New on streaming: The Sandman returns, and Idris Elba is UK Prime Minister

The Sandman is back for Season 2 on Netflix, which is also releasing a new documentary about the 7/7 bombings in London. Oh, and we’ll see Idris Elba again. Yummy.

The Sandman Season 2 (Netflix)

The Sandman was, of course, originally a wildly popular comic book written by Neil Gaiman. Efforts to adapt it to film began already in 1991 (!) until Netflix finally signed a deal to produce the series and premiered it in 2022.

The series has received positive reviews from critics, who praised the casting, production design, costumes, faithfulness to its source material, visual effects, and performances. Now, almost three years later, it’s back for the second season.

It’s also The Sandman’s last season as the show is already wrapping up. The decision wasn’t due to viewership or budgets, by the way: it’s just that there weren't actually as many Sandman stories in the original comic.

Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers (Netflix)

A lot has been said, written, and shown about the horrible events in London exactly 20 years ago. Netflix is giving us another documentary to commemorate the anniversary.

In July 2005, a series of four coordinated suicide attacks carried out by Islamist terrorists claimed 56 lives and injured nearly 800 people. Clearly, it was a pivotal moment in British history.

This particular documentary is a bit different from others as it takes a prolonged look at how the attacks felt to British Muslims. The series also reminds us about a failed second attack two weeks later, which triggered Britain’s largest-ever manhunt.

Heads of State (Prime Video)

Have you missed Idris Elba? We have. And he’s back – as the UK Prime Minister bickering with and then fighting alongside the US President, played by John Cena, in Heads of State, a new political comedy.

Yep, Cena and Elba are world leaders saving the world. Critics say the film is quite stupid but funny, and the charisma of both stars certainly helps.

In short, let’s not expect much, but it’s the silly season anyway. Wasting your time on flat buddy comedies is legally allowed and even recommended.

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl (HBO Max)

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl is not a brand new film but it’s from A24, and it’s coming to HBO Max with a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The premise looks like this: on an empty road in the middle of the night, Shula stumbles across the body of her uncle. As funeral proceedings begin around them, she and her cousins bring to light the buried secrets of their middle-class Zambian family.

The film is an international co-production involving Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Zambia, but is widely considered to be an African movie. Now, after screenings in various prestigious festivals, it’s set to reach an even broader audience on HBO Max.

Sinners (HBO Max)

Another film making its streaming debut on HBO Max is Sinners, Ryan Coogler’s hit vampire thriller starring Michael B. Jordan and Hailee Steinfeld.

They’re twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, who return home to Mississippi in 1932 after serving in World War I and working for the mob in Chicago. The twins open a juke joint in their hometown and face supernatural events.

Sinners grossed $363 million globally and received critical acclaim, so we’re definitely gonna watch. Deep American South? Gonzo horror? Count us in!