Welcome to Boston.com’s weekly streaming guide. Each week, we recommend five must-watch movies and TV shows available on streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, HBO Max, and more.
Many recommendations are for new shows, while others are for under-the-radar releases you might have missed or classics that are about to depart a streaming service at the end of the month.
Have a new favorite movie or show you think we should know about? Let us know in the comments, or email [email protected] . Looking for even more great streaming options? Check out previous editions of our must-see list here.
Chris Evans’ turn as iconic Pixar hero Buzz Lightyear didn’t go to infinity and beyond in terms of box office numbers, but it’s an entertaining adventure that will satisfy the whole family. Playing the human Buzz Lightyear that the toy is based on, the film follows the space ranger to distant planet T’Kani Prime, where one year of time spent on its surface equals one minute on Earth. Amidst the time-bending mission, Buzz discovers that his nemesis Emperor Zurg has invaded T’Kani Prime, and it’s up to Lightyear to save the planet.
How to watch: “Lightyear” is streaming on Disney Plus.
It’s a shock that 20th Century Studios decided to let this latest edition of the Predator franchise skip theaters and debut directly on Hulu, given that it’s probably the best film in the series since the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger original. Set in the Comanche Nation in 1719, “Prey” follows Naru, a fierce young woman who wants to prove to her tribe that she’s a worthy hunter. Before long, she realizes that the prey she’s been stalking isn’t from this planet, and the hunter becomes the hunted. Bonus trivia for Boston-area viewers: Lexington native Dane DiLiegro, who spent the past decade as a professional basketball player overseas, is the man in the Predator suit.
How to watch: “Prey” is streaming on Hulu.
Sure, it’s a little weird to recommend a game show that has aired more than 8,000 episodes since its 1964 debut, especially at a moment when “Jeopardy!” is airing repeats during its summer hiatus. But puzzle aficionados now have a new way to watch both “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune” 24 hours a day thanks to an exclusive deal with the Paramount-owned Pluto TV, a free, ad-supported streaming provider. Navigating the Pluto TV app is similar to the traditional Cable TV experience, with more than 250 channels of material to choose from. That may seem overwhelming, but you can easily search for programming and add favorite channels, including a station that airs seasons 1 through 33 of the Trebek-era “Jeopardy!” all day. If you prefer to watch on your laptop or mobile device, you can choose precisely which episode you want to watch on demand. What is trivia nerd heaven, Alex?
How to watch: Seasons 1 through 33 of “Jeopardy!” are streaming on Pluto TV.
It’s been nearly 30 years since Mike Judge’s supremely stupid animated comedy first debuted on MTV, giving viewers a (slightly) exaggerated look at the male teenage id through the world’s least sophisticated cultural critics, Beavis and Butt-Head. Following on the heels of a standalone movie released in June, Judge (“King of the Hill,” “Office Space”) has contemporized the show while remaining true to its roots, with the teenagers mocking YouTube videos instead of the MTV music video fodder of the past. Most importantly, the show’s humor remains sublimely stupid, proof that even during a time of great cultural upheaval, the humor of teenage boys is evergreen.
How to watch: “Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-Head” is streaming on Paramount Plus.
Given that Aug. 9 is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, it’s probably no accident that only days before “Prey” made its debut, Hulu released the second season of “Reservation Dogs,” another critically acclaimed project that tells an Indigenous North American story and features primarily Native and First Nation talent. The series has deepened its focus in Season 2, moving beyond its four protagonists and zooming out to tell stories of the whole community of Indigenous people living in rural Oklahoma. Like many FX shows, “Reservation Dogs” can be at any moment in time gut-bustingly funny, tear-jerkingly sad, and deeply profound, all of which make viewers care deeply about every single cast member and their daily lives.
How to watch: “Reservation Dogs” is streaming on Hulu, with new episodes added every Wednesday.
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