December 30, 2025

5 must-watch movies & TV shows streaming right now

Welcome to the weekly streaming guide for Boston.com. We suggest five must-watch films and TV series every week that are accessible on streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock, Paramount+, and more.

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See past iterations of our must-watch list here for even more greatstreaming alternatives.


  • Happy Gilmore 2 review: Plenty of laughs and an avalanche of cameos


  • Fantastic Four review: A tentative first step for the MCU


New Movies Streaming


Happy Gilmore

2 (2025)

The recently released Netflix follow-up to Adam Sandler’s 1996 golf comedy, Happy Gilmore 2, is quite similar to its star: After all these years, it’s still unquestionably humorous, just a little bit flabbier and shabbier.

After a brief introduction that skims over Happy’s career highlights, the legacyquel returns the golfer with the hockey player’s heart to where he began in the first movie: At the end of his rope, enraged, and broke. The picture offers exactly what Sandler fans want to see, even though it occasionally falters because of the barrage of celebrity appearances. (See my review of Happy Gilmore 2 in its entirety here.)

How to watch: Netflix is now broadcasting Happy Gilmore 2.

The Phoenician Scheme (2025)

If the box office results for Wes Anderson’s most recent film, The Phoenician Scheme, are any guide, it appears that certain members of the moviegoing audience have stopped watching his films.

That is unfortunate since Phoenician Scheme, which is about a 1950s billionaire (Benicio del Toro) and his attempts to make amends with his daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton), who has left the lap of luxury for a higher calling as a nun, is another endearing picture in the director’s oeuvre. Despite having all of Anderson’s signature elements, this movie is lighter than Anderson’s most recent Asteroid City, largely because of Threapleton.

How to watch: Peacock is streaming The Phoenician Scheme.


New TV Shows Streaming


Ballard

With a second spinoff of the popular series based on Michael Connelly’s Los Angeles crime books, Prime Video is making a triumphant comeback to the Bosch franchise. While Titus Welliver’s character Hieronymus Harry Bosch is absent from this film, LAPD Detective Ren é Ballard (Maggie Q) shares many traits with Bosch and relentlessly pursues a serial killer and numerous other criminal oddities.

How to watch: Ballard is available on Prime Video for streaming.

The Hunting Wives

I would recommend The Hunting Wives if your preferred weekend bingewatch usually consists of a soap opera about affluent women who have secrets to conceal. The show, which is set in central Texas, centers on a newly transplanted couple from Cambridge, Massachusetts, who are experiencing some cultural shock.

Despite being married to a snooty Harvard graduate, Sophie (Brittany Snow), a modest UMass graduate, is completely out of place in both geography and class. Fortunately, she is taken under the wing of a southern queen bee (Malin Akerman), and shortly after, she experiences all of the usual distractions of a glossy soap opera, including drinking, infidelity, and a gruesome murder.

How to watch: Netflix is streaming The Hunting Wives.

Untamed

The eerie murder drama Untamed, which has been at the top of Netflix’s Top 10 list since its premiere last week, isn’t particularly innovative. However, Yosemite National Park in California, the magnificent location of the gory murder that drives the series, plus the strength of its performers (Eric Bana, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Sam Neill) are sufficient to make this six-episode series worth watching.

How to watch: Netflix is streaming Untamed.

Kevin Slane writes on culture and entertainment as a staff writer for Boston.com. Movie reviews, streaming guidelines, celebrities, and Boston activities are the main topics of his work.

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Janet Trew

Janet Trew is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in the industry. Known for her ability to adapt to different styles and formats, she has cultivated a diverse skill set that spans content creation, storytelling, and technical writing. Throughout her career, Janet has worked across various niches, from US news, crime, finance, lifestyle, and health to business and technology, consistently delivering well-researched, engaging, and informative content.

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