Q Wave’s Watchlist: December 2022
"There's nothing to watch" is not a phrase that should exist in a world drowning in content. Join us every month to get curated content - from the latest and greatest to revisiting oldies - we'll help you avoid the dreaded “Netflix Block” and find something to watch! This month we have a very special Holiday themed edition!
Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Mystery (Netflix)
After a successful premiere earlier this year, the improv comedy, Murderville, is back with a Christmas special. This time they’re investigating the murder of the jolly old man himself, Santa Claus.
If you’re unfamiliar with Murderville, the concept is a fun one: Will Arnett plays Terry Seattle, a clumsy detective, who is joined by a different celebrity guest in each episode where they must solve a case together. The catch? Everything is entirely improvised, and the guest shows up without prior knowledge of the plot. The first season featured big names like Conan O’Brien, Sharon Stone, Kumail Nanjiani, and more. Jason Bateman (Ozark) joins the fun for the special Christmas one-off.
It’s particularly amusing to see Bateman riffing with Arnett as the two are food friends in real life, and even host a podcast together called, Smartless (which also includes Will & Grace star, Sean Hayes). The special also features Saturday Night Live alum Maya Rudolph, so there is no shortage of comedic chops here!
The special hits Netflix on December 15th.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Murderville, Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Runtime: 52 minutes
Genre: Comedy
A Christmas Story Christmas (Crave)
It’s always a little dicey when a treasured favourite gets a follow-up years later. A Christmas Story is definitely on the shortlist of best holiday movies ever, and thankfully the sequel doesn’t disappoint!
Sit down and enjoy a warm mug of pure nostalgia as Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley, who returns to the role 39 years after the original) is back, this time as a Dad. Set in 1973, Ralphie returns to his childhood home on Cleveland Street, where he reconnects with his old pals and deals with the passing of his father. Much like the original, the new version jumps from one comedic story to the next, and even though some are stronger than others, the film itself remains pretty charming and a worthy followup to its predecessor.
As mentioned, the original is a classic that often found itself being broadcasted in 24-hour marathons on Christmas. However, there were follow-up attempts before that failed to generate even close to the same reception. My Summer Story and A Christmas Story 2 are both considered massive failures. Thankfully, the newest installment retains some of the magic from the original.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: A Christmas Story
Runtime: 98 minutes
Genre: Comedy
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (Disney Plus)
The Guardians of the Galaxy are one of the MCU’s most popular franchises, and while we have seen them pop up in several different films with different directors, the one who truly seems to be able to represent them best on screen is James Gunn. He’s given us a great gift this year with a new holiday special featuring the intergalactic band of heroes!
In what can best be described as a fun side-story to MCU at large, the Guardians celebrate Christmas and search for a present for their leader, Peter Quill AKA Star-Lord (Chris Pratt). Their quest eventually brings them to Hollywood, California, while trying to track down the perfect gift. Much like Werewolf By Night, released in October, the special represents a shift in the MCU’s strategy to utilize Disney Plus as a platform to release these smaller-scale features, much to the delight of fans.
The Guardian’s last outing centred solely around them was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, released back in 2017. They’ve since popped up in other MCU films like Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Thor: Love & Thunder. For those jonesing for more - good news! They’ll be back this spring for their third movie, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, this time taking on the all-powerful Adam Warlock, played by Will Poulter (Dopesick).
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Any MCU movie or TV show
Runtime: 44 minutes
Genre: Superhero
The Santa Clauses (Disney Plus)
What’s old is new again apparently because it’s another sequel to a holiday favourite! Tim Allen in back and dusting off a belly that’s round as a bowl full of jelly in Disney’s new miniseries, The Santa Clauses.
Allen reprises his role as Scott Calvin, who, after causing Santa to fall off a roof in the original 1994 film, was forced to don the red suit and become the new jolly old St. Nick. In this new series, Scott is approaching his 65th birthday, and after starting to slip on some of his Santa duties, he begins to accept that he can’t be Santa forever. Coupled with the fact that he has a family, Scott sets out to find a suitable replacement Santa while preparing his family for a new life away from the North Pole.
The original film, The Santa Clause, was a critical and box office success that earned Christmas classic status and spawned two sequels.
The Santa Clauses’ first two episodes premiered on Disney Plus on November 16th. The franchise’s popularity seems to still be going strong, as it was was the 10th most streamed television series across all platforms in the United States for the week of the 14th to the 20th.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: The Santa Clause, Elf
Runtime: 6 episodes, approx 30 minutes each
Genre: Comedy
Spirited (Apple TV+)
Everybody has their favourite version of A Christmas Carol, but Apple has entered the fray with their newest take on the Charles Dickens classic featuring a modern twist and two A-list stars in the new film, Spirited.
The film is a musical version of the classic Christmas story and stars Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. Ferrell plays the Ghost of Christmas Present, and each year on Christmas Eve, he selects one dark soul to be reformed by a visit from three spirits. This season, however, he may have bitten off more than he can chew when he picks Clint Briggs, played by Ryan Reynolds. Briggs is, for lack of a better word, a colossal jerk who turns the tables on Present and has him reexamining his own past, present and future.
The modern twist on the classic story sparked a bidding war in October 2019, with Apple eventually coming out on top as it continues to expand its film offerings. The movie is directed by Sean Anders, who previously worked with Ferrell on the ‘Daddy’s Home’ films.
If you find yourself singing along to the music from the film, well, good news; a 12-inch vinyl single featuring songs from Spirited was announced for Record Store Day’s annual Black Friday event.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Scrooged, Bad Santa
Runtime: 127 minutes
Genre: Comedy