Can any show stop Reacher? The action show continues to sit atop Prime Video's top 10 in the U.S. None of the three shows below will be in the top 10 right now, but they are all popular in their own right. The first show on this list is a Prime Video original with two seasons out and a third one on the way.
The next show ran for three seasons on NBC in the 2010s, but it was canceled too soon. The final show on the list—and our top pick of the week—is an Emmy-nominated thriller starring Julia Roberts.
Prime Video clearly wants to replicate the formula that made Reacher a hit. Take a long-running novel series with a famous character and adapt it for television. Then build each season around the main character and tackle a new book each season. The streamer's attempt to find its next Reacher is Cross, based on James Patterson's Alex Cross series.
Aldis Hodge fills the role of Alex Cross, a homicide detective and forensic psychologist based in Washington, D.C. Cross specializes in profiling killers and determining why and how they murdered their victims. Cross is also a dedicated father, but he struggles with grieving the murder of his wife. In season 1, Cross investigates the murder of a Black Lives Matter activist, which causes major racial tensions in the city. Season 2 has Cross searching for a killer who is targeting corrupt billionaires.
Hodge finally gets his chance to shine in a memorable leading role. Like Alan Ritchson in Reacher, Hodge could play Alex Cross for multiple seasons, and you'll never get tired of it. In general, Cross is a thrilling detective show with an entertaining premise and charming lead actor. So far, Prime Video is winning when it comes to shows like Reacher and Cross.
If I had to pick my four favorite movies for Letterboxd, The Silence of the Lambs, which celebrated its 35th anniversary earlier this year, would be one of my selections. The movie features the iconic Dr. Hannibal Lecter, the astute psychiatrist who happens to be a serial killer. Nothing can top Anthony Hopkins' performance as Dr. Lecter, but Mads Mikkelsen's portrayal in NBC's Hannibal deserves his flowers.
Created by Bryan Fuller, Hannibal focuses on Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), an FBI profiler called into the Behavioral Sciences division by Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne) to profile a serial killer who abducted eight college students. To catch a sociopath, Graham needs help. Enter Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mikkelsen), a psychiatrist who agrees to help find the killer. Unbeknownst to Graham and the FBI, Lecter is a killer himself and a cannibal.
Hannibal would have failed if it tried to live up to The Silence of the Lambs. This television adaptation smartly reimagines these characters in a riveting new story that puts Graham and Lecter on the same team. It's a true horror show that doesn't shy away from gore, a rarity on broadcast television. Hannibal was canceled too soon, so if any show needs a revival, it's this thriller.
Until the streaming era, movie stars and television stars stayed in their respective lanes. An A-list movie star doing television was virtually unheard of, and if they did, it was often seen as a sign that their movie career was fading. Now, it's quite common for actors to jump back and forth between movies and TV. In 2018, Julia Roberts signing on to the television show Homecoming was a huge deal.
Based on the scripted podcast from Gimlet Media, Homecoming season 1 unfolds across two timelines. In 2018, Heidi Bergman (Roberts) was a caseworker at the Homecoming Transitional Support Center. This facility aids returning soldiers' transition into life outside the military. In 2022, Heidi is working as a waitress with no memory of what happened at Homecoming. After being asked questions about her time at Homecoming, Heidi searches for answers about her work at Homecoming, which might have a nefarious explanation. The show's success led to a second season starring Janelle Monáe as a woman who wakes up on a rowboat with no recollection of her identity.
Homecoming is scintillating television, especially when the first season bounces back and forth between timelines. Sam Esmail is the ideal director for season 1 because of his experience crafting frenetic characters and mysteries in his show Mr. Robot. Homecoming is in the style of 1970s paranoid thrillers, making it a real treat for fans of the genre. I'm always looking for innovative ways to tell mystery stories, so in that case, Homecoming does just that.
Variety is one of the biggest advantages of streaming. There are thousands of movies and shows to watch with the click of a button. If you need 90-minute-or-less movies on Paramount+, watch Paranormal Activity or A Quiet Place. For thrillers on Netflix, try Anaconda or 1917.
