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: comedian Pete Holmes!
This Week’s Picks
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man (Film)
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man (Netflix)
Directed by: Tom Harper
Cast: Cillian Murphy, Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth, Sophie Rundle, Barry Keoghan, Stephen Graham
Streaming on: Netflix
#SixSeasonsAndAMovie! Apparently, if you went to see Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man in theaters a few weeks ago, Cillian Murphy popped up at the beginning to ask you not to share any spoilers from Tommy Shelby’s feature-length next chapter — all to save the surprise for its Netflix premiere. It was a fair note, because a lot of big stuff happens in The Immortal Man, set in 1940 and featuring Tommy versus a bunch of Nazis led by Tim Roth. Oh, and Barry Keoghan is Tommy’s (recast) grown-up son, who like many Keoghan characters seems largely to exist as a chaos agent. For Peaky Blinders fans, it’ll take a good chunk of time to get to the stuff you want, but trust me, once Murphy’s back in action, you’ll be glad you waited.
Rooster (TV)
Rooster (HBO)
Created by: Bill Lawrence, Matt Tarses
Cast: Steve Carell, Danielle Deadwyler, Phil Dunster, Charly Clive, Lauren Tsai, John C. McGinley
Streaming on: HBO Max
I’m not in love with the latest Bill Lawrence series, which stars Steve Carell as an author who crashes into a liberal arts campus after his daughter, a professor at the school, hits a rough marital patch. Mostly because, if I’m to be completely honest about this, the whole concept of Carell playing someone old enough to have an adult professor daughter is tough for me to swallow. (Just because it’s possible doesn’t mean I’m fully on board.) However, it’s a great cast of familiar favorites — plus new face Charly Clive, who matches her more famous co-stars well — and overall Rooster delivers a chill vibe, even despite the classic saying: “The politics of the university are so intense because the stakes are so low.”
Is This Thing On? (Film)
Is This Thing On? (Searchlight Pictures)
Directed by: Bradley Cooper
Cast: Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Andra Day, Bradley Cooper, Amy Sedaris, Sean Hayes, Christine Ebersole, Ciarán Hinds, Peyton Manning
Streaming on: Hulu
Bradley Cooper’s third film didn’t receive universal critical acclaim, I know, and unlike his first two films got totally snubbed at the Oscars. However, take that awards pressure off and it’s a nice little story about grown-up relationships and how hard they can be to navigate, with both Will Arnett and Laura Dern doing some incredible acting work. (Dern in particular has one scene that really knocked my socks off.) And it’s often quite funny! Does it accurately reflect the reality of trying to make it as a stand-up comedian in New York City? Absolutely not. Did I get teary at the end? Oh yes.
Imperfect Women (TV)
Imperfect Women (Apple TV)
Created by: Annie Weisman
Cast: Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington, Joel Kinnaman, Corey Stoll, Kate Mara
Streaming on: Apple TV
So I’m not fully on board with Apple TV’s latest based-on-a-novel-starring-a-bunch-of-acclaimed-actresses mystery series, I confess, despite of course being a big fan of all three acclaimed actresses at the center of it. However, I also confess that while only the first two episodes are streaming now, I watched ahead a bit thanks to screeners and Episode 3 ended on a moment that had me immediately lunging for the remote to watch Episode 4. Plus, Washington, Moss, and Mara are very good, and I appreciated both its heavy emphasis on L.A. locations and its willingness to let these ladies get very messy. It’s an earned title, for 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.
In & Out (Film)
In & Out (Paramount)
Directed by: Frank Oz
Cast: Kevin Kline, Joan Cusack, Matt Dillon, Debbie Reynolds, Wilford Brimley, Bob Newhart, Tom Selleck
Streaming on: Prime Video, Kanopy, Hoopla
With the Oscars now behind us, it’s a nice time to look back on this great ’90s comedy inspired by a real-life Academy Award acceptance speech (specifically, Tom Hanks calling out two former high school acquaintances as gay while receiving the Oscar for Philadelphia). Kevin Kline is in top form as the small-town teacher inadvertently outed by his former student (Matt Dillon), and Joan Cusack actually did get Oscar nominated for her performance as his would-be fiancée. It’s a movie deeply rooted in ’90s stereotypes about homosexuality, some of which haven’t aged well. But Paul Rudnick’s wonderfully witty script contains some real moments of grace, and the supporting cast is a delight.
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: Pete Holmes!
Pete Holmes, photo courtesy of 800 Pound Gorilla, and The Chair Company (HBO)
Who Are They? Pete Holmes’s signature niceness doesn’t keep him from being one of our great working stand-ups, which is really quite an achievement considering the inherent nature of stand-up. He’s released multiple specials over the years, hosted his own TBS talk show, and also starred in in the three-season HBO comedy series Crashing, based on his own life. His newest comedy special, Silly Silly Fun Boy, is now available on VOD via 800 Pound Gorilla, and will premiere on YouTube March 24th!
What Do They Recommend? Pete’s celebrating a fellow comedian with his pick:
I think great comedy has the ability to do something that almost no other genre can do, which is to influence how you talk with your friends and family on a day-to-day basis. It’s like the comedian’s voice is so unique and funny that you start talking like them, like you caught their cold. No comedian has done this to me and my loved ones more than Tim Robinson and The Chair Company (HBO Max) is my most heartfelt recommendation for your next binge. If you somehow missed it, I invite you to both soak in its sheer weirdness and hilarity as well as to start using phrases with your friends such as “this is an indoor wheelbarrow,” and “I know a guy who’s at his limit.” Too good.
Thanks so much to Pete for this pick, and everyone be sure to check out Silly Silly Fun Boy however you might choose to do so!
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!
Two People Exchanging Saliva (Short Film)
Directed by: Natalie Musteata, Alexandre Singh
Cast: Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Luàna Bajrami, Aurélie Boquien, Vicky Krieps
Streaming on: YouTube
As evidenced by delightful things like Amy Madigan winning an Academy Award for playing an overpainted witch, Oscars voters haven’t been afraid to get weird with their picks lately. That’s also echoed in this year’s co-winner for Live-Action Short Film: Two People Exchanging Saliva is a black-and-white French movie set in a strange dystopia where slaps to the face are currency and kissing is forbidden. Despite its absurdities, it still manages to be a haunting story about connection and repression, with some moments you’ll never forget.
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. We’ll update this post every Friday morning with the best to consider, and also be sure to subscribe to the newsletter as well!
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