A hard-hitting drama set in Oakland and a re-imagining of a classic romantic entanglement written and directed by a San Jose native stand out in a packed field of streaming titles this week. Both can be found on Netflix.

Here’s a critical roundup of new streaming options.

“All Day and a Night”: Netflix continues to score with its original films, and this Oakland-set drama centering on the vicious cycle of gang violence is one of its best. Ashton Sanders (“Moonlight”) shows range as Jahkor, a sensitive yet hardened rapper who, along with his dad (Jeffrey Wright, excellent per usual), makes bad decisions and lands in trouble. Bay Area native Joe Robert Cole best known for co-writing “The Black Panther,” wrote and directed this bleak portrait of mean streets and prison cells. It’s powerful as hell. Details: 3½ stars out of 4; Netflix; streams May 1.

“The Half of It”: San Jose-born filmmaker Alice Wu is the latest to take on the “Cyrano de Bergerac” tale with an inspired high-school-set queer romance that upends the classic schematic. In this case it’s a she who becomes the mouthpiece for a guy who’s besotted with a gorgeous girl — and you can probably figure out the rest. Wu’s rom-com is filled with remarkable visual and emotional moments. Leah Lewis crushes it as a book-smart student crushing on a popular girl (Alexxis Lemire) in a small Washington town. Details: 3.5 stars; Netflix; streaming May 1.

“The Willoughbys”: No way should this work, a trippy animated comedy with kooky latchkey siblings who want to heave-ho their negligent parents. But Kris Kearn’s bent but family-friendly feature, based on a Lois Lowry novel, is not only outrageous but a welcome alternative to most kids fare. The venerable vocal cast — Lafayette-born funnyman Will Forte, Maya Rudolph, Ricky Gervais (as the surly feline narrator), Martin Short and Sean Cullen (a scream as the freaky twins) — attack their roles with gleeful abandon. Details: 3 stars; Netflix; available now.

“Code 8”: This taut, exciting sci-fi thriller buzzes with contemporary themes as rabid law enforcement officials round up hard-working folks with superpowers. Brothers Stephen and Robbie Amell co-star and executive produce with Robbie taking the lead as a son taking drastic steps to save his mother. The ending sputters, but overall this a sturdy, well-made production skillfully directed by Jeff Chan. Details: 3 stars; Netflix; available now.

“15 Years”: A hedonistic, ruggedly sexy gay man witnesses his structured universe collapse in this frank character study. Kudos to writer/director Yuval Hadadi for this portrait of a scarred, uptight architect (Oded Leopold, ideally cast) whose life with his kind, younger lover (Udi Persi) and exasperated best friend (Ruti Asarsai) tailspins when the topic of children arises. Details: 3 stars; available on Vudu and Amazon Prime.

“Dangerous Lies”: Nondescript and rote, this disposable neo-noir finds a young married couple (Camila Mendes and Jessie T. Usher) hitting the jackpot when her client (Elliott Gould) dies and leaves her a sprawling house and ho-hum secrets. There’s a big twist that Hitchcock would have executed much better. This one is ridiculous and dull. Details: 1½ stars; Netflix; streaming April 30.

“Bull”: With her trainwreck of a mom in prison and a pill-popping grandma serving as de facto parent, antsy middle-schooler Kris (Amber Havard) parties toward disaster in smalltown Texas. But when she bonds with a beat-down bronco rider (Rob Morgan), Kris takes more responsibility and discovers a newfound passion. Director/co-writer Annie Silverstein’s gritty, award-winning minor miracle — originally set to debut at South By Southwest — never rings false in depicting lives that endure round after round of hard-knock blows. Details: 3½ stars; available May 1 on various platforms.

“The Wretched”: Something wicked turns neighbors into witchy weirdos, alarming a teen (John Paul Howard) who’s passing time at dad’s place. Talented brothers Brett and Drew Pierce deliver a  scary genre romp with a wowza of a killer twist, my hunch is you’ll be hearing from them again. Don’t miss this. Details: 3 stars; streams May 1 on various platforms.

“A Secret Love”: Anticipate a bucket of tears while watching director Chris Bolan’s beautiful documentary about two women  — Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel — who hid their love over the decades. It’s a classic love story every fan of “A League of Their Own” should see. Details: 3.5 stars; streaming on Netflix.

Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.