Welcome to the latest issue of Stream On, the weekly newsletter from Consequence that answers the eternally confounding question: What films and TV shows should you be watching? (Subscribe here!) We’re looking at all the new and recent releases from Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video, Paramount+, Peacock, HBO Max, and more for ideas — not to mention a Blast From the Past and streaming recommendations from this week’s special guest: King of the Hill’s Pamela Adlon!
This Week’s Picks
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie (Film)
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie (NEON)
Directed by: Matt Johnson
Cast: Matt Johnson, Jay McCarrol
Streaming on: Hulu
So this is a pretty monumental day for fans of the Canadian cult favorite (shoutout to Consequence’s own Jonah Krueger): Not only is the second-best movie of the year so far (IOHO) now streaming on Hulu, but the two-season series that preceded it is also available on the service. Watch the show first to get a sense of what’s going on! Or just dive into the movie, a low-budget time travel farce that pulls off some incredible bits of comedy. Both longtime fans and newcomers to Nirvanna the Band the Show have raved about the film, which in itself is an impressive feat. Pleasing everyone can be a pretty tough endeavor.
Masters of the Universe (Film)
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Masters of the Universe (Amazon MGM Studios)
Directed by: Travis Knight
Cast: Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Morena Baccarin, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Kristen Wiig, Jared Leto, Idris Elba
Streaming on: Prime Video
Speaking of not necessarily pleasing everyone… I found the second-ever live-action Masters of the Universe to be goofy fun, probably because a lot of its humor was aimed directly at those who were alive in the ’80s. But there’s still plenty to savor for all ages, from Nicholas Galitzine’s gung-ho performance to a lot of its one-off character bits (Sasheer Zamata stealth MVP? Wait, no, Alison Brie gets that trophy). Also, this is perhaps the most I’ve enjoyed a Jared Leto performance in… Ever? He’s a shockingly good Skeletor, who this movie lets commit to being evil — just one of many choices that confirm how little interest director Travis Knight has in taking He-Man seriously. (Good.)
The Dink (Film)
The Dink (Apple TV)
Directed by: Josh Greenbaum
Cast: Jake Johnson, Mary Steenburgen, Ed Harris, Ben Stiller, Chloe Fineman, Patton Oswalt, Aaron Chen, Martin Kove, Chris Parnell, Christine Taylor, John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Lynne Marie Stewart
Streaming on: Apple TV
I confess that I am not a pickleball person, but I do enjoy a good sports comedy, and The Dink is a well-made grounded-but-sometimes-silly example of that. The delightful Jake Johnson stars as Dusty, a washed-up tennis star who reluctantly discovers the like-tennis-except-easier activity and comes to see its appeal — guiding him on that journey is the always luminous/hilarious Mary Steenburgen, a divorcee attempting to find her new passion in life. Ed Harris also gets used well here (as opposed to other projects we could mention) as Dusty’s father — Harris’s bone-dry delivery, paired with some wonderfully absurd lines of dialogue, is a highlight. Plus, the late Lynne Marie Stewart gets some of the best lines in the movie, while John McEnroe comes dangerously close to stealing the final act. (Of course McEnroe is here. It’s a comedy tangentially related to tennis.)
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe (TV)
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe (HBO Max)
Created by: Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn, Bill Prady
Cast: Kevin Sussman, Brian Posehn, Lauren Lapkus, John Ross Bowie
Streaming on: HBO Max
First off, I’ll also mention that I nearly featured Mortal Kombat II here instead, as the dumb but fun sequel also makes its streaming debut this week, and Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage is worth your time if you care about Karl Urban and/or Johnny Cage. But this wild-assBig Bang Theoryspinoff felt like it deserved more discussion.
TBBT is a touchstone for so many — if you still have access to the cable channel TBS, you know how often it still reruns there — but Stuart Fails… is very different. It’s shot in single-cam, for one thing, and for another it’s a romp through different dimensions (and genre pastiches) packed with guest stars from the parent series. It’s not ground-breaking, but I found myself curious about where each episode would go next and laughed at its nerdier jokes. And that’s said as someone whose familiarity with Sheldon and Penny is so limited that I just had to double-check those character names on Wikipedia. (Didn’t think it was Peggy, but wanted to be sure.)
Blast From the Past
The home screens of streaming services are always packed with the latest new releases, but we don’t spend enough time appreciating how much good library content is streaming across all of these platforms. Each week, Stream On will spotlight one less-than-new favorite (must pre-date the founding of Consequence, so 15 years or older) that deserves attention from modern-day eyes.
Set It Off (Film)
Set It Off (New Line Cinema)
Directed by: F. Gary Gray
Cast: Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, John C. McGinley, Kimberly Elise, Blair Underwood
Streaming on: Tubi
This week’s issue, you might have noticed, is heavy on the comedy (that’s just the vibe, some weeks). But for something a little more serious, behold this classic 90s thriller, with an top-tier cast of ladies turning to bank robbery in a broken world… Wait, okay, so this movie does get bleak towards the end, but there is also a genuinely laugh-out-loud sequence midway through paying tribute to The Godfather. Just an absolute treat to watch.
A Special Guest Recommends!
Liz isn’t the only person in the world capable of suggesting stuff for people to watch… So each week, Stream On will now feature picks from a special guest! Said special guest could be literally anyone from the world of entertainment — actors, writers, directors, musicians, or anyone else Liz thinks might be watching something interesting.
This Week: Pamela Adlon!
Pamela Adlon, photo by Scott Moore/Disney and Widow’s Bay (Apple TV)
Who Are They?So in addition toNirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, Hulu premiered the 15th season ofKing of the Hillthis week, which is just as good asthe revived Season 14. Part of what makes the show such a joy is the returning voice cast, including the incredible Pamela Adlon as the show’s perennial Bobby Hill.
Over Zoom, Pamela told me how playing the role of a young boy from Texas has “never been hard. Not even when I was crowning during all three of my pregnancies, when Bobby was pregnant with my three daughters. It’s just in me… It’s so funny. I can’t separate.”
The revival season aged Bobby up to the age of 21, something Pamela said she was “very mindful” about with her performance. In fact, at first she wasn’t sure if the producers would want her to “go into a Barry White area,” and eventually decided to “make a choice that I felt good about, that I could live in as Bobby. And I guess it possibly might be working.”Her recent Emmy nominationsuggests that might be the case.
What Do They Recommend? For the second week in a row, we have a Widow’s Bay recommendation. But Pamela’s got a special connection to the series, as her King of the Hill co-stars Stephen Root and Toby Huss also play roles on the Apple TV horror comedy:
I started watching it and I went to the table read atKing of the Hilland I was like, “Has everybody seen Root inWidow’sf*ckingBay? Because it is hilarious.” I was roasting him and Toby, because Toby was in it too.
I think [director Hiro Murai] did an amazing job. Love Matthew Rhys. Love everybody in the show. The cast is so perfect, and it’s really scary. My youngest daughter Rocket and I were watching it, and you know when Patricia is running? We were dying. So funny.
I’m also watching Cape Fear (Apple TV). I have a couple notes. I’ve got a few questions. But I am enjoying the shit out of it.
It’s not impossible to imagine you guest-starring on Widow’s Bay. Do you know who you’d want to play?
[Laughs] Oh my God, I don’t care. I can play Root’s dad, his wife, his grandma, his daughter. Whichever.
Let Pamela play Stephen Root’s dad in Widow’s Bay Season 2! While the universe works on that, do enjoy the new season of King of the Hill, streaming now on Hulu.
One Last One Before Bed
Finally, let’s spotlight a movie or TV show that’s not only great, but won’t take up too much of your time: Think of this section as the answer to the question “What’s something I can watch before hitting the hay, that won’t keep me up too late?” The only rule is that it has to be less than 95 minutes if it’s a movie, or less than 30 minutes an episode if it’s a TV show. Otherwise, sky’s the limit!
Would It Kill You to Laugh? (TV)
Would It Kill You to Laugh? (Peacock)
Directed by: Andrew DeYoung
Cast: John Early, Kate Berlant, Meredith Vieira
Streaming on: Peacock
This comedy special from 2022 features two of my favorite comedians unleashed in a series of sharp, silly sketches, interspersed with clips from an interview show hosted by Meredith Vieira (it makes sense in context). Berlant and Early’s dynamic is a master class in passive aggression, and paired with their delight for the absurd, the special becomes a breezy watch. And because it’s sketch, it’s something you could watch bit by bit or all in one go.
We’ll be back next week with more picks — in the meantime, stay safe out there, or better yet stay inside, where it’s definitely safe, and there’s so much film and TV to watch. Be sure to subscribe to the newsletter!