This Week in Streaming (December 17th)
Our recommendations to counteract the endless scrolling.
Joker: Folie à Deux (Max) The year’s most loathed blockbuster makes its streaming debut as Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga bridge incel culture and the heyday of the Hollywood musical. Forget what the critics and fanboys think. As we said in October, it’s a stunning and savvy piece of work.
Christmas Flix Those tired of BB guns and the Griswolds could do worse than this eclectic hub for short videos, public-domain movies, and classic TV ranging from recipes with Natasha Burre to episodes of Dragnet and Jack Benny. Our pick: The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Christmas collection–especially the heartfelt, cross-generational crowdpleaser “A Piano for the Fraternity.”
Red One (Prime) The Rock enters the Christmas movie fray with Jumanji director Jake Kasden as the head of North Pole security, who teams up with a bounty hunter (Chris Evans) to thwart a plot to kidnap Santa (J. K. Simmons). It’s more Fred Claus than Miracle on 34th Street as its middling November box-office indicates, but it’s a nice throwback to a simpler time.