Given that we’re now officially in December, we’ve been pleasantly surprised by the relative lack of festive features making their way to streaming services this weekend.
Save for Scrooge: A Christmas Carol on Netflix – There is always one! — this month’s first wave of on-demand content is a real mixed bag, genre-wise. This does not mean that there is nothing to watch over the next few days, mind you. In fact, the opposite is true, as six different streamers are represented in this week’s pool of top-notch recommendations.
Below, then, we’ve rounded up seven of the biggest new movies and TV shows available to watch on the likes of Netflix, Prime Video, and HBO Max over the next few days.
Willow (Disney Plus)
Now this is a series that we didn’t expect to see in 2022 (that is, before it was announced that it was in production). Willow, Lucasfilm’s sequel to the 1988 fantasy film of the same name directed by Ron Howard, is now streaming. Disney Plus.
Once again starring Warwick Davis as the titular wizard Willow Ufgood, this eight-part spin-off — which marks Lucasfilm’s first non-Star Wars project in five years — takes place two decades after Howard’s original, and follows six heroes on a cross-country quest to save their homeland.
Unlike Davis, Willow’s cast of characters is entirely new. we I spoke to Ellie Bamber — who plays (initially, at least) the kitchen maid on the show — about keeping her character’s true identity a secret. And in a separate interview with TechRadar, Davis himself told us how “everything is perfectly aligned” to bring Willow back to the screen.
Available now to stream on Disney Plus.
Slow Horses Season 2 (Apple TV Plus)
one of the very The best Apple TV showsSlow Horses, returns for its highly anticipated second season this weekend.
New episodes of the spy drama starring Gary Oldman take their cues from the second book in Mick Heron’s Slough House series – Dead Lions – with Jackson Lamb (Oldman), River Cartwright (Jack Lowden), and Diana Taverner (Kristen Scott Thomas) once again on his mission. Solve a twisted murder mystery.
The first two episodes of Slow Horses Season 2 are available to stream now Apple TV Plus, with the remaining four collections arriving in weekly installments every Friday. The show has already been renewed for a third and fourth season, so we’re expecting big things from this first follow-up.
Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus.
Lady Chatterley’s Lover (Netflix)
A word of warning: Lady Chatterley’s Steamy Lover. It’s a story that always has been and always will be – and Netflix’s adaptation of the DH Lawrence novel of the same name is no exception to this rule.
This time, the young British star Emma Corinne (the crown) and Jack O’Connell (Unbroken) in the well-worn shoes of Lady Constance Reid and gamekeeper Oliver Mellors, respectively—two characters from very different worlds who engage in a precarious extramarital affair.
Before arriving on Netflix, Lady Chatterley’s Lover enjoyed a short theatrical run and was almost unanimously praised by critics for its authentic and moving portrayal of forbidden love. By the sounds of things, then, it could make its way onto our list of Best netflix movies.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (Netflix)
It wouldn’t be Christmas without another needless–but, oddly enough–welcome adaptation of Charles Dickens’ festive old favourite, A Christmas Carol. This year, Netflix is trying to deliver just that, just weeks after Apple did the same with its own adaptation, Lusty.
The animated (and musical) in the broadcast strip revolves around the story of an elderly miser who comes to learn the meaning of Christmas and features the voices of Luke Evans, Olivia Colman, and Jessie Buckley. By the looks of things, the movie is a much more family friendly affair than we’re used to seeing from a retelling of A Christmas Carol.
The reviews haven’t been too kind to this one yet, but if you’re looking for an easy celebratory watch this weekend, we expect you’ll still find plenty to enjoy here.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Three Pines (Prime Video)
Spider-Man: No way home Star Alfred Molina returns to the screen this weekend to lead the ensemble cast Prime VideoThe latest crime series, Three Pines.
Doc Ock stars as a seasoned detective in search of answers in this harrowing drama set in Quebec, an adaptation of Louise Penny’s award-winning novel series Inspector Gamache. As such, you can expect more twists than assisted thunderbolts and enough tension to keep your blood pumping through the cold winter months.
The first episode of Three Pines is available to stream now, with the remaining seven entries scheduled to arrive each Friday through the season finale on December 23. The best Prime Video deals of the year.
Available now to stream on Prime Video.
The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Vacation (Roku Channel)
The Roku Streaming stick recently got 36 new live channels for freeOn top of that number was a whole channel dedicated to importing the famous British reality The Great British Baking Show.
As part of Roku’s new licensing deal, The Roku Channel is now also hosting the holiday-themed celebrity episode of The Great American Baking Show, which originally aired on ABC in the US.
The format is simple: Six celebrities—including actor Nat Faxon and former NFL star Marshawn Lynch—compete against each other to produce the best oven-based creations for judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood. Need we say more?
Now available to stream on The Roku Channel.
Branson (HBO Max)
This week’s documentary pick is Branson, a four-part look at the life and legacy of British businessman Richard Branson.
Best known for founding the massive Virgin Group — currently valued at over $5 billion — Branson has undeniably led a singular life chasing projects and adventures, and this HBO documentary series takes a microscope into his successes, controversies, and risk-taking personality.
Available now to stream on HBO Max.