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!
This Week’s Picks
The Long Walk (Film)
The Long Walk (Lionsgate)
Directed by: Francis Lawrence
Cast: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Roman Griffin Davis, Jordan Gonzalez, Josh Hamilton, Judy Greer, Mark Hamill
Streaming on: HBO Max
Related Video
First, an editorial note: Since its name change in 2025, astute readers of this newsletter may have noticed that I typically italicize the HBO in HBO Max, mostly because it amused me. However, it’s now been a full year since the name change went into effect, and I have thus decided to retire the bit going forward. Congratulations to HBO Max — I’m sure that between this and receiving the most Emmy nominations of any platform this year, me no longer italicizing the HBO is the higher honor.
Anyways, The Long Walk isn’t a joyful watch, considering it’s based on the dystopian Stephen King novel and directed by dystopia auteur Francis Lawrence (who made this movie literally in between Hunger Games prequels, which leads me to ask is Francis Lawrence okay?!?). However, it’s a really solid adaptation, and this is one of those ensembles that consists almost entirely of breakout stars like Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, and Ben Wang. Oh, plus there’s a young man named Mark Hamill who I think has a real career ahead of him. A little grim, but compelling for many reasons, including what it has to say about today’s world.
The Five Star Weekend (TV)
The Five Star Weekend (Peacock)
Developed by: Bekah Brunstetter
Cast: Jennifer Garner, D’Arcy Carden, Gemma Chan, Regina Hall, Chloë Sevigny, Harlow Jane, Timothy Olyphant
Streaming on: Peacock
What should you do after your husband dies in an unexpected accident? The Five Star Weekend’s answer: Invite your closest gal pals from different phases of your life for a three-day sleepover party. Jennifer Garner adds another female-led book adaptation to her IMDB with this limited series, which plays a bit like The Four Seasons but over a much more compressed period of time. Between the stacked cast, the aspirational details, and the backdrop of beautiful Nantucket in the summer, The Five Star Weekend probably won’t win any Emmys next year, but it makes for a pleasant enough vacation, especially for ladies over the age of 40 who will relate hard to some of the microdramas involved.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (Film)
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (Searchlight Pictures)
Directed by: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Cast: Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, David Cronenberg, Elijah Wood
Streaming on: Hulu
Ready or Not 2 wasn’t as well received as the first movie, but the Radio Silence team did still deliver a very entertaining and wild horror comedy, which features the poor blood-soaked bride from the first film (Samara Weaving) caught up yet again in a demonic game — this time, with her estranged sister (the hilarious Kathryn Newton) tagging along. This subgenre is really hard to pull off, but when it’s done right it’s so much fun. Shoutout in particular to the camp delights of Sarah Michelle Gellar and Elijah Wood really going for it.
Little House on the Prairie (TV)
Little House on the Prairie (Netflix)
Developed by: Rebecca Sonnenshine
Cast: Alice Halsey, Luke Bracey, Crosby Fitzgerald, Skywalker Hughes, Jocko Sims, Warren Christie, Wren Zhawenim Gotts, Meegwun Fairbrother, Alyssa Wapanatâhk
Streaming on: Netflix
Indoor kids of a certain generation spent a lot of time with Laura Ingalls Wilder’s classic tales about growing up on the frontier (whether via the original books or the 1980s TV show). Now, a new generation gets confronted with the harsh realities of that time, as seen through the eyes of a family hoping to build themselves a new home. There are a lot of modern touches to this adaptation to appreciate, like the acknowledgement that when Americans were pushing forward into the midwest in the 1800s, they were doing so on Native land. Plus, the leads are very well cast, especially Luke Bracey and Crosby Fitzgerald as parents who realize they might be in over their heads with this whole “go west” endeavor.
[A mild spoiler for anyone concerned about animal peril: The show opens with an intense sequence that involves a dog in danger. But it all works out in the end.]
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.
The Prisoner (TV)
The Prisoner (ATV)
Created by: Patrick McGoohan
Cast: Patrick McGoohan, Angelo Muscat, Peter Swanwick, Denis Shaw, Fenella Fielding, a lot of Number Twos
Streaming on: The Criterion Channel, Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Kanopy, Pluto TV, Tubi
The Criterion Channel just added The Prisoner to its lineup, making this a fine occasion to celebrate perhaps one of the most groundbreaking TV shows of all time, a surreal trip that has influenced countless storytellers over the decades. (At the very least, there are a few Simpsons jokes you’ll finally get after watching.) Patrick McGoohan stars as a secret agent who tries to leave the spy life behind, only to get trapped in a picture-perfect seaside Village whose residents are under strict control. “Who is Number One?” That’s the question that haunts the series — and everyone who’s ever seen it, even today.
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: Margaret Cho!
Margaret Cho, photo by Sergio Garcia and Tig Notaro: Boyish Girl Interrupted (HBO)
Who Are They? I’m reaching into the archives this week because I just saw the great, iconic Margaret Cho in Gregg Araki’s upcoming I Want Your Sex, which reminded me of this fantastic feature Consequence did with her last year, spotlighting her favorite comedy specials, one of which I’m calling out below. Margaret, in case you need the reminder, is one of our finest standup comedians and also a talented musician. I will never, ever forget the way she said “Was the stick successfully removed from your ass?” in Face/Off.
What Do They Recommend? Tig Notaro’s Boyish Girl Interrupted (HBO Max) was one of Margaret’s picks for the comedy specials list:
What I will do with Tig is I will walk up to her and I will tell her jokes to her and start laughing so hard that I can’t finish them. It’s so obnoxious, and she’s so deadpan, just listening — allowing me to be so ridiculous. That’s the worst fan behavior, when you come up to a comedian and tell them their material, and then you can’t even finish because you’re laughing. And I do that with Tig all the time.
There’s so much in [Boyish Girl Interrupted]. There’s so much depth. It’s not just comedy, it’s really life-affirming. She’s talking about cancer, she’s talking about what she’s going through, and there’s just so much there. This record is phenomenal.
Thank you again to Margaret for this pick. Fun fact — she’s great live, and she’s currently touring now!
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!
The Simpsons: “Simpsley” (TV)
The Simpsons: “Simpsley” (Disney+)
Written by: Cesar Mazariegos
Cast: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer
Streaming on: Disney+
So like a lot of people, I’ve gotten out of the habit of watching The Simpsons regularly, but I still like to check in from time to time on their more experimental ventures. This includes a series of three stand-alone Disney+ exclusive episodes, like this recently released riff on The Talented Mr. Ripley. (I confess I was not anticipating them to go so hard in satirizing not the Oscar-nominated Anthony Minghella film, but the Emmy-winning Netflix limited series starring Andrew Scott — hence the sumptuous black-and-white animation.) “Simpsley” goes a bit darker than you might expect, and while it’s not the show at the height of its powers, it’s a fun one-off for sure.
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!
