March 13, 2025
Screenshot/Netflix/YouTube
The Netflix sitcom 'Running Point' focuses on a fictional basketball team run by heiress Isla Gordon (Kate Hudson) and her brothers Ness (Scott MacArthur, left) and Sandy (Drew Tarver, right).
It's been a dismal few weeks for fans of "Love Is Blind," who suffered through a uniquely dull season in Minneapolis. (At least it ended in a hilarious tattoo reveal.) But luckily, Netflix had another trick up its sleeve with "Running Point," a charming comedy about a bunch of nepo babies running a basketball team.
The new series leads our streaming guide recommendations this week. Other picks include a period drama, a 2010s rom-com and a classic crime thriller from one of the masters. Seen 'em all? Then try one of the two Philadelphia-set shows that recently debuted — or the third one on the horizon.
Isla Gordon (Kate Hudson) is miles away from the corner office at the start of the new Netflix comedy "Running Point." But when her older brother sparks a public scandal, she unexpectedly takes the reins of the family business.
For the Gordons, that's the Los Angeles Waves, a legendary basketball team struggling through a tough season. Isla has to figure out a path to the playoffs while fending off the press and managing the egos of her star players, head coach, general manager and chief financial officer. The last two are also her brothers, and they're not happy they were passed over for the promotion.
The latest series from sitcom machine Mindy Kaling is sweet, funny and breezily paced. All 10 episodes are available to stream, with more to come in Season 2.
The arrival of "Brooklyn" on Peacock and Hulu is serendipitous for a few reasons. With St. Patrick's Day around the corner, the tale of Irish immigrant Eilis Lacey couldn't be timelier. Its source material — the novel "Brooklyn" by Colm Tóibín — also got a sequel last year that adds new dimension to the period piece.
The movie follows Eilis (Saoirse Ronan) from a small town in Ireland to New York City in the early 1950s. After settling in Brooklyn, she meets and falls in love with Tony (Emory Cohen), a plumber from a close-knit Italian American family. But when a tragedy brings Eilis back to Ireland, she's drawn to a local man, Jim Farrell (Domhnall Gleeson). Will she stay or return to Tony? There are no easy answers for Eilis or the audience, but "Brooklyn" is kind to all of its characters. It's also got a delightful sequence in retro Coney Island.
Director Mike Mills only averages about one movie every five years, but that's fine because you'll need that much time to emotionally recover from the last one.
Mills' second film, "Beginners," was loosely inspired by his father, who came out of the closet at the age of 75. His onscreen avatar is Hal (Christopher Plummer), a recent widower making his first forays into the LGBTQ community. To make up for lost time, Hal dances through gay clubs, tries on new clothes and dates a much younger man. Soon after he starts his new life, however, he receives a devastating diagnosis. The wider story is told from the perspective of Hal's son Oliver (Ewan McGregor), who cares for him through his final years. Oliver later starts a relationship with a fellow commitment phobe (Mélanie Laurent) and tries to be braver this time around.
"Beginners" is now streaming on Netflix. Mills' third film, "20th Century Women," is also available on Max.
"Thief" opens with a bang — or, technically, a bore, as jewel thief Frank drills into a safe full of diamonds. He'll spend the rest of the movie trying to leave that life behind on the infamous promise of "one last job" that never really ends.
This 1981 neo-noir boasts great performances from James Caan as Frank and Tuesday Weld as his girlfriend Jessie, plus a killer synth score from Tangerine Dream. Fans of filmmaker Michael Mann will see the seeds of his later crime thrillers "Heat" and "Collateral" in this moody nail-biter, his first spin in the director's chair. Watch it on Prime.
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