Welcome to Streaming Rewind, a weekly breakdown of the new and noteworthy as we work to help readers wade through the absolute deluge of television series and movies in the streaming space.
Who’s ready for the holidays? I’m not. How is Christmas just two weeks away? Anyway, there’s plenty to watch this week, ranging from fun and festive to a preview of the religious debate some can be prepared for when they head home for the holidays (though, hopefully you have a better time than the missionaries in Heretic).
Here’s what to watch this weekend in between frantically trying to finish your Christmas shopping.
Red One (Prime Video)
Red One may have been met with mixed (bad) reviews during its theatrical run, but what if I told you it was fun, actually? It’s most certainly not remarkable filmmaking, and The Rock and Chris Evans somehow have no chemistry on screen but oodles of it on red carpets, but it’s a Christmas movie! It’s cute and silly and warm and exactly as formulaic as we’ve all come to expect our Christmas movies to be. It’s also surprisingly lore-heavy, featuring both Krampus and Gryla the Christmas witch, which I found quite lovely.
Secret Level (Prime Video)
Prime Video’s big video game anthology series dropped this week, with episodes spanning consoles and titles. The length of the episodes holds it back a bit — 15 minutes is rarely long enough to tell a meaningful story — but if you love one of the titles featured in the first batch of episodes (Dungeons & Dragons, Sifu, Warhammer and more) then a glorified cut-scene may be enough to tickle your fancy.
Heretic (Digital)
Heretic has been a divisive one, which is typically a good signifier that a film is actually interesting. The film follows two Mormon Missionaries as they work to convert people to their flock but, unfortunately, they knock on the wrong door on their journey. While this one didn’t work for me personally, Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East all deliver stellar performances. The film goes well beyond the idea of a religious debate — something that many folks were worried about pre-release — but, for my money, it’s actually a stronger film while Grant and Thatcher are going toe to toe over theology and belief systems.
Great British Bake Off: Holiday Edition (Netflix)
It feels safe to assume that we’re all looking for something nice to watch this time of year, and GBBO always scratches that itch. They’re back in quick succession after the wrap of the recent season with another holiday edition of the series. Mark, Maxy, Maggie, Jürgen, George, Sophie, Dan, Amelia, Linda and Carole all return for the festive fun.
Where to Watch Every Friday the 13th Movie
Because obviously, right? Note: this is accurate at the time of publish, as streamers hot-potato titles every 30 seconds. (I know this is a streaming and digital column, but I also recommend you just buy the box set for any of these long-running horror titles, because licensing gets screwy through the decades.)
Friday the 13th (1980) — Paramount+ Friday the 13th Part II (1981) — Paramount+ Friday the 13th Part III (1982) — Paramount+ Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) — Paramount+Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985) — Paramount+ Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) — Paramount+Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) — Paramount+Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) — Paramount+Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993) — Rent or Buy on DigitalJason X (2002) — Rent or Buy on DigitalFreddy vs. Jason (2003) — MaxFriday the 13th (2009) — Max
New on Streaming and Demand This Week
Venom: The Last Dance — On Demand (December 10)Dream Productions — Disney+ (December 11) Maria — Netflix (December 11) Joker: Folie à Deux — (December 12) MaxDexter: Original Sin — (December 12) Paramount+ w/ Showtime
