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. Hit Man (Netflix movie)
Glen Powell and Brisket are obviously having an incredible time with Twisters-marketing mayhem, but honestly, his last few years have been building to his natural state of charismatic supremacy. Here, he stars with Adria Arjona in this Richard Linklater film inspired by the real-life Gary Johnson, who worked as a faux-hitman on an undercover beat in Houston. Glen had a ball adding more extreme disguises than Johnson did, and he might kill the world with charm.
9. Those About To Die (Peacock series)
Likewise, gladiators are having a moment this year with the impending Gladiator 2 and this series (which hopes to “entertain” you) that takes aim at “bread and circuses” and the “entertainment underbelly” of Ancient Rome and adapts the story of the real-life Flavian dynasty. Anthony Hopkins will surely be not-at-all disturbing as ruler Flavius Vespasian, whose sons are battling it out over who will succeed dad.
8. The Boys (Prime Video/Amazon series)
A week after the fourth season finale, the plight of The Boys still hits hard with Butcher in the wind and the rest of his group detained by Supes after Homelander declared martial law. Plenty exists to theorize about while we await the show’s final hurrah (or “oi”), but before that happens, the Gen V gang will return to follow up on the bloodbath at Godolkin University. Of course, the real ones will also impatiently wonder what Ashley’s reaction to Compound V shall be, and whether she will (ideally) have super hair and maybe strangle Homelander with it after that humiliating wig scene. Hey, the ending won’t make sense unless he dies, and this method sounds as good as any. (Also! News of a prequel spin off has surfaced.)
7. Time Bandits (Apple TV+ series)
This series brings the Terry Gilliam book of the same name to the small screen following the cult-classic film of the early 1980s. This version stars Lisa Kudrow and follows the comedic adventures of those ragtag thieves through time and space. They end up on a mission to save their newest member’s parents and somehow end up with the fate of humanity in their hands, too. This series hails from the oddball dream team of Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement, so expect them to make it weird(er than usual).
6. Lady In The Lake (Apple TV+ series)
Laura Lippman’s beloved Baltimore-centered books bring this spookier-than-the-book version to life while Natalie Portman makes her first leading-role streaming TV debut. She stars as privileged 1960s housewife Maddie, who flees her marriage and becomes obsessed with the murder of Cleo Johnson while attempting to launch a journalism career. Apple TV+ bills the limited series “as a feverish noir thriller and an unexpected tale of the price women pay for their dreams,” and readers will definitely notice changes from the book as the season continues to progress, but the series does well these days at pouncing upon books with a large following, thereby insuring a built-in audience. Smart.
5. Cobra Kai (Netflix series)
This final, super-sized season, which is only getting started, continues to crush the generation gap while keeping things real for the underdogs. This spin off has also accomplished what few TV shows or movies could have ever hoped for: successfully rebooting a 1980s property while appealing to Gen Z and the original The Karate Kid audience. This season, fans of Chozen and Tory will be happy to see deeper dives into their psyches, and Daniel and Johnny are still occasionally at each other’s throats while now training their joint dojo members to travel to the Sekai Taikai world championship and dominate outside of the Valley.
4. Presumed Innocent (Apple TV+ series)
This Jake Gyllenhaal-starring legal thriller/soap opera proved to be so popular that the “limited series” label turned out to be short lived. A second season is in the works, although Apple TV+ hasn’t revealed whether the “new mystery” will revolved around Gyllenhaal’s unfortunate Rusty or whether other Scott Turow characters will take center state. The good news is that Gyllenhaal will be executive producing, and master of addictive thriller-soaps David E. Kelley will be leading the creative endeavors. Also, a Roadhouse sequel will also arrive starring Gyllenhaal, so he is really hitting a stride.
3. Your Honor (Showtime series streaming on Netflix)
Hilariously, the two existing seasons of this series are still streaming up a storm on Netflix, years after they received a lukewarm reception on Showtime. Bryan Cranston was still “breaking bad” in this show, years after leaving Walter White behind in the desert, as a judge who ended up being far less than honorable when confronted with a mafia-related death involving his son. The semi-spooky setting collides with several tense story arcs, and this show is downright stressful to watch at times, but seeing Panic Cranston again is worth it. Don’t look forward to a third season, however — this show was intended as a limited series and already came back for seconds and is done.
2. House of the Dragon (HBO series streaming on Max)
A messy-as-hell episode included a surprise kiss that led to some surprising backlash, and from there, Rhaenyra will demand answers on how Seasmoke came to choose a rider that does not hail from the House of Targaryen. The queen doesn’t yet realize that the new rider hails (through blood at least) from House Velaryon, so this will work out well for Team Black, although we all know how this story ultimately ends. Dracarys!
1. Deadpool, Deadpool 2 (20th Century Fox movies steaming on Disney+)
The Marc With The Mouth has officially debuted in the MCU with his best frenemy in Deadpool & Wolverine, and for those who have wondered whether it’s necessary to watch the first two movies prior to the threequel, Disney+ will make catching up very easy for you. Also, you definitely won’t be alone because plenty of people are doing rewatches of the ultimate fourth-wall breaker’s misadventures before hitting the multiplexes.