Looking to settle in with a good movie? Me too. That's why I've pored over the release schedules of major streaming services to bring you the best original and new-to-streaming movies you can watch right now.
There's something for any taste this week. Netflix's Power is a hard-hitting documentary about the relationship between the people and the police. Disney's remastered version of 1970s documentary Let it Be details the making of the last creative gasp of The Beatles. And you could even watch a movie about a singing unicorn, if you're into that.
Power
The big-ticket Netflix originals this month may be comedy and historical costumes, but there's a serious side too, embodied by Power, a hard-hitting, critically acclaimed documentary that looks at our relationship with the cops and asks "Who is more powerful, the people or the police?" Directed by Academy Award nominee Yance Ford, Power examines the history of policing and asks tough questions about whether and how we're being oppressed by the boys and girls in blue.
Where to stream: Netflix
Let It Be (1970)
Let it Bewas meant as "Beatles in the studio" TV documentary, but director Michael Lindsay-Hogg captured the biggest band ever just as they were about to break up instead. After a limited release in theaters, Let it Be was mothballed, and couldn't be seen legally for 50 years, so Disney's restored and remastered version is eagerly awaited by fans; even if you only kind of like The Beatles, it's worth a watch. Let it Be it clocks in at under 90 minutes, and, unlike Peter Jackson's exhaustive, eight-hour documentary Get Back, it focuses on the music instead of the internal friction that would soon break up the band, leaving "the band is going to break up soon after this recording session" as subtext.
Where to stream: Disney+
Madame Web
There's a Hollywood saying that goes "behind every bad movie is a good mortgage," and Madame Webis a perfect example. It definitely isn't the best movie you could watch this weekend but there's something fascinating about dissecting high-profile failures. Dakota Johnson plays Cassandra “Cassie” Webb AKA Spider-Woman, and she's a good actor. Madame Web is a co-production between Marvel and Sony, so it had real money behind it. Superhero origin stories are inherently interesting. So what went wrong? Watch it to find out, and console yourself that many people who worked on it bought houses.
Where to stream: Netflix
Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal
When hackers called "The Impact Team" took over find-an-affair website Ashley Madison in 2015, they told its owners "welcome to your worst fucking nightmare"—but the nightmare extended beyond the business owners. All of Ashley's Madison's users, from ordinary Joes to political figures and entertainment industry leaders, had their sordid details spilled to anyone who wanted to take a look. Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandaltells the entire sleazy story, but doesn't shy away from the real-world emotional devastation the imbroglio wrought.
Where to stream: Netflix
59th Academy of Country Music Awards
All your favorite country stars will be on-hand to do-si-do at the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards. Billed as "Country Music’s Party of the Year," this year's event will be hosted by Reba McEntire, who is also slated to perform new music during the show. It's an interesting time in country music, as the often-staid genre confronts a new wave of performers. The "entertainer of the year" category, for instance, pits neo-traditionalists like Cody Johnson against new school iconoclasts like face-tattooed, hip-hop influenced artist Jelly Roll.
Where to stream: Prime
Thelma the Unicorn
This animated feature was directed by Jared Hess, whose first film, Napoleon Dynamite, is a quirky masterpiece, so Thelma the Unicornhas the potential to be more interesting than a typical computer-animated, streaming-only kid flick. Based on the best-selling books by Aaron Blabey and starring Brittany Howard in the title role, Thelma the Unicorn tells the story of a pony who masquerades as a unicorn to fulfill her dream of musical stardom. It features the voices of Jemaine Clement, Edi Patterson, Fred Armisen, Zach Galifianakis, Jon Heder, and Shondrella Avery, a more-than-solid crew.
Where to stream: Netflix
Last week's picks
The Iron Claw (2023)
Even though The Iron Claw was nearly universally lauded by critics, it wasn't nominated for a single Oscar. Rip-off! Maybe a movie about professional wrestling is too lowbrow for "The Academy," but their loss. Yes, The Iron Clawis about wrestling, but it's also about mourning, loss, and the resilience of family. Plus, The Iron Claw features fantastic performances from Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White (The Bear), and Harris Dickinson as the real-life Von Erich brothers, a wrestling dynasty beset by so much tragedy they come to believe they've been cursed. After watching this flick, it's hard to argue with them.
Where to stream: Max
Roast of Tom Brady
Most football fans are eager to see ex-Patriots quarterback Tom Brady get taken down a few pegs, and this roast brings in Jeff Ross, Kevin Hart, and a host of the most vicious comedians on Earth to hit Brady harder than a 260-pound linebacker. And they don't make helmets for your feelings. The Roast of Tom Bradywas broadcast live and unedited, ensuring an anything-might-happen evening of insults and comedy.
Where to stream: Netflix
Fire in the Sky (1993)
I recently went on a bender of movies where people are abducted by aliens, and Fire in the Sky is the best of them. Despite the mixed reviews from Rotten Tomatoes, this movie makes the most clichéd version of an alien kidnapping story terrifying by keeping everything as grounded and realistic as as possible, until main character Travis Walton takes a traumatic UFO ride (with probing). Then everything goes batshit. Fire in the Sky leans into the inscrutable, impossible-to-understand nature of aliens in a way I found deeply unsettling. The fact that everything in the movie can be fact-checked against real life (except the UFO trip, of course) makes it extra creepy.
Where to stream: Paramount+
Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
Picnic at Hanging Rock's director Peter Weir went on to make The Truman Show, but I prefer this film's mysterious vibe and slow burn. Set in the early 1900s, the picnic of the title is a Valentine's day excursion to Australia's Mt. Macedon undertaken by a group of students from a nearby girl's boarding school. While on the rock, something happens—it's not possible to say what, exactly—and only some of the party returns. Beautifully photographed and shot through with mystery, Picnic at Hanging Rock is must-watch.
Where to stream: Criterion Channel
Living with Leopards
I'm a sucker for nature documentaries, so I'm psyched for this made-in-the-UK movie that details the lives of a pair of leopard cubs, from birth to adulthood. Living with Leopards promises an up-close-and personal look at a the coming-of-age of some of the most majestic creatures on earth.
If you're looking for a new show to watch this week, streaming has you covered. Some of them are even worth your time! There's the "oh, my word!" scandal and romance of Bridgerton's third season, a brand new Doctor in a brand new season of Doctor Who, and the fascinating historical-thriller series The Big Cigar. Time to warm up the old couch and tell your eyes to get ready for a TV party.
Bridgerton, Season 3 — Part 1
Bridgerton, the romance series set among high-society ladies and gentlemen of Regency London, is going into its third season, and Netflix is dropping four episodes that tell the story of Colin (Luke Newton) and Penelope's (Nicola Coughlan) friends-to-lovers romance. Series regulars Claudia Jessie (Eloise Bridgerton), Luke Thompson (Benedict Bridgerton), Golda Rosheuvel (Queen Charlotte), and Adjoa Andoh (Lady Danbury) are returning, and there will be new faces too, including Daniel Francis as dashing gentleman Marcus Anderson and James Phoon as the rakish Harry Dankwort.
Where to stream: Netflix
Doctor Who, Season 14
The first four episodes of season 14 of British science fiction institution Doctor Who are available to stream on Disney+. The series has been around since 1963(!), but this is the first season to appear on Disney+, so it's a good place to jump in. The first couple episodes see the 15th Doctor—played by Ncuti Gatwa, who digs into the role with lighthearted panache—and his new companion Ruby Road (Millie Gibson) battling goblins, then whipping through time and space, from the dinosaur era to Regency London, before landing on a space station run by babies 20,000 years in the future. Regular Doctor Who stuff, is what I'm saying.
Where to stream: Disney+
The Big Cigar
The early 1970s was a wild time in America, and The Big Cigaraims to bring it to life. Apple TV+'s new series tells the of-the-chain true story of Black Panthers founder Huey P. Newton's escape to Cuba in the early 1970s. Wanted by the FBI, Newton (André Holland) teams up with Bert Schneider (Alessandro Nivola), the producer of The Monkees and Easy Rider, and together they hatch an audacious planto fake a movie as a smokescreen to smuggle Newton out of the country.
Where to stream: AppleTV+
Outer Range, Season 2
The set-up of Outer Range will seem familiar for fans of TV neo-Westerns: Josh Brolin plays Royal Abbot, a Wyoming rancher fighting to protect his land. But the series takes a wildly unexpected turn toward the supernatural when Abbot discovers a mysterious, perfectly round hole on the edge of his property, and otherworldly events begin occurring around the ranch. The first season of Outer Rangeleft a lot of unanswered questions. Let's hope season two's answers live up to the promise of the premise.
Where to stream: Prime
The Killing Kind
The Killing Kind began its life at Paramount+, where audience responded favorably, but the series was pulled from the service. Paramount's loss is Hulu's gain: This rollercoaster ride of a series tells the story of defense attorney Ingrid Lewis (Emma Appleton) who successfully defends John Webster (Colin Morgan) from stalking charges. When Webster shows up in her life a year later, he's either trying to keep her safe or hiding a murderous secret.
Where to stream: Hulu
Royal Rules of Ohio
Hulu’s Freeform platform is home to this reality show documenting the adventures of a family of African royals in Ohio. Sisters Brenda, Thelma, and Nana Agyekum are the daughters of royal descendants of two of the most wealthy and powerful Ghanaian kingdoms, so life in Columbus, Ohio is going to take some getting used to, especially if they’re going to stay true to the rules of royalty.
Where to stream: Hulu
Last week's picks
Pretty Little Liars: Summer School
The first season of the Pretty Little Liars reboot is a rare thing: A horror TV show that's actually good—so good, it was dubbed "one of the best horror TV shows of the past two decades" by the horror-freaks over at Bloody Disgusting. Season two, subtitled "Summer School," finds high schoolers Tabby, Noa, Imogen, Faran, and Mouse in class for the summer. The season of romance and fun they imagined is interrupted by a terrifying new villain: Bloody Rose, a mysterious knife-wielding murderer who gets off on testing their limits. Choose this if you like genre-bending horror.
Where to stream: Max
Black Twitter: A People’s History
Based on a Wired article by Jason Parham, Black Twitter: A People’s History is a three-part documentary series that details the people and memes that made Black Twitter such an influential and powerful force. Through interviews with W. Kamau Bell, Kid Fury, Jemele Hill, Roxane Gay, Raquel Willis, and many more, Black Twitter: A People’s History examines how Black people on social media shaped our politics and culture throughout Barack Obama’s election, the pandemic, Black Lives Matter, and beyond.
Where to stream: Hulu
Hollywood Con Queen
This three-part documentary series from Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Chris Smith (Tiger King, Fyre) details an extremely strange criminal operation that snared many LA movie industry hopefuls over the course of decades. The con: A criminal impersonated Hollywood executives and hired low-level entertainment industry professionals to work on movies. Victims then traveled to Indonesia only to find there was no job and no movie. Unlike most criminals, the mastermind here wasn't just trying to make money; they had other, more mysterious motivations.
Where to stream: AppleTV
The GOAT
Remember back around 2004, when reality television was everywhere and shows like The Surreal Life had washed-up celebrities live together to see what would happen? The GOAT feels like a throwback to those halcyon days. Hosted by Daniel (Tosh.0) Tosh, The GOAT features 14 "reality superstars" like CJ Franco from F Boy Island and The Bachelorette's Joseph Amabile living together in GOAT Manor and competing for $200,000 and the honor of being named the greatest reality star of all time.
Where to stream: Prime
Stupid Pet Tricks, Season 1
Sometimes, you just need to look at some cute animals. Sarah Silverman hosts this comedy-variety program featuring performing cats, dogs, camels, hamsters, foxes, and all manner of other smart animals doing stupid things. David Letterman originated the gag as a segment on his show back in the 1980s and lends a hand here as the executive producer of this piece of pleasantly brainless feel-good television.
A total solar eclipse in Aruba was streamed to millions of users of the World Wide Web in 1998, helping to start an ongoing era of viral videos of space and astronomy.
OpenAI, Google and Meta ignored corporate policies, altered their own rules and discussed skirting copyright law as they sought online information to train their newest artificial intelligence systems.
The $700 Ai Pin, funded by OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Microsoft, can be helpful — until it struggles with tasks like doing math and crafting sandwich recipes.
The company’s revenue was 15 percent higher compared with last year, and it solidified its standing as the entertainment company’s dominant streaming service.
For an hour each week for the past 11 months, Brenden Lake, right, a psychologist at New York University, with his wife Tammy Kwan, has been attaching a camera to their daughter Luna and recording things from her point of view.
For an hour each week for the past 11 months, Brenden Lake, right, a psychologist at New York University, with his wife Tammy Kwan, has been attaching a camera to their daughter Luna and recording things from her point of view.
Streaming services like Netflix and Peacock have already found multiple ways to aggravate paying subscribers this week.
The streaming industry has been heating up. As media giants rush to establish a successful video streaming business, they often make platform changes that test subscribers' patience and the value of streaming.
Below is a look at the most exasperating news from streaming services from this week. The scale of this article demonstrates how fast and frequently disappointing streaming news arises. Coincidentally, as we wrote this article, another price hike was announced.
The Steam Deck is a Linux computer. There is, technically, very little you cannot get running on it, given enough knowledge, time, and patience. That said, it's never a bad thing when someone has done all the work for you, leaving you to focus on what matters: sneaking game time on the couch.
GeForce Now, Nvidia's game-streaming service that uses your own PC gaming libraries, has made it easier for Steam Deck owners to get its service set up on their Deck. On the service's Download page, there is now a section for Gaming Handheld Devices. Most of the device links provide the service's Windows installer, since devices like the ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go run Windows. Some note that GeForce Now is already installed on devices like the Razer Edge and Logitech G Cloud.
But Steam Deck types are special. We get a Unix-style executable script, a folder with all the necessary Steam icon image assets, and a README.md file.
Remember when every movie you loved was on a VHS tape stored in a giant plastic clamshell? Our children will never know the struggle of prying one of those things open to watch their favorite Disney classics. On the other hand, thanks to streaming, you can still show them what made family movies in the '90s so great—without the hassle of a trip tp Blockbuster (and no need to rewind them either). Here are 13 family movies from the '90s that still hold up, from obscure animated gems to great book adaptations.
The Mighty Ducks (1992)
It's never too early to show your kids an inspirational sports movie. You probably already know the plot of this one (or could guess it if you've ever seen any other sports movies): A reluctant coach teaches the worst youth team in the league the power of teamwork, with an assist with a few good montages. What makes this movie different is that the team (which ended up inspiring an actual NHL franchise) expects just as much from their coach as he does of them, and rakes him over the coals when he doesn't come through.
Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental
Cats Don't Dance (1997)
Chances are you missed this colorful animated gem back in the day. Due to the merger between Time Warner and Turner Broadcasting, the studio's marketing department forgot about it, so it quickly came and went from theaters. But those who have seen it absolutely love it for the songs (penned by Randy Newman), animated choreography (developed by the late, great Gene Kelly), and a fun story about a cat named Danny who dreams of breaking into Hollywood.
Where to stream: Tubi, The Roku Channel, Digital rental
Babe: Pig in the City (1998)
You and your kids don't need to see the first Babe to appreciate its superior follow up (though you won't mind watching that one either). Using the vivid color palette and visual flair he more recently brought to Mad Max: Fury Road franchise, director George Miller builds a tough but dreamy metropolis that tests the optimism of its hero, a wee pig trying to save his farm from bankruptcy. While this factoid may not mean much to your kids, the film is a favorite of musician Tom Waits, making it much cooler than your typical kid's movie.
Where to stream: Starz, Digital rental
A Goofy Movie (1995)
The '90s had its share of pop stars, but none reached the heights that "Stand Out" singer Powerline did when he appeared in this movie spin-off of the television series Goof Troop. The film chronicles a road trip between the titular dad and his teenage son Max, and the inevitable hi-jinx that ensue. When you show this cult classic to your kids, you can tell them how Powerline inspired Justin Bieber to be a performer (not true).
Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental
Matilda (1996)
Much like today, the '90s were littered with Roald Dahl adaptations and reboots. There was James and the Giant Peach, The Witches, and this quirky little film about a young girl who uses her wits and psychic powers to get even with the sadistic adults around her. Director Danny Devito (who also plays Matilda's awful father) uses low camera angles to capture Matilda's literal point of view, a trick that makes the film visually relatable to its intended audience, who will appreciate some fantastic gags as Matilda plays tricks on her parents and attempts to keep one step ahead of her monstrous, bully of a school principal.If your kids love this one, the recent Netflix musical adaptation makes a nice chaser (though the plots differ slightly).
Where to stream: Digital rental
Life With Mikey (1993)
Michael J. Fox breaks the W.C. Fields' rule of never working "with children or animals" in this film about a former child star turned talent agent who tries to land his newest pint-sized client a job. Throw in some Broadway stars like Nathan Lane, Christine Baranski, Mandy Patinkin (in a cameo), plus a young (and kind of horny) David Krumholtz, and you've got the makings of a fun family comedy.
Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental
Mouse Hunt (1997)
Speaking of Nathan Lane, the actor's physical comedy chops were tested in this classic about a pair of brothers trying to flip their father's house to make a small fortune. There's only one problem: the tiny mouse who lives inside its walls won't leave, which leaves the duo no choice but to exterminate it by any means necessary. Think Home Alone with a rodent.
Where to stream: Prime Video, Paramount+, Fubo TV, MGM+, Digital rental
Fly Away Home (1996)
Before they were a couple in Noah Baumbach's The Squid and the Whale, Jeff Daniels and Anna Paquin played a father and daughter who build a goose-shaped glider so they can lead a flock of geese on their first migration south for the winter. Assuming your children aren't into mid-2000s art house films, the pairing of these two actors won't affect their enjoyment of this heartwarming, visually stunning film.
Where to stream: Digital rental
The Parent Trap (1998)
Yes, Nancy Meyers, the creative force behind nearly every romantic comedy you've loved since, well, the '90s, co-wrote and directed this remake of the Disney classic about a pair of twins (both played Lindsey Lohan, truly winning in her debut role) who scheme to reunite their divorced parents. While it borrows liberally from the 1961 original, this version is entirely its own thing, filled with humor that will satisfy adults and kids.
Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental
Casper (1995)
Finding a ghost story your kids will like without freaking them out is tough. But somehow, in the '90s, they got one right. Based on the beloved comic and cartoon, Casper focuses more on slapstick than scares, with a cute (and innocent) teenage love story thrown in: Christina Ricci plays a young teenager who moves into a dilapidated old house with her ghost hunter father, who is shocked to discover it is inhabited by real ghosts—including one who is very friendly.
Where to stream: Digital rental
The Sandlot (1993)
I know I already put one sports movie on this list, but if I had left this one off, I know it would have come up in the comments. On the off chance you're unfamiliar with this classic, the plot revolves around a group of neighborhood boys trying to retrieve a valuable signed Babe Ruth baseball from their neighbor's backyard, guarded by his huge, slobbery Mastiff. What makes it memorable are the vignettes spread throughout the film, each of which captures a genuine slice of childhood whimsy.
Where to stream: Disney+, Digital rental
Harriet the Spy (1996)
Before Mean Girls brought the concept of "burn books" into the cultural lexicon, there was Harriet the Spy. Based on the novel by Louise Fitzhugh, the movie follows grade schooler Harriet as she writes all her thoughts about her friends in her notebooks. But when one of her tomes is discovered by a classmate who shares all the secrets inside, her friends begin shutting her out. Though there is a clear moral to be learned from Harriet's shenanigans, it's a fun journey getting to it.
Where to stream: Hoopla, Paramount+, Fubo TV, Digital rental
Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
Since your children are probably not old enough to watch Clue or The Rocky Horror Picture Show, you can introduce them to the genius of Tim Curry with this wacky adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel concerning pirates and treasure. They won't be disappointed.
Tom Walker tries desperately, with halting success, to complete some very basic missions in Grand Theft Auto 4 while all the cars on the map lose their fucking minds. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. Come for the comedy car deaths, stay for the slow evolution of a "this is a horror stealth game" playstyle that makes it at all possible to make progress.
YouTube is always trying out new features for its users, which they call experiments. The latest experimental feature is called Jump Ahead, which uses AI to skip to the "best" part of a YouTube video for you.
The new feature works in conjunction with the double tap feature already available in the YouTube app on Android or iOS, which lets you hop forward in a video in 10-second increments until you've reached the portion that interests you.
The Jump Ahead feature analyzes that user watch data and couples it with machine learning algorithms to automatically detect what it believes is the next "best" point in a video that a viewer may be interested in. It then offers a prompt to take you to that point via an onscreen Jump Ahead button.
YouTube says the Jump Ahead feature works for creators when watching their own videos, even if they aren't currently subscribed to YouTube Premium. For the rest of us, Jump Ahead is currently being tested with YouTube Premium subscribers in the U.S. (It was previously available to a small group of Premium subscribers to test.) In addition to a YouTube Premium membership, you also need the Android version of the YouTube app. The feature is currently limited to English-language videos, so videos in other languages won't work at this time.
Previously, YouTube introduced similar functionality in the form of a graph integrated into a video's progress bar that shows you the "most replayed" parts of that video. Initially, the most replayed feature was similarly exclusive to YouTube Premium subscribers, so there's always a chance that, if proven popular and effective, Jump Ahead could become an all-access option in the future. There's no word as to when the feature will roll out more widely, but the experiment supposedly ends on June 1, so we will see what YouTube decides to do at that time. Last year, the company also tested, then removed, then reintroduced the option to watch any video in double speed by pressing and holding on the video player from within the YouTube app.
Amazon Prime Video subscribers will see new types of advertisements this broadcast year. Amazon announced today that it's adding new ad formats to its video streaming service, hoping to encourage people to interact with the ads and shop on Amazon.
In January, Prime Video streams included commercials unless subscribers paid $3 extra per month. That has meant that watching stuff on Prime Video ad-free costs $12 per month or, if you're also a Prime subscriber, $18 per month.
New types of Prime Video ads
Amazon has heightened focus on streaming ads this year. Those who opted for Prime Video with commercials will soon see shoppable carousel ads, interactive pause ads, and interactive brand trivia ads, as Amazon calls them. Amazon said that advertisers could buy these new displays to be shown "across the vast majority of content on Prime Video, wherever it’s streamed." All the new ad formats allow a viewer to place advertised products in their Amazon cart.
The offering from Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery shows how rival companies are willing to work together to navigate an uncertain entertainment landscape.
A science video maker in China couldn’t find a good explanation for why hot and cold water sound different, so he did his own research and published it.
You can get a lifetime subscription to Curiosity Stream on sale for $179.97 right now (reg. $399) through May 12. Curiosity Stream is an Emmy Award–winning streaming service that focuses on documentaries, with thousands of HD series, shows, and documentary movies covering science, art, history, and more. You can also download content to be watched offline. Additional content is continuously added, and with a 4.7/5 star rating on the App Store you can expect that this well-loved streaming service will be a welcome change of pace from your usual scrolling.
This subscription is only available to new users and works on an unlimited number of devices. Compatible devices include Android 5, Android TV, iOS 11 and up, Apple TV 3rd gen, Chromecast, and select gaming consoles.
You can get a lifetime subscription to Curiosity Stream's standard plan on sale for $179.97 right now (reg. $399) until May 12 at 11:59 p.m. PT, though prices can change at any time.
Sometime this summer, US customers will be able to buy a subscription to Max, Disney+, and Hulu together for a discounted price. The Wednesday announcement from respective owners Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and Disney comes as the streaming industry combats a competitive subscription marketplace burdened by constant cancellations.
WBD and Disney didn't provide a specific release date for the package but said that people will be able to buy it from "any of the three streaming platform’s websites offered as both an ad-supported and ad-free plan.”
The companies didn't confirm a price, but the bundle should be cheaper than all three services combined, which would start at $47.97 per month for no ads and $25.97/month with ads.
The ever-rising price of “premium” streaming services and the recent announcement of PBS Retro (a 24/7 streaming channel of “golden age” public television) has me asking what else is out there. It turns out there are a lot of free (ad-supported, anyway) streaming channels you can watch on free (ad-supported, again) streaming services. It's in the “wild west” stage right now: There are thousands of channels to choose from that range from “who would watch this?” streams like Party Tyme Karaoke that broadcasts random karaoke tracks, to some really interesting streams, particularly if you have specific tastes. Below are the 10 best (or at least most interesting) free streaming channels I’ve come across that you might not know you can watch now, for nothing.
Pluto TV Spotlight
Credit: Pluto TV
Pluto TV Spotlight features a never-ending stream of movies you’ve probably already seen, and that you are probably fairly fond of. Right now, for instance, it’s streaming The Truman Show, followed by Almost Famous, then Stand By Me, a triple-feature that's perfect background TV for folding the laundry.
Where to stream: Pluto TV
SNL Vault
Credit: Xumo
The SNL Vault proves you can enjoy sketch comedy even when it’s not Saturday night. The stream presents hand-picked, individual sketches from SNL’s many seasons instead of whole episodes, so you won't have to sit through many duds.
Where to stream: Roku, Xumo
Universal Monsters
Credit: Roku
If you like Frankenstein, the Mummy, and Dracula, as well as their second-tier associates, Universal Monsters will feed you a steady stream of monsters all day and all night. The 24/7 schedule ensures that lesser-known Universal fright flicks like Daughter of Dracula and The Mad Ghoul get some love too.
Where to stream: Freevee, Xumo, Pluto TV
Bon Appétit
Credit: Xumo
If you like TV that makes you hungry or you just want some ideas for dinner tonight, check out Bon Appétit’s streaming channel. It’s all food, all the time, from the culinary OGs at Bon Appétit.
Where to stream: Xumo, Roku,
Car Chase
Credit: Pluto TV
Like thename says, Car Chase features news footage from car chases, and only news footage from car chases. Nothing can beat the excitement of catching a fast-paced chase as it happens, but this is a close second.
Where so stream: Pluto TV
Baby Shark TV
Credit: Pluto TV
I’m not suggesting you would enjoy watching Baby Shark TV, but if you’re a parent with a small one, I won’t judge you for plopping your kid in front of this channel to take a quick shower or sneak a cigarette. It’s like toddler-tranquilizer.
Where to stream: Pluto TV
Night Flight
In the 1980s, Night Flight was an avant-garde late night cable mash-up of edgy rock n’ roll, pulp movies, comedy, fine art, and anything else that was not boring. Its streaming incarnation is a nostalgia trip about remembering that old shit, but it’s still pretty cool, at least to aging hipsters.
Where to stream: Pluto, Xumo
Degrassi
Credit: Amazon
If you think it’s weird to see Drake not in a wheelchair, Degrassi is the streaming channel is for you. It shows episode after episode of the very-Canadian teen drama series. Sadly, this channel only shows Degrassi: The Next Generation, instead of including Degrassi Junior High from the 80s or The Kids on Degrassi Street from the 70s.
Where to stream: Freevee, Pluto TV, Roku, Tubi
Pluto Christmas
Credit: Pluto TV
If it’s Christmas all year in your heart, Pluto’s Christmas channel will shove holly in your face all day, even in the middle of July. It’s populated by those formulaic, made-for-a-nickel Christmas rom-coms; so If that’s your comfort watch, you can get as much as you like right here, year round.
Where to stream: Pluto TV
Vevo’s music channels
Music-video-hosting company Vevo pumps out a ton of music streaming channels like Vevo Pop, Vevo '80s, Vevo Hip-Hop, Vevo Country, Vevo '90s, and more that show videos from their respective genre or decade. Pick your favorite (mine is True School Hip Hop) and clean your house.
Where to stream: Roku, Sling Freestream, Freevee, Plex, Pluto
The 2000s, in some ways, feel, culturally, neither here nor there: They don’t have the strong neon vibe we associate with the 1980s, and lack the grunge appeal of the ‘90s. There’s plenty to appreciate, however, in movies over the decade that was bookended by blockbusters: Lord of the Rings in the early years, and Iron Man, Dark Knight, and Avatar at the end. None of those feel particularly cookie-cutter in the way that their successors would often be, and, in the middle years, there were many successful movies of the kind they don’t really make anymore: mid-budget movies with personal, rather than galactic, stakes, that still managed to do brisk business at the box office. It was a decade on the cusp of our mega-blockbuster era, and that tension between the indie-loving ‘90s and the present kept things interesting.
What are some of your favorites?
Ghost World (2001)
Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) face high school graduation, and a crush on Steve Buscemi, in Terry Zwigoff’s indie dark comedy.
Where to stream: Prime Video, Tubi, MGM+, The Roku Channel
Dreamgirls (2006)
The cast here is incredible: Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, and Beyoncé, just for starters. Even more incredible are the absolutely electric musical numbers, including, and especially, “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.”
Where to stream: Paramount+
Almost Famous (2000)
Cameron Crowe’s ‘70s-era comedy/drama about a young music journalist going on the road with a major band is a funny, touching crowd pleaser that’s not afraid to veer off in some unexpected and idiosyncratic directions. Hold me closer, tiny dancer.
Where to stream: Paramount+
The Incredibles (2004)
This Pixar triumph hit before the superhero movie wave really crested, and is all the better for it. If only they were all this good.
Where to stream: Disney+
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Ang Lee’s cowboy drama has a big heart and a minimal understanding of the mechanics of gay male sex, while also deserving far better than its fate as an Oscar also-ran to the inferior Crash.
Where to stream: Starz
Love & Basketball (2000)
Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps play next-door neighbors who, over the course of several years, struggle with their growing attraction to each other, even while their basketball ambitions pull them apart. Off-the-charts chemistry here.
Only the real ones knew what to do with Jennifer’s Body in 2009, and the film took a long time to become the cult classic it was probably always destined to be. Here, popular teenager Jennifer (Megan Fox) is turned into a succubus by abusive men, gleefully killing boys around school to the general horror of her friend, Needy (Amanda Seyfried).
Given the movie’s impressive longevity, it’s tempting to call Mean Girls a cult classic—except that it made boatloads of money back in the day, as well. When Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) gets accepted into the cool clique at her public school, she quickly realizes that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
Where to stream: Paramount+, MGM+
Barbershop (2002)
Everything from sex, to relationships, to O.J. and civil rights is on the agenda in this comedy/drama, and the cast of lively and entertaining characters make it a fun place to spend time.
Where to stream: Max
American Splendor (2003)
Starring greats Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis as underground comic creators Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner, Splendor is a stylish portrait of a couple of everyday people who also happen to be great American artists.
Where to stream: Max
The Departed (2006)
Martin Scorsese’s remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs finds Leonardo DiCaprio going undercover in a crime organization, while Matt Damon infiltrates the police. It’s all very twisty-turny, and provides a last, great performance from Jack Nicholson (barring a surprise un-retirement).
Or you could watch the Hong Kong original from directors Andrew Lau and Alan Mak—a smart, emotional crime thriller in its own right.
Where to stream: Max, The Criterion Channel
Casino Royale (2006)
Daniel Craig’s first Bond outing is one of the series’ very best, introducing a leaner, meaner 007 in the first formal adaptation of the very first Ian Fleming book.
There’s genuine heat here between Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader—but also a sense of humor that makes the passionate intensity of their relationship that much more titilating.
Where to stream: Tubi, Freevee, Plex
The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Proving there’s still a place for traditional animation at Disney, the gorgeously animated film set in New Orleans of the 1920s introduced Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) to the pantheon of Disney princesses.
Where to stream: Disney+
Y Tu Mamá También (2001)
Two teenage boys set out on an impromptu road trip with the slightly older (and married) woman on whom they both have a crush. Alfonso Cuarón’s film is a sweet, funny, and sad coming-of-age movie.
Where to stream: IFC Unlimited via Apple TV
Brown Sugar (2002)
Brown Sugar finds Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan as friends, and sometimes rivals, in the music industry who very gradually come to recognize their mutual attraction.
Where to stream: Starz
Rec (2007)
This Spanish import is top-tier found footage, involving a group of firefighters on an emergency call who wind up trapped inside a building at the center of a creeping zombie infection. That limited, specific geography is key to the movie's brisk, efficient, and nerve-jangling effectiveness.
The filmmakers behind Shrek turned the Disney formula on its ear by blending some slightly crass, but very funny humor with a genuinely heartfelt story about self-acceptance. In the process, they won the inaugural Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and the movie picked up an Adapted Screenplay nomination—the first ever for an animated film. Not bad for a gassy ogre. Plus: The movie opens with a montage set to Smash Mouth, and it doesn't get more 2000s than that.
Where to stream: Netflix
Legally Blonde (2001)
Reese Witherspoon was charming and funny enough here as unlikely law student Elle Woods that it birthed a franchise that continues over two decades later. The fun here is that Elle only looks like a stereotypical dumb sorority girl...all she lacks is the confidence to show everyone how smart she is. Once you've seen the sequels, the reboot, the TV movie, the musical, and the reality show, c'mon back here to the still-superior original.
Where to stream: Max
How High (2001)
Pals Method Man and Redman get some help from their dead friend after smoking his ashes, acing their college entrance exams and winding up at Harvard. A goofy stoner classic.
Where to stream: Prime Video
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)
In plenty of other stoner-type comedies, Indian- and Korean-Americans are most likely to show up as secondary characters and broad stereotypes—here they’re in the lead. It doesn’t hurt that the movie is pretty damn funny.
A bona fide horror cult classic, Session 9 stars David Caruso as part of an asbestos abatement crew working at abandoned mental asylum. The location is appropriately creepy, but the movie is ultimately a psychological mind-bender, with the experiences of the work crew beginning to parallel those of former patients.
Bruce Campbell plays an aged Elvis Presley alongside Ossie Davis’ John F. Kennedy in a nursing home plagued by an ancient Egyptian mummy. For that offbeat premise, the movie can be surprisingly moving.
Where to stream: Tubi, MGM+
Eating Out (2004)
The kick-off to a series, this one’s a convoluted, Three’s Company-esque series of mix-ups involving gay guys pretending to be straight and straight guys pretending to be gay, with the right amount of dorky charm and nudity that this kind of movie needs to succeed.
Where to stream: Tubi, Here TV
Marie Antoinette (2006)
Sofia Coppolla's candy-colored historical drama is positively loaded with willful anachronisms—all of which serve to erase the distance between us and the story of France's clever, tragic queen (Kirsten Dunst).
Yeah, it's a monster movie—but, in Cloverfield, we got something unique. There are plenty of low-budget, scrappy found footage-style movies; this is a big budget spectacular, and a very effective one at that.
Where to stream: Max
Unbreakable (2000)
M. Night Shyamalan's take on superheroes was seen as a slightly disappointing follow-up to the director's breakthrough with The Sixth Sense. Time, though, has been kind to the distinct and deliberately paced story of a man (Bruce Willis) who discovers that he's nearly indestructible following a train crash. Samuel L. Jackson is fabulous as his extremely brittle counterpart.
Diablo Cody won an Academy Award for her screenwriting debut in this sweet and quirky story about a very independent-minded teenager dealing with an unplanned pregnancy and the various ways in which it complicates her life. Elliot Page stars, with Michael Cera, Allison Janney, and J. K. Simmons are among the pretty flawless cast.
Where to stream: Hulu
The Descent (2006)
Getting lost in those caves is scary enough, even before we discover that we're not alone down there. The ultimate in spelunking horror.
Where to stream: Prime Video
Gladiator (2000)
Ridley Scott's sword-and-sandals revival didn't spark a new flourishing of the genre, but it did make a ton of money and win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. And inspire a two-decades-later sequel.
Where to stream: Paramount+, Apple TV+, AMC+
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
The Clint Eastwood-directed boxing picture felt like a throwback, even in 2004, but a good old-fashioned boxing drama is always welcome, especially as they've become more rare. The movie won four Academy Awards, including for lead Hilary Swank.
This Barbershop spin-off follows widowed hairstylist Gina Norris starting over in Atlanta with her daughter, and opening her own shop when a job doesn't pan out. Queen Latifah is as delightful as ever, and is joined by a great cast including Alfre Woodard, Della Reese, Alicia Silverstone, Andie MacDowell, Kevin Bacon, and Djimon Hounsou.
Where to stream: Max
Pitch Black (2000)
The resulting franchise gets weird very quickly, but the first Riddick movie is a smart, and very effective sci-fi horror story. A prisoner transport goes down on a desolate planet full of creatures that feed after dark. And an eclipse is coming. Fortunately for the survivors, convict Vin Diesel also works better with the lights out.
Where to stream: Peacock
Ray (2004)
Jamie Foxx gives a memorable performance (and won an Oscar) in this biopic covering three-or-so decades in the life of legendary musician Ray Charles.
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this memorable emo mind-bender about a troubled teenager who dodges disaster thanks to a bit of sleepwalking. An instant cult classic, it's the movie all the cool kids were talking about back in the day.
Where to stream: Tubi, Shudder, AMC+, The Roku Channel
Training Day (2001)
Director Antoine Fuqua and company crafted a tense, brutal crime drama that won Denzel Washington his single Best Actor Oscar. Is it his best performance? Probably not, but he's memorably over-the-top as thoroughly corrupt cop Alonzo Harris.
The sweetest, most charming movie about the romance between a man and his life-like love doll that you're likely to encounter.
Where to stream: Tubi, MGM+, The Roku Channel
Waitress (2007)
Before catching another performance of the popular musical adaptation, revisit the source material starring Keri Russell as a small-town diner waitress with a secret pregnancy and an obnoxious husband. An affair with town doctor Nathan Fillion might be just the thing.
Where to stream: Hulu, Starz
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
A fascinating cultural artifact, Napoleon Dynamite was a legit pop sensation for a year or two, and there wasn’t a soul on the planet who didn’t have a take on Jon Heder’s memorable line delivery. All that aside, it’s a cute, funny, and sometimes surprisingly astute take on high-school awkwardness.
Where to stream: Hulu
Spider-Man (2002)
In an era when superhero movies were mercifully fewer and far(ther) between, Sam Raimi’s inaugural Spider-film felt like a revelation: a fast-paced, enjoyably quirky story of a nerd who becomes a hero. Its 2004 sequel was even better.
Where to stream: Disney+, Fubo, FX Now
American Psycho (2000)
With an over-the-top satirical style, director and co-writer Mary Harron came to mock and bury misogyny, not to praise it. And yet still some audiences came away thinking that Christian Bale’s Patrick Bateman was a cool guy.
Where to stream: Peacock
Super Troopers (2001)
A movie of patchwork scenes that somehow birthed not only a bevy of in-jokes but a couple of decades worth of sequels and side-quels (Super Troopers 2, Beerfest, Club Dread, The Slammin’ Salmon, etc.).
Where to stream: Starz
Cinderella Man (2005)
Teamed with Russell Crowe, director Ron Howard was at his crowd-pleasing best with this film inspired by real-life Cinderella Man, James J. Braddock.
Where to stream: Starz
Mulholland Drive (2001)
This love/hate letter to Hollywood has come to be (justly) regarded as one of director David Lynch’s best, and most oddly crowd-pleasing, works: an L.A. noir about murder and obsession and a blue box that’s very significant of, well, something or other.
Where to stream: The Criterion Channel
Lost in Translation (2003)
A declining American movie star in the midst of a midlife crisis and a young grad student facing a similarly uncertain future meet while staying at an upscale hotel in Tokyo. The movie that cemented director Sofia Coppola’s spot in the filmmaker pantheon.
Where to stream: Max
Drumline (2002)
A classic comedy-drama set in the high-stakes world of college marching bands, starring Nick Cannon as a guy with more talent than social skills.
Where to stream: Starz
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
A movie musical about a gender-queer punk rocker with a title referring to the results of a botched gender affirmation procedure, the movie has a huge heart and a score that genuinely rocks.
Where to stream: The Criterion Channel
The Great Debaters (2007)
Set in 1930 and directed by, and starring, Denzel Washington, this genuinely engaging drama brings inspirational-sports-movie tropes to the more unlikely theme of college debate societies.
Where to stream: Freevee
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
It’s not necessarily Spielberg’s best-loved film, but this sweet and poignant story of a robot boy (Haley Joel Osment) searching for a family at the end of the world is as heartbreaking as it is humane.
Where to stream: Paramount+, Prime Video
Whale Rider (2002)
Pai is a 12-year-old Māori girl and the direct descendant of their tribe’s traditional notable ancestor, the Whale Rider—except that, traditionally, women can’t lead. Star Keisha Castle-Hughes became the youngest nominee for a Best Actress Oscar for her open, genuine performance.
Where to stream: Starz
Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
Josie gained an audience over time because of its goofy charm, but also because it came to feel increasingly more relevant in its satirizing of the crass commercialization of mass entertainment.
High school is awkward as hell, and Superbad is another classic of the genre: a movie about two nerds (Michael Cera and Jonah Hill), each looking to have sex before graduation, but with a surprising amount of heart.
Where to stream: Fubo, USA
Star Trek (2009)
J.J. Abrams’ kinda-reboot brought a blockbuster budget to Trek, giving the then-sleeping franchise the kick in the pants it needed to fly into the 21st century.
Where to stream: Paramount+
Children of Men (2006)
Alfonso Cuarón’s dystopian thriller is a truly great high-concept science fiction film, and offers up as depressingly prescient a vision of the near future as we’ve seen. Still: it’s beautiful, exciting, and often moving.
Where to stream: Starz
High Tension (2003)
A slasher movie that kicked the “New French Extremity” genre into high gear, this one doesn’t feel like a cliche. It’s brutal, tense, and uncompromising—even if it doesn’t always make perfect sense.
Where to stream: Tubi, Freevee, The Roku Channel
District 9 (2009)
With parallels to South African apartheid, writer/director Neill Blomkamp crafted the kind of smart, pointed sci-fi film that studios think audiences don’t care for—except that District 9 was a blockbuster, earning many times its budget at the box office.
Where to stream: AMC+
Spirited Away (2001)
After her parents are turned into pigs by the witch Yubaba, 10-year-old Chihiro takes a job working in her bathhouse with the hope of finding a way to free them. This might be my favorite Hayao Miyazaki movie, but I say that a lot.
Where to stream: Max
Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)
Tyler Perry (who wrote and starred in this one, but didn’t direct) introduced the street-smart Madea, brought over from his stage plays featuring the character. The box office hit kicked off a franchise that’s still going strong.
People like to neg James Cameron’s film (right before buying tickets), but he’s the only director operating at this budget point who can make exactly the movie he wants. There’s something very cool about that, whether you love the finished product or not.
In an ironic twist, cable TV and Internet provider Comcast has announced that it, too, will sell a bundle of video-streaming services for a discounted price. The announcement comes as Comcast has been rapidly losing cable TV subscribers to streaming services and seeks to bring the same type of bundling that originally drew people away from cable to streaming.
Starting on an unspecified date this month, the bundle, called Streamsaver, will offer Peacock, which Comcast owns, Apple TV+, and Netflix to people who subscribe to Comcast's cable TV and/or broadband. Comcast already offers Netflix or Apple TV+ as add-ons to its cable TV, but Streamsaver expands Comcast's streaming-related bundling efforts.
Comcast didn't say how much the streaming bundle would cost, but CEO Brian Roberts said that it will “come at a vastly reduced price to anything in the market today" when announcing the bundle on Tuesday at MoffettNathanson’s 2024 Media, Internet and Communications Conference in New York, per Variety. If we factor in Peacock's upcoming price hike, subscribing to Apple TV+, Netflix, and Peacock separately would cost $39.47 per month without ads, or $24.97/month with ads.
Football joins pro wrestling and comedy specials in an expansion of the streaming service’s live offerings, a key step in the company’s overall live TV strategy.
Two voice actors say an A.I. company created clones of their voices without their permission. Now they’re suing. The company denies it did anything wrong.
The island democracy was early to ban TikTok on government phones, and the ruling party refuses to use it. But a U.S.-style ban is not under consideration.
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