Every single week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.
10. Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros. movie on VOD & Amazon Prime)
This blockbuster sequel isn’t part of the Max streaming package yet, but if you cannot wait for that to happen, then the VOD circuit will do the trick. Part Two puts Zendaya front and center and introduces Florence Pugh into the franchise. Also, Austin Butler gets very weird here and unlike his usual heartthrob characters, and Timothée Chalamet rides a freaking sandworm. Home theaters have been waiting for that moment.
9. X-Men ’97 (Disney+ series)
Sure, Marvel-oriented series on Disney+ have hit a rough patch lately, and with Loki possibly leaving the building, a fresh juice injection could be of use for the nerd-corner of this streaming service while we wait for Deadpool & Wolverine to change everything for the MCU. Fortunately, X-Men ’97 harkens back to the iconic 1990s era of these uncanny mutants, and this series succeeds on a level that practically came out of nowhere.
8. 3 Body Problem (Netflix series)
Some advice for mankind: if aliens seem sinister upon first contact, do not continue to poke the bear. The characters in this story are learning the hard way that extraterrestrial life will adopt the long game and forecast their unfriendly arrival on Earth, where they intend to destroy every scrap of humanity. These people only have a few decades to ward off extinction, and Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have been vocal about their multi-season plan to roll out the entire story in adapting the same-named book series. Unfortunately for the people in this show, they’re dealing with an invading species that can monitor Earth-bound conversations, so good luck in overcoming that obstacle.
7. Under The Bridge (Hulu series)
Lily Gladstone is following up her arresting Killers of the Flower Moon performance in this true-crime series adaptation of the late Rebecca Godfrey’s same-named book that dives tail first into 14-year-old Reena Virk’s murder after it flipped a Canadian town on its head. The story carries some Sharp Objects flavor with True Detective vibes alongside its real-life origins. Riley Keough portrays Godfrey, and Gladstone suits up as a cop as the two women take different approaches to the pursuit of justice.
6. Ripley (Netflix series)
Andrew Scott picked up the same (also iconic) character made big-screen famous by Matt Damon as he terrorized Jude Law in The Talented Mr. Ripley. This series does, however, turn into a much different beast than the movie. Jude Law himself has made comment upon that fact, but he’s also a massive fan and has admitted that watching the small screen version made him “emotional.” If you needed some encouragement to give this show a whirl, there you go.
5. Sugar (Apple TV+ series)
TV is the place for A-listers to be these days. Just ask Nicole Kidman, who is only jugging a handful of series at present. Here, Colin Farrell steps away from The Penguin prosthetics (for the upcoming Max show) to play a suave private detective, John Sugar. He’s solving a Hollywood mystery with charisma, Bogart swagger, and Hitchcock vibes on his side. The Irish renaissance is truly upon us – maybe Ayo Edebiri can even make a guest appearance if the show gets renewed.
4. Shōgun (FX series streaming on Hulu)
Get ready for what is almost certainly the series finale of FX’s epic, lushly rendered series that adapts James Clavell’s most beloved novel within his Asian saga. Cosmo Jarvis has been transformed into a household name as a result, and the jam-packed cast of characters and wide array of narrative twists doesn’t even intimidate here if you haven’t read the book. That’s part of the beauty of how deftly this show weaved in exposition, so that it feels authentic, which is no small feat on several levels for this iconic story.
3. Parasyte: The Grey (Netflix series)
Netflix is not only dealing with extraterrestrial life in the current 3 Body Problem, but in this series, the threatening species has already touched down and has been invading human bodies. This South Korean production is a live-action adaptation of a popular manga, and the coolest thing about this show is that it tells a story that’s very different from what readers are used to in this franchise, but the tale still stays consistent within the manga’s universe. In particular, this show follows a young woman who manages to not be completely controlled by the invading parasite within her body, so they can co-exist together, although that duality isn’t something that the government will accept. Cue crisis mode.
2. Baby Reindeer (Netflix series)
This isn’t exactly a light and fluffy watch, but it is based upon the real-life ordeal of Scottish funnyman Richard Gadd, who unfortunately experienced both stalking and harassment at the hand of an obsessed woman. The series is racking up streaming views from an audience who cannot help but watch this situation spiral. It’s a chilling series that is also laced with the darkest of humor, and contains a wealth of triggering subject material, yet what emerges from the ashes is utterly brilliant.
1. Fallout (Amazon Prime series)
Walton Goggins steals the show, like he always does, as the nose-free character of The Ghoul. Amazon offered the full season up at once for binging, which is a notable choice, given that series like The Boys will remain on weekly installments. The gamers, however, surely cannot be upset to be able to swallow an entire season that is freakishly fun while joining the mountain list of successful video-game adaptations that have been handed to audiences over the past few years.
Now for the next thought: will there be a second season?