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5 must-watch movies & TV shows streaming right now
The best of what's new streaming on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney Plus, and more.
Welcome to Boston.com’s weekly streaming guide. Each week, we recommend five must-watch movies and TV shows available on streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock, Paramount+, and more.
Many recommendations are for new shows, while others are for under-the-radar releases you might have missed or classics that are about to depart a streaming service at the end of the month.
Have a new favorite movie or show you think we should know about? Let us know in the comments, or email [email protected]. Looking for even more great streaming options? Check out previous editions of our must-watch list here.
New movies streaming
“A Quiet Place: Day One”
After “A Quiet Place Part II,” there was concern that John Krasinski’s horror thriller franchise might spiral out of control if it attempted to build a cinematic universe off of such a straightforward concept (aliens sensitive to noise terrorize a newly quiet planet). Thankfully, “A Quiet Place: Day One” takes things back to basics, telling the story of Sam (Lupita Nyong’o, “Black Panther”), a woman in New York City who must fight to survive the first day of the invasion.
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With her beloved cat Frodo by her side, Sam wanders through the city, accompanied by fellow survivor Eric (Joseph Quinn, “Stranger Things”). For reasons that I won’t spoil, Sam is initially indifferent to the invasion. But as the film progresses, “Day One” becomes much more than an edge-of-your-seat thriller, teasing out an emotional journey that is genuinely touching.
How to watch: “A Quiet Place: Day One” is streaming on Paramount+.
“The Fall Guy”
Universal only gave “The Fall Guy” a 17-day exclusive theatrical window before making it available as a streaming title, albeit a premium rental that cost $19.99. The company probably left money on the table with that decision, because the Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt action-romance was quietly one of the summer’s most entertaining films, the exact kind of crowd-pleaser that builds a healthy box office haul through word of mouth.
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Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a stunt double for A-list movie star/Grade-A jerk Tom Seaver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) who is forced into retirement after a crippling on-set injury. After a former low-level production assistant with whom Colt had a fling (Emily Blunt) climbs the Hollywood ladder to direct her first big movie, he is called out of retirement by the film’s producer (Hannah Waddington, “Ted Lasso”). It turns out that Tom has disappeared, and Colt must serve double duty as a stunt double and amateur detective. Director David Leitch (“Bullet Train,” “Deadpool 2”) is a former stuntman himself, and “The Fall Guy” is one big love letter to the below-the-line crew members that actually make a movie happen.
How to watch: “The Fall Guy” is streaming on Peacock.
New TV streaming
“KAOS”
Jeff Goldblum as an all-seeing, all-knowing deity? What else is new? Jokes aside, after decades of providing off-kilter supporting character energy, Goldblum is the main man in Netflix’s “KAOS”. Goldblum plays a strangely relatable Zeus, an all-powerful Greek God who complains when his kids don’t visit enough and freaks out about a single wrinkle.
That solitary facial line becomes the subject of a prophecy that foretells chaos (or is it KAOS?) throughout the realm, and Zeus’ paranoia is furthered by a chained Prometheus (Stephen Dillane, “Game of Thrones”) whispering poisoned words in his ear. Cleverly modernizing Greek myths and creating others out of thin air, showrunner Charlie Covell (“The End of the F****** World”) weaves a complex tapestry full of exciting Gods and demigods (Janet McTeer, David Thewlis, Suzy Eddie Izzard) that promises more visually stunning drama to come.
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How to watch: “KAOS” is streaming on Netflix.
“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”
Back in the summer of 2022, season one of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings Of Power” was the first show since the start of the pandemic that became appointment viewing for my friends and me, with a small group of us gathering every Friday night for dinner and Middle Earth. You can’t put a price on community, but I’m glad Jeff Bezos did, shelling out more than a billion dollars across two seasons of the J.R.R. Tolkien prequel.
Season two of “Rings of Power” picks up right where the first one left off, with Middle Earth slowly coming to grips with the threat of Sauron (Charlie Vickers). Despite being cast out by Galadriel, the Dark Lord has begun to scheme and amass power, much to the dismay of elves, dwarves, Harfoots and humans across the realm. Season 2 of “Rings of Power” has more of everything any Tolkien fan could want: Deepening lore, elaborate battles, and — unfortunately for the free folk of Middle Earth — rings of power.
How to watch: “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” Season 2 is streaming on Prime Video.
“Only Murders in the Building”
Is it possible to pack too many star-studded cameos into one show? Season four of “Only Murders in the Building” intends to find out if that limit exists, assembling a murderer’s row of talent alongside our murder-solving and podcasting trio (Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez).
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This season’s mystery is who killed Charles’ (Martin) longtime stunt double (Jane Lynch), and whether Charles himself was the intended target. Meanwhile, Charles, Oliver (Short) and Mabel (Gomez) must attempt to wrangle a movie adaptation of their podcast, which features Zach Galifianakis, Eva Longoria, and Eugene Levy playing the trio. Once you add in Melissa McCarthy, Richard Kind, Molly Shannon, Kumail Nanjiani, and the returning Meryl Streep, there’s a lot to take in. But it’s always fun no matter who is on screen.
How to watch: “Only Murders in the Building” Season 4 is streaming on Hulu.
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