s strongest element, full of sharp dialogue and a dynamic that oscillates between genuine affection and simmering resentment—the kind that only comes from a lifetime of friendship and shared history. The suspense of their heists is fun to watch, and the show has a good sense of place, painting a bleak but believable portrait of North Philly’s criminal underbelly.

Where Dope Thief stumbles is in its tendency to favor action over depth. The shootouts and chases are well-executed but overused, and I hope the remainder of the series zeroes in on the duo’s fraying connection instead of relying on spectacle.

Visually, Dope Thief goes all-in on the washed-out prestige aesthetic, which already makes the show feel visually monotonous. It doesn't help that I watched it back-to-back with Long Bright River, a series that shares a similar palette and tone (see more below). That said, Henry and Moura are fantastic, and the show is gripping enough for me to stick with it for now.

— Jess

Length: 50-min runtime, Limited Series / 8 episodes (3 available now, new on Fridays)
Watch on: Apple TV+

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Adolescence

Photo: Netflix

Keywords: limited series, crime drama, intense
Watch if you like: Homicide, The Night Of, Boiling Point
Jenni’s Rating: A+