Stream On This Week: A Brain-Melting College Comedy and the Most Metal Movie of the Year (So Far)

Welcome to the latest issue of Stream On, the weekly newsletter from Consequence that answers the eternally confounding question: What films and TV shows should you be watching? (Subscribe here!) We’re looking at all the new and recent releases from Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video, Paramount+, Peacock, HBO Max, and more for ideas — not to mention a Blast From the Past and streaming recommendations from this week’s special guest: Secrets of the Bees bee expert Bertie Gregory!

This Week’s Picks

Pizza Movie (Film)

Directed by: Brian McElhaney, Nick Kocher
Cast: Gaten Matarazzo, Sean Giambrone, Lulu Wilson, Jack Martin, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Marcus Scribner, Caleb Hearon, Sarah Sherman, Justin Cooley, Daniel Radcliffe
Streaming on: Hulu

This delightfully demented reality-breaking comedy surprised me with its willingness to push its jokes to the best kinds of extremes, with several recurring bits pulling genuine belly laughs out of me. The essential premise boils down to roommates Jack (Gaten Matarazzo) and Montgomery (Sean Giambrone) trying a drug akin to HFS from 21 Jump Street the movie, with the ensuing chaos leading to a wild array of situations. We’ve got body-swapping, bizarre fantasies, an incredible voice cameo by Daniel Radcliffe, and a food delivery robot in desperate need of validation… It’s one of the silliest movies I’ve seen in a long time, and highly recommended as a result.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (Film)

Directed by: Nia DaCosta
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman, Chi Lewis-Parry
Streaming on: Netflix

A direct sequel to last year’s 28 Years Later (also now available on Netflix), and arguably a big step up in quality, with Ralph Fiennes’s Dr. Ian Kelson taking center stage in more ways than one — including one truly epic sequence every heavy metal fan needs to see. Director Nia DaCosta explores the best and worst of humanity through the lens of these zombie apocalypse survivors, delivering some moments of gruesome horror but also some sincere moments of beauty. Oh and the soundtrack is fantastic. Dr. Kelson’s got a killer vinyl collection.

Crime 101 (Film)

Directed by: Bart Layton
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nick Nolte, Halle Berry
Streaming on: Prime Video

The phrase I saw bandied about a fair bit when this heist flick arrived in theaters was “dumb Heat,” but I really appreciated the way Crime 101 features a bunch of movie stars playing interesting characters caught up in an original story (based on the novella by Don Winslow). Beyond those ’90s throwback charms, solid use of L.A. locations, and some great car action, I also enjoyed its twist-focused storytelling and a bleached blond Barry Keoghan going full chaos demon. A fun caper!

The Comeback Season 3 (TV)

Created by: Michael Patrick King, Lisa Kudrow
Cast: Lisa Kudrow, Lance Barber, Laura Silverman, Damian Young, Ella Stiller, Abbi Jacobson, John Early, Andrew Scott
Streaming on: HBO Max

As you read this, two episodes of The Comeback are already available for streaming, which is a good amount of time to get used to the notable change in format implemented for this third and final season. (Well, they say final… but we’ll see.) Creators Michael Patrick King and Lisa Kudrow abandon the pure mockumentary approach used for Seasons 1 and 2, allowing them to pull us even further behind the scenes as Valerie Cherish (Kudrow) continues striving for Hollywood success.

The industry satire continues to be incredibly well-honed, the cast is filled with beloved favorites (including some pretty major guest stars towards the end of the season), and the season even tackles the existential threat of AI in the writers’ room from some unexpected angles. And god Kudrow is so good at drawing out Valerie’s best and worst qualities. Jean Smart has enough Emmys, and Kudrow’s only got the one. Fingers crossed she has her moment this year.

Blast From the Past

The home screens of streaming services are always packed with the latest new releases, but we don’t spend enough time appreciating how much good library content is streaming across all of these platforms. Each week, Stream On will spotlight one less-than-new favorite (must pre-date the founding of Consequence, so 15 years or older) that deserves attention from modern-day eyes.

Iron Chef (TV)

Featuring: Takeshi Kaga, Kenji Fukui, Yukio Hattori, Shinichirō Ōta
Streaming on: Peacock, Prime Video, Tubi, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV

The very first cooking show I ever loved was the original Japanese Iron Chef, and I’m so glad to have discovered that nearly 200 episodes of the series are currently streaming across a wide array of streaming services! It’s a show I love for both its pageantry (when the Chairman bites into that bell pepper!) as well as its sports-like approach to every battle in Kitchen Stadium. There’s also some fascinating cookery involved, as world-class chefs focus on creating an array of dishes centered around one mystery ingredient.

A Special Guest Recommends!

Liz isn’t the only person in the world capable of suggesting stuff for people to watch… So each week, Stream On will now feature picks from a special guest! Said special guest could be literally anyone from the world of entertainment — actors, writers, directors, musicians, or anyone else Liz thinks might be watching something interesting.

This Week: Bertie Gregory!

Who Are They? Bertie Gregory is a bona fide National Geographic Explorer (such a cool title) who serves as both cinematographer and host for Nat Geo’s Secrets of the Bees on Disney+! Executive produced by James Cameron, the two-part documentary explores the lives of these essential-to-the-ecosystem insects and the threats they face in today’s modern world. As a cinematographer, Bertie’s credits include the delightful Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story, Hostile Planet, and Dolphins Up Close with Bertie Gregory — he also got to be a part of last year’s Sharkfest! In short: He’s living a nature lover’s dream.

What Do They Recommend? Bertie has a familiar favorite to share as his pick, but with very good reason:

Finding Nemo (Disney+) is my favorite film of all time. It’s funny, a great adventure, and most importantly, full of wildlife! My goal is to get people fascinated with the natural world, and storytelling outside of traditional nature documentaries can be a great introduction. When films like this reach the big screen in Hollywood, one of the largest global platforms, they spark widespread curiosity about nature. Finding Nemo helped bring ocean conservation into the mainstream — highlighting coral reefs, ocean currents, clownfish, turtles, and the illegal pet trade — making these topics more accessible to a broader audience.

Thank you so much to Bertie for this pick! Secrets of the Bees is streaming now on Disney+.

One Last One Before Bed

Finally, let’s spotlight a movie or TV show that’s not only great, but won’t take up too much of your time: Think of this section as the answer to the question “What’s something I can watch before hitting the hay, that won’t keep me up too late?” The only rule is that it has to be less than 95 minutes if it’s a movie, or less than 30 minutes an episode if it’s a TV show. Otherwise, sky’s the limit!

Source Code (Film)

Directed by: Duncan Jones
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright, Michael Arden, Russell Peters, Frédérick De Grandpré, Scott Bakula
Streaming on: The Roku Channel, Tubi

After giving Duncan Jones’ first film some well-deserved love during Space Week, I was reminded of how good his second movie is, a smart thriller that makes great use of Jake Gyllenhaal’s star persona for a tightly plotted time loop tale. The stakes are high, the cast is great, and the slow reveal of its surprises is as compelling as the surprises themselves. And it comes in at a tight 93 minutes! A solid choice for any Friday night, or Saturday afternoon, or Friday night…

We’ll be back next week with more picks — in the meantime, stay safe out there, or better yet stay inside, where it’s definitely safe, and there’s so much film and TV to watch. Be sure to subscribe to the newsletter!