What’s Popular On Streaming Now

Every single week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.

10. Abigail (Universal Pictures movie on VOD & Amazon Prime)

Formerly known as the mysterious Untitled Monster Movie from Universal Pictures with a final Angus Cloud performance, this plainly-titled film packs a visceral punch. The story revolves around idiot criminals kidnapping the daughter of an underworld kingpin, and unfortunately for these dumbasses, she ends up being a vampire, and of course, Giancarlo Esposito is there to make everything feel even more ominous. His character locks the group inside, where they must survive 24 hours at the hands of a bloodsucking monster, and yup, this sure looks planned, but at least Melissa Barerra is able to get her onscreen horror fix on after leaving the Scream franchise.

9. Dark Matter (Apple TV+ series)

Man, Apple TV+ loves those trippy shows. This series adapts Blake Crouch’s New York Times bestseller and stars Joel Egerton as a physicist/professor who gets kidnapped by an alternate reality. He works to make it home while encountering other alternate lives, and this isn’t nearly as fun for him as it might sound on paper. Jennifer Connelly co-stars, and she probably won’t enjoy it much either when Egerton’s character has to save his own family from the Villain Dad that he has apparently become. So stressful.

8. The Sympathizer (HBO series streaming on Max)

Seriously, is Robert Downey Jr. going for EGOT status? He recently won an Oscar and has already demolished the Golden Globes a few times. He will soon make his Broadway debut, and in this series, he embodies four roles: CIA operative, film director, congressman, and professor. The show is a riveting viewing experience about Vietnam War-era spy (Hoa Xuande), who encounters RDJ’s pivotal characters during this successful adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s same-named Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Emmy, perhaps?

7. Anyone But You (Sony Pictures Releasing film on Netflix)

Sydney Sweeney is gearing up to portray the “Female Rocky,” which gives her another arena to conquer after delivering a sleeper of a romcom with this modern take on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. As a producer, Sweeney also helped stoke the flames of rumors about herself and Glen Powell, and her intuition about the film’s prospective audience has helped ensure certain longevity for her career. Glen’s not doing so bad, either! Watching both of their careers hit new highs is a rare joy for the love ’em and leave ’em industry of Hollywood.

6. Love Lies Bleeding (A24 film on VOD & Amazon Prime)

Rose Glass (Saint Maud) directed this project, for which Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian bonded over cat pee before production began. Kristen is Lou, a gym manager, and Katy is Jackie, a ripped-as-hell bodybuilder, and their romance gets sidetracked then they are sucked into the town’s criminal underworld due to Lou’s father (Ed Harris, who has seen far better non-hair days). Expect murder, mayhem, and tons of hair, baby.

5. Unfrosted (Netflix film)

Jerry Seinfeld might never have another hit show about nothing like Seinfeld again, but even though this film has somewhat divided audiences, people still cannot resist checking in how the former sitcom king has done with his directorial debut. The story is silly as hell, but this film does not aspire to be a masterpiece. Instead, it travels back to the 1960s Pop-Tart birth, where that still-overrated breakfast-snack food first had its heyday. Look for Hugh Grant, Bill Burr, Maria Bakalova, Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer, and Seinfeld himself before the credits roll on this absurdity.

4. Hacks (Max series)

The season began with high tension between the central duo, but do not forget the most important part: that Tom Cruise Christmas cake. Next up? Deborah Vance will be roasted in an event that will be nearly as legendary as the comedienne herself. The season hasn’t yet revealed the sexy Christina Hendricks episode, but there’s already been enough heat for Ava. Get ready for even more for both ladies, physically with other people, and mentally… with each other. Also, it’s lovely to see them back in the non-lovely Las Vegas, here’s to hoping for more of this.

3. Fallout (Amazon Prime series)

Walton Goggins didn’t exactly enjoy his initial prep for being The Ghoul, but he loosened up, as did the prosthetics routine, and this contributed to video-game adaptation magic. Ella Purnell is also the newly crowned Queen of the Video Game Show, and good news is on the horizon for everybody involved. Amazon put this into fast-track mode for a second season, so get ready for more noseless Goggins. He truly is everywhere these days, even in Thailand!

2. The Idea Of You (Prime Video/Amazon movie)

The masses cannot help but be charmed by Anne Hathaway portraying a cool Coachella mom who ends up attracting the affections of a 24-year-old pop star (Nicholas Galitzine), who is definitely not Harry Styles. The May-December story joins the several adaptations of same-named novels (in this case, by author Robinne Lee) that are crossing into the TV medium with great success. And fortunately for audiences, the romantic attraction in this film is sizzling.

1. Baby Reindeer (Netflix series)

Nearly a month after streaming release, the momentum continues for Richard Gadd’s stunning dramatization of his real-life trauma spiral. Audiences remain transfixed by how Gadd, as “Donny,” has laid his own experiences on the table in this adaptation of his one-man show that won’t be leaving your brain. The limited series appears to be as destined for award recognition as it has been for followup controversy, but the creator and star isn’t taking it easy in the shadow of his own success. Instead, he’s already leaping head first into his next project while viewers stay obsessed in a true-crime way with what he’s done here.