The weekend is here! If you’re looking for something to watch, we can help. We’ve dug through Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max and Disney+ to find some of the best titles on each service. STREAMING ON NETFLIX ‘Moneyball’
It would seem impossible to craft an entertaining film adaptation of Michael Lewis’s dense nonfiction account of number-crunching in baseball — much less to make one as breezy and engaging as this one. But the screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin finds the proper balance of egghead theory and character development; Bennett Miller’s direction is fleet-footed without being lightweight; Brad Pitt’s restless charisma has rarely found a more appropriate showcase; and the supporting cast (including Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright and Chris Pratt) is, well, an all-star team. Read our review. These are the 50 best movies on Netflix.STREAMING ON NETFLIX ‘Beef’
In this anthology series, everyday conflicts — like a fleeting incident of road rage, or an uncomfortably overheated argument — blow up into full-fledged feuds. The “Beef” creator Lee Sung Jin sets a tone that blends dark comedy with social satire, exploring how the pressures of modern life can curdle into envy and frustration. With A-list casts that include the likes of Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan, the show reveals how people sometimes make unfair presumptions, leading to big problems. Our critic wrote, “What makes this one of the most invigorating, surprising and insightful debuts of the past year is how personally and culturally specific its study of anger is.” Here are 30 great TV shows on Netflix.STREAMING ON HULU ‘Gilmore Girls’
Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) had her daughter, Rory (Alexis Bledel), when she was only 16; now Rory is 16, and Lorelai will do whatever it takes to help her bookish daughter find success, even if that means reconnecting with her estranged parents (Kelly Bishop and Edward Hermann). This was the initial setup for Amy Sherman-Palladino’s beloved comedy-drama, which deftly explores the intergenerational dynamics of the Gilmore family as Rory comes of age. But it also created a delightful little world of its own in Lorelai and Rory’s hometown, Stars Hollow, a seemingly cozy little hamlet inhabited by enough weirdos and eccentrics to situate it somewhere near “Twin Peaks.” Combining snappy, witty dialogue, soapy romantic plots and charming characterizations, “Gilmore Girls” is comfort viewing of the highest order. Here are Hulu’s best movies and TV shows.STREAMING ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO ‘The Sheep Detectives’
As our critic Alissa Wilkinson noted, a certain kind of movie has all but gone extinct: “family-friendly, PG-rated movies” that were “intended for the whole family to watch.” This gentle, charming mystery-comedy is a fine demonstration of what we’ve lost. The director Kyle Balda and the screenwriter Craig Mazin (adapting the 2005 novel “Three Bags Full” by Leonie Swann) tell the story of George (Hugh Jackman), a kind shepherd who unexpectedly turns up dead. But every night at bedtime, he read murder mysteries to his flock (voiced by a boisterous supporting cast, led by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Bryan Cranston), who then help the seemingly clueless local constable (Nicholas Braun) solve his murder. As a premise, it sounds inane — “Babe” meets “Knives Out” — and perhaps it is. But the entire enterprise is undertaken with such good humor and quiet grace that it somehow plays. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll believe that sheep can solve crimes. Read our review. Here are a bunch of great movies on Amazon.STREAMING ON HBO MAX ‘Hell or High Water’
Before conquering television with “Yellowstone” and an array of successful neo-western series, Taylor Sheridan tapped into the zeitgeist with “Hell or High Water,” a crime thriller that doubles as a document of the 2008 recession. As two brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) tear through the economically ravaged towns of West Texas on a robbery spree, they consistently hit branches of the same bank that issued the reverse mortgage that’s brought the family ranch to foreclosure. Jeff Bridges does typically flavorful work as the grizzled yet quietly confident Texas Ranger on their tail. Jeannette Catsoulis called it “a parable of corporate exploitation and bleed-them-dry greed.” See more great movies streaming on HBO Max.STREAMING ON DISNEY+ ‘The Muppet Show’
Teased as a backdoor pilot for a full revival of the classic variety show, this one-off version of “The Muppet Show” successfully excavates the original formula, with swift segues between comedy sketches and musical numbers, and even an old-fashioned laugh track. The entire cast gets a fine showcase, like Gonzo attempting to do a crazy stunt while reciting the last names of Oscar winners for supporting actress, but the key to the special is the guest star Sabrina Carpenter, who has the versatility as a singer and comedian to tie the disparate segments together. It is no surprise that Carpenter runs afoul of the jealous diva Miss Piggy, but the fact that they look alike in their “blond wigs” raises the temperature to hilarious effect. The 50 best things to watch on Disney+ right now.
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