Now Streaming: MY TWO CENTS, MURDER MINDFULLY, THE FOUR SEASONS Take Aim at Comedy Around the World

My eye is usually drawn to action thrillers or dark mysteries or haunting chillers, but I couldn't help but notice that Netflix has debuted three new "comedies," two of which are from Europe, which puts them on our radar.

All three run about 30 minutes -- some more, some less -- and consist of eight episodes apiece, which makes it easier to think about binging them. Here are a few quick thoughts about each.

My 2 Cents
All eight episodes are now streaming on Netflix . I've watched the first two episodes.

Italian multi-talent Zerocalcare created, wrote, and directed this animated series, which feels like Run Lola Run on cocaine.

The stream-of-consciousness narration by the creator identifies himself as an anxiety-riddled young man who makes an incredible number of pop cultural references, with frequent side trips and off-narrative excursions, on its way to telling the story of how he, as co-owner of a local shop, had to deal with a past romantic attraction moving in with him (platonically) at the same time his co-owner Wild Boar got himself into a very large debt to a very dangerous mobster.

It's very wild, unhinged, and non-sequential, so of course I want to watch it all. First, though, I think I need to take a sedative.

Murder Mindfully S2
All eight episodes are now streaming on Netflix. I've watched the first episode.

I missed the first season, which debuted in 2024, but the Season 1 recap sums it up nicely: the ever-charming Tom Schilling stars as Björn Diemel, a stressed-out lawyer who attends a mindfulness seminar to get control of his life, especially so he can give renewed attention to his wife and young daughter, only to run afoul or not one, but two major criminals, and end up running both their criminal operations, as well as a daycare center.

Season 2 begins with Björn and his family on vacation in the Austrian Alps, where Björn loses it -- eventually -- with an inattentive waiter at a mountainside restaurant. The comedy is extremely dry and very dark, so it's more amusing than ha-ha LOL funny, but the mixture with criminal activity is promising, so I'll try and get back soon to see where it goes, especially since Tom Schilling is eminently watchable in whatever role he plays.

The Four Seasons S2
All eight episodes are now streaming on Netflix. I've watched the first two episodes.

Tina Fey, Will Forte, and Colman Domingo headline the ensemble show, which returns for its second season to continue examining the trials and tributions of six people, some of whom are married and/or otherwise coupled.

It's funny and showcases Tina Fey's wry sense of humor. I watched all of Season 1 last year, but didn't jump up and down at the prospect of Season 2. Through two episodes, it feels fine for what it is. If your sense of humor tends toward mainstream sensibilities, and you enjoy endless discussions of squabbling and making up, your enjoyment may tick upward of mine. Help yourself.

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