Clockwise from top: Eternity, Zootopia 2, Shanghai bloomsAnd Stranger Things.
Photo illustration: Vulture; Photos: Vulture; Photo: A24, Netflix, Criterion Collection, Disney
The holiday can seem like an eternity. And are these eternities as pleasant as the few that are presented in the film? Eternity unclear. But a good connector gathers around the screen and watches something together, and there are plenty of options to choose from this Thanksgiving, from traveling to the Upside Down, to Eternity, or to Zootopia.
The idea is simple: when you die, you can choose the eternity in which to live. Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) faces challenges in her afterlife plan when she has to choose between her husband of half a century, Larry (Miles Teller), who recently died, and her first husband, Luke (Callum Turner), who died 60-odd years ago. This is a sweet, well-made comedy starring Da'Vine Joy Randolph and John Earley.
Ten years later, we finally have a recap of the Duffer Brothers TV show phenomenon. Set shortly after the events of season four – where, you know, Upside Down literally tore right through Hawkins – our many The main characters team up once again to find and destroy Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). I hope we get answers to the following questions: Is Max alive? Does Robin reduce anxiety?Inside Out 2 act? Does Steve have another gratuitous shirtless scene? Do these people remember that Will could be useful in the search for Vecna? Can we do something truly good for Winona Ryder again?
➽ Ten years, five seasons, many characters and demo creatures – there's a lot to remember about Hawkins and the Upside Down, so we've got a survival guide. Here.
This is for the kids and Hear Me About Nick Wilde viewers.
Acclaimed director Wong Kar-wai and Criterion bring his first television series to American audiences. Film adaptation of the novel by Jin Yucheng. BloomsThis drama is about a businessman named A Bao (Hu Ge), who gets lucky after the opening of the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
Beatles fans are living in heaven these days. Yes, legendary guys always seem to float in the pop culture ether, but lately they've been almost unavoidable even for the layman: an eight-hour documentary about Peter Jackson has been released. Returnthis year brought Paul McCartney's new memoirsand soon we will have as many as four films about each participant. Not to be outdone, Disney+ is back again with The Beatles Anthologya nine-part restoration of the acclaimed 1995 documentary that chronicles the band's many lives, replete with lengthy interviews with John, Paul, George and Ringo. Three episodes will air every evening from Wednesday to Friday. —Ray Rahman
The third season of the Apple TV dinosaur docuseries jumps forward several million years in time to an era when all dinosaurs have gone extinct. Instead, woolly mammoths and scimitar cats roam the icy landscape. There's another change: Tom Hiddleston is taking over narration duties from Sir David Attenborough. —James Greby
If your family appreciates great works of cinema, the Criterion channel has a whole collection of films about family get-togethers, e.g. Rachel is getting married, Margot at the wedding, Hannah and her sisters, And Holiday. At the risk of possibly hitting A little too close to home, there's hardly a better excuse to watch a movie about a group of family members who have a lot of drama but still love each other. —J.G.
One (or both?) of these might be worth using to distract your charming relatives from making snarky remarks about politics while they wait for the food to be served. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will air live on NBC starting at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones. Yes, cute tiger Derpy, godly K-Pop Demon Huntersmakes his television debut. As for the dogs: The National Dog Show begins at noon, also local time, on NBC. —Eric Vilas-Boas
➽ Game “Packers vs. Lions” free on Tube for those of you who don't have cable but have a father-in-law who needs something to watch.
We asked the Vulture staff about some of their favorite movies to watch this Thanksgiving.
“Since the day after Thanksgiving is traditionally the day to put up Christmas decorations, we usually move on to Christmas viewing. Little women (1994 or 2019) This is our choice.” — Genevieve Koski, Senior Television Editor
“When dinner is over and I'm drunk enough, it can only mean one thing: get strong. The Last Waltz and pause the “This movie should be played loud!” title card until just enough food is ready so I can sit back down, eat some bonus pie and wine, and stare at Robbie Robertson's handsome face for two hours. Like most people, I use Neil Diamond's segment as my bathroom break.” —Devon Ivey, writer
“What airs after the Thanksgiving Day Parade? Dog show, yes! Best in Show “It's the perfect Thanksgiving movie because it has all the interpersonal drama and a little holiday stress, plus a bunch of cute dogs to take your mind off everything.” —Beti Squires, writer
“By the time Bugonia culminates in a series of beautiful and arresting images that seem to come out of nowhere, we realize that underneath his bemused dispassion lies a deep yearning for connection. At the beginning of the film, Teddy looks at his dying bees and sees similarities to humanity: “A dead colony, scattered in a trillion directions, with no way home.” At the end it becomes clear that the director saw the same thing.”
Read the rest of critic Bilge Ebiri's review of Yorgos Lanthimos' latest feature. Here.
➽ Plus: More crazy movie with Colleen Hoover available to stream now.
Want more? Read our recommendations from weekend 21 November.
