By far the best thing I watched this past month was “Inside Man” on Netflix. Stanley Tucci shines as a lawyer who killed his wife and solves crime from behind bars. David Tennant (“Broadchurch” fame) is a vicar with a few secrets to hide. This show makes one question how far we would go to protect our families. The acting is excellent, and the surprising ending hopefully will lead to a second season.

Joining “Inside Man” on Netflix, the long awaited series “The Crown” finally dropped. Yes, I completed binged it. I thought Dominic West was horribly miscast at Prince Charles, yet Elizabeth Debicki was excellent as Diana. This was not my favorite season, but I plan to watch season six.

Netflix

• “Falling for Christmas” A new Netflix Christmas movie that I loved
• “Christmas with You” Another sweet Christmas movie to make your heart a bit lighter
• “1899” The creepy story of finding one young boy on a ship lost at sea for four months
• “The Wonder” An “art house film” set in Ireland during the potato famine
• “From Scratch” A romance recommended to me by several people

Apple TV

• “Spirited” The Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds led Christmas musical based on “A Christmas Carroll”
• “Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me” A vulnerable documentary that offers hope regarding mental illness

Hulu

• “God Forbid” The fascinating documentary of the fall of Jerry Falwell Jr. and Liberty University’s knowledge of the scandal it helped cover
• “Christmas on the Farm” A classic sweet, happy Hallmark type movie that is like a warm cup of hot chocolate
• Diane Sawyer’s Interview with Matthew Perry Highly recommended. Perry is vulnerable and raw in discussing his years of drug and alcohol abuse, and I think it is appropriate to watch with your older teens as his addiction began in his teens.

Peacock

• “Friend of the Family” An unbelievable true story about a kidnapping by a family friend

Amazon Prime

• “The English” An Emily Blunt-led Western about an English woman seeking revenge on the man she holds responsible for the death of her son

In theaters, I saw three films.  Let me save you from wasting two hours of your life. Do NOT see “The Menu.” This movie had great promise because of its magnificent cast (Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Judith Light), but it quickly dissolves into a gory mess of a film. Do see “She Said,” the well done film based on the reporters who broke the Harvey Weinstein case, and “The Fabelmans,” the Steven Spielberg film loosely based on his own story of growing up. It’s interesting to see themes in Spielberg’s life that end up in his films.

This is usually the time of year big films are released for the holidays, but, honestly, the only one I am excited about is the Tom Hanks-led “A Man Called Otto,” which is based on the beloved book “A Man Called Ove.” So keep passing the popcorn, and we will see what this month brings!

by Merrile Stroud

I love all kinds of movies, including scary movies, Hallmark movies and Christmas movies. This should have been the best month ever. But oh-so-sad to say it wasn’t, but, hey, Christmas is coming!

Each month I try “to take the pulse” of the movie industry, especially after Apple TV’s excellent film “CODA” won the Oscar for best picture last year (first streaming movie to do so), and this month it is weak. The one highlight in theaters was the sweet, funny, somewhat predictable “Ticket to Paradise” starring the always entertaining Julia Roberts and charming George Clooney. Part of the joy of this film is just being in the theater with a friend who always makes a movie outing a special event. Shared viewing in a dark theater is still one of my favorite things to do. But the best movie I saw this month was on Netflix. “The Good Nurse” stars Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne in the shocking true story of nurse Charlie Cullen who killed anywhere from 40 to 400 patients as he was just passed to one hospital to another. It is excellently acted and written. Don’t skip this one!

My other theater views were all horror movies that I was excited about, but only one hit the mark. And speaking of horror and thrillers, I was shocked by the number of readers that reached out to thank me for covering this genre. I felt like Sally Fields in her 1985 Oscar speech for the fabulous “Places in the Heart.” “You like me! You really like me!” You can skip “Barbarian” and “Smile” but if you’ve been a fan of the Halloween franchise, I think you’ll like “Halloween Ends.”

So on to your streaming reviews for this past month …

Netflix

• “Luckiest Girl Alive” The long awaited adaptation of the best selling novel starring Mika Kunis did not deliver the punch the novel did. Kunis stars as the survivor of a school shooting but questions have followed her as to whether she was a survivor or a participant.
• “Last Seen Alive” Gerard Butler stars as a man on a frantic mission to find his wife who went missing in a matter of seconds at a gas station. It is a fun couples Friday night film.
• “The Watcher” Netflix created quite a stir over this true story thriller. Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale and Mia Farrow head a top notch cast in this entertaining thriller.

Prime Video

• “#Like” A teen discovers the man who bullied her sister and ultimately contributed to her  suicide and goes on a mission to take him down. I’m a big sucker for defending-your-sister films, having four girls of my own.

Peacock

• “Sex, Lies and the College Cult” The unbelievable documentary of one man who started a cult at the prestigious Sarah Lawrence College.

Hulu

• “The Patient” As much as I love Steve Carell, this is just depressing and too dark. If you’ve started it, STOP.
• “Alaska Daily” Starring Hillary Swank as a reporter disgraced and forced to start over in Alaska, this one is excellent.
• “The Handmaids Tale” After sticking it out for the horrible season three, this final season is hitting on all cylinders: forgiveness; versus; revenge; and what makes a mother.
• SKIP the Emma Roberts led “Abandoned” and also “Matriarch.”

While you wait for Christmas, here’s my list of favorites again:

• “Friday Night Lights” Peacock
• “Lars and the Real Girl” Amazon Prime
• “Jerry and Marge Go Large” Paramount
• “Ordinary People” Paramount
• “Schitt’s Creek” Hulu
• “CODA” Apple TV

So, what to get excited about? CHRISTMAS MOVIES!

The ones I’m most looking forward to include “Perfect Ending,” “We Need a Little Christmas” and “Christmas Bedtime Stories.” I’m suspecting all will be Netflix releases, but I’ll keep you posted! Until next time, pass that popcorn please!

by Merrile Stroud