Holiday Time is TV Time

What to watch — on small screen and big — during the holiday break

When the weather outside is frightful, it’s time to power up the TV. Christmas break is upon us, and free time is about to increase exponentially. So what’s the key to getting through the abundance of family time on the horizon? A fully stocked queue of Hulu and Netflix (and a couple of well-timed trips to the multiplex, of course).

But in case you’re not quite sure what to dial up, we’ve got some suggestions to keep you entertained this holiday season.

NETFLIX

Drinking Buddies

Watch it with: your beer-loving brother-in-law

Olivia Wilde stars with New Girl’s Jake Johnson in this tale of a pair of microbrewery employees who mix work and play more often than not. Consider the flick improved with a nice seasonal ale.

Frances Ha

Watch it with: your high school BFF

The always spot-on Greta Gerwig is Frances, a sometimes out-of-work modern dancer, who’s both seriously un-dateable and entirely relatable. She’ll make you feel like your life isn’t such a mess after all.

The Iron Lady

Watch it with: your grandmother

She’ll eat this Margaret Thatcher biopic right up.

Blackfish

Watch it with: the non-squeamish

This documentary of orca whale Tilikum examines the deaths of several trainers while he was in captivity, questioning the safety and humaneness of the orca (also know as killer whale) community. Don’t expect Free Willy fare.

30 for 30

Watch it with: your dad

Pops will surely appreciate this docu-series which highlights sports, sex, drug use and warfare. Choose an episode at random; pretty much every story is sure to please his nonfiction-appreciating heart.

Firefly

Watch it with: your tween nieces and nephews

Before Joss Whedon was the guy behind The Avengers, he was a sci-fi television master. This short-lived series (featuring Whedon fave Nathan Fillian) makes for easy watch that should take you and your pop culture-loving tweens no time at all to get though.

Lilyhammer

Watch it with: your Sopranos-loving uncle

Sopranos favorite Steven Van Zandt stars as Frank “The Fixer” Tagliano in this tale of a mafia boss who leaves the Big Apple for the Fjords of Norway after being put into witness protection. Season 2 was just released, so you have more than enough of this Netflix Original to keep you busy.

HBO GO

Stoker

Watch it with: your siblings

Mia Wasikowska is a young girl changed by the death of her father and prompt arrival of her mysterious new Uncle Charlie who moves in with the family. The trio soon go down a dark, twisted path in this 2013 psychological drama.

Girls

Watch it with: your cousins

Season 3 of this critically acclaimed dramedy returns January 12, so catch up on last season’s action while you can.

Broken City

Watch it with: the whole family

Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe star in this revenge tale of ex-cop Billy Taggart, who is seeking redemption after being double-crossed and framed by New York City Mayor Nicholas Hostetler.

HULU PLUS

Misfits

Watch it with: tweens, teens and sisters-in-law

Five unruly teenagers forced to do community service face a whole new slew of problems after an electrical storm hits their town and turns them into superheroes. Each possesses a new power they didn’t want, one that explores their deepest, darkest insecurities.

Moone Boy

Watch it with: yourself

Set in 1980s Ireland, this truly hilarious comedy follows 12-year-old Martin Moone as he navigates the intricacies of his eccentric childhood with the help of his bearded — and very sarcastic — imaginary friend Sean (played by Bridesmaids’ Chris O’Dowd).

IN THEATERS

Saving Mr. Banks

Go see it with: your mom, aunt and grandmother

Tom Hanks stars in this tale inspired by the untold story of how Disney’s Mary Poppins made it to the screen. Emma Thompson stars as P.L. Travers, the curmudgeonly writer not eager to see her story bastardized.

American Hustle

Go see it with: the whole family

Director David O. Russell directs this fictional story of notorious con man Irving Rosenfeld (a barely recognizable Christian Bale) and his partner, portrayed by Amy Adams. The duo is forced to change things up after being discovered by the FBI, but the antics don’t die down a bit.

Her

Go see it with: your significant other

Joaquin Phoenix stars as a withdrawn writer who falls in love with his computer’s highly advanced operating system in this comedy from director Spike Jonze.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Go see it with: anyone looking for a laugh

Ron Burgundy and his band of bros are back, and they’re taking the 24-hour news world by storm. Expect tons of cameos, a fair amount of scotch, and a lot of antics that make it difficult to stay classy.

Tune in (and tune your family drama out) by watching Moone Boy.

Courtesy photo

Tune in (and tune your family drama out) by watching Moone Boy.

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Movie Review

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck team up for Netflix crime thriller The Rip

Photo by Claire Folger/Netflix

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in The Rip.

For as closely tied together as Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are, it might come as a surprise how few times they’ve led a movie together. They’ve appeared alongside each other in Good Will Hunting, The Last Duel, and Air, but the only time they were on equal footing in a story was Kevin Smith’s Dogma. So the fact that they are the two true stars of the new Netflix movie The Rip makes it a rare opportunity for the longtime friends to square off against each other.

Damon and Affleck play Lt. Dane Dumars and Detective Sgt. J.D Byrne, respectively, the two highest ranking members of a Miami police department squad that specializes in drug and drug money raids. A tragedy to begin the film already has the team - which includes Detectives Mike Ro (Steven Yeun), Numa Baptiste (Teyana Taylor), and Lolo Salazar (Catalina Sandina Moreno) - on edge, with the FBI and DEA breathing down their neck.

Going off a tip, Dumars gathers the team to raid a house in nearby Hialeah that is supposed to have a stash of a relatively small amount of money. But when they get to the house occupied only by Desiree Molina (Sasha Calle), they soon discover that there’s close to $20 million there instead. The team, required by law to count the money on site, must not only fight the urge to skim a little off the top for themselves, but also worry about the Cartel and other agencies that might want a slice of the pie.

Written and directed by Joe Carnahan, the film is a surprisingly effective crime thriller made even better by its high-quality cast, which also includes Kyle Chandler as a DEA agent. The story is designed for the audience to not know who’s trustworthy until the last possible second, and the various twists and turns it takes are well done, with barely a hint of narrative cheating.

Taking place entirely at night, the mood is set right from the start, with the only surprise being that Carnahan didn’t add in rain for extra effect. He keeps things tense with a number of subtle elements, including having the house located in a seemingly deserted cul-de-sac. This allows for the characters to remain on high alert at all times, with anything out of the ordinary - an unexpected noise, a flashing light, etc. - adding to the stress of the situation.

The only element that could have used a bit more of a punch-up is the characterization. The story is set up to cast suspicion on almost everybody, making it tougher to understand exactly what type of person each of them is. As the two leads, more time is spent with Dumars and Byrne, leaving everyone else with slightly underwhelming arcs. It’s to the credit of the actors that everyone else below Damon and Affleck is still compelling.

Damon and Affleck play their sometimes friendly, sometimes adversarial roles well, showing an ease together that’s a result of their friendship and the acting skills they’ve honed over 30+ years. Taylor, an Oscar hopeful for One Battle After Another, and Oscar nominee/Emmy winner Yeun have a pedigree that elevates their supporting roles. Chandler, Moreno, and Calle each get just enough to demonstrate why they were cast in their respective roles.

Damon and Affleck have had their individual ups and downs throughout their careers, but when they choose to work together, the results are usually good-to-great, as they are in The Rip. It’s a different take on a crime thriller that features a story that will keep viewers guessing until the very end.

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The Rip is now streaming on Netflix.

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Movie Review

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck team up for Netflix crime thriller The Rip