5 Movies and TV Shows You Must Watch Right Now

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The best of what’s new on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney Plus and more.

Welcome to Boston.com weekly streaming guide. Every week, we recommend five must-see movies and TV shows available on streaming platforms like Netflix, hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, hbo maxand more.

Many recommendations are for new shows, while others are for hidden releases you might have missed or classics that are about to leave a streaming service at the end of the month.

Do you have a new favorite movie or show that you think we should check out? Let us know in the comments, or email [email protected] Looking for even more great streaming options? Check out previous editions of our Must-have list here.

Films

“Emily the Criminal”

With skyrocketing interest rates, wages that aren’t even close to keeping up with inflation, and galling income inequality, legions of Americans in their 20s and 30s can’t help but feel completely trapped in the death spiral of capitalism. late from the United States. That’s the struggle articulated onscreen by Aubrey Plaza (“Parks and Recreation”) in “Emily the Criminal,” a thriller about a debt-ridden wage worker who resorts to petty theft to make ends meet, only to lose her mind. It’s a confident debut film from director John Patton Ford, and Plaza is the usual brilliant me of it.

How to watch: “Emily the Criminal” is streaming on Netflix.

“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”

I hope you skipped Disney’s recent “Pinocchio” remake, because the one really worth watching debuts on Netflix this weekend. Guillermo del Toro’s “The Pinocchio” is so named not only as a marketing ploy, but also because the director’s version of “The Shape of Water” of the classic fairy tale is entirely his own. There are still plenty of familiar elements, from a talking cricket (not named Jiminy though) to dodgy villains who misdirect Pinocchio. But co-director Mark Gustafson’s stop-motion visuals feel as if Geppetto himself had handcrafted them, and the intriguing undercurrent of fascism makes the film a relevant adult watch as well.

How to watch: “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” is streaming on Netflix.

“Lady Chatterley’s Lover”

We usually try to avoid over-representing a streaming platform on any weekend watch list, but Netflix has been on a roll this month: the streaming giant’s recent string of hits is rounded out with this adaptation of the DH Lawrence’s novel, which is up to the task. the torrid legacy of the book. Emma Corrin (“The Crown”) stars as the leading lady, trapped in her mansion and a passionless marriage to a husband paralyzed during the war. When she meets game ranger Oliver (Jack O’Connell, “Skins”), the process intensifies. Nearly a century after “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” was published, Netflix has finally released the definitive big-screen adaptation, one that captures every twist and turn of the illicit story.

How to watch: Lady Chatterley’s lover is streaming on Netflix.

TV

“Little America”

Cambridge native and Academy Award-winning director Siân Heder (“CODA”) returns with another season of her witty series “Little America” on Apple TV+. Inspired by true stories published in Vox Media’s Epic magazine about first-generation American immigrants chasing their dreams, “Little America” ​​bounces across the country to showcase performances by Phylicia Rashad (“The Cosby Show”), Alan S. Kim (“Minari”), and more. The show’s ability to immerse viewers in an unknown world and uncover the common tensions of humanity is on display again in Season 2, and it’s a joy to watch.

How to watch: Season 2 of “Little America” ​​is streaming on Apple TV+.

“Wednesday”

Fans of the classic “Addams Family” cartoon or 1960s TV show may be a bit surprised by the new directions taken by “Wednesday,” Netflix’s contemporary adaptation. Starring Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, the show combines the sensibility of a CW teen soap opera with the gothic vibe of the creations of Charles Addams. Fortunately, Netflix enlisted Tim Burton, who produces the show, directs four of the episodes, and clearly inspired many of the show’s stunning visuals. Like the Burton-produced “Nightmare Before Christmas” for millennials, “Wednesday” should be a treat for a new generation of rebellious tweens, and offers a bit of fun for adults with a soft spot for the macabre.

How to watch: “Wednesday” is streaming on Netflix.