Shudder hijacks the holidays this week and some of this year’s awards contenders arrive on streaming.
‘The Apology’ (Shudder)
Twenty years after the disappearance of her daughter, recovering alcoholic Darlene Hagan (Anna Gunn) is preparing to host her family’s Christmas celebration again with the help of her friend and neighbor, Gretchen (Janeane Garofalo). Late Christmas Eve, Darlene’s estranged ex-brother-in-law, Jack (Linus Roache) arrives unannounced, bearing nostalgic gifts and a heavy secret. Soon, Darlene finds herself caught between reason and ruthless instinct. Trapped together by a dangerous storm, a battle of wits escalates to a violent game of revenge.
‘Nanny’ (Prime Video)
In this psychological fable of horror, Aisha (Anna Diop), a woman who recently emigrated from Senegal, is hired to care for the daughter of an affluent couple (Michelle Monaghan and Morgan Spector) living in New York City. Haunted by the absence of the young son she left behind, Aisha hopes her new job will afford her the chance to bring him to the U.S., but becomes increasingly unsettled by the family’s volatile home life. As his arrival approaches, a violent presence begins to invade both her dreams and her reality, threatening the American dream she is painstakingly piecing together.
‘Biography: The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne’ (Hulu)
Featuring exclusive interviews and archival footage, “Biography: The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne” delves into the many lives and incredible career of the man who has personified rock and roll rebellion for decades.
‘BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths’ (Netflix)
An epic, visually stunning and immersive experience set against the intimate and moving journey of Silverio (Daniel Giménez Cacho), a renowned Mexican journalist and documentary filmmaker living in Los Angeles, who, after being named the recipient of a prestigious international award, is compelled to return to his native country, unaware that this simple trip will push him to an existential limit. The folly of his memories and fears have decided to pierce through the present, filling his everyday life with a sense of bewilderment and wonder.
‘Joe Bob’s Ghoultide Get-Together’ (Shudder)
Joe Bob celebrates Christmas the drive-in way, complete with The Last Drive-In’s third annual holiday auction with proceeds going to charity. And who knows, this year’s double feature might even include a Christmas horror or two…
‘If These Walls Could Sing’ (Disney+)
“If These Walls Could Sing,” a Disney Original Documentary, gives exclusive access to the most famous and longest-running studio in the world, Abbey Road Studios. In this personal film of memory and discovery, director Mary McCartney guides us through nine decades to tell the stories of some of the studio’s most iconic recordings — and the people who made them happen.
‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ (HBO Max)
Set on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland, “The Banshees of Inisherin” follows lifelong friends Pádraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson), who find themselves at an impasse when Colm unexpectedly puts an end to their friendship. A stunned Pádraic, aided by his sister Siobhán (Kerry Condon) and troubled young islander Dominic (Barry Keoghan), endeavours to repair the relationship, refusing to take no for an answer. But Pádraic’s repeated efforts only strengthen his former friend’s resolve and when Colm delivers a desperate ultimatum, events swiftly escalate, with shocking consequences.
‘National Treasure: Edge of Mystery’ (Disney+)
Jess (Lisette Olivera), a brilliant and resourceful dreamer, searches for answers about her family; she embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to uncover the truth about the past and save a lost Pan-American treasure.
‘Dog’ (Paramount+)
In this road-trip comedy, two hard-charging former Army Rangers paired against their will – Briggs (Channing Tatum) and a Belgian Malinois named Lulu – race down the Pacific Coast in hopes of making it to a fellow soldier’s funeral on time. Along the way, they’ll drive each other completely crazy, confront the possibility that pet psychics are real, and begin to reckon with the one thing they were trained never to do: surrender.
‘Retrograde’ (Hulu)
“Retrograde” captures the final nine months of America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan from multiple perspectives: one of the last U.S. Special Forces units deployed there, a young Afghan general and his corps fighting to defend their homeland against all odds, and the civilians desperately attempting to flee as the country collapses and the Taliban take over. From rarely seen operational control rooms to the frontlines of battle to the chaotic Kabul airport during the final U.S. withdrawal, Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Matthew Heineman’s latest film offers a cinematic and historic window onto the end of America’s longest war, and the costs endured for those most intimately involved.
CONTINUED WEEKLY EPISODES:
‘Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War’ (Hulu)
After a ten year hiatus, the hit anime Bleach is returning to finally finish its story in a big way. Ichigo and his friends return to save their world and the Soul Society once again, with the threat this time around being the mighty Quincies. The final arc begins now, and it’s going to be a bloodbath. The first ten episodes are now streaming.
‘The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans’ (Shudder)
Your favorite drag monsters are back to compete in a grand championship of drag artistry and physical challenges for a $100,000 grand prize, along with the headlining spot on the upcoming world tour and the first ever “Dragula Titans” crown and title. The first eight episodes are now streaming.
‘Mythic Quest (Season 3)’ (Apple TV+)
Ian (Rob McElhenney) and Poppy (Charlotte Nicdao) navigate the gaming world and their partnership at the newly formed GrimPop Studios, Dana (Imani Haki) is forced to play mediator to her bosses’ incessant bickering. Back at Mythic Quest, David (David Hornsby) settles into his new role as the boss where he truly finds himself in charge for the first time with Jo (Jessie Ennis) returning as his assistant — more loyal and militant than ever; and Carol (Naomi Ekperigin) attempts to figure out where she fits in after a new promotion. At Berkeley, Rachel (Ashly Burch) struggles to balance her morals with capitalism, while a post-prison Brad tries to return to society as a reformed man. The first seven episodes are now streaming.
‘Tulsa King’ (Paramount+)
Tulsa King follows New York mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone), just after he is released from prison after 25 years and unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Okla. Realizing that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, Dwight slowly builds a “crew” from a group of unlikely characters, to help him establish a new criminal empire in a place that to him might as well be another planet. The first five episodes are now streaming.
‘Echo 3’ (Apple TV+)
From the writer of The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, Echo 3 is an action-packed thriller set in South America that follows Amber Chesborough (Jessica Ann Collins), a brilliant young scientist who is the emotional heart of a small American family. When Amber goes missing along the Colombia-Venezuela border, her brother, Bambi (Luke Evans), and her husband, Prince (Michiel Huisman) – two men with deep military experience and complicated pasts – struggle to find her in a layered personal drama, set against the explosive backdrop of a secret war. The first six episodes are now streaming.
‘Slow Horses (Season 2)’ (Apple TV+)
Slow Horses follows a team of British intelligence agents who serve in a dumping ground department of MI5 – Slough House. Oldman stars as Jackson Lamb, the brilliant but irascible leader of the spies who end up in Slough House due to their career-ending mistakes. Joining Oldman is a decorated ensemble cast including Academy Award nominee Kristin Scott Thomas (Darkest Hour), Academy Award nominee Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes), and BAFTA Scotland Award winner Jack Lowden (Dunkirk). The first four episodes are now streaming.
‘Willow’ (Disney+)
20 years after vanquishing the wicked queen Bavmorda, the sorcerer Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) leads a group of misfits on a dangerous rescue mission into the unknown. This new series from Lucasfilm and Disney is a sequel to the 1988 film of the same name. The first four episodes are now streaming.
‘His Dark Materials (Season 3)’ (HBO Max)
The rebellion against the Authority becomes open warfare, with Asriel (James McAvoy) working to build a new Republic of Heaven. But to achieve his ends he needs the Subtle Knife, which is currently in Will’s (Amir Wilson) hands. Hope will spark in darkness. The first four episodes are now streaming.
‘Doom Patrol (Season 4)’ (HBO Max)
The team unexpectedly travels to the future to find an unwelcome surprise. Faced with their imminent demise, the Doom Patrol must decide once and for all which is more important: their own happiness or the fate of the world. The first three episodes are now streaming.
Also streaming now:
Netflix – ‘Prisoners’, ‘Last Chance U: Basketball (Season 2)’, ‘Don’t Pick Up the Phone’, ‘Kangaroo Valley’, ‘Critical Thinking’, ‘Sonic Prime’, ‘The Big 4’, ‘A Storm for Christmas’, ‘Paradise PD (Season 4)’, ‘The Recruit’, ‘The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari’
Hulu – ‘Offseason’, ‘Rogue’, ‘The Dark Knight Trilogy’, ‘Blackfish’, ‘Dunkirk’, ‘Inception’, ‘Insomnia’, ‘Kindred’, ‘A Very Backstreet Holiday’, ‘360’, ‘Collide’, ‘I Love My Dad’
Shudder – ‘The Police Are Blundering In the Dark’, ‘The Killer Is One of Thirteen’, ‘Girl In Room 2A’, ‘The French Sex Murders’, ‘My Dear Killer’, ‘Autopsy’, ‘Murder Mansion’, ‘Crazy Desires of a Murderer’, ‘Arabella Black Angel’, ‘The Killer Is Still Among Us’, ‘The Sister of Ursula’
HBO Max – ‘Call Me Kat’
Disney+ – ‘Alaska’s Deadliest’, ‘Drain the Oceans (Season 5)’, ‘Positive Energy’, ‘Le Pupille’, ‘Mafia Confidential’, ‘Where Oceans Collide’
Paramount+ – ‘Dangerous Game: The Legacy Murders’
Prime Video – ‘The Black Phone’, ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’, ‘About Fate’
COMING NEXT WEEK:
Netflix – ‘Side Effects’, ‘Trolley’, ‘Trolls’, ‘Emily in Paris (Season 3)’, ‘I AM A KILLER (Season 4)’, ‘Alice in Borderland (Season 2)’, ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’
Hulu – ‘The Legend of Molly Johnson’, ‘The Torch’, ‘Paranoia’, ‘Fear the Walking Dead (Season 7)’, ‘Big Bet’, ‘Sharp Stick’, ‘Mack & Rita’
Shudder – ‘Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge’
HBO Max – ‘I Hate Suzie (Season 2)’, ‘The Head (Season 2)’, ‘Family Dinner (Season 3)’
Disney+ – ‘The Flagmakers’, ‘Born in Africa’, ‘Danger Decoded’, ‘Port Protection Alaska’, ‘Strange World’, ‘From the Ashes’, ‘Jaguar Beach Battle’, ‘Little Giant’
Prime Video – ‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (Season 3)’
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