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. Cross – Prime Video/Amazon series
If Amazon hadn’t dropped an entire season at once for the binging, Aldis Hodge’s version of Alex Cross would still likely be sitting near the top of this list. Still, several consecutive weeks of list-survival ain’t nothing to sniff at, and the better news is that a second season is in the works with the Reacher model pointing towards longevity for the TV version of James Patterson’s forensic psychologist. There’s more to be revealed about the actual killer of Cross’ wife after the string-puller was ID’ed, and the second season will more prominently feature Cross’ best friend, John Sampson (Isaiah Mustafa), so the pair will be putting even more bad guys under mind-melding microscopes.
9. Dune: Prophecy – HBO series streaming on Max
Following The Penguin‘s success, Max sure is serving up the offshoots and prequels to tide over those who are waiting to flock to theaters for the next sequel. Paul Atreides is most certainly not visible in this series, which takes place about 10,000 years before Denis Villeneuve’s ensemble movies. He’s working on a third installment, by the way, which will elevate Florence Pugh’s Princess Irulan character in the story. For that and several other reasons, this prequel’s focus on the Bene Gesserit sisterhood will benefit those interested in watching more unfurling from Frank Herbert’s world.
8. Silo – Apple TV+ series
Steve Zahn is delivering the most as Solo in this second season, which is saying tons because this role could have gone so wrong as interpreted onscreen. Without him, Rebecca Ferguson would have been in complete solitude while Juliette navigates a new silo after being sent to clean. Meanwhile, her home has been in utter chaos, and showrunner Graham Yost has been masterfully bopping back and forth and also doing the flashback thing to explain precisely why Solo is “solo” in the first place. Buckle up, though, because this series is about to get even weirder, although Silo remains a pitch-perfect example of how Apple TV+ is crushing the sci-fi game.
7. The Madness – Netflix series
Colman Domingo is no longer Fear The Walking Dead‘s best kept secret. Of course, Euphoria fans already knew this, but now, Colman’s Rustin and Sing Sing accolades have led to his own Netflix limited series. In The Madness, he stars as a well-known political consultant who sets out to become a renowned novelist but finds himself framed for murder in the Poconos. This leads to a global conspiracy, of course, along with a tense showcase of exactly how many hats Colman Domingo can crush in only a few years.
6. The Substance – Mubi film
Eek. Come for Demi Moore’s righteous turn against female beauty standards and Margaret Qualley’s equally adventurous moves and stay for the downright grotesque body horror that follows. Also, it’s true (as Demi asserted) that the flat-out most nauseating part of the movie is Dennis Quaid eating prawns. For that and countless other scenes in the movie, Coralie Fargeat has fully established herself as a must-watch director after Revenge put her on the map. And as for Demi, she earned this role with everything that she’s endured in the business.
5. Juror #2 – Max Original film
This could be Clint Eastwood’s final movie, so it’s surprising that this film only received a fleeting theatrical appointment. Still, the movie is branded as a Max Original on the WBD streaming service, so you can now sit on your couch and catch up on the critically acclaimed story in which Nicholas Hoult portrays a family man who “finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma” while serving on a jury of the accused’s peers. That dilemma could easily “sway the jury verdict and potentially convict — or free — the accused killer,” via the movie’s logline, so get ready for a tense ride for all involved.
4. Hot Frosty – Netflix movie
The hottest of frosties might be in danger of melting (he’s that hot). Oh c’mon, have a little fun with your holiday cheer, and don’t be mad that this movie is completely ridiculous because if follows Hallmark Channel star Lacey Chabert as she awakens a “dashing snowman” (Dustin Milligan) with her magical scarf. If there’s ever a holiday season where we should use silliness, it’s this one.
3. Landman – Paramount+ series
This Billy Bob Thornton-showcasing series managed to score over 14 million viewers in one week, which proves that — no matter what naysayers might say — Taylor Sheridan was no flash in the Sicario or Yellowstone pan. Meanwhile, Tulsa King‘s latest season averaged about 10 million viewers per week in its most recent season, so look for renewals to be announced soon.
2. Black Doves – Netflix series
Keira Knightley joins the spy-series circuit in this lushly rendered series that follows her quest for vengeance after her lover is murdered. Fortunately, her gay best friend, who happens to be an assassin with his own personal-life complication, is here to help her with that task. Voice of Paddington Ben Whishaw also more than holds his own, not only when he’s barreling through action scenes (although Keira battles through more of them) but when he’s luxuriously drawling, “Darling.” And don’t worry, that Whishaw hair remains unrivaled.
1. The Agency – Paramount+ series
Michael Fassbender hits the small screen as Martian (yep, that’s the correct spelling) who has been living a double life (as they do), and he must abandon his false identity to return to the game. That game is a deadly one, of course, and to complicate matters, Martian has fallen in love with a woman (Jodie Turner-Smith) who has no idea what he truly does for a living, which makes things even more difficult when she resurfaces in his life. The series debut happens to have scored over 5 million viewers, according to a Showtime press release, which makes plenty of sense for a new take on Le Bureau des Legendes, an acclaimed French TV series about the French Secret Service that ran for three seasons.
