What to watch: Issa Rae’s ‘Insecure’, ‘Homeland’'s final season and John Oliver’s talk show

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“Saint Maud”

Would you like to see two terrific actresses locked in mortal combat? In writer-director Rose Glass’s icy and compelling feature debut, a horror-movie premise takes on the nuances of a sharp two-character play on film (with several supporting characters). In a seaside English town, a deeply, perhaps dementedly religious caregiver for hire (Morfydd Clark) becomes a kind of savior to a dying choreographer (Jennifer Ehle). But one woman’s sainthood is another’s hell, as this tense, increasingly nightmarish movie reminds us. (Sling, Amazon Prime, Philo) — Michael Phillips

“Dead Like Me”

I’ve been rewatching this dramedy that ran for two seasons from 2003 to 2004, and it is as sardonic and easy-to-watch as I remembered. The premise: An apathetic 18-year-old (played by a wonderfully deadpan Ellen Muth) is killed by a piece of airplane equipment falling from the sky — a toilet seat, to be exact — and enters the afterlife equivalent of annoying temp work, helping recently deceased souls leave their bodies to move on to the next realm. She and her small group of “colleagues” (including the marvelous Jasmine Guy) have none of the perks you’d expect: They still more or less have to live on earth, scrambling for housing, but minus any meaningful human connections. Mandy Patinkin plays her boss (of sorts), who calls her “pumpkin” but cuts her zero slack. It might be my favorite (and least-known) show from creator Bryan Fuller, who would later go on to create “Pushing Daisies” and “Hannibal.” (Tubi, Amazon Prime, VOD) — Nina Metz

“Insecure”

Issa Rae’s “Insecure” is masterful. The dramedy follows two Black best friends Issa (Rae) and Molly (Yvonne Orji) as they navigate their careers, dating and awkward everyday experiences, including microaggressions, code switching and other social and racial issues. The show feels like a love letter to South Los Angeles, highlighting the beauty that exists beyond Hollywood’s tropes of the hood. The series will conclude after the upcoming fifth season, so it’s a great time to get caught up. (HBO Max) — Hannah Herrera Greenspan

“Homeland”

I was a “Homeland” diehard when it premiered a decade ago, but my interest started to wane as the plots got more contrived. The final season, which dropped in 2020, is a return to form that has viewers wondering if Claire Danes’s Carrie Mathison has joined the bad guys she spent her CIA career thwarting. — Tracy Swartz

“Men in Kilts”

As an “Outlander” fan, it was a no-brainer that I would watch “Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham.” Actors Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish ride in what looks like a utilitarian gypsy caravan on wheels, talking about the history and culture of Scotland? What’s not to love? The brogue, the camaraderie, the interjected scenes of brotherhood from the “Outlander” series — it’s not a hard sell. The first episode showcased food and drink of Scotland, where the two blokes laughed as they rolled around in grain from which whiskey is created. Maybe it’s seeing the guys through a more human lens; maybe it’s just that I’ve always wanted to go to Scotland, and travel is a little limited at the moment? Either way, I’m excited to go along on this road trip. (Starz) — Darcel Rockett

“The Night Comes for Us”

This Iko Uwais actioner is balletic in its glory. The plot is simple, as they all are: Bad guy turned good looks to save a soul. Julie Estelle almost steals the movie, and the final fight scene (box cutter, anyone?) is over-the-top. (Netflix) — Kevin Williams

“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver”

Now back in his powder blue void set after a long absence, John Oliver’s political half-hour Sunday night show on HBO is still laboring under a reduced energy outside the TV studio, just as Bill Maher’s “Real Time” did when he taped his show from his home. Still, Oliver’s staff aggregates serious reporting and presents important issues in a way that drives home his messages in an engaging way. In his Feb. 28 show, he managed to weave clips from the goofy 1990 “Cop Rock” police procedural musical series with a very serious segment on police raids, how out of control they are and how to prevent raids gone wrong. Among the raids he focused on was the errant Chicago police raid on Anjanette Young’s home, which this month resulted in new proposals for search warrants. The week before it was dangerous practices in meat-packing plants, and the week before that it was laying out the likelihood of another pandemic. I’m looking forward to him returning to the studio and reinvigorating the show, but “Last Week Tonight” nevertheless remains essential and topical. (HBO, HBO Max) — Scott L. Powers

Need more options? Read our February and January streaming suggestions.

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