The Queue
Here are the must watch movies and TV shows streaming now.
A typical edition of The Queue starts with me going in-depth on a single topic — whether it’s memorializing Tim Curry and Dolly Parton, devouring the best food movies, or subjecting myself to AI slop — before offering some quick streaming recommendations.
Once a month, however, I’ll be sending you an all-recommendations edition of the newsletter, because the struggle of deciding what to watch is eternal.
With the start of a new month heralding a slew of new movies and shows being added to streaming libraries, we’ve got plenty of recommendations to help you make the most of your time on the couch.
The best movies to watch on Netflix in September
“Jaws” (1975)
The first summer blockbuster, the movie that kickstarted Steven Spielberg’s career, and the film that turned Martha’s Vineyard into a giant film set, “Jaws” still strikes fear in the hearts of audiences more than 50 years after its release. (Netflix)
“Neighors” (2014)
Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne play new parents whose move to the suburbs inadvertently places them next door to a frat house filled with hard-partying bros played by Zac Efron and Dave Franco, among others. While Byrne and Rogen try to play nice (and recapture some of their youth at a frat party in the process), the movie quickly devolves into a no-holds-barred prank war. (Netflix)
“Sleepless in Seattle” (1993)
The first of two Nora Ephron ’90s romcoms about Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan falling in love via now-quaint technology, “Sleepless” connects the pair via radio instead of AOL email. Ephron plays the audience like a fiddle, putting Hanks and Ryan tantalizingly close to each other without connecting them until the film’s fairytale ending. (Netflix)
3 more movies to watch this weekend
“The Brink’s Job” (1978)
This overlooked old-school Boston movie might be better remembered for behind-the-scenes messiness (including union extortion and an actual armed robbery) than what appears on screen. But William Friedkin’s comedic take on the infamous 1950 armed robbery is a delightful romp, assembling greats like Peter Falk, Peter Boyle, and Paul Sorvino to pull off the heist. (Prime Video)
“The Firm” (1993)
Another movie (partially) filmed in Boston, Tom Cruise plays hotshot lawyer Mitch McDeere, who is hired to work for a cutthroat law firm with questionable clients and deadly business practices. The sprawling supporting cast includes Oscar winner and nominees aplenty, including Holly Hunter, Ed Harris, Hal Holbrook, David Strathairn, and the late Gene Hackman, as Mitch’s mentor. (HBO Max)
“The School of Rock” (2003)
This feel-good film from Richard Linklater (“Dazed and Confused”) stars Jack Black as a struggling musician who lies his way into a substitute teaching gig to pay the bills, only to discover that his high-achieving students are secret rockstars in the making. Black’s wild energy is perfectly channeled, and nebbish principal Roz Mullins (Joan Cusack) is his ideal foil. (Hulu)
Play or Skip: Staff Edition
You’ve heard enough of my streaming picks already, so here’s what the rest of Boston.com’s staff is watching.
Have a show you can’t stop watching? Email me about it at [email protected], and your recommendation may appear in a future edition of The Queue.
“Lanterns” (2026)
Editor Peter Chianca was initially put off by the prospect of an adults-only Green Lantern TV show filled with f-bombs and “corpse genitalia,” but found himself enjoying this new HBO effort: “I’m not sure exactly who this show is for — definitely not kids (did I mention the corpse genitalia?) and probably not Green Lantern fans, who might not appreciate seeing their beloved Hal Jordan portrayed (by Kyle Chandler, delightfully) as a scraggly, burnt-out curmudgeon. But as someone who knows next to nothing about Green Lantern (I was a Marvel kid, sorry), I’m very much enjoying the interplay between Chandler’s Jordan and Aaron Pierre as Lantern wannabe John Stewart, along with the aliens-amongst-us mystery that drives the plot.” (HBO Max)
“Kimi” (2022)
Assistant sports editor Hayden Bird revisited Steven Soderbergh’s pandemic-era thriller and came away not only impressed by its agoraphobic protagonist (Zoe Kravitz), but by composer Cliff Martinez’s score: “Instead of opting only for his usual synth style — which would’ve been expected in a tech-thriller — Martinez blended it with orchestral themes to create literal Hitchcock/Herrmann overtones (‘Rear Window’ has been cited as a direct influence on the film). The result is a spooky yet dreamlike soundtrack that adds to the movie’s ambiance and tension.” (HBO Max)
“Fargo” Season 2
In between covering every minute of the Lindsay Clancy trial, staff writer Abby Patkin has been catching up on Noah Hawley’s anthology series based on the Coen Brothers’ Oscar-winning black comedy: “I just started Season 2 of ‘Fargo.’ I’m only two episodes in, but I’m finding it a fun mix of the classic gore/gritty thriller/absurdist comedy we’ve come to know and love from the Coen Brothers’ original. It’s a star-studded cast for sure, but all the celebs seem to justify their existence so far — no needless cameos. I may even like this season more than the first, TBD.” (Hulu)
End Credits
That’s a wrap on this edition of The Queue. If you’re a fan, please consider recommending this newsletter to your friends.
Until next time, good stream hunting, everyone!
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Discover the best movies and TV shows streaming now, with handpicked recommendations from Boston.com.
