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+, HBOMaxPeacock, Paramount+ and more.
Many recommendations are new shows, others are new releases you may have missed, or classics that are disappearing from streaming services at the end of the month.
Do you have a new favorite movie or TV show that you think we should hear about? Let us know in the comments or email [email protected]. Looking for even more great streaming options? Check out previous editions of our Must-watch list here.
Films
“Beverly Hills Cop”
Before Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F hits Netflix on July 3, watch the original that cemented Eddie Murphy’s status as an A-list star and briefly made director Martin Brest (“Midnight Run,” “Scent of a Woman”) a Hollywood star before a career-ending flop (“Gigli”).
The 1984 film was originally developed for Sylvester Stallone and contained almost no jokes. Watching the film, you realize that the violent, gripping action scenes would have worked just as well in a Stallone cop movie. But Murphy’s savvy Detroit detective Axel Foley, who smooth-talks his way through Beverly Hills in search of his best friend’s killer, is what makes “Beverly Hills Cop” endure 40 years later. At a time when studios were genuinely afraid to let a black man star alone in a movie – even one as popular and charismatic as Murphy – the “SNL” star created the template for the action-comedy genre. Will Smith, Chris Tucker, Martin Lawrence and so many others have Murphy to thank for paving the way.
Here’s how you can watch: “Beverly Hills Cop” is streaming on Netflix.
“Independence Day”
Speaking of Smith, much like the Christmas tradition of watching It’s a Wonderful Life or tuning into Groundhog Day on February 2nd, the Fourth of July weekend (or, in this case, the weekend before) is the perfect time to rewatch Independence Day. As Navy pilot Steven Hiller, Smith cemented his credibility as the lead in Roland Emmerich’s alien invasion film by teaming up with Jeff Goldbum’s dimwitted engineer to save the planet.
The strong box office success of Smith and Lawrence’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” this summer was proof that the world is ready to forgive and forget Chris Rock’s Fresh Prince snub at the Oscars. When you watch films like “Independence Day” or “Men in Black,” it’s easy to see why.
Here’s how you can watch: “Independence Day” is streaming on Hulu.
“Theater Camp”
As far as seasonal reunions go, this is the time of year when I like to rewatch some of my favorite summer camp movies—and, in one case, my favorite summer camp TV show (more on that below). Your favorite might depend on the decade you grew up in, but popular choices include Bill Murray’s Meatballs (streaming on Tubi), Ben Stiller’s Heavyweights (streaming on Disney+), and the 1961 and 1998 versions of Twins (both streaming on Disney+).
A more recent addition to the canon of summer camp films is Theater Camp, the comedy from first-time directors Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman. After camp director Joan Rubinsky (Amy Sedaris) falls into a coma, AdirondACTS faces closure due in no small part to her son’s (Jimmy Tatro) lack of business acumen. In a classic after-school special, it’s up to the longtime counselors, played by Gordon and Ben Platt, to put on a big show to save the camp. Even if you don’t have any artistic talent, Theater Camp is a hilarious tribute to the theater kids of the world and a fantastic showcase for the next generation of aspiring comedic talent.
Here’s how you can watch: “Theater Camp” is streaming on Hulu.
TV shows
“The bear”
In a flashback from the season three premiere of FX’s award-winning dramedy “The Bear,” Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) is back in New York City, where an abusive chef (Joel McHale) tells him his dish has too many ingredients, underscoring the message with a piece of green tape on which he writes the word “SUBTRACT.”
Maybe I still need time to process everything after binge-watching ten episodes, but maybe The Bear creator Christopher Storer wanted to heed McHale’s advice. While the show’s third season has a lot of good things to offer, a lack of focus and precision makes it feel like a bit of a step back from the first two seasons. The premiere is a strong hint of what’s to come, a formally inventive but ultimately indulgent episode in which we essentially look inside the brain of Carmy (Jeremy Allen White). We see all the lessons he learned while training in the kitchens of New York, his feelings about the relationships in his life, and his mindset ahead of the actual opening of The Bear, his new fine-dining concept.
Later in Season 3, “The Bear” takes time to explore other characters’ backstories to great effect, with an episode centered around Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) being a particular highlight. But after the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the first two seasons, “The Bear” Season 3 is a slow, simmering endeavor.
Here’s how you can watch: “The Bear” is streaming on Hulu.
“Wet Hot American Summer: First Day at Camp”
Although I didn’t mention it above, my favorite summer camp movie is David Wain’s 2001 parody of the genre, Wet Hot American Summer. The comedic talent assembled years before the actors broke through—Bradley Cooper! Paul Rudd! Elizabeth Banks!—is reason enough to see the film, but the wacky antics of Wain and the other members of his comedy troupe, The State, make repeat viewings a must.
When Netflix first started producing original programming in the 2010s, one of the first big headlines was the announcement of a series reboot of Wet Hot, with the ridiculous conceit that the show was a prequel, despite the same, much older actors being cast in their original roles 16 years later. If you watch the trailer above and don’t spot at least one actor or comedian you like, you probably haven’t seen a movie or TV show in the last 25 years.
Here’s how you can watch: “Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp” is streaming on Netflix.
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