What They’re Watching in Canada This Spring

This movie is the highly anticipated sequel to the 2006 film, Bon Cop Bad Cop. In the first one, two cops from two different Canadian provinces (Quebec and Ontario) must work together to solve a crime. Patrick Huard as David Bouchard and Colm Feore as Martin Ward return for the second movie, where Bouchard is under Ward’s command as he is now a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer. The unlikely pair doesn’t work well together or always see eye to eye, which makes for a great dark comedy film. Bon Cop Bad Cop 2 premieres in Quebec on May 12, 2017.

This American movie premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival and will be available to stream on Netflix Canada in May. Deepwater Horizon features a star-studded cast, including Mark Wahlberg, Gina Rodriguez, Kurt Russell, Dylan O’Brien, and Kate Hudson. It’s a biopic film about the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It made $120 million at the box office and was nominated for two Oscars and a BAFTA.

This second installment in the Goon series is Canadian Jay Baruchel’s directorial debut. He also co-wrote and stars in the film, which follows on from the 2011 release, Goon. It stars Seann William Scott as Doug “The Thug” Glatt, whose pro hockey team, the Halifax Highlanders, must deal with an influx of new players, and he must deal with the realities of his new life. The comedic film was released in mid-March in Canada and features an impressive cast, which includes Liev Schreiber, Alison Pill, Elisha Cuthbert, and Eugene Levy.

Orphan Black’s final season, its fifth, premieres at the end of spring 2017. The incredible sci-fi thriller series is filmed in Toronto and features Tatiana Maslany, a Canadian actress, playing a number of clones in each episode. Seeing Maslany effortlessly transform into several different characters is a big reason to binge watch Orphan Black now before the last season airs. Another reason is how the series looks at human cloning and its effect on personal identity.

The first season of The Real Housewives of Toronto began airing this spring on Slice. The reality TV series follows the same format as the other Real Housewives programs—filmed in places like Melbourne, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. The Toronto series follows some of the city’s most sociable and elite women, including former actresses, business owners, and CEOs. The one thing they have in common? Money. Putting this many high-maintenance and outspoken women in one room is bound to cause some friction, which obviously makes for great TV.

Canadians have also become hooked on this American young adult TV show, which began streaming on Netflix in April 2017. 13 Reasons Why has captured the world’s attention for its authentic look at bullying in high school. When student Hannah Baker commits suicide, she leaves a box of cassette tapes behind, where she talks about the people who hurt her. You see it all through the eyes of Clay Jensen, the quiet guy who had a crush on Hannah. It’s riveting TV, and it’s all people can talk about right now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JebwYGn5Z3E

Set in the 19th century, Anne is a retelling of the classic novel, Anne of Green Gables. It finishes airing on CBC in May and is immediately released on Netflix for Canadians to stream this spring. Amybeth McNulty plays Anne, a stubborn and imaginative orphan who is mistakenly sent to be a farmhand for an elderly brother and sister. This series, like its predecessor in the 1980s, was filmed on picturesque Prince Edward Island too.