Now Streaming: DOWN CEMETERY ROAD Sprightly Trods Familiar Path, TALES FROM THE REZ Tells Stories From Fresh Perspectives

One's a neighbor, the other is a detective. They're pitted against men who want to kill them, or at least get them out of the way.

Down Cemetery Road
The first two episodes are now streaming on Apple TV. Subsequent episodes will debut every Wednesday. I've seen all eight episodes.

Ruth Wilson stars as an ordinary woman in Oxford, England, who is hosting a dinner party when a neighboring house explodes. Moved with pity for a young child who was orphaned by the explosion, she visits hospital and seeks to leave a card to lift the girl's spirits, only to be rebuffed in terms that raise her curiosity.

That brings her into contact with the flinty Emma Thompson, the investigating half of a husband and wife team of detectives. Her marriage on the rocks, she soon finds herself teaming up with the ordinary woman to find the child, who has gone mysteriously missing, and may be unwittingly involved in a plot that reaches far beyond Oxford.

Based on a novel by Slow Horses author Mick Herron, with executive producers from that show on board here, Down Cemetery Road is a less successful translation of that show's mix of action, downtrodden characters, and dark humor. Wilson and Thompson are both very good, the former as a naive civilian who discovers her own strengths while investigating the case, and the latter as a world-weary veteran of too many battles to count in the war between toxic and/or ignorant men and women who are much smarter than they are.

The supporting actors must deal with uncertain characters who waver unsteadily between shades of grey. The first two episodes certainly intrigue sufficiently to keep watching, though later episodes sometimes fall into extended sequences of rather anonymous action, intended to build suspense, that falls short of what's needed to be entirely compelling.

Still, it's an enjoyable show that fits the autumnal season.

Tales From the Rez
All six episodes are now streaming on Shudder. I've seen all six episodes.

Endearingly goofy, each episode, running 12 to 20 minutes, is briefly introduced by Uncle Randolf from his cabin, smoking and drinking beer. Or taking a bath.

The anthology series is clearly shot on a miniscule budget, but creator and writer Trevor Solway makes good use of his limited resources to tell stories from a fresh perspective: sometimes spooky, sometimes gross, but always with a sense of humor, as well as the smarts to never overstay their welcome.

Coming from Blackfoot Nation Films in Canada, the stories are related like campfire tales, even if only one is set around an actual campfire. They are the type of stories that are shared among friends, looking for a good laugh -- I laughed out loud multiple times at the sheer silliness or brazen audacity -- along with moments that are poignant and memorable.

Disney Twisted-Wonderland
The first episode is now streaming on Disney Plus. Subsequent episodes will debut every Wednesday.

After the excellent anime riffs on Star Wars introduced in Visions -- see our own Andrew Mack's review of the latest season -- I'm quite happy to see anime introduced in full force on Disney Plus, though I'm not entirely certain that beginning with an anime series that originated as a mobile game, which was subsequently adapted into a manga series, was the best choice.

It's in the sub-genre of 'new student at a school for magic,' with the lead here being a human who is transported into the magical world without the ability to use magic to fend for himself. As a perpetual newcomer, it took me a while to find my footing within the 29-minute first episode, which is introduced with Disney-branded excerpts that place it within the world of Disney villains.

I suppose it's meant to introduce Disney Plus children to the world of anime. I suppose it's also meant to prepare such children to watch the wealth of anime that is available on sister service Hulu, which is slowly being integrated into Disney Plus. I have watched and enjoyed a number of anime shows that are available on Hulu, so this is a good thing going forward.

For the present, the show at least achieves the goal of getting viewers accustomed to the idea of seeking out anime on Disney Plus.

One final note: every streaming service has been highlighting their horror content this month, with various themed, cutely-named collections, but my favorite comes courtesy of the excellent and reliable BritBox, which always features a delightful mix of hard-nosed mysteries and thrillers, both limited and open-ended series, comedies, and documentaries.

Now Streaming celebrates independent and international genre films and television shows that are newly available on legal streaming services.