Q Wave’s Watchlist: January 2023
"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!
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix)
One of the year’s most anticipated flicks is hitting Netflix just in time to curl up and watch over the holidays! Daniel Craig is back with another case to crack as the renowned detective Benoit Blanc, in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
A sequel to 2019’s Knives Out, director Rian Johnson has given us another whodunnit to sink our teeth into. This time, detective Blanc finds himself at a posh mansion on a Greek island. He ends up crossing paths with a group of friends getting together for their yearly reunion at the invitation of tech billionaire Myles Bron (Edward Norton). The guest list is eccentric, including a governor, a scientist, a social media influencer and more, with each guest harbouring their own dark secret. The movie kicks into high gear when someone at the party is discovered dead, and everyone is a suspect.
The first Knives Out movie was a huge success, grossing over $311 million on a $40 million budget. As a result, it has attracted (another) incredibly talented cast, with stars like Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson and Leslie Odom Jr. joining in on the fun.
The film isn’t a traditional sequel because Daniel Craig is the only actor returning from the original. The story is entirely new and unrelated to the previous film. This is the first of two movies in the franchise that Netflix acquired for a mind-boggling $469 million, and if the third installment is as good as the first two - we can’t wait!
The film hits Netflix on December 23rd.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Knives Out, Clue
Runtime: 139 minutes
Genre: Mystery
Shotgun Wedding (Amazon Prime)
Rom-coms are having a good run recently, and you can add another feather in the cap of the genre with the newest J-Lo flick, Shotgun Wedding.
Directed by Jason Moore, who brought us other comedies like Pitch Perfect and Sisters, Shotgun Wedding isn’t only a rom-com but also a nice dose of action. Jennifer Lopez plays Darcy, who is set to marry Tom, played by Josh Duhamel. The couple sets off on a destination wedding with their lovable but very opinionated families. The couple suddenly starts to get cold feet, but the real problems begin when their entire party is taken hostage.
The movie also stars rocker Lenny Kravitz, comedy legend Cheech Marin, and the scene-stealing Jennifer Coolidge, fresh off her tour de force in season two of The White Lotus. The film was initially set for a theatrical release with Ryan Reynolds starring opposite J-Lo, but then Amazon snagged the rights to the movie, and Reynolds had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts.
Shotgun Wedding debuts on Prime Video on January 27th.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: Bridesmaids, Ready or Not
Runtime: 100 minutes
Genre: Rom-com, action
The Last of Us (Crave)
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis (or cordyceps for short) is a species of fungus, also known as the zombie-ant fungus. It’s called this because the fungus hijacks the ant’s central nervous system causing the ant to climb up the stem of a plant and lock its mandibles in a “death grip” until it dies. When mature, the fungus explodes out of the ant’s head, releasing spores to further infect other ants.
In The Last of Us, a mutated version of the cordyceps fungus infects humans, leading to society’s collapse. Infected humans become zombie-like, hunting non-infected humans and killing them or turning them through bites. Without giving too much away, the story centres on Joel (Pedro Pascal, The Mandalorian) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey, Game of Thrones) as they make their way across a ruined American landscape.
Filmed entirely in Alberta, the show has an estimated cost of US$10 million per episode (rumoured at $15 million) and represents a significant investment in Alberta’s film industry. It was not unusual to see post-apocalyptic scenes in downtown Calgary on a regular basis. The Last of Us is also based on a Playstation game of the same name, has been hailed as a masterpiece, and ranks among the best video games of all time.
The Last of Us debuts on Crave on January 15, 2023.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: The Walking Dead, The Girl with All the Gifts
Runtime: 10 episodes
Genre: Horror
The Bad Batch (Disney Plus)
When The Clone Wars animated series debuted, it was little more than a basic Star Wars spin-off show. Little did the producers know that it would grow to become one of the best mediums for telling Star Wars stories.
The Bad Batch tells the story of a squadron of clones so-named because they are considered “defective.” Their genetic mutations give them enhanced abilities over ordinary clones and make them more independent than their order-following counterparts. When Emperor Palpatine triggers Order 66 (the execution of all Jedi), the Bad Batch makes their escape and become rogue soldiers. With the aid of Omega (Michelle Ang), an unaltered female clone, they take on odd jobs across the galaxy.
This show continues its use of Dee Bradley Baker, the voice of all clone troopers (when they’re not being represented by Temuera Morrison). It is also the brainchild of Dave Filoni, now widely considered to be Star Wars’ new creative genius.
The Bad Batch premieres on Disney Plus on January 4, 2023.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: The Clone Wars, The Mandalorian, Anything Star Wars
Runtime: 10 episodes
Genre: Science Fiction, Action, Animated
Shrinking (Apple TV+)
Bill Lawrence is one of the greats when it comes to TV comedies, having created shows like Scrubs and Ted Lasso, so he has earned our trust. That’s why we are so excited about his newest project, Shrinking.
Lawrence is credited as the show’s co-creator alongside Brett Goldstein (better known to Ted Lasso fans as the foul-mouthed footballer, Roy Kent). Shrinking tells the story of a therapist, played by Jason Segel, who is experiencing severe grief. As a result, he suddenly starts telling his patients the unabashed truth regarding what he thinks about them. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making massive changes in people’s lives, much to the chagrin of his co-workers.
In addition to Segel, the series stars Jessica Willaims (Booksmart) and the legendary Harrison Ford, making his first ongoing television role of his career after years of starring in cinematic franchises like Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Jason Segel also helped write the series alongside Goldstein and Lawrence.
Two episodes of Shrinking premiere on Apple TV+ on January 27th, followed by one new episode weekly every Friday.
You'd like this if you enjoyed: The Shrink Next Door, Scrubs
Runtime: 10 episodes
Genre: Comedy