Stream On This Week: A Fantastic Time Travel Flick, a James Bond Riff, and Some Mindblowing Color Theories

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: Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice director BenDavid Grabinski!

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This Week’s Picks

Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice (Film)

Directed by: BenDavid Grabinski
Cast: Vince Vaughn, James Marsden, Eiza González, Keith David, Jimmy Tatro, Emily Hampshire, Arturo Castro, Lewis Tan, Ben Schwartz, Stephen Root
Streaming on: Hulu

This genre-bending comedy from writer/director BenDavid Grabinski’s got everything: Time travel, James Marsden, two Vince Vaughns, a mobf boss played by Keith David, a singing Ben Schwartz, and way more Gilmore Girls discussion than you’re probably expecting. Yet it also has a strong emotional core, as that aforementioned time travel becomes a way for two men and the woman between them (Eiza González) to confront their individual regrets. The jokes are great, the plot swerves in some fascinating ways, and the action is solid. Overall, a very good time.

Color Theories by Julio Torres (Film)

Directed by: Julio Torres
Cast: Julio Torres
Streaming on: HBO Max

No one sees life quite like comedian Julio Torres does. Thankfully, he has a wonderful talent for drawing us into his singular worldview. The writer/star of Problemista and Fantasmas (not to mention the writer behind classic SNL sketches like “Papyrus” and “Wells for Boys”) also directs this filmed version of his stage show that explores color as a way of understanding… Well, everything. Hilarious, surreal, and even enlightening, you’ll never look at navy blue the same way again.

Bait (TV)

Created by: Riz Ahmed
Cast: Riz Ahmed, Guz Khan, Aasiya Shah, Sheeba Chaddha, Sajid Hasan, Ritu Arya, Weruche Opia
Streaming on: Prime Video

Bait begins with struggling actor Shah Latif (Riz Ahmed) getting the audition of a lifetime — the chance to be the new James Bond. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go the way he hopes, but the ensuing media attention catapults him into a complex journey through today’s modern media landscape. Riz Ahmed’s been a solid lead for years, and as both star and creator, he draws funny and wild moments out of the material.

Honorable mention also for Prime Video’s Pretty Lethal, a delightfully demented action romp in which five classically trained ballerinas have to use their skills to survive a Hungarian mob. (My mom danced in a local production of The Nutcracker for decades, and I’m very excited for her to watch it.)

For All Mankind Season 5 (TV)

Created by: Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, Ben Nedivi
Cast: Joel Kinnaman, Toby Kebbell, Edi Gathegi, Cynthy Wu, Coral Peña, Wrenn Schmidt, Mireille Enos, Costa Ronin, Sean Kaufman, Ruby Cruz, Ines Asserson
Streaming on: Apple TV

As For All Mankind fans know, the first episode of a new season is always a dizzying experience, as we catch up with a decade’s worth of new history before leaping back into the lives of these characters. As Season 5 dawns, the alternate reality sci-fi series feels even more sci-fi than ever, as the Mars colony established in Season 4 blossoms into a real community and political turmoil between the nations on Earth increases. Also, yes, the show’s erstwhile Ed Baldwin is now in his 80s, with Joel Kinnaman having a fantastic time embracing the character’s Grandpa Simpson era. We now know that Season 5 will be the penultimate season of the series, and based on the premiere we’re in for a wild ride.

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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.

A League of Their Own (Film)

Directed by: Penny Marshall
Cast: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty, Jon Lovitz, David Strathairn, Garry Marshall, Bill Pullman
Streaming on: Peacock, Tubi

Sometimes, I look at the Blast From the Past section not as an opportunity to celebrate an obscure favorite but as a chance to inform y’all as to where a true classic might be streaming. (And remind you that it’s worth watching.) In celebration of the return of baseball, why not revisit one of the all-time great sports movies, chronicling the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League born during World War II? A League of Their Own holds up so well to this day, and after you watch, please do check out one of my proudest accomplishments to date as a journalist: An interview with DeLisa Chinn-Tyler, the Black woman who threw the baseball back.

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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: BenDavid Grabinski!

Who Are They? That’s right, the director of the above-mentioned Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice! BenDavid’s other credits include the indie dark comedy Happily, the recent Are You Afraid of the Dark? reboot, and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, the Netflix anime spinoff of the beloved indie comic series, which I actually interviewed him about back in 2023. I’ve also really enjoyed his appearances on podcasts like Blank Check!

What Do They Recommend? As you might expect from a guy who packs as many pop culture references into his work as he does, BenDavid has an exciting collection of picks:

The Last Drive-in With Joe Bob Briggs (Shudder): They just announced that the show has come to an end so I want to encourage everyone to check it out while episodes are still on the service. Joe Bob is the best movie host of all time and the show warms my heart.

Summer House (Peacock): I just started watching this and I’m hooked. This shit is insane.

Gilmore Girls (Hulu, Netflix): If you see my movie this will make sense.

The Lowdown (Hulu): Maybe the best show on TV right now. The closest I’ve seen something come to The Long Goodbye in another format. Bonus points for featuring my guy Rafael Casal.

Thank you so much to BenDavid for these recs! As mentioned, Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice is streaming now on Hulu.

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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!

Love (2016-2018, TV)

Created by: Judd Apatow, Lesley Arfin, Paul Rust
Cast: Gillian Jacobs, Paul Rust, Claudia O’Doherty, Mike Mitchell, Chris Witaske
Streaming on: Netflix

There are shows with better — or at least more distinctive — titles in the world, but Love represented an interesting evolution on the Apatow romantic comedy formula, focusing on two people with a ton of baggage yet an undeniable attraction. It’s maybe not for everyone (there’s some real cringe comedy here), but Paul Rust and Gillian Jacobs have a flinty, off-kilter chemistry that makes the love story between Mickey and Gus a true roller coaster, yet a compelling one. Also, it’s a deeply LA show, featuring tons of Eastside locations, an equivalent to the legendary Oakwood Apartments, and (in Season 3) an extended tribute to the Waterworld Stunt Spectacular at Universal Studios Hollywood.

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 as well!