'MacGruber'
The 2010 film adaptation of the "Saturday Night Live" sketch bombed, but it eventually earned cult status with those who got a kick out of the narcissist hero who attacks each scene like Casey Kasem with a case of rabies. That audience won't be let down by this eight-part series in which MacGruber (Will Forte) must convince his former partners to join him in saving the world. Forte will do just about anything to get a laugh — including going nude for one whole episode. But it's Kristen Wiig as Vicki St. Elmo who steals the show, digging deep into her bag of tone-deaf accents and silly love songs. Be warned: Some of the violence may be too much for viewers who weren't born when the character debuted. Thursday on Peacock
NEAL JUSTIN
'Encounter'
Riz Ahmed, an Oscar nominee earlier this year for "Sound of Metal," gives another powerhouse performance in a thriller where the messiness is part of its appeal. He plays a man who kidnaps his two small sons to try to protect them from aliens invading Earth. Lots of twists and turns follow and not all of them make sense but "Encounter," which also stars Octavia Spencer, finds its way to a provocative, moving climax. Amazon Prime
CHRIS HEWITT
'With Love'
Gloria Calderon Kellett, who was largely responsible for the "One Day at a Time" reboot, applies her talent to this rom-com about Latino family members in Portland with an unbreakable bond. There are not a lot of laughs but the photogenic cast is charming, particularly Emeraude Toubia, a newly single romantic who wears her lust on her sleeve. Each of the five episodes covers a different celebration, starting with Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) and ending with Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Happy holidays, indeed. Friday on Amazon Prime
N.J.
'Selling Tampa'
It was only a matter of time before reality series "Selling Sunset" inspired a spin-off. This time around, the focus is on all-female, all-minority real estate agents who practically salivate at the thought of landing a fat commission. There's not as much feuding as you get in a typical "Real Housewives" episode, although the claws do come out when one of the sellers is left out of a promotional photo. The horror. Netflix
N.J.
'The Hand of God'
Italy's submission for next year's foreign film Oscar is a coming-of-age tale from director Paolo Sorrentino, who previously won the award for "The Great Beauty." Like that movie, it's a visual showcase with heartfelt emotion and very little story. Apparently autobiographical, it's about a movie- and love-mad kid growing up in Naples in the 1980s. Netflix
C.H.
