Podcast: Land of the Giants: The Netflix Effect

The nearly 200 million subscriber-strong Netflix is so ubiquitous that it has even inspired its own dating term: “Netflix and chill.” Ever wondered how the movie and television streaming service came out on top? Or whatever happened to Blockbuster video? Or what it means for Hollywood to be “disrupted”? The Vox Media podcast Land of the Giants explores how tech giants are changing our lives. Season 1 delved into Amazon. Season 2, out now, peeks inside the proverbial little red envelope that used to deliver DVDs. Using insider interviews, the podcast sheds light on Netflix’s corporate culture, its recommendation algorithms and how it helped make Breaking Bad a hit. Vox.com/land-of-the-giants-podcast. –C. Moon Reed

Film: Mulan

Disney has been churning out live-action remakes of its animated films for years now. Some are inventive (Jon Favreau’s Jungle Book) and others so slavishly faithful to their source that you wonder why they bothered (Favreau’s The Lion King). But Niki Caro’s live-action Mulan, now streaming on Disney+ as a $30 add-on, is a strange case: Not only does it strip away the slapstick, animal sidekicks and musical numbers from the 1989 original, but also its campy drag humor. What remains is a somber, sumptuously-shot action drama that’s arguably a better film—it bears more than a passing resemblance to Zhang Yimou’s splendid 2002 film Hero—though kids may squirm through it. Luckily for parents, the original is a few clicks away. Disney+. –Geoff Carter

TV: Street Food: Latin America

This mini doc series journeys through a region that spans 26 countries and territories, spotlighting some of the area’s best street food cooks. The show begins in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with chef Pato Rodriguez, who runs the popular food stall Las Chicas de la Tres with her girlfriend in the city’s bustling Central Market. Rodriguez has perfected the cheesy, delectable tortilla espanola. From there, Oaxaca, Mexico; Bogotá, Colombia; and La Paz, Bolivia, await, scratching our itch to travel and taste all the beautiful and delicious things Latin America has to offer. Netflix. –Leslie Ventura

TV: The Vow

Cults are a peculiar thing. What makes seemingly rational people blindly follow a leader to do things so outside the bounds of society and personal safety? This nine-part docuseries explores the psychology behind the cult Nxvim, which was exposed as a pyramid scheme and sex ring a couple years back. Nxvim was sold to its adherents as a self-help organization by leader Keith Rainiere, but darker paths awaited its members, which included celebrities and heiresses. It’s a cautionary tale for those who think they can’t be taken in. It turns out, anyone can. HBO. –Genevie Durano

Music: Throwing Muses: Sun Racke

It’s like Queer Eye, but with drag queens. Three former RuPaul’s Drag Race stars—Bob the Drag Queen, Eureka O’Hara and Shangela—bring the diverse art form to Smalltown U.S.A. by transforming community members into drag queens. What could a cis man from Twin Falls, Idaho, a mother striving to overcome her homophobic past in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and a father struggling to be more open with his daughter in Branson, Missouri, have in common? They all look great in drag. Thursdays, 9 p.m., HBO. –Leslie Ventura