New on streaming: the life of ‘Octopus!’ and the “Death of a Unicorn”

Amazon’s “Octopus!” is finally hitting the Prime Video streaming platform. Octopuses are amazing, so we’ll probably watch the two-part documentary on the loop – but just in case, here’s something else you can watch.

In 2020, Netflix enchanted us with My Octopus Teacher, a melodramatic documentary about a filmmaker’s unusual friendship with a charming mollusc. Now, Amazon Prime Video finally has an answer.

We’re extremely excited, needless to say, because Octopus! is the latest offering from Emmy Award winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who also serves as the two-part documentary’s narrator.

But, of course, if that’s not your cup of tea (or under-the-sea wonders), some other great shows are also premiering this week, including Poker Face’s Season 2.

Octopus! (Amazon Prime Video)

“Octopus! is a story about being murdered by your lover, getting lost in Mexico, finding a unicorn, a competitive quilter, Tracy Morgan, and exploring our connection with a possible alien. In other words, it’s a documentary about the octopus,” Amazon says.

It sounds a lot like what Waller-Bridge’s character would say in her cult comedy-drama series Fleabag. If the new doc flows in the same vein, we’re obviously very curious – and the trailer is cool.

Is this Amazon’s answer to Netflix’s My Octopus Teacher? Yes, but there’s more – the documentary is a love letter to the octopus, but it’s also an exploration of the people who are obsessed with the creature.

Poker Face Season 2 (Peacock)

She’s funny, she probably smokes like a chimney, and she’s still as fresh as ever – of course, she’s the impressive Natasha Lyonne.

And, with Poker Face’s second season finally premiering this week, she’s back as Charlie Cale, a charismatic drifter with the uncanny ability to detect lies. Once again, Cale will be solving mysteries at every stop of her journey across America.

The critics already love the new season and say it’s probably even better than the first one, which was a triumph, winning multiple Emmy nominations. It’s a crime show that is very hard to forget, and that’s always a great sign. Ten more seasons?

Conan O'Brien Must Go (Max)

Conan O'Brien has just been awarded the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' 26th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Congratulations! The ceremony was shown on Netflix.

But the comedian’s second season of Conan O’Brien Must Go is on Max. The travel docu-series is typical O’Brien, one has to say: full of dad jokes, unhinged improvisation, and general awkwardness.

In the new season, O’Brien travels to Spain, New Zealand, and Austria. Sadly, there will only be three episodes, but hey, the main protagonist is joined by Javier Bardem and Taika Waititi, and the show has already been renewed for Season 3.

Britain and The Blitz (Netflix)

We can discuss the quality, but Netflix does indeed offer quite a lot of documentaries about war and history. A new series about the Vietnam War just premiered, and the new documentary film explores the infamous Blitz.

This Nazi campaign of bombing the UK took place from September 1940 to May 1941. The Brits are deservedly and immensely proud of holding on and then, of course, marching on to victory four years later.

Sure, the Blitz has been immortalized in film on more than one occasion. This is another attempt to do so. It’s a classic: the documentary combines restored archival footage and first-hand accounts from people who survived to paint a vivid picture of the horrific events.

Death of a Unicorn (VOD)

You’ll have to pay extra, but Death of a Unicorn, a new wild horror comedy from A24 starring Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega, is probably worth it – if only because of its premise.

A man and his daughter accidentally hit a unicorn with their car en route to a weekend retreat. That’s original enough – but that’s actually only the beginning of things getting weird.

The reviews are mixed, but the film is genuinely genre-bending. There’s comedy, there’s gore and blood, and there’s a healthy dose of horror.