We'll heed Larry David's statute of limitation over New Year greetings and not hope everyone's had a good start to the year 2025. Instead, we'll dive straight into the streaming options to make Dry January go down that much easier.
Kicking off the new year, CBC offers two compelling options with unique settings: a remote Arctic village and a French Territory off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. I finally got around to a Disney+ documentary about one of our great composers, and an acclaimed Apple TV+ series finally makes its return after three long years.
Streamers have started off on a prettaayyy, pretttaaaay, pretty good foot; and cheers to another year of streaming hits and misses, and be sure to read our past editions of Tune In or Turn Off here for more.
Tune In: Back in Action
(Netflix)
It's been over a decade since Cameron Diaz graced our screens, and she makes her grand return with Jamie Foxx in Back in Action. Appropriately, Diaz and Foxx play retired spies forced back into their espionage ways in an incredibly charming, family-friendly action film that does exactly what it says on the tin. Back in Action reminds us why Diaz was the de facto It Girl of the '90s and 2000s.
Tune In: Grand Theft Hamlet
(MUBI)
While many did their best to cosplay artisan pastry chefs during pandemic lockdowns, two British filmmakers decided to mount Shakespeare's Hamlet within the online multiplayer game Grand Theft Auto. Beyond the fact that the results are surprisingly hilarious, the documentary stands as a testament to creativity and persistence — characteristics we needed to get by those days and lessons that continue to echo.
Tune In: Music by John Williams
(Disney+)
A film about the man who wrote the score to our childhoods, Music by John Williams celebrates the maestro, the legacy, the music and movies that inspired, comforted and entertained generations. Documentaries like Music by John Williams can easily venture into sycophantic fawning, and arguably this one does just that — but I think collectively we can all agree, that such fawning is deserved and, in this case, encouraged.
Turn Off: Nightbitch
(Disney+)
One of the premiere screenings at TIFF last year, Nightbitch has gone on quite the journey here in Canada. Beginning with the glitz and glam of Toronto, the Amy Adams-led film abandoned its awards-hopeful December theatrical release for a quiet January streaming drop. (In comparison, the December release remained in the US, with a Hulu debut a couple weeks later.) Quite simply, this quirky road map to release reflects the nightmare of a film Adams gave her talents to. The metaphors and commentary are commendable, but their meaning becomes lost among some disappointing execution.
Tune In: North of North
(CBC Gem)
A biting comedy to match the frigid arctic temperatures, North of North showcases Inuk talent and culture in a sharp series following the ups and downs of a young woman (Anna Lambe) navigating life as a newly divorced mom in a small town. With a town full of colourful characters and a stunning setting, North of North adds a delightful entry to Canada's already-ripe comedy landscape.
Tune In: Saint-Pierre
(CBC Gem)
I'm always a sucker for a good procedural, and Saint-Pierre has scratched my crime-solving itch, with Allan Hawco and Josephine Jobert leading the charge as two detectives digging into the nefarious activities of an island's dark underbelly. The episodic crimes provide intrigue and good old fashion suspense, while Saint-Pierre itself — a French island within a stone's throw of Canada's Atlantic coastline — offers Canadians an education on a place the vast majority of us have never heard of.
Tune In: Severance, Season 2
(Apple TV+)
Three years later, we're back at Lumon Industries and, if it were even possible, things have gone even more sideways. Season 2 of Severance compounds the mysteries set up in its first season, increasing the complexity of the world but continuing to withhold any answers. For as multifaceted the storytelling, the visual language of the series is the standout of the season — absolutely jaw-dropping and stunning imagery that elevates the mind-bending narrative.