This week’s picks include a variety of new releases from popular streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video, Paramount+, Peacock, HBO Max, and more. One of the highlighted films is The Invite, a movie directed by Olivia Wilde and starring Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton, which is streaming on HBO Max. The film is about a couple who hosts their neighbors for dinner, and by the end of the night, they’re forever changed. Olivia Wilde proves her talent for direction, making a single location feel like a lived-in space.
This Week’s Picks
The Invite is the definition of a simple set-up, but saying much more about where the film goes might lessen its powers. The small cast proves electric in all their various combinations, and Olivia Wilde really proves her talent for direction. When the author saw this over the summer, they had no idea it’d become an actual awards contender, but the chaos Wilde orchestrates on a small scale is a true achievement for sure.
Another pick is Blindspotting, a TV series created by Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs, which is now available on Netflix. The series continues the story begun with the well-received 2018 movie written by and starring Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs. The show focuses on Ashley (Jasmine Cephas Jones), the girlfriend of Miles, Casal‘s character.
Blindspotting begins with Miles getting arrested, leaving Ashley and their young son to move in with Miles‘ mother (Helen Hunt) and half-sister (Jaylen Barron). The show is rich with guest stars like Anthony Ramos, LeVar Burton, and Stephen Root, not to mention a Season 2 appearance by Dante Basco (Rufio from Hook) that’s a riot.
Other picks include Yaga, a TV series created by Kat Sandler, which is streaming on AMC+, and Desert Bus for Hope 2026, a YouTube Live Event created by LoadingReadyRun, which is streaming on YouTube.
Blast From the Past
This week marked the passing of Tom Skerritt, who had an incredible run as a character actor. The author was led to finally check out The Dead Zone, a 1983 Stephen King adaptation directed by David Cronenberg and starring Christopher Walken, which is streaming on AMC+ and Paramount+.
The Dead Zone is a clean and tight take that feels very true to the King aesthetic, and while Skerritt‘s not in a lot of it, he does one of the things he did best: Play a sheriff. When Skerritt‘s the sheriff, you’re always in for a treat.
A Special Guest Recommends!
This week’s special guest is Malcolm Spellman, writer/producer of shows like Empire, Bel-Air, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Spellman recommends the bootleg 2005 documentary Bastards of the Party and Widow’s Bay (Apple TV).
Spellman‘s newest project is The Drop: A Snowfall Saga, a spinoff of the FX series created by John Singleton. The season finale of The Drop premieres October 27th on FX and Hulu.
One Last One Before Bed
Finally, the author recommends Atsuko Okatsuka: Father, a comedy special directed by Ryan Harper Gray and starring Atsuko Okatsuka, which is streaming on Hulu. Okatsuka‘s comedy always feels personal and revelatory without going too far, and Father is full of fascinating insights into her identity as both a person and a performer.
The author can’t wait to see where Okatsuka‘s next special takes us. We’ll be back next week with more picks — in the meantime, stay safe out there, or better yet stay inside, where it’s definitely safe, and there’s so much film and TV to watch. Be sure to subscribe to the newsletter!
Pixel P. Snarkbyte, widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Sh*tposts,” is a video game expert with a unique knack for turning pixels into punchlines.
Born in the small town of Respawn, Pennsylvania, Pixel grew up mashing buttons on an ancient NES controller, firmly believing that “blowing into the cartridge” was a sacred ritual passed down through generations.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte: proving that life, much like a buggy open-world game, is better with a little lag-induced chaos.
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