Streaming Wars: Watch “The Noel Diary,” Even Though Christmas Is Over

HOLIDAY PICK:

Justin Hartley was a serviceable Green Arrow on Smallville, but he’s since graduated to superstardom with This Is Us—and in The Noel Diary (2022), he’s so tender and real you almost forget his good looks (almost). Rom-com pro Charles Shyer (director of Father of the Bride and ex-husband of Nancy Meyers) helmed this tale of a melancholy author (Hartley) falling in love with the daughter (Barrett Doss) of his childhood nanny. It’s set during the holidays, but don’t wait until next December to watch it. Contemporary romances this sweet and moving are rare in any season. Netflix.

SCI-FI PICK:

James Cameron, ever the lord of candor, recently shit-talked Terminator: Dark Fate (2019), a sequel that he co-wrote and produced (Deadpool’s Tim Miller filled the director’s chair). It’s definitely not so vigorously entertaining as the two Terminator films Cameron made, but it has its share of cinematic delights, including the fiercer-than-ever Linda Hamilton returning as Sarah Connor and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s memorable portrayal of a weathered terminator who rechristens himself Carl and finds work in Texas as a drapery salesman. Sling TV.

MUSICAL PICK:

A couple of WW’s film critics (myself included) are pretty high on Damien Chazelle’s heartfelt, gloriously crazed Hollywood epic Babylon right now. If you want to see how the Oscar-winning La La Land director got his start, check out Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (2012), his feature directorial debut. The film, which stars famed jazz trumpet player Jason Palmer, is a rambling black-and-white musical that doesn’t always gel, but it’s a must-see for anyone who wants to discover the scrappy origin of one of our generation’s most passionate and brilliant filmmakers. Mubi.