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: Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror director Linus O’Brien!
This Week’s Picks
Rivals Season 2 (TV)
Rivals (Hulu)
Directed by: Elliot Hegarty, Dee Koppang O’Leary, Alexandra Brodski
Cast: Alex Hassell, Nafessa Williams, Bella Maclean, Katherine Parkinson, Danny Dyer, Victoria Smurfit, Oliver Chris, Emily Atack, Rufus Jones, Lisa McGrillis, Claire Rushbrook, Aidan Turner, David Tennant
Streaming on: Hulu
It’s kind of a relief, as a David Tennant fan, for the second season of Rivals to premiere the same week as the final installment of a less successful David Tennant series. However, it’s not Tennant’s fault that Good Omens “Season 3” is pretty disappointing, and god he’s glorious in this ultra-trashy (and sexy!) soap opera set in 1980s England, as two rival TV networks vie for dominance. Rivals was pure pleasure in its first season, and the first few episodes of Season 2 know how to keep a good thing going. This is not a serious show, but it knows it in the best ways. And who the hell wants serious, when the alternative is a gleefully evil Tennant scheming against his enemies, before literally blowing a kiss at the camera?
Families Like Ours (TV)
Families Like Ours (Netflix)
Directed by: Thomas Vinterberg
Cast: Amaryllis August, Albert Rudbeck Lindhardt, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Paprika Steen, Helene Reingaard Neumann, Esben Smed, Magnus Millang
Streaming on: Netflix
Okay, in case you do want something serious, here you go! I don’t know how often people check out the actual shows and movies picked by a Stream On special guest, but as I said last week, when director Karyn Kusama recommended this Danish Netflix series, I sat down to watch it as soon as I could. The premise is technically speculative fiction: What if Denmark decided that, due to the inescapable effects of climate change, it was time to shut down the entire country and relocate the entire population? Acclaimed director Thomas Vinterberg (The Celebration, Another Round) does an amazing job of exploring this question in a grounded way, one that doesn’t avoid the existential dread of the narrative, but lets hope live in its characters.
Off Campus (TV)
Off Campus (Prime Video)
Created by: Louisa Levy
Cast: Ella Bright, Belmont Cameli, Mika Abdalla, Stephen Thomas Kalyn, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Antonio Cipriano, Josh Heuston, Steve Howey
Streaming on: Prime Video
Thanks to its origins as a romance novel series and the many hockey-playing bros featured in it, Off Campus does inspire some comparisons to Heated Rivalry — though its LGBTQ+ representation is so far reserved to one non-binary character and a gay BFF so cliched I felt like I was back in the year 2003. Despite that, man did this show capture the addictive power of a trope-filled love story, with no shortage of sexy bits to boot.
To be completely honest, all of my extracurricular viewing this week has been spent preparing for the adventures of a certain bounty hunter and his smol son (which is to say, I’ve been rewatching The Mandalorian). But I cannot wait to finish the season and find out what happens after aspiring songwriter Hannah (Ella Bright) agrees to a fake relationship with hockey team captain Garrett (Belmont Cameli). Hannah and Garrett are only the beginning, though — Off Campus is taking an approach similar to Bridgerton in adapting Elle Kennedy’s books, with the plan being that each season will focus on a new couple’s story while continuing to expand the world. It’s a cool way to come at this kind of adaptation, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it evolves.
Splitsville (Film)
Splitsville (NEON)
Directed by: Michael Angelo Covino
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Adria Arjona, Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin, Nicholas Braun, David Castañeda, O-T Fagbenle
Streaming on: Disney+, Hulu, Kanopy
There’s a lot of charm in this indie dramedy, which focuses on two couples whose relationships become entwined after one couple decides to divorce and the other reveals that they’re in an open marriage. Going into detail about what results would ruin a great deal of the fun, but Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin (who co-wrote and star in the movie, with Covino directing) do a nice job of exploring modern-day romance issues in a way that manages to stay light and sweet. Plus, both Adria Arjona and Dakota Johnson have rarely been better.
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.
Batman Beyond (TV)
Batman Beyond (The WB)
Created by: Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett
Cast: Will Friedle, Kevin Conroy, Cree Summer, Lauren Tom, Frank Welker, Stockard Channing, Angie Harmon
Streaming on: HBO Max
This week, director Matt Reeves began flooding social media with casting updates for the long-awaited The Batman Part II, making this a fine occasion to look back at this more-forgotten-than-it-should-be animated series from 1999. Batman Beyond is a fantastic spinoff of Batman: The Animated Series, featuring the wonderful Kevin Conroy as an elderly Bruce Wayne, who gave up trying to be Batman in the year 2019. Twenty years later, a snarky teenager stumbles across Bruce and his Bat-cave, and ends up taking on the long-retired mantle. The futuristic setting really brings something new to the familiar characters, and the animation is gorgeous, featuring some deliberate anime influences. Also, it’s not streaming right now, but the feature-length Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is a dark and twisted favorite. If you can, track down the unrated version.
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: Linus O’Brien!
Linus O’Brien, photo by Robby Klein/Getty Images, and Station Eleven (HBO Max)
Who Are They? Filmmaker Linus O’Brien is uniquely suited to tell the story of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, because he’s the son of Richard O’Brien, who created the original stage show and of course wrote and starred in the resulting film. His new film, Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror, sits down with many of the film’s key members (including Richard, Tim Curry, and Susan Sarandon) to explore the history of the cult phenomenon, with additional insight from folks like Jack Black and Trixie Mattel.
What Do They Recommend? Linus has picked a show that I know is a beloved favorite of everyone who felt capable of watching it during an actual pandemic:
My recommendation would be the eye-opening and deeply emotional Station Eleven (HBO Max). It is best not knowing anything about this incredible limited series. The subject matter might be difficult for people to watch, but everything about this show is wonderful to behold, and the ending left me in tears of joy. 10/10.
Thank you so much to Linus for this pick! For more information on Strange Journey, check out the film’s official Instagram account. The movie will be available on VOD beginning June 9th!
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!
Slip (TV)
Slip (The Roku Channel)
Created by: Zoe Lister-Jones
Cast: Zoe Lister-Jones, Charlene McNabb, Emily Hampshire, Whitmer Thomas, Tymika Tafari, Amar Chadha-Patel, Sofia Galasso
Streaming on: Peacock
I first recommended Slip in this newsletter back in 2023, when it premiered on The Roku Channel — now it’s available on Peacock, because streaming services love to pass some titles around. That doesn’t change how fun and sexy Slip is: Zoe Lister-Jones created and stars in this multiversal series, about a young woman who slips into a different reality every time she orgasms. Sometimes the new universe is an improvement, sometimes very much not. Each time, though, she learns something new about herself.
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!
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