What to Watch This Week in Film & Television (2/20/23-2/26/23)

by Darian Scalamoni

Welcome back to another What to Watch This Week here at Cinema Wave! This week features not as much enticing content as usual but a plethora of unique types of things to watch. Some include a drug-fueled bear, teenagers touting guns in South Carolina and of course, David Harbour as a ghost. So, let's get back into it, first, with our theatrical release of the week! P.S. The Last of Us has been on here every single week since I started this series so I am refraining from continuously posting it HOWEVER, you should be watching this show.

Cocaine Bear

Many did not truly believe this movie would be released when it was announced but nonetheless, the only major new movie release in theaters this weekend is none other than Cocaine Bear. Directed by Elizabeth Banks, the film is a humor-filled action movie that is based on true events in which a large bear ingests copious amounts of cocaine which leads to hyperviolent tendencies and uncharacteristic behavior. Behind Banks is a crazy stacked ensemble that includes Alden Ehrenreich, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Keri Russell, Margo Martindale and the final performance of Ray Liotta before his passing. Cocaine Bear hits theaters this Friday, February 24.

Outer Banks

One of the recent bigger surprise hits for Netflix is the show Outer Banks starring Madelyn Cline, Chase Stokes, Madison Bailey, J.D., Carlacia Grant and Rudy Pankow as six teenagers who are on a mission to find treasure that has to do with John B's father's disappearance. Though the plot seemed to be crazy outlandish, it grew a massive following and has begun to put the main talent into the spotlight. The crew now is washed ashore in the desert and must find a way to get the treasure back that they lost at the end of Season 2. Outer Banks returns for its third season exclusively on Netflix and it begins streaming on Thursday, February 23.

We Have a Ghost

In addition to the third season of Outer Banks, Netflix also has an original movie releasing this week with the comedic mystery film We Have a Ghost. Anthony Mackie stars as a father who moves into a new home with his family before his son Kevin discovers a ghost named Ernest, played by Stranger Things star David Harbour, haunting them in their attic. However, once Kevin makes Ernest social media famous, they come to find out there's much more to him than they originally thought. We Have a Ghost begins streaming on Netflix this Friday, February 24. 

Full Swing

Netflix is hot right now because they are doing what they do best. Giving their audience a multitude of different options of things to watch. Their Formula 1: Drive to Survive series was massive so now they're taking their turn at Full Swing, a documentary series based around some of the biggest stars of the PGA Tour. After being recommended on this series by some friends, I have fallen in love with Netflix's consistent ability to produce some of the best unscripted material in the content space. Full Swing is available to stream right now on Netflix.

Snowfall: Final Season

The final brainchild of the late, great John Singleton is the FX drama that centers around the early days of the crack cocaine epidemic in South Central Los Angeles in the 1980s. Damson Idris stars as the rising drug kingpin Franklin Saint and he is absolutely phenomenal in this series. The sixth and final season will revolve around the constant lengths that Franklin will go through to evade the FBI from his drug empire. It's sure to have a high-octane and emotional finale for the show that's been airing since 2017. Snowfall begins airing its final season on FX tonight at 10 PM EST with episodes streaming the next day on Hulu.

The Consultant

In another starry effort from Amazon, Christoph Waltz, best known for his terrific Oscar-winning performances in Quentin Tarantino films will star in The Consultant. Waltz stars as Regus Patoff, a consultant who is brought into a gaming app company set to rein in the employees and put them on edge with his menacing demeanor. Though the image and plot sound very serious, The Consultant plays more like a dark comedy. Waltz stars alongside Nat Wolff and The White Lotus star Brittany O'Grady in the series which begins streaming all eight episodes on Amazon Prime Video this Friday, February 24.

Party Down

Finally, after the first two seasons of Starz comedy series Party Down aired in 2009-2010, our favorite catering company is back thirteen years later to bring the fun. Bringing back most of the original cast except Lizzy Caplan (such a bummer), Starz is bringing back the cult comedy series that stars Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, Megan Mullally, Martin Starr and Ryan Hansen. This series is filled with hilarity and catering nightmares. You can stream the first two seasons of Party Down on Hulu right now to prepare for the return of Season 3 on Starz this Friday, February 24.