Netflix and HBO Max has revolutionized the way we watch television, and while the streaming era has come with plenty of pros, it’s also come with a few negatives. One of those negatives is choosing what to watch may not be as simple as turning on your TV. Now, there’s a mountain of options to select from, and you’re tasked with picking the thing you’d best like.
If that task feels overwhelming, then we’ve got you covered. We’ve selected 6 very different shows that you can stream on Netflix and HBO Max, each of which is well worth your time.
Dark 2017-2020
Dark is the kind of heady science fiction that requires charts to fully comprehend, but that’s part of the fun. This German-language series became something of a cult phenomenon upon its release in the U.S., and with good reason. The series is set in a small town following the disappearance of two children and dives into the intricate history that envelops all of the show’s characters, whether they realize it or not.
The series also bears an eerie similarity to events from 1986, and as we learn more about that connection, we come to understand that everything in this small town is not what it seems.
You can watch Dark on Netflix.
The Fallout – 2021
First-time director Megan Park tackled a heavy-hearted topic, school shootings, in her debut movie, The Fallout. High school student Vada (Jenna Ortega) finds herself in the restroom when a school shooting occurs. Vada hides in the bathroom with fellow classmates Mia (Maddie Ziegler) and Quinton (Niles Fitch). The trio survives, but the school suffers 16 casualties.
The Fallout focuses on life after the shooting and how the students, especially Vada, cope with the tragedy. Vada tries to occupy her mind with drugs and sex, but a friendship with Mia and someone to talk with is exactly what the scared teenager needs. The Fallout is a terrific debut for Park, who treats a sensitive topic with such empathy and grace.
Stream The Fallout on Max.
Never Have I Ever 2020-2023
The kind of smart teen comedy that we simply don’t get enough of today, Never Have I Ever follows an overachieving Indian-American girl who is trying to balance school with the expectations of her family and her budding interest in boys. All this overlaps even as she deals with the lingering grief of losing her father and begins to reconcile with her own narcissism.
Never Have I Ever is a really funny show with a sometimes grating central character, but it understands all of her flaws and embraces them, even as it also takes time to explore the rest of the show’s excellent young ensemble.
You can watch Never Have I Ever on Netflix.
Inherent Vice 2014
Inherent Vice is ranked in the back half of Paul Thomas Anderson’s filmography. Unfortunately for Inherent Vice, it’s sandwiched between two of PTA’s best movies, 2012’s The Master and 2017’s Phantom Thread. What this neo-noir has in its favor is comedy. Inherent Vice might be one of Anderson’s funniest movies.
The underrated crime movie stars Joaquin Phoenix as Larry “Doc” Sportello, a private detective asked by his ex-girlfriend Shasta (Katherine Waterston) to help keep her new boyfriend out of a mental hospital. Shasta eventually goes missing, forcing Doc to navigate a complicated world of crime, drugs, and cops.At times this movie is incoherent and confusing. I suggest going with the flow and treating it like a sophisticated stoner comedy.
Stream Inherent Vice on Max.
The Haunting of Bly Manor – 2020
This pseudo-sequel to Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House didn’t get as much attention as that original series. The show follows a young governess who arrives at an elaborate manor in the 1980s, only to discover that the manor itself and the children she’s been tasked with watching are both hiding secrets.
Like much of Flanagan’s television work, Bly Manor is a fascinating combination of terrifying and genuinely moving, and it features a breakout performance from Victoria Pedretti, who had already shown herself to be a star with her work on Hill House.
You can watch The Haunting of Bly Manor on Netflix.
Where the Crawdads Sing – 2022
Audiences have proven time and time again that they will show out for mystery romance movies based on popular novels. Colleen Hoover adaptations are becoming more prevalent in Hollywood thanks to It Ends with Us. In that same vein, Where the Crawdads Sing was a sleeper hit in 2022, grossing over $144 million on a $24 million budget.
Based on Delia Owens’ novel, Where the Crawdads Sing stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kya, a young girl abandoned by her family and forced to live by herself in the North Carolina marsh. Despite being a social outcast, Kya is surprisingly charged with murdering local hero Chase Andrews (Harris Dickinson). The ensuing courtroom drama seeks to answer who killed Chase while revealing insight into Kya, who has been overlooked by society.
Stream Where the Crawdads Sing on Max.
