As the menu of streaming services continues to expand, it's harder than ever to find movies and TV shows to watch.
The sheer volume of titles arriving each month on Netflix, Hulu, Max, Disney+, Peacock, Apple TV+, Prime and others is just too overwhelming, and somehow, the same 15 suggestions seem to float to the top. The auto-play teasers — with their sliding scale volume — don't make decisions any easier.
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To help you avoid an hour of scrolling (and bleeding eardrums), PhillyVoice is launching a new streaming recommendation series. Every other week, one of our writers will suggest a few shows and movies to watch across the major platforms. Trailers and plot descriptions will be included, and probably some dumb puns. (Sorry.)
This week, we're digging stories about hit men, working women and reading children. Here's where to find them, and what to expect:
Hit Man
If there was any lingering doubt, Glen Powell is a movie star, baby. He's at his funniest and most charming in "Hit Man," a dark rom-com new to Netflix. Powell is Gary, a dorky philosophy professor with cats named Id and Ego (yes, really) who begins to work as a contractor for the New Orleans police. When a dirty cop gets kicked off sting operations, Gary steps in, posing as a hit man to nail people in murder-for-hire schemes. Gary gets really into his role, running through a cache of wigs, fake teeth and accents in hilarious vignettes, but his work gets messy when Madison (Adria Arjona) asks him to kill her abusive husband. The movie reteams Powell with director Richard Linklater for the first time since 2016 — their throwback baseball comedy "Everybody Wants Some!!" is also a delight — and this time, the pair shares co-writing credits.
Hacks
"Hacks" recently wrapped its third, and arguably best, season on Max. The story picks up with comedy legend Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and up-and-coming writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) living separate, thriving lives. But the duo soon reunite and mount a campaign for Deborah to replace a retiring late-night host. The show continues to be funny and thoughtful about the realities of aging, ambition and toxic work dynamics. It also ends on a genuinely surprising twist.
Butterfly in the Sky
Yes, "Butterfly in the Sky" is in some ways nostalgia bait for the '80s and '90s kids who grew up on "Reading Rainbow." But it's also an interesting and touching look at a type of public service that doesn't really exist anymore. The documentary, which recently hit Netflix, delves into the development and improbable two decades of the PBS show, spending ample time with its creators and its star host LeVar Burton. Viewers will also meet the grown-up kids who reviewed books for "Reading Rainbow," and enjoy rehearsal footage of the absolute bop "Teamwork."
Working Girl
New to Hulu this month is the classic workplace comedy "Working Girl." The 1988 movie follows Staten Island secretary Tess (Melanie Griffith) as she climbs the corporate ladder her way — and strikes up a relationship with a corporate hotshot (Harrison Ford). Fans of "Legally Blonde" will see a predecessor to Elle Woods in Tess, another smart blonde written off as a bimbo because of the way she dresses and talks. They'll also see some incredible late '80s fashion and sky-high hair, particularly on Tess's best friend Cynthia (Joan Cusack).
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