This week, Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen brings you a shortlist of fantastic films that are available to stream now.

“City Hall,” streaming via the GBH website and the Coolidge Corner Theatre through January 19

If you’ve ever wondered how a city really functions, or you just want to learn more about the city of Boston, look no further than City Hall. Directed by legendary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman, this 4 ½-hour documentary takes a deep dive into how Boston, and cities like it, really functions — from food drives, to emergency response, to garbage collection and everything in between.

“Nearly every last second of the film is riveting even including home inspections and street work,” says Jared. “City Hall is a magisterial look at how we govern, live and are.”

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” streaming on Netflix

If you’re looking for a theater fix, Jared suggests Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. The story, part of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson’s Century Cycle, is set in the 1920s and focuses on Ma Rainey, dubbed “the Mother of the Blues,” and her at-odds band as they struggle through a recording session fraught with racism and violence. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is produced by Denzel Washington and stars Viola Davis as Ma Rainey and Chadwick Boseman in his final on-screen performance as the hot-headed trumpeter Levee.

“The film is faithful to the story’s theatrical roots and explodes with the fiery performances of Davis and Boseman,” says Jared. “But it also delivers a heart-pounding intimacy that even the stage could not permit.”

“Sound of Metal,” streaming on Amazon

How does one handle hearing loss when, as a musician, it’s even more central to who you are? That’s the question Riz Ahmed contends with in the new film Sound of Metal. Ahmed stars as a punk-metal drummer Ruben, who develops intermittent hearing loss and must grapple with his identity and addictions as he relearns how to navigate the world. Director Darius Marder uses unique and innovative sound design to take audiences inside Ruben’s head, giving them insight into the reality of those who experience hearing loss, an often-overlooked community.

“With his continued serious, superb and considered work, Riz Ahmed has established himself among the rare league of actors whose projects are worth seeing simply because he’s in them,” says Jared.

“Let Them All Talk,” streaming on HBO Max

An A-list cast of Meryl Streep, Diane Wiest, and Candice Bergen come together as “the gang of three who used to be” in Let Them All Talk. Set mostly aboard the real cruise ship “Queen Mary II,” the film revolves around Streep’s character Alice Hughes, a celebrated author who is reunited with two lifelong friends — and her nephew — in the hope that it will inspire her next novel. But as Hughes reconnects with those around her, she realizes all is not as she remembers. Stephen Soderberg directs this largely improvisational film filled with heart and humor.

“Streep. Wiest. Bergen. That’s all you need to hear from me,” says Jared. “It’s a delicious delight to watch these masterful actors, especially with the knowledge that much of the dialogue is improvised.”

Which movies did you binge over the holidays? Tell Jared about it on Facebook or Twitter!