Happy Sunday, Streamers.
We’re so close. Just another week until everyone officially says “f*ck it” and stops any kind of work for the year. Luckily we’re here to arm you with the streaming recs you need to cozy up and sail through all that impending downtime.
And for those of you who are new here: welcome to The Sunday Stream, the answer to what has become one of the most challenging questions of our time:
What Should I Watch Tonight?
Every Sunday morning, we send the best things to watch straight to your inbox. No think pieces, no pretense; just one or two recommendations, along with the what/why/who/where (what is it about, why should I watch, who’s in it/made it, and where can I stream) because no one should waste their free time on bad content.
This week we have one journey into the mind, and another into a YA/teen mecca courtesy of Tim Burton. Now let’s get to it.
Stutz
What It’s About: In this offbeat documentary, Jonah Hill invites you into therapy to profile his own shrink, Dr. Phil Stutz, and showcase the mental health tools that have helped Hill so much in his own life.
Why You Should Watch: For sentimentality, honest confessions, and Jonah Hill being Jonah Hill.
Stutz admittedly seemed pretty self-obsessed at first. But like most of Jonah Hill’s latter-career auteur moves, Stutz is pleasantly surprising. Yes, it is a lot about Jonah’s struggles with his self-image and desperate need for validation (actors amirite?), but Stutz is the real star here. He’s impossibly charming as he walks you through his broken childhood, lost loves, and struggle with Parkinson’s. As he does, Stutz wheels and deals an almost dizzying amount of sage mental health tools and concepts (like a Jewish boomer Yoda from the Bronx), often visualized via his own strange doodles. Stutz won’t be for everyone, but if you or someone you’ve known has ever endeavored to overcome mental health struggles in the hopes of becoming better, this one is worth a watch.
Who’s In It, and Where You Probably Know Them From:
Jonah Hill - This guy rode the Apatow comedy train throughout the ‘OOs, appearing in Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Knocked Up, and The 40-Year-Old-Virgin before turning to more serious fare like The Wolf of Wall Street and Moneyball.
Who Made It, and What Else Have They Done: Jonah Hill previously directed Mid90s, as well as some music videos and an episode of Winning Time.
Where You Can Watch: Netflix
Wednesday
What It’s About: In this dark teen mystery, Wednesday Addams navigates life at her new school as she tries to get to the bottom of a supernatural conspiracy.
Why You Should Watch: For Addams-family nostalgia, light YA teen drama, and Jenny Ortega
Everyone should buy a lot of stock in Jenny Ortega. This girl is so good in this (and everything else she’s been in) that she’s no doubt destined for great things. Outside of Ortega, Wednesday showcases everything Tim Burton does well; it’s playfully macabre with artful visuals and all the prerequisite big eyes. Wednesday also wisely (and successfully) adopts the greatest hits of other YA franchises: she’s an outcast at school, heir to her parent’s dark legacy (who also happened to be students at the same school), and the target of several boys’ romantic interest. If you’re a Harry Potter or YA fan, definitely check this out. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for how Ortega never blinks (!!!) in a single scene.
Who’s In It, and Where You Probably Know Them From:
Jenny Ortega - She only recently graduated from Disney stardom but has appeared in Jane the Virgin and horror films like X and the most recent Scream.
Catherine Zeta-Jones - Chicago, The Mask of Zorro, Entrapment, Intolerable Cruelty, and Traffic.
Christina Ricci - Casper, Now and Then, Yellowjackets, the original Wednesday in The Addams Family, Sleepy Hollow, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
Gwendoline Christie - Lady Brienne of Tarth on Game of Thrones, The most recent Star Wars trilogy, and The Sandman.
Riki Lindhome - Various comedies throughout the years, starting with her role as one half of the musical comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates.
Who Made It, and What Else Have They Done: Tim Burton, the commercial art school weirdo king, has given us Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Pee Wee Herman’s Big Adventure, Batman, Beetlejuice, Mars Attacks!, Ed Wood, and Big Fish.
Where You Can Watch: Netflix