So, off the top of my head, some of my favorite Christmas movies are: Love Actually, The Apartment, Elf, Carol, and The Happiest Season. Some of them aren’t particularly good movies, but I remember watching them all and being very happy about finally understanding what the fuss is all about.
I wish you warm and happy holidays! Now go get some rest.🎄
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If you know who Noah Centineo is, it’s likely not through anything stone-cold serious. The guy’s done romance and comedies (and well, I might add!) but he’s not the type to do hard-hitting action—until now. In the new Netflix series The Recruit, Centineo puts on his well-known charms and comedic chops but also adds something new to the table by playing Owen Hendricks, a rookie CIA detective on a high-stakes, intercontinental mission.
When a former asset threatens to expose the CIA’s manifold secrets, it’s up to Owen to get to the heart of the matter and patch things up before it’s too late. The covert-mission side of things can get clunky, but if you’re looking for a breezy and fun binge this weekend, The Recruit does the job.
OUR TOP MOVIE OF THE WEEK
Glass Onion
New on Netflix 🍅 rating: 93%
Glass Onion, the much-awaited sequel to Knives Out is finally here, and it still stars Daniel Craig’s eccentric detective character Benoit Blanc. This time, Blanc is invited to an exclusive get-together organized by tech billionaire Miles Bron (Ed Norton), a pitch-perfect caricature of the Elon Musks of the world. When one of the elite party guests dies, Blanc is tasked to figure out who among them is the murderer.
A taut no-nonsense mystery laced with just the right amount of class critique and satire, Glass Onion is just as sharp and enjoyable as its predecessor, if not more so.
Top picks outside of Netflix and Amazon Prime
Big screen veterans Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren star in the latest spin-off of the Yellowstone franchise, 1923.
Our first pick outside of the usual platforms is Bones and All, which—stay with me—follows two cannibals on the run in the American Midwest. It’s a horror movie by virtue of all the blood, flesh, and gore that sickeningly appear onscreen, and I don’t recommend it for the faint of heart. By if you can stomach that, then Bones and All comes as an earnest exploration of youth and loneliness, a coming-of-age movie that centers on the love that blossoms between its two young leads, played by Timothee Chalamet and Taylor Russel. The gorgeous 1980s Americana backdrop also elevates it into something quite special. Available to rent on Amazon Prime, Vudu, and AppleTV+ for $20.
Our second pick is 1923, the latest addition to the Yellowstone franchise. Still set in the contested ranches of Montana, it follows a new generation of Duttons as they fight to defend their stake of the land amid war, economic turmoil, and of course, warring family drama. Following the success of its first prequel series, 1883, 1923 ups the ante by casting big screen veterans Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren as its stars. The move works: they completely steal each scene they're in, and that alone makes 1923 a captivating watch. Streaming on Paramount+.
New titles worth your time
One of Amazon Prime’s first originals to take off, Jake Ryan, returns for a third season with John Kransinksi still at the helm.
Aside from The Recruit and Glass Onion, another noteworthy new arrival on Netflix is Side Effects, the 2013 psychological thriller starring Rooney Mara, Jude Law, and Channing Tatum. It follows Mara’s character as she discovers inexplicable side effects after taking new meds.
Meanwhile, on Amazon Prime, the latest season of Jack Ryan just dropped. John Krasinski returns as the titular lead of the political thriller series, but this time, he goes rogue after the CIA refuses to get involved in his latest case.
Great titles that will soon expire
Love & Basketball, which leaves Netflix soon, is that rare mix of sports, romance, and drama that actually works.
A lot of great titles are leaving Netflix on December 31! This is your last chance to watch: action thrillers Gladiator, Point Break, Captain Phillips, Hell or High Water, and Donnie Brasco, as well as romantic dramas Blue Jasmine, The Bridges of Madison County, Call Me by Your Name, and Love & Basketball.
Over at Amazon Prime, the Joan Jett documentary Bad Reputation expires
on December 6, while the shows The Night Manager, The Firm, Brimstone, and the neo-noir film State of Grace all expire on December 30.
On the 31st, notable titles leaving Prime include the movies Fantastic Mr. Fox, 10 Things I Hate About You, Dead Man Walking, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and Eight Men Out. Shows Workaholics and 4 Blocks are also set to expire on the same date.
That’s all for this week. This edition of the newsletter will be back on Friday, December 30.
Till then,
Renee
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