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, Apple TV, Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock, Paramount+, and more.

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For even more great streaming options, check out previous editions of our must-watch list here.

New Movies Streaming

‘Backrooms’ (2026)

One of two runaway horror hits from this summer (alongside “Obsession”), director Kane Parsons’ big-screen continuation of his creepy YouTube series lacks some of the original’s DIY charm. But the movie, about two people (Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve) exploring endless liminal spaces accessed via a dilapidated furniture store, still has plenty of frights.

How to watch: “Backrooms” is streaming on HBO Max.

‘Jackass: Best and Last’

Johnny Knoxville and the gang return for one final fling at the big screen. Featuring all-new stunts and stupidity along with the greatest hits and biggest laughs from the past, jackass: best and last is a joyously raucous celebration of all the mischievous camaraderie that you’ve come to love and expect from these idiots over the past 25 years. So, grab your dumb little buddies, raise your glasses, and come experience the cinematic event that promises to be the last time you’ll ever laugh this hard in a theatre.

How to watch: “Jackass: Best and Last” is streaming on Paramount+.

‘Toy Story 5’ (1976)

As I wrote in my review earlier this year, Pixar’s newest offers a fresh (and refreshingly nuanced) take on the scourge of screens mesmerizing children and adults alike without losing focus on what makes the company’s oldest franchise great. Conan O’Brien, as a talking toilet training toy, is a notable highlight.

How to watch: “Toy Story 5” is streaming on Disney+.

More new movies streaming: “Go Deep: The DeSean Jackson Story” (Prime Video); “The Love Hypothesis” (Prime Video); “Stop! That! Train!” (Netflix); “Unabomber” (Netflix)

New TV Shows Streaming

‘Youth’

In what feels like a spiritual successor to Sharon Horgan’s “Pulling” (about a 20-something who leaves her fiancé the day before their wedding) and “Catastrophe” (where Horgan and Rob Delaney’s one-night stand yields a child), “Youth” is the story of a woman (Horgan) discovering what life will bring her as a divorcee and empty nester newly in her 50s. Horgan has a wickedly honest sense of humor, and watching her bed himbos while dealing with a litany of age-specific issues — perimenopause, arthritis, her son (Aran Murphy) returning from college only a week after she dropped him off — is a delight.

How to watch: “Youth” is streaming on HBO Max.

‘Party Down’ Seasons 1-3

Created by Rob Thomas (“Veronica Mars”) and Paul Rudd, “Party Down” was criminally underwatched both during its original run in 2009 and 2010 and during its return in 2023. The show, which follows an LA catering company staffed by struggling actors, writers and comedians waiting for their big break, proved prophetic in a way; cast members like Jane Lynch landed roles on bigger shows in real life (“Glee), which resulted in Thomas and Rudd hiring replacements like Jennifer Coolidge and Megan Mullaly. Now that all three seasons have been newly added to Netflix, the Starz comedy may finally find the sizable audience it deserves.

How to watch: “Party Down” Seasons 1-3 are streaming on Netflix.

More new TV shows streaming: “4 Blocks Zero” (HBO Max); “Brothers” (Apple TV); “A Different World” (Netflix); “American Horror Story” Season 13 (Hulu); “JAŸ-Z In 8” (HBO Max); “Wonka’s The Golden Ticket” (Netflix)