a menu of entertaining movies?
There’s a good mix of original fare and recent theatrical releases available on streaming services to binge for Thanksgiving, Black Friday and a long holiday weekend. Netflix, Disney+, Max, Hulu, Peacock, Apple TV+ and paramount+ have all added films for every cinematic taste, whether you’re getting a jump on getting psyched for Christmas or you’re all about the newest DC superhero on the block.
Here are 15 movies that you can stream from your sofa right now:
‘Best. Christmas. Ever!’
This holiday comedy is for those still loving the ’90s. Heather Graham stars as an inventive mom who’s not loving her lot in life but gets a needed infusion of the holiday spirit when she, her husband (Jason Biggs) and their family accidentally end up spending Christmas with a highly successful old friend (Brandy Norwood).
Where to watch: Netflix
‘Blue Beetle’
The DC movie universe gets a nice infusion of Latin culture with this adventure, which centers on new college grad Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña). He comes into contact with an alien scarab that gives him superpowers, though the snazzy bug also makes him a target for a villainous CEO (Susan Sarandon).
Where to watch: Max
Ranked:The 50 best superhero movies ever (from ‘Blue Beetle’ to ‘Superman’)
‘Dashing Through the Snow’
Chris “Ludacris” Bridges stars in the holiday comedy as a crisis counselor who dislikes Christmas and considers it “the chicken wing of holidays.” So he’s reluctant to help when a guy in a red suit named Nick (Lil Rel Howery) says he’s Santa and his naughty-and-nice list gets mixed up with a crooked congressman’s bribery record.
Where to watch: Disney+
Best Christmas movies ever:The top 20 holiday films, ranked (from ‘Love Actually’ to ‘Die Hard’)
‘Fingernails’
In the sci-fi dramedy, Anna (Jessie Buckley) has tested positive for true love with her boring boyfriend Ryan (Jeremy Allen White). Still a little skeptical, she ends up taking a job at the institute touting the new soulmate-finding technology, and a friendship with co-worker Amir (Riz Ahmed) leads to reconsidering her romantic options.
Where to watch:Apple TV+
‘Good Burger 2’
In the sequel to the 1997 teen comedy, fast-food best friends are together again when Ed (Kel Mitchell) gets buddy Dex (Kenan Thompson) his job back at Good Burger. The pals need all the hands they can get from the eatery’s new crew when their corporate owner decides to replace them with robots.
Where to watch: paramount+
‘Insidious: The Red Door’
Patrick Wilson rounds up his fellow stars from the original 2010 “Insidious” and directs the fifth installment, which finds haunted dad Josh (Wilson) and his college-age son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) venturing back into the frightening realm of The Further nine years after being hypnotized to forget their experiences there.
Where to watch:Netflix
‘The Killer’
More fun than a lot of director David Fincher outings, the action thriller stars Michael Fassbender as an enjoyably droll assassin weathering an existential crisis after he botches a hit. The killer’s usually methodical life turns chaotic when he embarks on a quest for bloody revenge after a loved one is put in the hospital.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘The League’
Sam Pollard’s baseball documentary is a captivating chronicle of Negro Leagues set against the backdrop of a changing America amid segregation and the Great Depression. “The League” informs and entertains with tales of storied squads (including the Homestead Grays) and greats like Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige.
Where to watch: Hulu
‘Leo’
The delightfully weird animated musical comedy features Adam Sandler voicing 74-year-old fifth grade pet lizard Leo. Learning that his life expectancy gives him only one year left, the wise little dude plots an escape but changes his mind when kids bring him home for the weekend and start taking his sage advice to heart.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘Nyad’
Annette Bening walks a fine line between narcissism and determination as Diana Nyad in this rousing true-life drama. With the help of her coach (Jodie Foster), Diana defies age and the odds to revisit a dream from three decades ago and complete a marathon swim from Cuba to Florida in her 60s.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie’
The 2021 “Paw Patrol” film was decent for a kids movie, and the follow-up’s not too shabby, either. Chase, Marshall and the rest of the rescue-ready pooches get superpowers thanks to pieces of a crashed meteorite, and they run afoul of a mad scientist (voiced by Taraji P. Henson) who wants those precious gems for herself.
Where to watch: paramount+
‘Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain’
Dig those quirky “Please Don’t Destroy” videos on “Saturday Night Live”? Martin Herlihy, Ben Marshall and John Higgins make their feature-film debut with this comedy, starring the trio as co-workers seeking a prized bust of Marie Antoinette. Come for the over-the-top absurdity, stay for appearances by Conan O’Brien and Bowen Yang.
Where to watch: Peacock
‘Quiz Lady’
Heartfelt hilarity ensues in this comedy starring Awkwafina as Anne, a loyally devoted fan of a “Jeopardy!”-style TV game show. Her AWOL mom has racked up serious debt, and when goons take her dog so she’ll pay up, Anne partners with her untrustworthy sister Jenny (Sandra Oh) on a mission to get on the show and win some cash.
Where to watch: Hulu
‘Rustin’
Colman Domingo dazzles in this engaging true-life tale of a civil rights leader perhaps unknown to many. A key aide to Martin Luther King Jr., Bayard Rustin (Domingo) overcomes internal politics and homophobia, working tirelessly to organize the 1963 March on Washington.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘Sly’
This documentary is a must-watch for all Rocky and Rambo devotees. Sylvester Stallone takes audiences through his personal and professional lives, focusing on how he found his artistic voice through screenwriting and navigated hardships and obstacles in pursuit of his creative dreams.
Where to watch: Netflix