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.
TIE: 10. Love At First Sight (Netflix film)
If you’re jonesing for more of Haley Lu Richardson after the The White Lotus, she dives into romcom territory here with a much less shady prospect than Portia’s judgment would reflect. Here, she stars alongside Ben Hardy as one of two strangers who cross paths on a cross-Atlantic flight and then expend their energy attempting to cross paths again for a longer haul. Jameela Jamil co-stars in this feature that is about as predictable as you’d expect, but the chemistry of the leading pair means that you won’t care much.
TIE: 10. Talk To Me (Maslow entertainment film streaming on VOD and Amazon Prime)
This film has been credited as churning out the “scariest A24 trailer ever, hands down.” As it turns out (and this is no surprise because it’s A24), the film itself lives up to that reputation and follows an especially macabre version of an ouija board. That is, an embalmed hand helps a group of judgment-lacking friends conjure spirits, and they reap more than than gambled for. Directors Danny and Michael Philippou came by their horror roots honestly, rose up through YouTube, and are ready to prevent you from sleeping at night.
9. One Piece (Netflix series)
Netflix did the thing after some anime-to-live action misses (Cowboy Bebop and Death Note), but fans of Monkey D. Luffy are thrilled with this adaptation of a a beloved anime/manga. Season 2 of the hopeful pirate king’s adventures has already been greenlit, and while they settle in for the wait, viewers can hop on the Japanese dub for a bonus from the voice cast of the anime series.
8. The Morning Show (Apple TV+ series)
Apple TV+ launched with this mainstay that keeps delivering numbers due to the combined power of Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, and this season, Jon Hamm is crushing it in a sauna with Billy Crudup, who remains the Kermit The Frog of the show. Jon Hamm as a tech bro after portraying one of the masters of pulling wool over the public’s eyes in the 1960s? Yes, please.
7. The Wheel Of Time (Amazon Prime series)
Thus far, this series is one of the most popular Amazon Originals to stream in the past handful of years, and the show might eventually be considered the Game of Thrones counterpart that Jeff Bezos always wanted while bringing Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power to the small screen. Rosamund Pike departs from her usual completely terrifying characters to dive into more morally grey territory as Moraine of the Aes Sedai organization. She’s one of the only women (and people) who is able to wield magic, and she’s watching over the fruition of a prophecy that could either save humanity or destroy it. Fantasy lit is having more than a moment on TV right now.
6. American Horror Story (FX series streaming on Hulu)
Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk are currently churning through Season 12 of their anthology series that still stars Emma Roberts. She portrays an up-and-coming actress going through discouraging IVF rounds when she realizes that she’s being targeted, and her pursuit of fertility has everything to do with this. This season takes inspiration from Danielle Valentine’s book, Delicate Condition, and Kim Kardashian’s introductory line in this franchise is a doozy.
5. No Hard Feelings (Sony Pictures movie on VOD and Amazon Prime)
Jennifer Lawrence finally took a break from drama and action to be funny as hell. Here, she stars as a fail-hard character, Maddie, who decides to make some easy money by answering a Craigslist ad from two helicopter parents who would really like their 19-year-old awkward son to get boinked. JLaw throws herself full force into the raunchy resurrection that we’ve been missing in the movies these days, and the supposedly easy assignment turns out to be a greater challenge than expected.
4. The Continental (Peacock series)
Sadly, this three-part series will not feature a Keanu Reeves cameo as suggested years ago. This story takes place in the 1970s, long before Wick’s most pivotal pup was even born. As such, this spinoff will focus on the earlier days of the franchise’s assassin-welcoming hotel, where Colin Woodell portrays Winston, who’s attempting to do his day job and also navigate the hellish underbelly of the era’s New York City. If you’re not into the Mel Gibson aspect of this prequel, then perhaps Katie McGrath can sway you to watch as The Adjudicator.
3. Barbie (Warner Bros. movie on VOD and Amazon Prime)
This film is still rotating through theaters after pulling in over a billion dollars in box-office sales. Also, it’s not streaming “free” yet as part of a platform package, but you can rent or purchase it at home. So, enjoy the Barbies and Kens and only one Allan and marvel at how Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, and Ryan Gosling pulled off a critically acclaimed crowd pleaser for the ages. Sure, there will be many more toy movies now, but this one matters and will go down in the pop-cultural history books as such.
2. No One Will Save You (20th Century Studios streaming on Hulu)
Kaitlyn Dever of Justified fame stars in a genuinely scary movie that you can stream while getting into the spooky spirit. The story puts an extraterrestrial twist on home-invasion horrors for a young woman who finds herself alienated in more ways than one. Come for the jump scares and stay for the novelty of a seat-gripping adventure that somehow communicates loud and clear with hardly any dialogue to be found, which only adds to the suspense.
1. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (AMC series streaming on AMC+)
Norman Reedus’ unwashed boo is now a washed boo, and that’s only the beginning of his new adventure. The leading man had one major condition for signing onto the only solo spinoff of the franchise (so far), and Daryl finally gets a “vacation.” Of course, this is not exactly a relaxing journey, but this franchise gives us moments of happiness for him, along with ass-kicking nuns and Paris at the beginning of the apocalypse. As a whole, this season reinvigorates the entire The Walking Dead legacy while beginning to slide puzzle pieces together for a bigger picture.
