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: Bridgerton and The Magic Faraway Tree star Nicola Coughlan!
This Week’s Picks
Pressure (Film)
Pressure (Focus Features)
Directed by: Anthony Maras
Cast: Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Kerry Condon, Chris Messina, Damian Lewis
Streaming on: Peacock
Hey dads! One of the year’s most dad movies to ever dad is here! A World War II movie about the lead-up to D-Day, with Brendan Fraser as General Dwight D. Eisenhower! Not only that, but the real name of this movie should be WEATHER MATH, because the plot of the movie is basically “Andrew Scott, England’s best weather expert, has to predict the weather on the proposed date for the invasion of France.” Anyone who loves watching old-school science and technology on screen will thrill to watching charts and graphs unfurl to reveal their precious data — and to be clear, that includes me, I love this stuff. You can tell Pressure was adapted from a play at one point, it’s that kind of enclosed narrative, but dads, nerds, and nerdy dads can all agree on this one.
Lanterns (TV)
Related Video
Lanterns (HBO)
Created by: Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, Tom King
Cast: Kyle Chandler, Aaron Pierre, Kelly Macdonald
Streaming on: HBO Max
Lanterns is an odd duck of a show (like so many DC Studios projects executive produced by James Gunn). However, it definitely has enough touches of the 2019 limited series Watchmen to keep things interesting, and Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre are dream casting as Hal Jordan and John Stewart, current and future wearers of an alien ring that can do all kinds of cool stuff. Having seen the first seven episodes, I can tell you up front that it gets weirder and messier than you might expect — but it also has one of my favorite pilot episodes of the year, a really strong kickoff filled with mystery and Chandler’s singular twinkle. Not a perfect show, but I’m quite excited to see how it all wraps up.
My Brilliant Career (TV)
My Brilliant Career (Netflix)
Developed by: Liz Doran
Cast: Rhilippa Northeast, Christopher Chung, Anna Chancellor, Genevieve O’Reilly, Kate Mulvany, Jake Dunn, Alexander England, Sherry-Lee Watson, Miah Madden
Streaming on: Netflix
Between The Buccaneers, Bridgerton, The House of the Spirits, and The Other Bennet Sister, it feels like a great time for female-led period dramas, and My Brilliant Career is a fantastic addition to their ranks, adapting the 1901 Australian novel that was also the basis for Gillian Armstrong’s breakthrough 1979 movie. Young and eligible Sybylla (Philippa Northeast) is an untamed spirit who longs only to write and read and be free; unfortunately, she’s being pressured to get married for the sake of her family. The good news: Maybe some of her prospects (including Christopher Chung, looking much more strapping here than he seems on Slow Horses) aren’t so unappealing? There’s a lot of life and humor in this series, and Philippa Northeast has an incredible spark, young Ruth Wilson vibes.
Arco (Film)
Arco (Neon)
Directed by: Ugo Bienvenu
Cast: Swann Arlaud, Alma Jodorowsky, Margot Ringard Oldra, Oscar Tresanini, Vincent Macaigne, Louis Garrel, William Lebghil, Oxmo Puccino
Streaming on: Hulu
Arco, nominated for a 2026 Academy Award for animated feature, is pretty unflinching in its depiction of the years 2075 and 2932 as eras dramatically affected by climate change. It’s also a beautifully rendered young adult adventure featuring time travel, magic rainbows, robot nannies, and some genuine hope for the future. Hulu currently has both the original French-language and English dubs available to stream, and I’m torn about which one to push y’all towards: Typically, I always like to suggest the original, but the English dub does feature the voices of Natalie Portman, Mark Ruffalo, America Ferrera, Will Ferrell, Andy Samberg, and Flea — not too shabby.
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.
Sabrina (1995, Film)
Sabrina (Paramount)
Directed by: Sydney Pollack
Cast: Harrison Ford, Julia Ormond, Greg Kinnear, Nancy Marchand, John Wood, Richard Crenna, Angie Dickinson, Lauren Holly, Dana Ivey, Becky Ann Baker, Paul Giamatti, Margo Martindale
Streaming on: Paramount+, Kanopy, MGM+
Harrison Ford has been hitting the Emmys campaign hard lately (and honestly killing it), which brings to mind Sydney Pollack’s very solid remake of Billy Wilder’s 1954 romantic comedy, in which he plays the Humphrey Bogart role. Let me be clear, the original Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn is a top-notch classic (it’s streaming now on Pluto TV and MGM+) but I also remain fond of this modernized version, especially with a supporting cast this good. Plus, Ford does yearning so well here, bringing an edge of real pathos to his lonely businessman — making it all the more charming when his inner softie gets unlocked.
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: Nicola Coughlan!
Nicola Coughlan, Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Netflix and The Sopranos (HBO)
Who Are They? Lady Whistledown herself! The self-described-on-Instagram “Small Irish Acting Person” first broke out in the hilarious and beloved comedy Derry Girls before playing one of the most important characters on Netflix’s Bridgerton — she’s also a lot of fun in the Tubi series Big Mood. Her newest project is the family-friendly fantasy movie The Magic Faraway Tree, in which she plays a fairy who helps three young children explore the magical realms of the forest outside their new country home. Her character’s name is Silky, because her hair is silky. It’s a very cute movie.
It’s also one of those movies where you can tell the cast is having a lot of fun working together, something Nicola confirmed during a junket interview. “It’s my favorite thing, being in a comedy ensemble where you can improv with people like Nonso Anozie, Dustin Demri-Burns, Oliver Chris, the amazing Jess Gunning… I just really love that. It was genuinely very fun to make. Sometimes people say ‘That must have been fun,’ and you’re like, ‘Yeah, well, the first take was fun and then…’ But this was pretty joyful, actually.”
What Do They Recommend? Everyone be cool about spoilers, because Nicola is watching The Sopranos (HBO Max) for the first time! “I was 12 when Season 1 came out, so I was way too young and didn’t have an interest then. But I am completely obsessed now. Completely. It’s like saying, you know, water is wet, but James Gandolfini is just such an incredible actor, and Edie Falco… Gosh, I’m deep in. I’m shocked at every turn,” she said.
One thing that’s really surprised her about the series is “how much of a battleaxe” Tony’s mother Livia (played by Nancy Marchant — who by total coincidence also stars in the above-mentioned Sabrina) is. “That really adversarial relationship they have, it’s quite shocking, because I think you always are waiting for the redeeming quality to her and it just doesn’t come.”
Nicola has just started watching Season 3, which means that she was still reeling from the dramatic end of Season 2. While discussing it, she declined to mention the name of a key character from that finale — not because of spoilers, but because this was a junket for a kid’s movie. (Rest in peace, Vincent Pastore.)
Hopefully, Nicola continues to enjoy The Sopranos — huge thanks to her for this pick! The Magic Faraway Tree is in theaters.
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!
What’s In the Dumpster? 10 Year Anniversary Show (Comedy Special)
What’s In the Dumpster? 10th Anniversary Show, screenshot via YouTube
Featuring: Chris Gethard, Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas
Streaming on: YouTube
As someone who has espoused at length on Chris Gethard’s original “dumpster episode,” you had better believe I bought a live-stream ticket for the June 2026 anniversary show, in which an audience attempts to guess what Gethard has stashed inside a U-Haul truck across the street from the theater. Watching it live was a savorable experience, but the magic can still be felt in the official YouTube upload of the show. No spoilers, but once again a satisfying conclusion, if perhaps not as dramatic as the first installment.
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!
