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. Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning (HBO docuseries streaming on Max)
True-crime junkies can get an end-of-year fix with this deep dive into an infamous Boston homicide that terrorized a neighborhood and also ignited long-standing racial tensions in the community. A series of wide-ranging family and law enforcement interviews, old and new, paint a different view of this case than has come to light in the public eye before now. Overall, this case illustrates why rushing to justice can work much more damage than when the wheels of justice do their typical (albeit frustrating) slow dance toward resolution.
TIE: 10. Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story (Columbia Pictures movie streaming on Netflix)
Director Neil Blomkamp really only wanted to talk about Gran Turismo, so let’s do that here. This story follows the story of real-life gaming wizard Jann Mardenborough (portrayed by Archie Madekwe), who is able to fulfill his dreams of becoming a participant in a real-life racing academy while being trained by driver Jack Salter (David Harbour). Orlando Bloom, Geri Halliwell, and Djimon Hounsou co-star, and the action is not only “off to the races” but off the hook.
9. May December (Netflix movie)
Apparent tabloid-esque fare (and a straight-to-Netflix film to boot) actually might turn out to be Oscar territory for Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman. The former portrays a Mary Kay Letourneau-like figure, and the latter pops in as a TV star who ends up seducing the former’s husband. Charles Melton picks up that role, and all three actors have received Golden Globe nominations, so look for a lot more discussion of this movie in the next handful of months.
8. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (Lionsgate film streaming on VOD & Amazon Prime)
This prequel takes place long decades before Katniss Evergreen and Peeta Mallard represented District 12 (while Gale made sad faces at the TV screen). Here, we meet a younger Coriolanis Snow (during the 10th annual Hunger Games) as he connects with District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird. Will the odds be ever in anyone’s favor in Panem? Viewers already know how Snow turns out, but here, new-old shades of him are on display, and Lucy’s defiant song will ignite The Capitol, but man, be careful of those snakes.
7. Obliterated (Netflix series)
The Cobra Kai guys (Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald) aim for a decidedly more adult audience with this series, in which C. Thomas Howell goes full frontal. Yes, you read that correctly. The actual story revolves around Vegas-set antics, where elite special-party-forces believe that they’ve caused a nuke to not cause fallout that would leave Vegas, but once the booze sets in, so does reality, so they must try to save the world while smashed. Uh oh.
6. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (Apple TV+ series)
Let’s get one thing straight: if you love the angry nuclear lizard, then you must go watch Godzilla Minus One in theaters because it shaped up to be the best Godzilla movie in cinematic history. You will probably also enjoy this show where Kurt Russell is kind-of friends with Godzilla, and Kurt’s son, Wyatt, portrays a younger version of Kurt’s Army officer character. Got it? Good.
5. Slow Horses (Apple TV+ series)
These might be the golden streaming days of adapting beloved serial novels, and Gary Oldman might be portraying a cantankerous bloke, but he’s clearly having the time of his life in this role. He doesn’t have to bother being sophisticated as a spymaster, for he can simply lead a bunch of inept and rather obnoxious fail-hards who are showing us the less suave side of British intelligence. The series is based upon Mick Herronthe’s Slough Horses novels, and this series is being cranked out so fast that you might not even mind only six episodes this season.
4. Thanksgiving (Sony Pictures Releasing film on VOD & Amazon Prime)
Fifteen years after the most outrageous Grindhouse trailer surfaced, Eli Roth finally released this feature film that earned critical and audience raves alike. And just in time for another holiday, the film (for which there will be a sequel) is now available anywhere you can VOD. The shark-loving, hair-gelling Roth delivered a viscerally enjoyable horror throwback that should make you feel at least slightly thankful that you aren’t spending the holiday season with a psychotic, masked pilgrim on the loose. Small blessings!
3. Leave The World Behind (Netflix movie)
Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, and Ethan Hawke all star in the same Netflix flick, which means that streaming has truly arrived. Carve out plenty of time if you can to watch this Sam Esmail-directed project produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, and it’s an apparent apocalyptic tale like no other. It’s actually a pretty darn bonkers movie with messages from deer and everything. The streaming realm is off the hook, y’all.
2. The Crown (Netflix series)
The final season of this royal soap opera took a breather after the Diana arc, and Queen Elizabeth’s eras now come full circle while the age of William might be upon us? Actually, scratch that because the queen realizes that both Harry and William are ill-prepared to be king. As well, it’s time for William to get to know Kate Middleton after a certain fashion show caught his attention. There actually might be too much Will and Kate in these final episodes, but nonetheless, their courtship provides an interesting contrast to both Diana and Charles’ early days, but this story ends before the entrance of Meghan Markle.
1. Reacher (Amazon Prime series)
This second season is already whooping some serious ass and has already managed to top every other Amazon Original series this year in number of both interested dads and overall viewers. Bad Luck and Trouble is the inspiration for this round of episodes, and Alan Ritchson is crushing it (literally) while portraying the junk-food-guzzling force to be reckoned with. As a special treat this time, we get to see how he used to and currently operates as part of a team, and The Big Guy does not let anyone mess with the Special Investigators. Or civilians. No one had better stand in the way of him eating a sandwich, either.
