Stream On This Week: Florence Pugh Transforms a Classic, and Alan Cumming Will Break Your Heart

Welcome to the latest issue of Stream On, the weekly newsletter from Consequence that answers the eternally confounding question: What films and TV shows should you be watching? (Subscribe here!) We’re looking at all the new and recent releases from Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video, Paramount+, Peacock, HBO Max, and more for ideas — not to mention a Blast From the Past and streaming recommendations from this week’s special guest!

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This Week’s Picks

East of Eden (TV)

Created by: Zoe Kazan
Cast: Florence Pugh, Christopher Abbott, Mike Faist, Hoon Lee, Ciarán Hinds
Streaming on: Netflix

There’s certainly poetry to the fact that over 60 years after Elia Kazan released his acclaimed adaptation of John Steinbeck’s famous novel, we’re getting a new interpretation written by Zoe Kazan, his granddaughter. But that’s not the most interesting thing about the big-budget Netflix period drama — the most interesting thing about East of Eden is the glorious Florence Pugh taking on the role of Cathy, an iconic literary villainess who, in these hands, is given wonderful depth and nuance. The rest of the ensemble also frankly rules, with standouts including Mike Faist, future Professor X Christopher Abbott, and Hoon Lee. But Cathy! I was fascinated by the character when I first read this book in high school, and it’s so exciting to see a powerful new interpretation like this.

Tip Toe (TV)

Created by: Russell T. Davies
Cast: Alan Cumming, David Morrissey
Streaming on: Starz

Writer Russell T. Davies has had a wild career, including multiple stints on Doctor Who, but some of his best work is in the limited series arena, telling a contained, character-rich story in a tight number of episodes. His newest effort is worth a Starz free trial if you can get it, with the great Alan Cumming reminding us all that his talents aren’t limited to delivering puns on The Traitors.

He and David Morrissey (an acclaimed British actor Americans maybe know best from The Walking Dead) star in this drama about a dispute between neighbors that blows up into something tragic. The title comes from a monologue in the first episode about being LGBTQ+ in 2026 Britain — a monologue as haunting as the opening scene, a flashforward that serves as a warning to the viewer that things are about to get dark. But Davies is a gifted storyteller, and you can trust him to bring it all together by the end.

War (TV)

Created by: George Kay
Cast: Dominic West, Sienna Miller, Phoebe Fox, James McArdle, Pip Torrens, Nina Sosanya, Archie Renaux, Nick Mohammed, Celia Imrie
Streaming on: HBO Max

Apologies for doubling up on shows from Britain this week, but War feels like an easy recommendation for fans of Industry, a fast-paced snappily-written series about two law firms battling it out. The premise of the show is that each season focuses on a single case, with this first season spotlighting the bitter divorce between a movie star (Sienna Miller) and a tech tycoon (Dominic West) — Miller and West get a lot of screen time, but it’s the lawyers who are the stars, especially the fierce Nina Sosanya, the also fierce Pip Torrens, and Archie Renaux as the new kid in the game.

George A. Romero’s Resident Evil (Film)

Directed by: Brandon Salisbury
Narrated by: Pablo Kuntz
Streaming on: Kanopy, Shudder, Tubi

This recent documentary explores two different legacies: The rich and impactful career of director George A. Romero, and the very successful Resident Evil video games, which also gave birth to numerous movies. (Why yes, that would include Zach Cregger’s recent dip into the franchise, which I quite liked.) Romero and Resident Evil nearly had a lot more in common than being associated with the undead: In the late 1990s, Romero took a stab at a film adaptation of the franchise that never came to be. The reasons why the movie never happened get explored in detail here, with a lot of attention paid to what makes the video games themselves so special, and why Romero’s big-screen take would have been fascinating to see.

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Blast From the Past

The home screens of streaming services are always packed with the latest new releases, but we don’t spend enough time appreciating how much good library content is streaming across all of these platforms. Each week, Stream On will spotlight one less-than-new favorite (must pre-date the founding of Consequence, so 15 years or older) that deserves attention from modern-day eyes.

Donnie Darko (Film)

Directed by: Richard Kelly
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, Mary McDonnell, Katharine Ross, Patrick Swayze, Noah Wyle
Streaming on: Hulu, Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Kanopy, Pluto TV, Tubi

As everyone knows (okay, Donnie Darko fans know), the events of Richard Kelly’s mind-bending supernatural thriller begin on October 2nd, making this a more-than-appropriate pick for this week — especially because this month also happens to be the movie’s 25th anniversary. Thus, Consequence has been looking back at its legacy with deep dives into key details and the creation of “Frank”, but don’t click those links unless you’ve already seen what ultimately is a sad, sweet story about (in star James Duval’s words) “love and possibility.” Donnie Darko has aged beautifully, perhaps because it was already a period piece, with Jake Gyllenhaal proving very early on how captivating he can be on screen. (Also, keep an eye out for baby Seth Rogen, making his film debut.)

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A Special Guest Recommends!

Liz isn’t the only person in the world capable of suggesting stuff for people to watch… So each week, Stream On will now feature picks from a special guest! Said special guest could be literally anyone from the world of entertainment — actors, writers, directors, musicians, or anyone else Liz thinks might be watching something interesting.

This Week: Ryan and Hays Holladay!

Who Are They? Hey, remember above, when I mentioned liking the new Resident Evil? Well, Ryan and Hays Holladay composed the score for it! And it’s legitimately a great soundtrack, capturing the film’s capacity for both horror and humor. The duo previously worked with director Zach Cregger on Weapons, and their other credits include the documentaries Class Action Park and Santacon. Plot twist: Would you believe they’re brothers?

What Do They Recommend? On behalf of the pair, Hays suggests this real classic:

I’d recommend Louis Malle’s Elevator to the Gallows (HBO Max, Criterion Channel). It’s a beautifully tense, atmospheric film built around an almost absurdly simple predicament: a man trapped in an elevator while everything outside spirals out of control. Miles Davis’s score is obviously legendary, but what I love most is how the music, the nighttime photography, and the tension feel completely intertwined. It’s stylish without ever feeling overly polished, and it still feels incredibly modern.

Fantastic rec, thank you Hays! Resident Evil is still in theaters now, and be sure to check out the soundtrack as well.

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One Last One Before Bed

Finally, let’s spotlight a movie or TV show that’s not only great, but won’t take up too much of your time: Think of this section as the answer to the question “What’s something I can watch before hitting the hay, that won’t keep me up too late?” The only rule is that it has to be less than 95 minutes if it’s a movie, or less than 30 minutes an episode if it’s a TV show. Otherwise, sky’s the limit!

Atlanta (TV)

Created by: Donald Glover
Cast: Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, LaKeith Stanfield, Zazie Beetz
Streaming on: Hulu

The recent New York Times list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century is, like all lists, full of Choices I Strongly Disagree With as well as Things I Think Are Cool. Amongst the things I think are cool: Donald Glover’s Emmy-winning comedy series Atlanta coming in at number 10 — easily one of the century’s most influential shows, and also genuinely funny for so much of its run. Revisiting it now has an additional bonus: Getting to appreciate the talents of the show’s core cast before all of them became dang movie stars — both LaKeith Stanfield and Brian Tyree Henry are Oscar nominees now!

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!