Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Five shows and movies to stream this week: ‘Crashing,’ ‘Gimme Danger,’ and more

new on hbo
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Online streaming is bigger than ever, and with so many streaming services adding new shows and movies every week, it can be nearly impossible to sort through the good and the bad. If you need something to watch and don’t want to wade through the digital muck that washes up on the internet’s shores, follow our picks below for the best new shows and movies worth a watch.

This week: A new comedy series, a rock documentary from Jim Jarmusch, and more.

Recommended Videos

Crashing season 1

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The format of this artsy, autobiographical comedy series is nothing new — Louis C.K. and Larry David have been portraying dark versions of themselves on television for years now. The new HBO show Crashing, starring Pete Holmes, follows their lead. In the show based on the comedian’s personal life, Holmes plays “Pete,” a man who decides to become a stand-up comic after he discovers his wife (Lauren Lapkus) is having an affair. Crashing on couches as he tries to build a career, Pete gets help from other comedians — Artie Lange, Sarah Silverman, and T.J. Miller all play themselves — and tries to bounce back from his failed marriage. What sets Crashing apart from similar shows like Louie is its steady optimism — this is a show that always leaves you feeling like better days are just around the corner.

HBO

Gimme Danger

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Stooges were probably one of the most overlooked bands of the 1960s and ’70s, which is a shame, as they are also one of rock music’s most important. Forming in the late ‘60s, the band’s raw sound and intricate compositions did not lead to instant fame, but their influence can be felt in the generations of punk and alternative bands that followed. It is only fitting that director Jim Jarmusch, famous for his powerful, minimalist filmmaking, would direct Gimme Danger, a documentary exploring the personalities behind the band. Using a mix of archival footage and interviews with band members in the present, the film explores the short, turbulent career of these talented musical provocateurs. Gimme Danger does not break new ground in rock documentaries, but it is undoubtedly a passion project, lovingly crafted and refreshingly earnest.

Amazon

Samurai Gourmet season 1

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Based on a manga by Masayuki Kusumi, this strange live-action series follows a retired businessman named Takeshi Kasumi (Naoto Takenaka), who, freed from his duties as a salaryman, finds satisfaction in wandering and eating at various restaurants. Imagining himself as a modern day ronin, Takeshi undergoes a radical transformation. Samurai Gourmet revels in gustatory pleasures, with long, loving shots of pork grilling and beer pouring. At times, one might mistake it for a cooking show like Chef’s Table, rather than an offbeat comedy.

Netflix

Archer seasons 1-6

Image used with permission by copyright holder

After a string of short-lived but well-liked shows on Adult Swim, Adam Reed found mainstream success with Archer, a long-running and acclaimed animated series on FX. The show follows a spy named Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin), a narcissistic, alcoholic playboy who always manages to get the job done. Archer and his fellow agents — originally employed at an organization called ISIS, before real life events rendered the name a bit awkward — carry out missions around the world. The show is funny and often surprisingly smart — how many cartoons are clever enough to include a joke about non-diegetic music? One of the most remarkable things about the show is how it has been able to experiment with genres and frequently reinvent itself; beginning as a straightforward James Bond parody, Archer has become one of the most adventurous shows on television.

Hulu

Coraline

Image used with permission by copyright holder

If one knew nothing else about Coraline, the pedigree behind the film would be enough to recommend it. Director Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas) and animation studio Laika adapted the film from the novel by Neil Gaiman, and the result is one of the best — and most disturbing — animated films in recent memory. The movie follows a young girl named Coraline (Dakota Fanning), who moves into a new house with her parents, who areintensely focused on their work. Wandering the house, Coraline finds a portal to another world, where she meets doppelgängers of her parents, who have black buttons where their eyes should be. Although the people of this other world dote on her, she soon learns they have sinister intentions. While many animated films draw on fairy tales for inspiration, Coraline channels the darkness of those old stories, making for a creepy, cautionary tale that can unsettle even adults.

Netflix

Will Nicol
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Will Nicol is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends. He covers a variety of subjects, particularly emerging technologies, movies…
3 great Hulu movies you need to stream this weekend (February 7-9)
Denzel Washington in He Got Game.

When picking selections for the weekend ahead, we don't tend to do so by year. But by a fluke of the February release schedule, all of our selections for the three great Hulu movies that you need to stream this weekend were released in theaters in 1998. And they couldn't be more different from each other.
Our first selection is a powerful father-and-son drama from director Spike Lee, while the second features one of Oprah Winfrey's performances. The final selection is a classic comedy that caused quite a stir when it was originally released, but it may seem relatively tame nearly three decades later.
Need more recommendations? We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
He Got Game (1998)

Spike Lee's He Got Game is a basketball fable that allowed NBA player Ray Allen to give the performance of a lifetime as Jesus Shuttlesworth, one of the top high school basketball prospects in the country. Colleges are so eager to sign Jesus that the governor of New York briefly releases his estranged father, Jake Shuttlesworth (Denzel Washington), from prison just to convince Jesus to attend the governor's alma mater.

Read more
If you have to watch one Netflix show in February 2025, stream this one
The cast of A Different World.

During 2024, Netflix added many classic sitcoms from the 1990s, including Martin, The Jamie Foxx Show, and Reba. That's given those shows a chance to find a new audience in the streaming era. This month, the streamer is doing it again with A Different World, and it's our pick for the one Netflix show that you have to watch in February.

This is significant because A Different World hasn't been readily available to stream or purchase on digital outlets. It's also been unjustly dragged down by the controversy surrounding Bill Cosby and the sexual assault allegations against him that has relegated The Cosby Show to streaming purgatory. A Different World is a spinoff from The Cosby Show, and characters from the latter did show up in the former. However, A Different World also established its own identity as a comedy, especially once Lisa Bonet, the original lead of the series, left the show.

Read more
The best reality shows streaming on Netflix right now (February 2025)
A man running from a zombie in the show Zombieverse.

Whether it's a dating game, a cooking show, or a survivalist competition, Netflix has some fantastic reality TV. These shows fall into that guilty pleasure category where you deny watching them or binge-watch and share your thoughts with friends. There are shows with new, weekly episodes, while some can be binge-watched at your leisure. With some that aren't competition-based, you can even pick and choose standalone episodes that are best suited to your interests.
The best reality shows streaming on Netflix right now run the gamut. From a new season (yes, another one!) of the hit dating show Love is Blind to intense shows like Zombieverse, there really is something for everyone. Maybe take a chance on something that's outside of your comfort zone. You might be surprised!

Need more recommendations? Then check out the best new shows to stream this week, as well as the best shows on Netflix, best shows on Hulu, best shows on Amazon Prime Video, the best shows on Max, and best shows on Disney+.

Read more