Netflix can sometimes do a really great job at making you feel like there’s nothing to watch, even though it has a cavernous library of movies and TV shows to keep you busy scrolling for a lifetime. Unless it’s top of the Netflix charts or top of the streaming service’s algorithmically-decided offerings—The Four Seasons, the Michael Jackson doc, and Office Romance are in everyone’s face, currently—the problem was never too few options; it’s finding the right ones.
That’s where we come in. For this week, skip the scroll and consider these suggestions: a musical romance dramedy loaded with Neil Diamond tunes, an animated oddball movie the kids will love, and a crime caper with a lead actor better known for wanting his martinis shaken, not stirred.
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Song Sung Blue
Warm up your Sweet Caroline for this love story
Song Sung Blue was an audience hit, and a critical one, too, for its feel-good vibes, bittersweet emotional turn, and a too-strange-to-be-true story that will keep you glued. Set in 1990’s Milwaukee, Son Sung Blue is the true story of Mike (Hugh Jackman) and Claire Sardina (Kate Hudson), two downtrodden musicians who’ve both done some living—him a Vietnam vet and mechanic, her a single divorced mom who sings Patsy Cline covers—who find love and a second chance when they form a Neil Diamond tribute band called Lightning & Thunder.
What starts from their garage as a bit of a lark turns into a huge local following and a chance of a lifetime gig where they share the stage with Pearl Jam, which elevates their fame. However, when a tragic accident strikes and upends their lives, it puts their love and everything they built to the test. Song Sung Blue is a certified crowd-pleaser of a movie, with a stellar supporting cast that includes Michael Imperioli, Jim Belushi, and Fisher Stevens. It also earned Hudson her first Oscar nomination since Almost Famous, 25 years earlier.
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Bee Movie
An animated oddity that buzzes with Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld’s Bee Movie was a passion project of his for years before its 2007 release, but, sadly, it didn’t quite buzz with critics when it came out. Fascinatingly, though the quirky comedy found a wild second life online years later, as countless memes, YouTube edits, and other oddities made it a hit on streaming platforms, like Netflix, where it’s been in the Top 10 this month.
Seinfeld voices Barry B. Benson, a young bee disenchanted by the fact that he’s about to live a long life doing one thing—making honey. Wanting more, he goes on an adventure out of the hive, where he hits it off with a sweet, empathetic human, Vanessa (Renée Zellweger)—yes, he can talk. When Barry learns that humans have been profiting off free bee labor to sell their honey to the masses, he decides to sue the entire human race.
QuizName that Netflix show
Trivia challenge
From Hawkins to the Grand Line — see how much you really know about Netflix’s biggest hits.
DramaSci-FiAdventureRomancethriller
In Stranger Things, what is the name of the parallel dimension where the Demogorgon originates?
Correct! The Upside Down is a dark mirror dimension of Hawkins, Indiana, overrun by terrifying creatures and a mysterious hive mind. It becomes central to nearly every season of the show.
Not quite — the answer is The Upside Down. This eerie parallel world first appears in season 1 when Eleven accidentally makes contact with the Demogorgon during a lab experiment, setting off the entire series.
In Nobody Wants This, what is the occupation of Noah, the male lead played by Adam Brody?
Correct! Noah is a rabbi, which creates the central romantic tension of the show as he falls for Joanne, a non-Jewish podcaster played by Kristen Bell. The cultural and religious differences fuel much of the story.
Not quite — Noah is a rabbi. The show’s entire romantic conflict hinges on this detail, as his faith community and family have complicated feelings about his relationship with a non-Jewish woman.
Virgin River is set in a small fictional town in which U.S. state?
Correct! Virgin River is set in a fictional small town in Northern California, though the show is actually filmed in British Columbia, Canada. The lush forest scenery gives it that remote, rugged feel.
Not quite — the show is set in Northern California, even though it’s filmed in British Columbia. The fictional town of Virgin River is nestled in redwood country, which gives it that distinctive Pacific Northwest-adjacent atmosphere.
Netflix’s live-action One Piece adaptation follows Monkey D. Luffy on his quest to find a legendary treasure. What is that treasure called?
Correct! The One Piece is the legendary treasure left behind by the Pirate King Gol D. Roger, and finding it would make Luffy the next King of the Pirates. The treasure’s true nature is still a mystery even in the original manga.
Not quite — the treasure is simply called the One Piece, which is also where the series gets its name. Left behind by the Pirate King Gol D. Roger, it drives Luffy and countless other pirates to sail the dangerous Grand Line.
In Adolescence, the limited series follows the aftermath of a 13-year-old boy accused of what crime?
Correct! Adolescence centers on 13-year-old Jamie Miller, who is accused of murdering a classmate. The series examines how the crime unravels his working-class family and explores themes of online radicalization and masculinity.
Not quite — Jamie is accused of murder. The four-episode series, each filmed in a single continuous take, explores the devastating impact on his family and raises urgent questions about the influence of online incel culture on young boys.
Which Stranger Things character is known for their love of Dungeons & Dragons and first coins the term ‘Demogorgon’ for the monster in season 1?
Correct! It’s Mike Wheeler who first uses the Demogorgon game piece to name the creature, during the iconic basement D&D scene that opens the very first episode. The Dungeons & Dragons references become a recurring framework throughout the series.
Not quite — it was Mike Wheeler who named the creature after the Demogorgon from Dungeons & Dragons. The reference is introduced in the very first episode and sets the tone for how the kids use their geeky knowledge to make sense of supernatural threats.
In Virgin River, what is the name of the bar and grill that serves as the social hub of the town?
Correct! Jack’s Bar is owned by Jack Sheridan, the show’s male lead, and it functions as the beating heart of the Virgin River community. Most of the town’s drama, celebrations, and conversations happen within its walls.
Not quite — the answer is Jack’s Bar, owned by the show’s lead character Jack Sheridan. It’s far more than a drinking spot; it’s where relationships are built, secrets are revealed, and the tight-knit community gathers through every crisis.
In Nobody Wants This, what is the name of the podcast hosted by Joanne and her sister Morgan?
Correct! The podcast is called Crazy, Slutty, Skinny, and it’s a raunchy, unfiltered show about dating and relationships. The podcast’s explicit content creates an amusing contrast with Noah’s more conservative religious world.
Not quite — the podcast is called Crazy, Slutty, Skinny. It’s co-hosted by Joanne and her sister Morgan, and the show’s blunt, irreverent take on dating life makes it a funny foil to Noah’s world as a respected rabbi.
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Yes, the premise is ridiculous, but in a hilarious Seinfeld way, full of observational humor, snide sarcasm, and an excellent supporting voice cast that includes Matthew Broderick, John Goodman, and Chris Rock, with cameos from Sting, Oprah Winfrey, and Ray Liotta as themselves. Nearly two decades later, it’s become an animated cult classic that’s somehow only gotten funnier.
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Fast Charlie
An aging hitman’s final job goes very wrong
Pierce Brosnan’s cold, calculating mob fixer Charlie Swift could be a glimpse into what the golden years of a guy like John Wick or Ray Donovan might be—and I’m pleased to report that the silver-haired badass still has it. Set in New Orleans, Charlie has been loyal muscle for mob boss Stan Mullen (James Caan) for decades. When one of Stan’s guys botches a hit designed to eliminate evidence that could incriminate rival mob boss Beggar Mercado (Gbenga Akinnagbe), Beggar decides to take no chances and just massacre Stan and his entire crew.
But Charlie survives, and he’s not happy. With the target’s ex-wife, a taxidermist named Marcie (Deadpool‘s Morena Baccarin), now dragged into the whole mess, Charlie decides that the only way to secure his safety, and Marcie’s, is to take down Beggar’s entire crew himself, one by one, turning the whole ordeal into a big revenge mission.
Directed by Phillip Noyce (Clear and Present Danger) and written by Richard Wenk (The Equalizer), Fast Charlie is an adaptation of Victor Gischler’s 2001 novel Gun Monkeys, and marks the legendary Caan’s final film before his death in 2022. Fast Charlie is on the Netflix Top 10 and has an 83% RT critics’ score.
Pop some corn, sink into the couch
Whether you decide on one of these picks, or prefer to keep searching for something just right, How-To Geek published loads of weekly streaming guides for Netflix, Prime Video, Paramount+, Hulu, and more.
- Subscription with ads
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Yes, $8/month
- Simultaneous streams
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Two or four
- Live TV
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No
- Price
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Starting at $8/month
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
