For cord cutters, the anticipation of watching an event live gets transferred over to the weekly dumps of content on the various video streaming platforms. What’s dropping when becomes important knowledge to have, as you organize your queue. If you don’t have time to comb through all the content coming down the series of tubes that make up the Internet, don’t worry — we do.
Here are our picks for what you should watch this week.
The Walking Dead Season 5
Netflix
There’s no bigger show on television than the Walking Dead. The zombie-centric franchise launched by Robert Kirkman’s comic book series has become a cultural phenomena. The franchise sells toys, video games, and even has a spin-off TV show because the hunger of the fans for more Walking Dead content is like the walkers’ hunger for brains: it cannot be satisfied.
If you’ve somehow missed out entirely on the series up to this point, then it’s time to catch up — and quick. The sixth season of the show will premier soon, after all. Luckily, season 5 is now available for you to marathon your way through. It’s one of the show’s best runs yet, full of everything that fans want to see, from zombie killing to intense moments between characters, as they fight for their survival. There are plenty of people worth rooting for (and rooting against), while everyone tries to find their place in what is left of civilization. The season ends with a bang that you won’t want to miss, and if you’re just getting around to watching it now, you won’t have to wait months to see what happens next. Lucky you!
Ned Rifle
Ned Rifle is a film nearly two decades in the making. It’s not that the film has been in production for that long, but rather it’s the conclusion to a trilogy that started way back with the 1997 film Henry Fool. The film, written and directed by Hal Hartley, manages to get the stars of Henry Fool and its 2006 sequel Fay Grim to return, as the third entry into the series tells a new story. Focused on the son of the two titular characters from the other films, Ned Rifle is a dramatic tale lent some much-needed levity by the always hilarious Aubrey Plaza.
Boogie Nights
If you haven’t seen Boogie Nights yet, now is your chance. The classic dramedy from the ’90s that’s set in the care-free ’70s is an accomplishment of filmmaking, if only for getting so many stars to turn in incredible performances. Starring Mark Wahlberg, the film tells the tale of the incredible rise of Eddie Adams, an undiscovered talent working as a busboy who is turned into a porn star known as Dirk Diggler. The film is an absolute epic, full of incredible highs, troubling lows, and lots of what everyone is after: sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
Glass Chin
There’s just something the world loves about a good boxing movie. The ring has played host to some of the most inspiring sports movies made over the years, and Glass Chin is a prime candidate to join the heavyweight class of that category. But don’t be fooled by the familiar setting — There’s a lot more going on than just your standard “rise to glory” boxing tale. With a runaway performance by Billy Crudup, the fight that takes place out of the ring is as interesting as any happening within it.
The Nightmare
Even though the Nightmare is a documentary, it packs in plenty of thrills and frights in its presentation to make it work as a horror flick. The film deals with the topic of sleep paralysis, a condition that leaves the afflicted unable to move. Often times, the experience takes place in a partial dream state, leaving the person awake enough to realize they are trapped, but still in a dream land where troubling and disturbing images can flash around them.
