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: TIE. John Wick Chapter 4 (Lionsgate movie streaming on VOD and Amazon Prime)
Sure, you can probably catch a marathon of this franchise on cable while scrolling on any given weekend, but surely, you haven’t watched this fourth installment enough times yet? Vengeful, world-weary, fed-up, ass-kicking Keanu Reeves never gets old. At this point, the audience cannot tire of him or his dog-loving assassin, and it’s no wonder that this is a billion-dollar franchise now, and they will probably bring him back despite that, you know, thing that happened. Ana de Armas will soon take this franchise into Ballerina territory.
10: TIE. Silo (Apple TV+ series)
This might be the best show on TV right now that you are not watching. Why aren’t you watching it? Harriet Walter arguably has never had a bigger moment (with the Succession and Ted Lasso finales), and she’s in this Graham Yost series, too. Rebecca Ferguson is also fantastic as the hard-as-nails engineer who will either be the key to saving or destroying this silo where the last vestiges of humanity survive. Whatever apocalyptic event previously happened remains murky, but the silo’s secrets begin to parcel themselves out in this first season, which is based upon Hugh Howey’s self-published runaway literary hit, the Wool omnibus.
9. Katla (Netflix series)
And speaking of catastrophic events that devastate humanity, this Icelandic series imagines a world where a real-life subglacial volcano (Katla, obviously) erupts, and the aftermath brings with it mysteries even more shattering than the ashes themselves. Twenty years later, the situation grows even muddier as the past literally reappears in various forms, and there might somehow be a meteorite involved in the entire mess. In our own reality, Katla once erupted for over 20 days, so this series was destined to transfix and holds up that end of the bargain.
8. Platonic (Apple TV+ series)
Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen do their part to resurrect the raunchy comedy in this about two former best friends who reunite after a life-changing event. Their normal, responsible adult lives will never be the same again, due in part to too many shots and some horse tranquilizers. Rose Byrne is arguably at her best in comedic mode, and Seth Rogen is the perfect partner in crime to go there.
7. American Born Chinese (Disney+ series)
Gods and superheroes continue to captivate, even though people periodically wonder if the audience will burnout. Fortunately, this series feels fresh while following an “ordinary” American teenager who befriends a mythological god’s son. The story is based upon Gene Luen Yang’s same-named graphic novel, and sure, this is a twist on the coming-of-age theme, but it’s got a ton of Kung-Fu and a quest that brings plenty of existential questions about identity while staying funny as well.
6. The Super Bros. Mario Movie (Universal Pictures film streaming on VOD and Amazon Prime)
Chris Pratt’s controversial Mario voice continues to ride high on the home streaming circuit after crushing the box office and paving the way for a sequel. Anya Taylor Joy continues to ride her own wave here, and Jack Black needs to bring back “Peaches” while the world celebrates a year when video game adaptations are miraculously pleasing their audiences. Especially when generations of played Mario games, harnessing this brand of nostalgia was undoubtedly a personal journey for all involved.
5. I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson (Netflix series)
This show’s brand of chaos isn’t for everyone, but the people who love it tend to really love it, and they relish the act of meming it up during the process of watching. In other words, devotees are thrilled that their Emmy-winning leading man has returned with a new batch of absurdist comedy sketches, which will likely be ranked and reranked for many years to come. If you cannot help but adore Nathan Fielder’s painfully awkward variety of humor, do yourself a favor and get subversive with Robinson, too.
4. The Idol (HBO series streaming on Max)
Surely, you’ve heard at least some of the controversy surrounding this show from Euphoria creator Sam Levinson and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye. The latter stars as a cult leader who literally and figuratively seduces Jocelyn, an it-girl pop star portrayed by Lily-Rose Depp. The critics are absolutely not into this series following the first two episodes premiering at Cannes, but no one ever expected subtlety from Sam Levinson. Let’s hope that a bit of substance will eventually emerge from within the style, but people are certainly watching, at least to begin.
3. FUBAR (Netflix series)
Never underestimate the power of the Dad-fueled component of the streaming audience. Arnold Schwarzenegger will probably “be back” since Netflix is now realizing how wise they were to bank on his action-star prowess, even decades after its heyday. This series is sort-of like Mr. And Mrs. Smith but with a father-daughter dynamic, and I’m guessing that this season will probably stick around in people’s minds until at least Father’s Day. Hey, Dads need something to watch while Yellowstone remains on hiatus.
2. Manifest (Netflix series)
Ghost Zeke appears to be making the most headlines so far as people gobble up the final leg of Flight 828’s doomed trip after NBC cancelled the voyage. Creator Jeff Rake was granted the privilege of finishing this sci-fi soap opera up in a fitting manner, albeit an abbreviated one, considering that he originally envisioned six seasons. Still, a supersized fourth season ain’t nothing to sniff at, so tune in to see if the Death Date business turns out as horribly as feared, and if Michaela manages to not get back with Jared. That’s important!
1. Reality (HBO movie streaming on Max)
Sydney Sweeney portrays Reality Winner, whose name once attracted as much Internet attention as the three-decade prison sentence that she received. The Air Force vet and former NSA translator is 25 years old and a yoga/CrossFit instructor when this movie begins with FBI agents having descended at her home. From there, two hours fill the audience in on what transpired between agents and the accused, and whether she presented information about 2016 election interference by Russia to the press. Sweeney’s skills are showcased here in a different way than you’ve seen before now, as a seemingly ordinary 20-something whose life will forever be transformed.
