What To Watch: Our Picks For The TV Shows And Movies We Think You Should Stream This Week
Each week our staff of film and TV 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.
20. Full Circle (Max)
We are gloriously awash in Timothy Olyphant. Not only is Justified: City Primeval here, but he also plays an apparently hatless role in this crime drama series from Steven Soderbergh. Olyphant and Clare Danes portray the parents of a kidnapped child, so yes, this might not be the kind of “tense drama” that you’re craving, but the talent is stacked into the stratosphere. Zazie Beetz plays the lead investigator on the case, and naturally, do not expect a cut-and-dried story from Mr. Soderbergh. Yes, there are secrets afoot here.
19. The Afterparty (Apple TV Plus)
The Afterparty was a ton of fun in its first season. It was a little whodunnit mystery with a cast full of your comedy favorites — Sam Richardson! Tiffany Haddish! Ben Schwartz! And so on! — and a fun hook where each episode focused on a different character and was presented using a different style of storytelling. Well, it’s back for a second season now, with a new murder and some new genres and a similar crew of characters. There is very little to complain about here.
18. Adventure Time: Fiona and Cake (Max)
Fionna and Cake were introduced in a season three episode of the wonderful animated series Adventure Time, and became instant fan favorites. Now, the pair have their own spinoff show, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake, which finds them on a multiverse-hopping journey towards self-discovery. It looks just as funny, existential, and clever as the original, just with a cat (Cake) instead of a dog (Jake). Whether that’s an improvement is up to you.
17. Painkiller (Netflix)
The story of Painkiller may seem familiar. It is, after all, a different way into the story told in the acclaimed Michael Keaton-starring Dopesick about the greed and devastation at the core of the opioid epidemic, but while the volume of the performances and tone may differ, this is, by the weight of its subject matter alone, a story worth re-experiencing. From the writers behind the Mister Rogers film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Painkiller stars Matthew Broderick as pharma CEO Richard Sackler, Uzo Aduba as a dogged government investigator, Taylor Kitsch as an oxy addict in spiral, and West Duchovny as a pharma salesperson/so-called “oxycontin kitten” and “drug dealer with a ponytail.”
16. Vacation Friends 2 (Hulu)
The only thing that could make Vacation Friends – the wild, raunchy comedy about a pair of mismatched couples whose good times while on holiday follow them back home – better the second time around is Steve Buscemi and a baby. Somehow, Hulu got both. John Cena, Lil Rel Howery, Yvonne Orji, and Meredith Hagner return for another tropical trip filled with job-threatening hijinks, silly disasters, and yes, more cocaine. But with Buscemi entering the mix as Kyla’s (Hagner) estranged dad fresh from prison and ready to ruin their fun and relaxation with guns, gangsters, and a bag of blow that ends up being Kyla’s mom’s ashes, the comedy gets dialed up a notch. If that’s even possible.
15. Harley Quinn (Max)
Even though there’s been a lot of upheaval at HBO Max/Max and even more so for films and TV shows starring DC characters, at least one supervillainess is safe. Miss Harley (who does not need the Joker for success) was almost pointedly renewed as a clattering of show cancellations and removals swirled. Heck, Kaley Cuoco’s voice even gave us the only Valentine’s Day special worth watching this year. Soon, we might find out whether Bane is still making love to a skyscraper as Harley attempts to get in good with the Bat Family. Quite a contrast there.
14. The Changeling (Apple TV Plus)
LaKeith Stanfield heads into the horror realm in this adaptation of Victor LaValle’s acclaimed novel. The show promises to be a grown-up fairytale begins in a New York City library and heads into a version of the Big Apple that usually remains closed from human eyes. It’s also a parenthood fable, and yes, it truly feels like the scariest horror stories often revolve around kids, whether they happen to be good or evil. Given Stanfield’s ability to showcase the surreal in various other projects, one can bet that this quality adds to the spooks in this series.
13. Winning Time (Max)
The continuing saga of the Showtime-era of the NBA and the LA Lakers, well, continues, injecting a lot more Larry Bird into the mix while also seeing the impact of fame and failure on the principal characters of the era, inspiring strong performances from Jason Segel, Adrien Brody, Solomon Hughes, and Quincy Isaiah. Off-the-court and out of the trainer’s room, the complex family dynamic between the members of Buss family proves volatile, giving us Succession vibes. Damn, Succession in the mid-80s, what a dream. For now, though, Winning Time is a worthy substitute and more than worth your time.
12. Star Wars: Ahsoka (Disney Plus)
Rosario Dawson is back as Ahsoka in this spinoff of The Mandalorian, with all the face paint and prosthetics to go along with it. The biggest question here, though, is whether everyone’s favorite little green guy will show up at some point to steal a few scenes and hearts. Fingers crossed.
11. Predators (Netflix)
It’s so easy to feel safe and secure with our place in the food chain (at least until AI turns our microwaves against us), but the reality is we wouldn’t fare very well out in the wilderness, shuffling around with true predators who use teeth, claws, brutal strength, and their understanding of the elements to wage daily wars on their rivals and competing species. The Tom Hardy-narrated Netflix docuseries, Predators, amplifies that truth with humbling clarity, spanning the globe to show stunning and startling footage of predators in their habitat and at their most territorial and fierce. It’s beautiful, it’s terrifying, it’s nature.
10. Invasion (Apple TV Plus)
This intense story, set over several continents, brings us crop circles galore and civilization’s collapse while humanity struggles to pull it together during (as the title suggests) an alien invasion. Naturally, there is a sheriff who gets pulled back from the verge of retirement as soldiers, mission controllers, and civilians everywhere lend their perspectives in this series from Simon Kinberg (several X-Men movies) and David Weil (Citadel, Hunters). The show is back for a second season while the world still struggles to figure what, exactly, is happening in real-time.
9. Billions (Paramount Plus)
Whaddya know, Damian Lewis’ Bobby Axelrod is somehow back for one last *cough* job. Whether that job involves leaning deep into betrayal remains unknown for the moment, but expect alliances to fall and old wounds to fester. Enemies and friends find their lines blurred, and man, do enough people give Maggie Siff credit for being one of the most magnetic presences within any ensemble cast? I think not, but sure, Corey Still and Paul Giamatti are cool, too. Once this show takes the final lap, Showtime will somehow launch four spinoffs, and Maggie should appear in all of them.
8. The Beanie Bubble (Apple TV Plus)
Hey, remember Beanie Babies, those adorable and colorful collectible plush toys that looked so cute on a shelf while also sparking a fervor among collectors and investors? Of course, you do! You or someone you love probably had at least one. Remember the in-fighting and largesse behind the scenes? Eh, probably not, but luckily directors Kristin Gore and Damian Kulash Jr. are here to flip the nostalgia switch and illuminate the chaos in the process with this film starring Zach Galifianakis, Elizabeth Banks, and Sarah Snook as Beanie Baby insiders.
7. Twisted Metal (Peacock)
Twisted Metal is one of the more unlikely video game-to-TV show adaptations, but the Peacock series has put together quite the crew for this post-apocalyptic joyride. The action-comedy stars Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, Thomas Haden Church, Mike Mitchell (of Doughboys fame), and wrestler Samoa Joe as Sweet Tooth (Will Arnett provides the voice of the evil clown). The Last of Us was great, but did it have a clown driving an ice cream truck? Exactly.
6. Heartstopper (Netflix)
Heartstopper is really just a lovely little show. The first season introduced us all to Charlie and Nick, two teenage boys who became friends and then discovered that friendship might actually be… something… more than friendship. Season two takes things even further. It’s funny and sweet and charming and gay as all hell, which is… yeah, really just lovely.
5. Archer (Hulu)
The world has been trying to leave Sterling Archer behind for years and years with hilarious results as the spy and his associates have navigated land, sea, and air (and space), often stumbling into calamity while chasing adventure. But now, in its 14th season, the series, with all its ambition and wit, has reached its climax (yes, we are still doing phrasing) and we are here for it, specifically, the final bows of one of the greatest voice casts ever assembled. How will it all end? We can’t wait to find out, but regardless, Archer’s place as one of the best comedies of this century is assured.
4. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (AMC Plus)
The only “solo” spinoff of AMC’s post-apocalyptic world is upon us. Daryl is most entertaining character to send to France, and he’s also the least religious of the bunch, which makes it awfully funny to see him hanging with a bunch of nuns after waking up in France like “WTF?” Most of all, though, Daryl earns his “Big Ass Kicker” nickname and we also get a lovely character study of the most loyal and industrious survivor of Rick’s old bunch. The action also delivers, so get ready for crossbows and total chaos at Parisian landmarks. Pssst, we also chose the most essential to watch before this spinoff.
3. Solar Opposites (Hulu)
Solar Opposites is, in a sense, two shows for the price of one. What a deal! One show is the alien adventures of Korvo (now voiced by Dan Stevens), Terry, Jesse, Yumyulack, and the Pupa, the cutest lil’ guy on television. The other show takes place in The Wall, where humans have been shrunk down and held hostage inside a terrarium. Both are very funny, very weird, and very good. Solar Opposites doesn’t get as much attention as Rick and Morty, but it should.
2. You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah (Netflix)
A coming-of-age comedy from the Sandman (Adam Sandler) and company, You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah glimpses that time in life when everything is the most important thing that could ever happen with dire social consequences for every micro-embarrassment and misstep. A bat mitzvah (the religious right of passage for Jewish girls) absent Dua Lipa and a mojito bar? World ending. Your best friend moving in on your crush? Even worse. Sandler is in a clear supporting dad role (with Idina Menzel co-starring as his wife) while the kids take center stage, but this one feels like it can go on the shelf next to some of the more heartful films he’s produced.
1. Reservation Dogs (Hulu)
The thing about Reservation Dogs is that it is a good show. It has been for a few seasons now. And it still is in its third and final season, which is airing right now. Funny and heartfelt and everything you could possibly want out of a television show about some teens figuring stuff out. There’s a lot of weird stuff going on out there in the world. Some of it is kind of scary. Maybe you should chill out and watch Reservation Dogs. You could absolutely do much, much worse.