STREAM ON: The Best Movies and TV to Watch This Weekend

Welcome to Stream On, the weekly newsletter from Consequence that attempts to help you answer that eternally confounding question: What films and TV shows should you be watching?

We're looking at all the new and recent releases scattered across Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video, Paramount+, Peacock, Max and more for recommendation ideas — not to mention a Blast From the Past and customized recommendations for one lucky Stream On reader!

NOTE: Y'all were so sweet with your notes last week! So once again, if you reply to this email, you will be replying directly to me — because I remain very interested in receiving your feedback. Thank you again for reading!

- Liz Shannon Miller, Senior Entertainment Editor

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Directed by: Daniel Goldhaber
Cast: Ariela Barer, Kristine Froseth, Lukas Gage, Forrest Goodluck, Sasha Lane, Jayme Lawson, Marcus Scribner, Jake Weary, Irene Bedard
Streaming on: Hulu

This is one of the best movies of the year, and The Man probably doesn't want you to watch it — but damn The Man, be sure to check out this incredibly compelling tale of a group of young activists who, well... the title's not exactly a metaphor. Great performances and a smart use of non-chronological storytelling all contribute to a must-see experience that may make you wonder what sort of (non-explosive?) change you might be able to create in the world.

Created by: Eiichiro Oda
Cast: Iñaki Godoy, Mackenyu, Emily Rudd, Jacob Romero Gibson, Taz Skylar, Vincent Regan, Morgan Davies
Streaming on: Netflix

The ghost of Cowboy Bebop haunts the release of Netflix's next effort to adapt a beloved anime property as a live-action series. Fortunately, just based on the reviews (including my own), the vibe is a lot more positive around One Piece, a pirate adventure that gets stranger as it goes, but features enough in the way of intriguing characters and a joyful spirit to make it worth checking out.

Created by: Dan Goor, Luke Del Tredici
Cast: Craig Robinson, Claudia O'Doherty, Rell Battle, Scott MacArthur, Stephanie Nogueras
Streaming on: Peacock

I'm not fully caught up with this comedy about economic uncertainty and snake murder, which just released its second season last week. But I have watched enough to say that it's a lot of fun. Craig Robinson stars as a divorced dad looking for his cut of the American Dream — and finds it in the swamps of Florida, with some help from a go-getting drifter (Claudia O'Doherty).

Directed by: Tyler Measom
Streaming on: Paramount+

This three-part series on the rise and fall of hair metal covers the broad strokes of the genre's history. But it really sings by spotlighting artists who enjoyed a decent amount of fame "back in the day"... and have now found themselves moving onto other pursuits, but with a lot of great stories about their time as full-on rock stars. "Being a rock star is fucking amazing," Kip Winger tells the camera at the beginning of Episode 2, with no small amount of nostalgia in his voice. But there's life after rock and roll, it turns out.

Directed by: Kenny Ortega
Cast: Christian Bale, Bill Pullman, Ann-Margret, Robert Duvall
Streaming on: Disney+

For those of us here in the United States, it's Labor Day this weekend. Also, with no deal in place yet between the AMPTP and the actor and writer guilds, Hot Strike Summer is now shifting into Hot Strike Fall (the Los Angeles heat won't ease up on WGA and SAG picketers until mid-October, most likely). So, for a rousing reminder of why unions matter, let's enjoy the commercially unsuccessful but incredibly winning original musical. The dancing is great, the story inspiring, and Christian Bale sings!

Ask Liz What to Watch!

Every person has different tastes and more importantly — different streaming services. So each week, Stream On will be offering tailored recommendations for individual subscribers! To request your own personalized film and TV picks, just fill out this Google form.

This Week: Lane!

Streaming Services: Netflix, Showtime

Recent Favorites: The Good Fight, 1923, Shameless

Lane, I really appreciate you not just mentioning your recent favorites, but also adding a comment that you're into "historical dramas, thrillers, true crimes, and documentaries" — that gives me a lot to work with across your two streaming services!

First off, thinking along the lines of The Good Fight — I'm going to make sure you've checked out Netflix's series adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer, as well as Extraordinary Attorney Woo, which feel relevant.

Checking the date of your submission, it precedes the streaming renaissance of USA Network's Suits, but I'm sure as a Netflix user you've now seen that long-running favorite featured on your home screen, and it might also be what you crave. A slightly deeper cut from that genre is USA Network's Fairly Legal, which is available free with ads on the Roku Channel and Vudu, and stars the always fun Sarah Shahi as a mediator working cases in San Francisco.

I really enjoyed the Jon Hamm-starring reboot Confess, Fletch (Showtime), which tonally has a lot in common with The Good Fight — and Robert and Michelle King, creators of The Good Fight, also executive produce Your Honor on Showtime, which features yet another incredible performance by Bryan Cranston and a lot of moral turpitude.

Ooooh, you know what's on Showtime? The Talented Mr. Ripley! Hell yes to that movie, as well as past Blast From the Past pick Witness and the Coen brothers' wonderful remake of True Grit. Plus, there's Escape at Dannemora, Ben Stiller's chilly yet fascinating limited series about a real-life infamous prison break, featuring Patricia Arquette, Benicio del Toro, and Paul Dano. Don't forget, too, that as a Showtime subscriber you now have access to Paramount+, and shows like So Help Me Todd and Why Women Kill may also be what you seek.

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.