PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Time to kick back, relax and veg out in front of the TV with a marathon of Christmas-timed blockbusters while you’re on a much-needed vacation.
Maybe your tradition is to order Chinese food and see a movie, or it’s a post-presents family affair. Either way, there’s plenty of new content to stream this holiday weekend – starting with the triumphant return of Neo, Trinity and “The Matrix.”
You know, given the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases thanks to the omicron variant, taking a vacation into “The Matrix” sounds pretty good right about now. So, let’s dive in.
For more Christmas movie picks, check out the latest episode of The Rundown, below.
The Matrix Resurrections (HBO Max)
Perhaps we’ve been trapped in the Matrix all this time. After all, as revealed in “The Matrix Reloaded,” there have been six canonical iterations of the titular simulation, itself a systemic, repeating pattern.
Or perhaps, as we’ve seen week after week, everything old is new again. And as Warner Bros. has already revamped “The Sopranos,” “Dune” and “Sex and the City” this year, we now find ourselves back in “The Matrix,” along with stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss.
Lana Wachowski returns to direct the fourth installment in the hit franchise she co-created with sister Lilly, and while we could tell you something about the premise, we won’t, because we’ve chosen to avoid any details ourselves. The very first “Matrix” was a delicious surprise, and we’re hoping to feel the same way with “Resurrections.”
Streaming on HBO Max, Dec. 22
Adam McKay’s latest movie, “Don’t Look Up,” is a star-studded satire about climate change, but to the director’s chagrin, that key issue was overshadowed by the collapse of his friendship with Will Ferrell.
In a way, that’s kind of amazing, because “Don’t Look Up” features Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothée Chalamet, Tyler Perry, Ariana Grande and Meryl Streep as the president of the United States. That’s one hell of a cast to overshadow, especially in a movie about a comet on a collision course with Earth. DiCaprio and Lawrence play a pair of astronomers out to warn mankind of its impending doom.
But in a way, it’s only fitting that life imitates art. Just as the protagonists face an uphill battle to save the world, so too does McKay, finding his earnest message diverted, as these things often are, by more digestible drama.
Streaming on Netflix, Dec. 24
Being the Ricardos (Prime Video)
The lives of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz get the motion picture treatment courtesy of writer/director Aaron Sorkin. Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem play the iconic entertainment power couple, in a movie compressing a few years’ worth of monumental events in their lives into one week.
Though her casting prompted much head-scratching and outcry initially, Kidman’s performance as Ball has received loads of acclaim. If nothing else, we’re curious to see just how well she does for ourselves.
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Dec. 21
There are 5,000 people in the fictional Canadian town of Letterkenny, and Hulu’s hit sitcom is back to exploring their problems for a 10th season. Wayne, Daryl, Katy and Squirrelly Dan once again navigate the tensions between the skids, hicks, hockey players and natives populating the titular rural town.
Despite being another Canadian series, “Letterkenny” is far more crass than cult fave “Schitt’s Creek,” but fans don’t seem to love these Canucks and their antics any less. And in true Canadian fashion, the new season premieres not on Christmas, but on Boxing Day.
Streaming on Hulu, Dec. 26
Reno 911: The Hunt for QAnon (Paramount+)
The Reno Sheriff’s Department is back, and this time, they’re under cover. The whole crew has made it safely to 2021, and in this new TV special, they are trying to track down the mysterious figure behind one of the biggest conspiracy theories of the last few years: QAnon.
The entire original “Reno” cast is back, led by Thomas Lennon’s Lt. Jim Dangle, for this Q-fueled caper, as they embark on a cruise to Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous island. What they will find there, we’re not even sure we want to know.
Streaming on Paramount+, Dec. 23
Emily in Paris Season 2 (Netflix)
The first season of this campy and colorful rom-com hit binge-watchers right in the middle of the pandemic last October, and we ate up every bad-good moment of Emily Cooper’s (Lily Collins) awkwardly American foray into the Parisian lifestyle. She’s a classic fish out of water in both life and work, trying to navigate Paris and her new life as a social media strategist for a fashion marketing firm, Savior.
Last we saw Emily, she was trying to put a love-triangle between herself, chef Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) and friend Camille (Camille Razat) to bed … literally. But when Gabriel decided to stay in Paris, her ability to get over him flew right out the window.
Will Emily be able to move past her tryst? Will she ever get any work done at Savoir? Will they ever explain how someone who used to work in pharmaceuticals got such an expensive wardrobe budget? Will she ever learn French?
Streaming on Netflix, Dec. 22
Stories of a Generation with Pope Francis (Netflix)
In a letter to legendary director Ingmar Bergman for his 70th birthday, fellow filmmaking icon Akira Kurosawa once said, “A human is born a baby, becomes a boy, goes through youth, the prime of life and finally returns to being a baby before he closes his life. This is, in my opinion, the most ideal way of life.”
It’s in this spirit that Netflix presents “Stories of a Generation,” a new documentary series that asks we not only respect our elders — but really listen to them too.
Baby boomers from all walks of life join Pope Francis in telling their life stories to share with future generations. “It’s important for the future of mankind that young people talk to old people,” Francis expresses in the trailer.
The candid interviews come from inspiring people over the age of 70 from all across the globe, including some of the most prolific voices of that generation, like Jane Goodall and Martin Scorsese.
A poignant reflection on long, incredible lives, “Stories of a Generation” seems like the perfect heartwarming holiday watch to be grateful that we have the ability to capture so many voices to look back on indefinitely.
Streaming on Netflix, Dec. 25
Hamil-fans, it’s time to make room in your brain for more music from Lin-Manuel Miranda with “Encanto.”
Disney’s latest animated film tells the story of the Madrigals, a family touched by magic. Each child has a special magical gift — that is, except for Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz). But despite most of the Madrigals having a host of superhero-like abilities, Mirabel might be the family’s last hope when their family is threatened by a sinister force.
John Leguizamo and Wilmer Valerrama also lend their voices to this ensemble cast, and we can’t wait for some new earworms from LMM to get us through the holiday season. ¡Vamonos!
Streaming on Disney+, Dec. 24
Before he became a blockbuster writer/director with movies like “Dawn of the Dead,” “Scooby-Doo” and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” James Gunn cut his teeth at Troma Entertainment. Gunn was a protege of schlock legend Lloyd Kaufman (“The Toxic Avenger”) and made enthusiastically filthy movies like “Tromeo and Juliet.”
That sicko spirit never quite left Gunn, and miraculously, Warner Bros. gave him license to channel it once more. “The Suicide Squad” finds Gunn back in familiar territory, but with a big budget, the DC Comics library, and stars like Idris Elba, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis and John Cena at his disposal.
The stand-alone sequel sees the Suicide Squad dispatched to a South American dictatorship to destroy what they believe to be a secret weapons project. What they learn is more horrifying — and hilarious — than they expect. Deaths and double-crosses abound in this bloody, brilliant superhero comedy.
Streaming on HBO Max, Dec. 23
If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that 2021 was … essentially more of the same existential COVID-driven existence of perpetual limbo and dread? Pretty much.
That’s why a hilarious group of comedy queens is back to toast — er, roast — the year 2021 and say sayonara to it, yet again. Hosted by Yvonne Orji (“Insecure”) and featuring a number of internet girlfriends, including Chelsea Peretti and Meg Salter, bidding adieu to another pandemic year never felt so good.
Oh, and did we mention Jane Fonda? Yes, that Jane Fonda. It’s a goodbye party you won’t want to miss.
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Dec. 23
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