What’s Streaming This Week (11/24 - 12/1)
Welcome to When To Stream’s Weekly Preview! Every week, we take a closer look at the major film streaming releases scheduled to launch in the next 7 days. As always, release dates are subject to change.
One note: We provide links to Amazon pre-orders (when available) and do receive a very small commission for any purchases made from this website. If you’d like to support our work, and you’re looking to buy through Amazon, we’d appreciate it if you’d click through.
Here are next week’s highlights:
Monday, November 25th, 2024
DEAR SANTA - Paramount+, TBD Sale/Rental
Synopsis: Likable 6th grader Liam writes to Santa asking him to prove that he's real. But Liam is dyslexic and accidentally sends his letter to Satan instead, who shows up at Liam's house, excited to have his first fanboy letter and wanting a little of Liam's soul.
What we like:
The Farrelly brothers reunite for their first collaboration since 2014’s Dumb and Dumber To. They’ve both directed their own projects since then, with Peter Farrelly helming the Oscar-winning Green Book, and Bobby Farrelly directing last year’s basketball comedy Champions.
The film has an amusing premise, and the cast is promising: Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Jason Alexander, and Post Malone as himself!
What we don’t like:
Director Peter Farrelly has had some rough direct-to-streaming releases over the last few years, including The Greatest Beer Run Ever and Ricky Stanicky. Neither of those titles made much of a ripple in the culture, we hope this holiday release has what it takes to break through a bit.
Tuesday, November 26th, 2024
CONCLAVE - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Synopsis: After the unexpected death of the Pope, Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with managing the covert and ancient ritual of electing a new one. Sequestered in the Vatican with the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders until the process is complete, Lawrence finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could lead to its downfall.
What we like:
Director Edward Berger follows up his Oscar-winning All Quiet on the Western Front with this stylish mystery-thriller, which is also garnering plenty of awards buzz.
Could this be the role that finally wins Ralph Fiennes his first Oscar? We sure hope so. And though her role is minor, we wouldn’t mind if Isabella Rossellini received her first nomination as well.
Shout out to the terrific score by Hauschka, which we think is even better than his Oscar-winning music for All Quiet on the Western Front.
Respect to Focus Features for showing some flexibility and patience with the window on this title. Rather than rush it to PVOD after 18 days, they let it stay exclusive to theaters for a full 31 days.
What we don’t like:
Whenever we get a solid, middlebrow entertainment like Conclave, we lament how few of these we get every year. Bring back the airport paperback movie. We miss them terribly.
DAYTIME REVOLUTION - $12.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Synopsis: For one extraordinary week in February 1972, the Revolution WAS televised. Daytime Revolution takes us back in time to the week that John Lennon and Yoko Ono descended upon a Philadelphia broadcasting studio to co-host the iconic Mike Douglas Show, at that time the most popular show on daytime television, with a national audience of 40 million viewers each week. What followed was five unforgettable episodes of television, with Lennon and Ono at the helm and Douglas gamely keeping the show on track.
What we like:
A fascinating time capsule of the early 70s, with John & Yoko’s guests including Yippie founder Jerry Rubin, Black Panther Chairman Bobby Seale, consumer advocate Ralph Nader, and comedian George Carlin.
The doc highlights how Lennon and Ono used mainstream media to promote their messages of peace and activism, challenging the norms of daytime television.
What we don’t like:
We’re not going to go full ‘Ok Boomer’, but the doc world has pretty much picked the carcass of 60s and 70s nostalgia clean. Not a lot of meat left on those bones.
ELEVATION - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Synopsis: A single father and two women venture from the safety of their homes to face monstrous creatures to save the life of a young boy.
What we like:
We’re big Anthony Mackie fans here, and it’s always nice to see him as the lead of a non-Marvel project. Let’s get him some middlebrow airport paperback movies to star in!
The film’s Colorado landscapes are a breath of fresh air here. Most post-apocalyptic action thrillers tend to take place in gutted cities or dusty deserts. A nice change of pace.
What we don’t like:
Reviews have been mixed for this one, so we’re going in with slightly lowered expectations. Still, we’re excited to check it out.
HERE - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Synopsis: An odyssey through time and memory, centered around a place in New England where—from wilderness, and then, later, from a home—love, loss, struggle, hope and legacy play out between couples and families over generations.
What we like:
A Forrest Gump reunion! Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Robert Zemeckis, and even screenwriter Eric Roth (who co-wrote with Zemeckis) all come together again for this audacious single location drama.
The film is based on the 2014 graphic novel of the same name by Richard McGuire, and it’s a non-linear narrative that covers both dinosaurs and COVID. It’s Contagion meets Jurassic Park (it’s not)!
What we don’t like:
This was a big swing that whiffed, which is a shame. We love all the talent involved.
Can we retire the de-aging special effects? Seeing actors of a certain age with voices and body language that belies their digitized youth is distracting. Not a fan.
MEMOIR OF A SNAIL - $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental
Synopsis: In 1970s Australia, Grace's life is troubled by misfortune and loss. After their mother dies during pregnancy, she and her twin brother, Gilbert, are raised by their paraplegic-alcoholic former juggler father, Percy. Despite a life filled with love, tragedy strikes anew when Percy passes away in his sleep. The siblings are forcibly separated and thrust into separate homes.
What we like:
Writer-director Adam Elliot’s stop-motion animated drama is his first feature since his breakthrough, 2009’s Mary and Max.
The film features a voice cast that’s a who’s who of Australian talent: Sarah Snook, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Eric Bana, Magda Szubanski, Jacki Weaver, and Nick Cave.
What we don’t like:
Haters who call the film depressing and bleak. It may not be everyone’s aesthetic, but it’s nice to have some variety in the animation space. Not everything needs to be candy-colored and frantic.
ROBOT DREAMS - Hulu
Synopsis: A lonely dog's friendship with his robot companion takes a sad turn when an unexpected malfunction forces him to abandon Robot at the beach. Will Dog ever meet Robot again?
What we like:
Directed by Spanish filmmaker Pablo Berger, the film is based on a graphic novel of the same name by Sara Varon, first published in 2007. It marks Berger’s first venture into animation, after being known for his work on live-action films like "Blancanieves" (2012).
The animation is distinctively hand-drawn, with a minimalist but emotionally rich aesthetic. The film, like the graphic novel, uses a wordless narrative, relying entirely on visuals and sound to convey the story and emotions.
The film was a surprise (but deserved) Oscar-nominee in the Best Animated Feature category.
What we don’t like:
We’re still baffled why NEON chose to release this film a full 3 months after the Oscars were handed out. We can’t help but think interest was highest leading up to the ceremony. The film failed to reach $1M at the domestic box-office. Well worth catching up on now that it’s arriving on Hulu.
TERRIFIER 3 - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental
Synopsis: Five years after surviving Art the Clown's Halloween massacre, Sienna and Jonathan are still struggling to rebuild their shattered lives. As the holiday season approaches, they try to embrace the Christmas spirit and leave the horrors of the past behind. But just when they think they're safe, Art returns, determined to turn their holiday cheer into a new nightmare. The festive season quickly unravels as Art unleashes his twisted brand of terror, proving that no holiday is safe.
What we like:
A triumph of independent cinema! We love that upstart distributor Cineverse hit it big with this horror sequel. A healthy indie marketplace is good for theaters and filmmakers. Let’s hope they can build on the film’s massive success.
With a worldwide box-office gross of $75M (and counting), the film is officially the highest grossing unrated film of all time.
Hello Jason Patric! The iconic Lost Boys actor plays a supporting role in the film.
What we don’t like:
We LOVE horror. But we’re gonna fess up. We’re too squeamish to sit through these films. We’re ecstatic that they exist and serve an audience. But we just can’t do it.
WATCHMEN: CHAPTER II - $19.99 Sale Only
Synopsis: Suspicious of the events ensnaring their former colleagues, Nite Owl and Silk Spectre are spurred out of retirement to investigate. As they grapple with personal ethics, inner demons and a society turned against them, they race the clock to uncover a deepening plot that might trigger global nuclear war.
What we like:
The second part of the animated adaptation of the DC Comics limited series Watchmen, co-created and illustrated by Dave Gibbons with co-creator and author Alan Moore, who chose to remain uncredited on these animated films.
The voice cast is stacked with talented actors: Matthew Rhys, Katee Sackhoff, Titus Welliver, Troy Baker, Adrienne Barbeau (!), Corey Burton, and Michael Cerveris.
Watchmen: Chapter 1 arrived on Max earlier this week, so it’s easier than every to get into this animated saga.
What we don’t like:
We don’t love that Alan Moore wasn’t involved here. He’s such a likable character. His advice for young writers is fantastic:
Wednesday, November 27th, 2024
OUR LITTLE SECRET - Netflix
Synopsis: After discovering their significant others are siblings, two resentful exes must spend Christmas under one roof — while hiding their romantic history.
What we like:
Lindsay Lohan is back for her third Netflix film, after 2022’s holiday romcom Falling for Christmas and the St. Patrick’s Day romcom Irish Wish.
Journeyman director Stephen Herek is behind the camera here. He’s given us some beloved (if not super high-quality) classics: Critters, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead (the original), The Mighty Ducks, The Three Musketeers, Mr. Holland’s Opus, and the first live-action 101 Dalmatians. The man cranked out some hits!
A talented supporting cast in this one: Kristin Chenoweth, Jon Rudnitsky, Dan Bucatinsky, Tim Meadows, Judy Reyes, Henry Czerny, and Chris Parnell.
What we don’t like:
The title. With Hot Frosty, Netflix has raised the bar for holiday romcom titles. They can’t just go back to generic, non-hoilday related titles. May we suggest: Our Little Secret, Santa? Fixed!
Thursday, November 28th, 2024
AFRAID - Netflix
Synopsis: Curtis Pike and his family are selected to test a new home device: a digital assistant called AIA. AIA observes the family's behaviors and begins to anticipate their needs. And she can – and will – make sure nothing – and no one – gets in her family's way.
What we like:
Blumhouse brought us the killer doll-robot (ME3GAN), and the killer pool (Night Swim), and now we have the killer Alexa/Siri/Gemini. Don’t ever stop, Blumhouse.
John Cho and Katherine Waterston lead the overqualified cast, which includes Riki Lindhome, David Dastmalchian, and Keith Carradine.
We missed this in theaters and VOD, but it will be the perfect Thanksgiving weekend watch. A prestige movie palate cleanser. Can’t wait.
What we don’t like:
We understand the title was used to emphasize the AI within AfrAId. But it just doesn’t read well, and loses its punny effectiveness when displayed in all-caps. You’re left with AFRAID, which is about as generic as it gets.
SWEETHEARTS - Max
Synopsis: Two college freshmen who decided to stick with their high school sweethearts have to pull a 'Turkey Dump' and break up with them over 'Drunksgiving' —the one chaotic night before Thanksgiving in their hometown that puts their codependent friendship to the test.
What we like:
The feature directorial debut of Jordan Weiss, who created the Kat Dennings Hulu series Dollface shortly after graduating from USC film school. She also wrote the script for the upcoming sequel Freakier Friday.
Sally Draper is all grown up. Kiernan Shipka gets her very own romcom, and she’s paired with Nico Hiraga, who we loved in Booksmart.
What we don’t like:
Why is Max releasing this Thanksgiving-set movie on Thanksgiving Day?? Give us a few weeks to savor the season. There aren’t a glut of Thanksgiving movies, this film would have had November practically to itself.
Friday, November 29th, 2024
BEATLES ‘64 - Disney+
Synopsis: Featuring never-before-seen footage of the band and the legions of young fans who helped fuel their ascendance, follow McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Starr as they land in New York City in February 1964 and solidify their status as the biggest band in the world.
What we like:
Fans of the Beatles will again feast over Thanksgiving weekend, as Disney+ continues to feed them documentaries about the fabled group.
David Tedeschi directs, and he first become involved following his role as an editor on Martin Scorsese's documentary George Harrison: Living in the Material World.
The film features footage shot by Albert and David Maysles originally for the 1964 documentary What's Happening! The Beatles In The USA.
What we don’t like:
We’ve gotten countless documentaries about The Beatles. Fair enough. Where is the definitive documentary about The Monkees? Way overdue.
NUTCRACKERS - Hulu
Synopsis: Just as Mike is on the heels of closing the biggest deal of his career, he's pulled away from his bachelor life in the big city to a farm in rural Ohio in order to help his recently orphaned nephews find a new home.
What we like:
David Gordon Green is liberated from horror IP and returns to his indie roots with this holiday comedy, which looks like a throwback to the John Hughes comedies of the 80s and 90s.
Ben Stiller in his first lead film role in 7 years! The actor hasn’t fronted a feature since 2017, when he starred in Brad’s Status and The Meyerowitz Stories. Those films are both underrated gems.
The terrific supporting cast includes Linda Cardellini, Edi Patterson, Tim Heidecker, and Toby Huss. And the kids look like a hoot.
What we don’t like:
Reviews were mixed out of the Toronto Film Festival, where the film was acquired by Hulu. We’re still excited to check it out.
OUT COME THE WOLVES - Shudder, AMC+
Synopsis: At a cabin deep in the wilderness, a weekend of hunting turns to mayhem and a fight for survival when a pack of wolves attack a man, his female best friend and her fiance.
What we like:
Director Adam MacDonald’s thriller centers around a man, his female best friend, and her fiancé who embark on a weekend trip to a remote cabin in the wilderness. What begins as a simple vacation quickly turns into a nightmarish struggle for survival when the group is attacked by a pack of wolves.
MacDonald and lead Missy Peregrym previously collaborated on the 2014 film Backcountry, which was an effective nature-survival thriller. That one featured a hungry, man-eating black bear. We’re excited to see what they can do with wolves!
What we don’t like:
We’ve talked about how our dogs at When to Stream headquarters bark and growl at movies that heavily feature any kind of animals, so we imagine this one will irritate them. Might have to be a laptop watch.
Sunday, December 1st, 2024
LAST SUMMER - The Criterion Channel
Synopsis: One summer, a French teenager who has been living with his mother in the city moves in with his estranged father’s family in the countryside, where he clashes with his stepmother.
What we like:
Catherine Breillat delivers another provocative drama, this one a remake of the 2019 Danish film Queen of Hearts.
Léa Drucker plays Anne, whose life takes a dark turn when her teenage stepson, Théo (Samuel Kircher), moves into their household, leading to a fraught and ultimately destructive affair.
The film received 4 César Award nominations, with Drucker and Kircher’s performances, and Breillat’s script and direction all honored.
What we don’t like:
Don’t let the breezy title and poster fool you, this film is as harrowing as a horror movie. We wouldn’t expect any less from Breillat!
Happy Streaming Everyone!
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