If you’d like a gripping new original Israeli crime series to watch in between missile barrages and historical US strikes, there’s Hooligans on Kan 11. It’s running on Mondays after the news and all the episodes are available on kan.org.il
Hooligans is ostensibly about the soccer subculture in Jerusalem, specifically the soccer hooliganism associated with the Beitar Jerusalem team. Previously the subject of an award-winning documentary, Forever Pure by Maya Zinshtein, the superfans of this team, known for their racism and violence, provide the backdrop for this series. While it’s clear that those toting the black-and-yellow shirts and scarves are meant to be Beitar fans, the actual name of the team is not mentioned, or at least I didn’t catch it.
Even if you have no interest in soccer, you can enjoy this series because its protagonist also isn’t into the game. He’s Meni (Ben Sultan), a young army deserter who lives with his troubled family in Jerusalem and sells mineral water at Teddy Stadium to make a little money. He doesn’t even watch the games, but during a brawl one night following a match, he takes pity on the home team’s toughest supporters, who are losing their fight, and gets arrested along with them.
The core regulars are politically connected, and send a smart young lawyer to get them out every time they are arrested. They run a crime gang as well as stirring up trouble at soccer matches. Realizing he isn’t one of theirs, they appreciate his help, have their lawyer get him released along with them, and invite him into their inner circle. But a police detective also has her eye on him and enlists him to help her catch the leaders of the superfans’ crime ring, which is when the plot really gets going.
The hero and all of those around him are flawed characters, and while I have only been to one professional soccer game and am far from an expert on this milieu, they have a feeling of authenticity and bring to mind interviewees in the Forever Pure documentary.
It’s a very violent show with racist and crude language, so viewers should be forewarned that it can be disturbing. Sultan gives a very convincing performance in the lead. He has recently appeared in several of the best Israeli television shows, including Bad Boy and Fireflies, and will appear in Wonder, the new series with Noa Kirel that will be released June 26 on Yes. Hooligans has already been sold to several streaming services in Europe.
What else can I watch?
The Bear – Disney+
And speaking of June 26, that’s the day that the new season of The Bear is coming to Disney+. So, for fans of this story of Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), an extremely stressed chef running his own high-end restaurant, the wait is almost over. White will also star as Bruce Springsteen in an upcoming biopic. And with any luck, it will be as good as the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, currently available on Disney+ and Apple TV+.
Jaws, Spielberg film tribute - Yes
Just when you thought it was safe to step out of the bomb shelter, Yes celebrates 50 years since the release of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws with a tribute to the master filmmaker. The tribute also features some of Spielberg’s other major hits, including E.T., Jurassic Park, and his semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans.
Mission Impossible – Disney+
Since nobody in Israel is getting out to the movies these days, you can see quite a few movies you missed recently on the small screen. While the latest Mission Impossible movie isn’t available yet, you can see the previous ones on Disney+, if you’re in the mood to watch Tom Cruise performing all kinds of feats. The 2023 Mission Impossible – Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – is currently available on Netflix.
Snow White – various channels
The new live-action Snow White movie got dismal reviews and did tepidly at the box office, but if you’re curious about it, you can see it on Disney+, Apple TV+, and Hot VOD Cinema. It features a fun, over-the-top performance by Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, and she looks eerily like the queen in the original cartoon.
The Amateur, Babygirl, Black Bag – Apple TV+
Apple TV+ has just released several new movies you may have missed. The Amateur, starring Rami Malek, is a fairly entertaining but predictable action movie about a CIA decoder whose wife was killed in a terrorist attack. When the agency doesn’t seem to care much about bringing the terrorists to justice, he surprises everyone, including himself, by finding ingenious ways of taking revenge.
Nicole Kidman plays a married CEO who has a steamy affair with her much younger male intern (Harris Dickinson) in Babygirl, and this movie, while flawed, has its moments. Conclave finds the drama in the pomp and circumstance of papal succession, with a woke twist.
Black Bag is a spy thriller starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender as very chic, married British spies who may or may not be trying to kill each other. Although the movie was directed by Steven Soderbergh, somehow it isn’t the witty fun it should be, and I spent most of the running time admiring their apartment.
Weeds – Yes VOD
If you’re looking for a new comedy series to try, or want to revisit an old one, check out Weeds on Yes VOD, which has all seasons of the show available. It stars Mary-Louise Parker as Nancy Botwin, a suburban widow who becomes a marijuana dealer when her husband’s life insurance payment runs out. That premise may sound clichéd, but the show is quirky and fun, featuring Nancy’s family, neighbors, and partners in crime.
Many series have imitated Weeds, but the original is better. The best season by far is the first and the series has a great soundtrack, featuring Malvina Reynolds’ “Little Boxes.” Parker, who is always an entertaining actress, gives one of the best performances of her career here.