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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
“Carrie” (1976)
Boston.com recently wrapped up a reader-voted bracket to determine the best Stephen King book of all time, with “The Stand” coming out on top. While some may debate the final outcome, it was an unquestionably fun way to revisit some of King’s greatest hits after a half-century of stories.
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It all started with “Carrie” — both King’s 1974 debut novel and the 1976 film that led to countless Stephen King movie adaptations. The film represented a box office breakthrough for director Brian De Palma, who went on to direct “Scarface,” “The Untouchables” and “Mission: Impossible,” among other successes. A Hitchcock obsessive, De Palma proved a worthy heir to the master of suspense, building hair-raising tension in the moments before meek oddball Carrie (Sissy Spacek) is doused in pig’s blood at her prom. After the unbearable buildup to that moment, the hell that breaks loose when Carrie’s telekinetic powers are unleashed is inevitable.
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How to watch: “Carrie” (1976) is streaming on AMC+.
“It” (2017)
The notion of clowns, bringers of cheer and merriment, being secretly terrifying has been around for centuries. But few have taken it to the level King did with his 1986 novel “It,” in which Pennywise the Clown (really a demonic entity taking the form of a clown) preys on the children of Derry, Maine. The 1990 TV miniseries starring Tim Curry was already a worthy adaptation, but in 2017 director Andy Muschietti (“Mama”) found mainstream success with his big-screen version, which split the novel into two films.
The first outing is the stronger of the two, as the chemistry of the child actors in the Losers Club (the Derry kids who vow to take down Pennywise) feels like a throwback to movies like “The Goonies” and “Stand By Me,” the latter of which you’ll find later on this list.
How to watch: “It” (2017) is streaming on Max.
“The Running Man” (1987)
“The Running Man” is the rare Stephen King movie adaptation adapted from a work published under King’s pen name Richard Bachman. It’s also funnier than almost any other King movie, and bears only a passing resemblance to the 1982 novel it’s based on.
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Don’t let that stop you from watching this dystopian satire, though. Arnold Schwarzenegger is in fine form as a contestant on the world’s most popular game show, a “Deadliest Game”-style spectacle in which trained killers hunt the show’s contestants for sport. Arnold spouts catchphrases left and right, and game show host Richard Dawson (“Family Feud”) playing an absurd version of himself is a particular highlight.
How to watch: “The Running Man” (1987) is streaming on Paramount+.
New TV Shows Streaming
“The Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox”
It’s been 20 years since the Red Sox broke the Curse of the Bambino and once again became World Series champions after an 86-year drought. That’s long enough for the joy and unmatched catharsis to have faded slightly from memory, which makes “The Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox” a welcome addition to the bountiful sports docuseries genre.
Director Colin Barnicle gets some genuinely interesting insights from players, coaches, and executives of the early 2000s Sox, including a candid chat with Grady Little, the manager who left Pedro Martinez in a bit too long in the 2003 ALCS, dashing what felt like Boston’s only chance at vanquishing the Yankees at the time.
How to watch: “The Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox” is streaming on Netflix.
“What We Do in the Shadows”
“What We Do in the Shadows” has come a long way from the 2014 mockumentary co-created by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement (“Flight of the Conchords”). The core premise — a group of vampire roommates living in Staten Island — has remained the same, but each year has brought new ways for the show’s fanged protagonists to spread their wings. The sixth and final season, which debuted earlier this week on FX and Hulu, finds the gang at odds with a recently awakened vampire (Mike O’Brien, “Saturday Night Live”) who is annoyed not only for being woken up almost 30 years late, but because his brood of bloodsuckers has become contented urbanites instead of conquering the world. You really need to start with Season 1 to appreciate all the lore “Shadows” has built over the seasons, but it’s well worth the time if you haven’t already.
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How to watch: “What We Do In The Shadows” Season 6 is streaming on Hulu, with new episodes airing Mondays on FX.
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