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. Juror #2 – Max Original film
Clint Eastwood’s potentially final movie didn’t receive a wide release, but it did get released as a Max Original on the WBD streaming service, which is better than some other WBD films have fared. Nicholas Hoult portrays a family man and juror whose role becomes unfathomably uncomfortable as he “finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma” while serving on a jury of the accused’s peers. Try not to think too much about current events while watching this, and as a bonus, Hoult’s About A Boy co-star Toni Collette reunites with him, and she is impeccable as always.
9. The Madness – Netflix limited series
Fear The Walking Dead‘s formerly best kept secret is fully out of the bag. Colman Domingo slayed with Rustin as well as his Euphoria ensemble character, and now, he’s ratcheting up the tension as a cable news talking head who finds himself framed for murder in the Poconos. This leads to a global conspiracy, of course, along with a fine showcase of exactly how many hats Colman Domingo can crush in only a few years.
8. Emilia Pérez – Netflix film
This musical drama hails from auteur Jacques Audiard (Rust and Bone, Paris, 13th District) and tells the story of a cartel leader who fakes their own death and emerges as a woman, Emilia Pérez (Karla Sofia Gascón). Gomez portrays Emilia’s wife, Jessi, and her marriage and other relationships are not straightforward in any sense. Zoe Saldana (whose career is reaching astounding new heights away from franchise territory) portrays an attorney who is excellent at keeping secrets, and the three leads each have room to shine while coming together as an unbeatable whole.
7. Creature Commandos – Max series
Is this another version of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad? Not quite. That film (along with David Ayer’s previous effort) covered Task Force X, and Amanda Waller has now moved onto Task Force M for various reasons too nerdy to discuss here. The “M” stands for Monsters, and Gunn is formally kicking of DCU with this animated series (after grandfathering in Peacemaker) while finally allowing Frank Grillo to inhabit the meaty comic book role that he deserves. His Rick Flag Sr. character will surface in multiple DCU productions, and he’s in charge of corralling Amanda Waller’s gathering of incarcerated monsters (including Dr. Phosphorus, Frankenstein, The Bride, Princess Ilana, and GI Robot) as they execute missions deemed unfit for humans.
6. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew – Disney+ series
What, another Star Wars series so fast after The Acolyte? It’s happening. This series stars Jude Law as Jod Na Nawood, a pirate who tangos with the Force but probably not in a trustworthy way. Four kids cross paths with him after leaving their home planet and finding themselves lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy (far, far away). It’s like Stranger Things meet Star Wars, if an analogy needs to be made.
5. Black Doves – Netflix series
Keira Knightley ditches her corsets and pirates in this gorgeously rendered series that tells the unlikely story of how she manages to be a mother while heading out at night for espionage and vengeance. Fortunately, her gay best friend is an assassin who is indebted to her, so she isn’t alone. Voice of Paddington Ben Whishaw barrels through action scenes and utters “darling” better than anybody on this planet. And that Whishaw hair remains unrivaled.
4. Landman – Paramount+ series
Taylor Sheridan might be having a shirtless vacation with his Travis character on Yellowstone, but hey, at least people kinda stopped thinking about how he killed off Kevin Costner’s John Dutton. Still, the strip poker is odd, particularly because there are sexier things happening over on this Billy Bob Thornton, Ali Larter, and Michelle Randolph-starring series. Jacob Lofland’s character is the one propping up the professional cards in the family, but somebody’s gotta do it. In the meantime, please enjoy this show that has somehow managed to be Billy Bob’s finest work despite every legit award that he’s won. Oh, and he received a nomination for this, too, but let’s be real: this show is far too entertaining for any award to make a difference.
3. Secret Level – Prime Video/Amazon series
It’s obviously a big month for animated streaming series, and this show hails from the LOVE, DEATH + ROBOTS crew with 15 episodes that function as love letters to gamers. An all-star cast includes Arnold Schwarzenegger, Keanu Reeves, Gabriel Luna, Claudia Doumit, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and Ariana Greenblatt, each of whom appear in episodes devoted to Warhammer 40,000, Crossfire, Dungeons & Dragons, PAC-MAN, Exodus, and various PlayStation Studios games. Pull up your gaming chair and enjoy.
2. Subservience – XYZ films movie streaming on Netflix
Didn’t anybody learn lessons from M3GAN? This film stars another Megan (Fox), who portrays an android who starts out helpful and acts like the glue to keep a family from falling apart. This maid-android, however, grows self aware and then jealous, and this is not going to turn out well for anybody. Nick Peretti (Michele Morrone) is the father and husband to Maggie (Madeline Zima), whose health condition led to the bot-employment. This is not cerebral sci-fi, but nobody demanded that here, either. It’s fine, and Megan Fox has plenty to worry about IRL, so let her have this win.
1. The Agency – Paramount+ series
Michael Fassbender can’t stop portraying hit men and spies and the like, but the bloke knows his audience. This series is a retooling of Le Bureau des Legendes, an acclaimed French TV series that ran for three seasons, and if the Paramount+ streaming numbers (at least 5 million for the debut, according to a press release) are any indication, this one might achieve an equal or longer runtime. Fassbender portrays Martian (that isn’t a misspelling), an espionage professional living a double life, complete with romance (poor Jodie Turner-Smith). When he’s pulled away from his false identity to return to the game, his personal life follows him, and of course she had no clue who she was really involved with. And you thought your dating life was stressful? C’mon.
