Best Film, TV (December 25-29)

Merry Christmas, or, as the Internet calls the holiday, “A Complete Babyratu” day, or just “Babyratu,” or “A complete Unosferatu.” Thanks to “Barbenheimer,” any anticipated movie pairing must have a ship name (see also “Glicked”). But what people should worry about is how to navigate which movies to watch with who. You can probably take your whole family with you A complete unknownbut not Baby girl. Take the 20-something cousins ​​obsessed with Harris Dickinson for that. While Nosferatu is best for your introverted horror-loving siblings. Or you can all just go to the cinema to sing along to “Defying Gravity”. (It’s allowed now. Sort of.)

The Timothée Chalamet movie starring Bob Dylan has kicked off with a masterful press tour. From director James Mangold, A complete unknown addresses the beginnings of the musician’s rise in the early 60s through to Dylan’s controversial use of electric instruments at the Newport Folk Festival. The strong supporting cast includes Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash, Scoot McNairy as Woody Guthrie, Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez and Elle Fanning as Dylan’s girlfriend, Sylvie Russo.

Nicole Kidman is the titular baby girl. In filmmaker Halina Reijns sequel to the 2022s Body Body BodyKidman stars as corporate executive Romy, who takes part in an erotic tryst with an intern, Samuel (a charming Harris Dickinson), which poses potential problems for her job, family and marriage to theater director Jacob (Antonio Banderas). It’s definitely not the best movie on this list to watch with your family this holiday season, but it’s worth the sneaky solo trip to the theaters.

➼ 2024, the year of Nicole Kidman.

Director Robert Eggers and Nosferatu is as natural a pair as peanut butter and jelly. The gothic filmmaker assembled a fantastic cast with Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter, a woman tormented by a lust for the insidious dark vampire at the center of the film (Count Orlok played by Bill Skarsgård). Nicholas Hoult stars as Ellen’s husband alongside Willem Dafoe as Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz (a character heavily based on Dracula’s Abraham Van Helsing).

➼ Willem Dafoe on his third collaboration with Robert Eggers.

Netflix finally got the rights to two NFL games, and that landed some marquee match-ups. Almost all of the biggest teams in the AFC are here, with the two hottest franchises in the North, the Steelers and Ravens, facing off against the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs and the South’s division-leading Texans, respectively. This could be a preview of the endgame — an explanation that everyone in your family will surely understand when you dive out of the Christmas festivities early to start streaming. —Tolly Wright, Ravens fan

How did Santa Netflix know exactly what we wanted? Beyoncé is heading home to Houston for the holidays to perform at the Texans-versus-Ravens halftime show. Will this cement “Texas Hold ‘Em” as an unconventional Christmas carol? Yeehaw. — TW

Christmas is full of exciting new releases this year, but those looking for something to take the family to should check out Rachel Morrison’s directorial debut, written by Barry Jenkins, which turns the story of boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields into an exciting sport drama that deviates from the usual rhythms of the genre. – Alison Willmore

Doctor Who is no stranger to Christmas offers. This latest stars Ncuti Gatwa and Nicola Coughlan as the Fifteenth Doctor and a woman named Joy, respectively, who find a secret doorway that lands her in the Time Hotel. There she and the Doctor fight villains and dinosaurs, but it’s all to save Christmas.

Okay, technically Evil hasn’t even left theaters yet, but Universal is adding sing-along screenings of the musical complete with on-screen lyrics! So while previous screenings have encouraged fans to quietly hold their seats below Evilcan you now go to these designated screenings and try out the “Defying Gravity” riff for yourself (remember, though, that it’s Cynthia Erivo’s line). Just make sure you’re actually in the right theater before you start getting excited.

This is the special comedy to turn on during the holidays if you’re looking for something for your dad, your uncles, or your older millennial brothers, or if you’re with a conservative family and need something that everyone somehow miraculously agree. on. That’s Bargatze’s superpower. — Kathryn VanArendonk

Grib critic Jen Chaney on why Shrinks doesn’t work without Harrison Ford:

The entire second season is on Apple TV+, so you can check in on all of Ford’s goofs Shrinks now if you have slacked off on it. And read more about Jen Chaney’s performance review here.

➼ A grand finale day for Apple TV+, second season of Bad sisters is also completely ready to binge.

Disney wasted no time getting Nightbitch for streaming. In fact, I’m not even sure it had a proper theatrical release since it barely premiered in limited theaters on December 6th. That means you probably didn’t get a chance to see Amy Adams navigate motherhood in this surreal comedy directed by Marielle Heller. As the title sort of suggests, Adams plays a mother who begins to transform into a dog.

➼ Party with Kyle Mooney’s disaster comedy Y2K ahead of the new year as it hits digital streaming platforms this Friday.

Do you want more? Read our recommendations from the weekend of 20 December.