Each week our staff of film and television experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish shows available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.
15. Dying for Sex (Hulu)
Based on the acclaimed podcast, Dying for Sex follows Molly Kochan (Michelle Williams) who decides to leave her husband (Jay Duplass) after being diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer in order to explore her sexual desires for the first time. She’s joined on her journey of exploration by her best friend Nikki (Jenny Slate). The heart-tugging comedy-drama series was created by Kim Rosenstock and Elizabeth Meriwether, who also created New Girl.
14. Black Mirror (Netflix)
Get a load of the cast for Black Mirror season 7: Rashida Jones, Chris O’Dowd, Tracee Ellis Ross, Siena Kelly, Rosy McEwen, Ben Bailey Smith, Issa Rae, Awkwafina, Emma Corrin, Harriet Walter, Peter Capaldi, Lewis Gribben, Michele Austin, Paul Giamatti (!!!), Patsy Ferran, Cristin Milioti, Jimmi Simpson, Billy Magnussen, Milanka Brooks, and Osy Ikhile, as well as Will Poulter and Asim Chaudhry returning from Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. Not bad!
13. The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
In the final season of The Handmaid’s Tale, June (Elisabeth Moss) is pulled back into the fight to take down Gilead. She’s joined by Luke (O-T Fagbenle) and Moira (Samira Wiley), while Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) attempts to reform society. It’s a story of hope, courage, and resilience in the pursuit of justice — timely! There’s also a sequel series on the horizon.
12. Hacks (Max)
The last time we checked in with Hacks, Deborah (Jean Smart) succeeded in her life-long dream to become a late-night host — but not without betraying her friend and writing partner Ava (Hannah Einbinder), who holds a secret over Deborah. And she’s not afraid to use it. Season 4 finds tensions between the two rising while working on the show.
11. The Last of Us (Max)
The Last of Us season 2 picks up five years after the season 1 finale, when Joel (Pedro Pascal) killed a bunch of Fireflies to save Ellie (Bella Ramsey), and then (to put it vaguely) lied to her. Now, they’re “drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.” Get ready for more Clickers, more heartbreak, and the introduction of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), one of the more polarizing characters in video game history.
10. The Rehearsal (Max)
The Rehearsal, the most brilliantly deadpan show on TV, stars Nathan Fielder as a man on a mission to reduce the uncertainties of everyday life. In season 2, the urgency of his project grows as he puts his resources toward an issue that affects us all: commercial aviation. It’s good to see that laptop harness again.
9. Havoc (Netflix)
An action movie from the guy who made The Raid starring Tom Hardy? Yeah, that’ll do. Gareth Evans’ Havoc follows a detective (Hardy) who must fight his way through the criminal underworld. There’s drug deals gone wrong, crooked politicians, and bone-crushing violence. Can I get a “let’s f*cking goooooooo”? (Let’s f*cking goooooooo.)
8. Étoile (Prime Video)
Étoile is the new show from Gilmore Girls and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel creator Amy Sherman-Palladino. Set in New York City and Paris, the ballet drama follows the dancers and staff of two fictional ballet companies, Le Ballet National in France and Metropolitan Ballet Theater in the United States, as they embark on an ambitious plan to save their storied institutions by swapping their most talented stars. It’s a world ASP knows well: she used to be a dancer before focusing on her writing career.
7. You (Netflix)
Sorry, Cardi B, but this is the final season of You. You can read all about what’s in store for Joe here, but let’s give it up for the latest addition to the cast, Madeline Brewer. The actress, who plays free-spirit bookseller employee Bronte, kills (no pun intended?) it in everything she’s in, especially The Handmaid’s Tale and Cam. “I think they do it really, really beautifully,” Brewer said about the final season of You, “I also think that the finale episode is one of the best things I’ve ever been a part of. I’m so proud of it.”
6. The End (Hulu)
Here’s something unexpected: Joshua Oppenheimer, the director behind the Oscar-nominated documentaries The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence, made a musical. But The End is no ordinary musical. Set 25 years after the Earth becomes uninhabitable, the film follows a mother (Tilda Swinton), a father (Michael Shannon), and a son (George MacKay) who are confined in a bunker. They distract themselves with their monotonous routines, until a stranger (Moses Ingram) upends things. You had me at a musical with Tilda Swinton and Michael Shannon.
5. Carême (Apple TV Plus)
You might not know the name Antonin Carême now, but you will after watching Carême. He’s been described as the world’s first celebrity chef, and this Apple TV Plus series follows his journey (portrayed by Benjamin Voisin) to culinary stardom. As per the logline: “His talent and ambitions attract the attention of renowned and powerful politicians, who use him as a spy for France. Determined to escape poverty and fulfill his dream, Carême can choose revenge, or he can have it all — women, wealth, fame — but at what cost?” Soufflé orders are about to skyrocket.
4. Andor (Disney Plus)
Andor is not only the best Star Wars show. It ranks high among the Star Wars, well, anything — movies, books, video games. The politically-charged series takes place as war draws near and Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) becomes a key player in the Rebel Alliance. Here’s more: “Everyone will be tested and, as the stakes rise, the betrayals, sacrifices and conflicting agendas will become profound.” We know how the story ends, but it’s been a blast(er) getting there.
3. Black Bag (Peacock)
Black Bag is a fun, sexy spy movie from Steven Soderbergh that stars Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Marisa Abela (Yas from Industry!), Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, and Pierce Brosnan — and it didn’t even make its budget back at the box office? Come on, America. Do better! You’re out of excuses now that Black Bag is on streaming. It’s one of the year’s best.
2. The Four Seasons (Netflix)
The Four Seasons comes from the all-star team of Tina Fey (30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, etc.), Tracey Wigfield (30 Rock, the canceled-too-soon Great News, Peacock’s shockingly good Saved by the Bell), and Lang Fisher (the sweetly funny Never Have I Ever). Based on the 1981 movie of the same name, it follows three married couples — Kate (Fey) and Jack (Will Forte), Nick (Steve Carell) and Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver), and Danny (Colman Domingo) and Claude (Marco Calvani) — across spring, summer, fall, and winter. It’s a breezy and heartfelt good time.
1. Another Simple Favor (Prime Video)
Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively are back for Paul Feig’s Another Simple Favor. In the sequel to the 2018 film, Stephanie Smothers (Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Lively) reunite on the island of Capri, Italy, for Emily’s extravagant wedding to an old-money businessman. But there’s murder afoot! Well, murder and more extravagant outfits worn by Lively.