must-watch streaming – A weekly mix of must-watch movies and TV shows, including Spielberg sci-fi favorites on Peacock and new British comedy-drama on Hulu—plus a planet-spanning docuseries on Peacock.
For a lot of people, finding something good to watch can feel like a second job. This week, the shortcut is simple: hit play on a sci-fi triple that still delivers wonder, then settle in for a streaming debut built around a family betrayal that lands with both bite and tenderness.
This is Boston.com’s weekly streaming guide, rounding up five must-watch movies and TV shows available on services including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock, Paramount+, and more.
On the movie side, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977) is streaming on Peacock. Steven Spielberg’s first foray into the genre mixes an alien tale with a story about the filmmaking process. Once you’ve seen “The Fabelmans. ” the blue-collar worker who becomes an obsessive. turning away from family and friends in the pursuit of the perfect piece of art—whether it’s a model of Devils Tower or a feature film—lands differently.
If you’re in the mood for dread with momentum, “Minority Report” (2002) is a hard reset on the streaming doomscroll. It’s streaming on Paramount+ and Pluto TV. The premise—Philip K. Dick’s “pre-cogs. ” drug-addled orphans used as supercomputers by police to prevent crimes before they happen—pairs with Tom Cruise’s motion-forward performance. In “Minority Report,” everybody runs.
And then there’s the pure, bone-shaking adrenaline of “Jurassic Park” (1993), streaming on Peacock. Despite all the leaps in film technology over the last three decades. the sight of the T-Rex—and the roar that comes with it—still hits with the same awe it did back in 1993. “Jaws” may still take the top spot for Spielberg’s best, but “Jurassic Park” sits right behind it.
If you want more new movies streaming this week, the list adds “I Am Frankelda” (Netflix), “Lorne” (Peacock), and “They Will Kill You” (HBO Max).
On TV, “Alice & Steve” brings a British comedy-drama to U.S. screens on Hulu. Nicola Walker stars as a woman who feels betrayed when her best friend of 30+ years—played by Jemaine Clement of “Flight of the Conchords”—starts dating her 26-year-old daughter. The show’s risqué setup and battle-of-wills energy is there. but the surprising part is how much heart and tenderness it carries.
For something expansive and earthbound in a different way, “Surviving Earth” is streaming on Peacock. This eight-part docuseries looks at each of the planet’s major eras and extinction events across 450 million years. Some creatures—like the dinosaurs—didn’t make it. but you also meet animals whose ancestors are still with us today.
More new TV shows streaming this week include “Every Year After” Season 1 (Prime Video), “Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butthead” Season 3 (Paramount+), and “My Adventures with Superman” Season 3 (HBO Max).
streaming guide Netflix Hulu HBO Max Disney+ Peacock Paramount+ Prime Video Apple TV Jurassic Park Minority Report Close Encounters of the Third Kind Alice & Steve Surviving Earth