5 must-watch movies & TV shows streaming right now

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, Peacock, Paramount+, 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-watch list here.

New Streaming Movies

“Rushmore”

A film director shooting a commercial isn’t usually headline news. But not every director is Wes Anderson, who lent his considerable talents to fancy pen company Montblanc for their newest advert. Coincidentally, on the day the commercial was released, several of Anderson’s most popular films were added to the Hulu library, including one of his earliest works, 1998’s “Rushmore.” Eccentric boarding school student Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman, “The Darjeeling Limited”) and his adult friend Herman Blume (Bill Murray, “Groundhog Day”) find themselves at odds when they are attracted to the same woman (Olivia Williams, “The Sixth Sense”), forcing the pals into a strange and bitter feud. If “Rushmore” isn’t your speed, other Anderson films added to Hulu earlier this week include “The Darjeeling Limited,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,” and “The Royal Tenenbaums.”

How to watch: “Rushmore” is streaming on Hulu.

“Stop Making Sense”

Late last year, A24 got new wave fans back in theaters with a 40th anniversary release of Jonathan Demme’s “Stop Making Sense,” widely considered to be one of the greatest concert films of all time. Demme’s film features footage of The Talking Heads and enigmatic lead singer David Byrne shot over four nights, capturing his penchant for theatrics and the palpable energy the group brought to the stage each night. The newly restored A24 version is now streaming on Max, and also features never-before-seen footage.

How to watch: “Stop Making Sense” is streaming on Max.

New Streaming TV Shows

“Baby Reindeer”

Before you Google it, the story of “Baby Reindeer,” gripping in its verisimilitude, is indeed based on a real-life experience that showrunner and star Richard Gadd had with a stalker. But Gadd is asking wannabe sleuths not to dig into figuring out who the real “Martha” is, which fits with the show’s ethos. The show, about a broke comedian (Gadd) and the mentally ill woman (Jessica Gunning) who won’t leave him alone, is no “Dateline” special. It’s a nuanced look at harassment, toxic relationships, and how broken people find and enable each other.

How to watch: “Baby Reindeer” is streaming on Netflix.

“Hacks”

With a bevy of Emmys and Golden Globes under its belt, “Hacks” is firing on all cylinders in its third season. For those who haven’t caught up, the comedy co-created by Milton native Jen Statsky (along with Lucia Aniello and Paul Downs) is about the relationship between a past-her-prime stand-up comic named Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) who teams up with Ava (Hannah Einbinder), a young comedy writer whose sensibilities tend to rub people the wrong way. At the start of Season 3, Deborah’s career is riding high thanks to Ava’s jokes, but the relationship between the two is strained — and, at certain points, pretty much broken. Smart continues to be an absolute joy, while fans of Downs from “Broad City” will be happy to see the comedian back again as Deborah’s hilarious agent.

How to watch: “Hacks” Season 3 is streaming on Max, with new episodes airing on HBO on Thursdays.

“Welcome to Wrexham” Season 3

With their purchase of struggling Welsh soccer club Wrexham A.F.C. in 2020, Ryan Reynolds and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” star Rob McElhenney have created a perpetual triumphant sports moment machine. The club’s meteoric rise from the lowest rungs of the English football hierarchy has turned more Americans on to soccer than ever thanks to “Welcome to Wrexham,” the FX documentary series chronicling the duo’s takeover of the club and the long-suffering residents of the tiny UK town that have supported the footballers through thick and thin. Close followers of English football will know exactly what happens on the pitch during Season 3. But the behind-the-scenes drama and the heartfelt stories of Wrexham’s residents will make “Welcome to Wrexham” a worthwhile watch for fans and non-fans alike.

How to watch: “Welcome to Wrexham” Season 3 is streaming on Hulu, with new episodes airing Thursdays on FX.