If you’re tired of endlessly scrolling through a buffet of viewing options without a trusty recommendation, you’ve come to the right place! Each week I list a handful of titles I’ve enjoyed to help you shake up your weekly streaming routine.

ROMAN EMPIRE: REIGN OF BLOOD (Docu-drama)

Netflix

[image error]Lately I’ve developed a taste for docu-dramas, thanks in part to this lavish 6 episode series. Reign of Blood chronicles the rise of Commodus and the disastrous consequences Rome ultimately suffered as a result. About 70% of its screentime is spent in the costume-drama portion of the proceedings (punctuated by Sean Bean’s grave narration), while the other 30% features interviews with historians and Ken Burns-esque studies of ancient reliefs, sculptures, and paintings. Fortunately for us, both pieces are rendered with an emphasis on production value and the resulting ~6 hours is as educational as it is entertaining. In fact, I’ve become a bit spoiled by the format. Listening to experts discuss the competing characters and factions at work in ancient Rome is one thing; getting to see it play out (albeit with ample historical license) goes a long way toward truly understanding the events and people involved. It’s the perfect balance between showing and telling, and the riveting subject matter is thus made all the more captivating.

My hope is that the Title: Subtitle format implies more entries are forthcoming….perhaps ROMAN EMPIRE: FURTHERMORE, CARTHAGE MUST BE DESTROYED or ROMAN EMPIRE: THE ONE WITH THE FIVE EMPERORS. Either way, if you have even a passing interest in history or Rome or Sean Bean’s voice, you’re gonna love this one.

THE SPOILS BEFORE DYING (Comedy)

Netflix

[image error]To call this a mere spoof or satire would be a terrible disservice. The show opens on wine-drunk writer and self-described “Undisputed Master of Dramatic Fiction” Eric Jonrosh (Will Ferrell), who proceeds to introduce his latest masterpiece: The Spoils Before Dying. What follows is a 6 episode send-up of melodramatic miniseries and so-called “television events” – in this case, centering on a jazz player named Rock Banyon (Michael Kenneth Williams) attempting to clear his name after being framed for murder. The humor is offbeat and idiosyncratic to say the very least, but Spoils doesn’t skimp on the hard-boiled noir story at its core. Other SNL alums like Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Chris Parnell join the fun, as does as a barely recognizable Haley Joel Osment in the role of Rock’s manager, Alistair St. Barnaby-Bixby-Jones (Spoils is lousy with these ridiculous footnotes). It’s not a laugh-a-minute watch, nor is it the pathologically raunchy exercise that Ferrell’s presence might imply. That said, when it’s funny – it’s hilarious. And when it’s weird, it’s practically unhinged. You get the distinct impression that everyone involved showed up to shoot each day and just had as much fun as possible.

Originally this entry was about The Spoils of Babylon – an identical premise that focused on a different selection from Jonrosh’s fictional catalogue. Unfortunately, it’s no longer streaming on Netflix, but is available (at a per episode charge) on other streaming services like Google Play, YouTube, iTunes, etc. So if you dig The Spoils Before Dying, you’ll definitely dig the first foray into Spoils-territory, ya dig?

WHILE WE’RE YOUNG (Comedy/Drama)

Amazon Prime

[image error]Ah, Millennials – we’re a bit of a mixed bag, wouldn’t you agree? While We’re Young grapples with this emergent generational gap, though it’s not as on-the-nose about it. Josh (Ben Stiller) and Cornelia (Naomi Watts) are a childless couple in their mid-forties who befriend a couple in their mid-twenties, Jamie (Kylo Ren – I mean Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried). Josh, a documentary filmmaker worrying over his latest bloated project, finds something of a protege in Jamie who, in turn, sees Josh as his ship-come-in. But there’s more to Jamie than meets the eye and whether that’s a bad or good thing depends somewhat on your perspective. While We’re Young doesn’t go out of its way to wrap things up with a pat homily or a wisdom-nugget. Rather, a sense of almost unbearable honesty frames these characters with neither their best nor worst features as the focal point. Writer/Director Noah Baumbach has made a name for himself chronicling the struggles of dysfunctional characters, and in that sense While We’re Young is no different from the bulk of his work. Where it stands out is in tackling how different kindred spirits can still be, merely for having been born in different decades. It’s a charming film with some well-earned laughs and solid performances from the entire cast.

(Bonus! If you’re a documentary-nut like me, a smattering of references will give you that lovely burst of joy that’s then tempered by a lack of friends with whom to share it.

You know the one.)