Thanksgiving weekend was a bit quieter, but we got a bevy of holiday-themed films. Below is my take on this week’s new releases. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Beatles ’64 (Disney+)
Synopsis: This new documentary from David Tedeschi follows the Beatles as they land in America for the first time. It uses a combination of file footage and interviews from throughout history to set the scene and describe the impact of the Beatles’ arrival in the United States, and their long-term impact on music and culture. Even six years later, the impact of the tour and the group reverberates in culture. This is a loving look at their impact on people and a tribute to the band and their music. It’s a fun look back at history and culture that has some emotional moments. For fans of the band, fans of history, or fans of music, this is worth a look.
Rating: NA

Nutcrackers (Hulu)
Starring: Ben Stiller, Linda Cardellini, Arlo Janson, Ulysses Janson, Atlas Janson, and Homer Janson
Synopsis: The latest from director David Gordon Green is a family-friendly tale of four brothers (played by real brothers Arlo, Ulysses, Atlas, and Homer) who are left orphaned when their parents are killed in an accident. They are home schooled, used to living off the grid, and occupy the family farm in a sleepy little town. Their uncle, Mike (Stiller), is used to something different. He comes to town in a yellow Porsche, working on closing a huge deal, and used to a condo in the middle of Chicago. He’s simply there to close out the estate and see the boys get adopted. But along the way, and over the holidays, he’s faced with the question of whether the life he’s living is the life he’s meant to live. This is a family-friendly tale that doesn’t leave a lot of imagination about where it’s going. It’s a simply slice-of-life that is a starring role for Stiller we haven’t seen in a few years as he mostly works behind the camera. But he’s sold here, as is Cardellini as the Social Worker assigned to the boys’ case. This hits you in the feels at times, but it takes a while to get there. The script and story are dry, and the brothers don’t always command the screen as you’d like. This is a fine holiday tale but wasn’t great.
Rating: NA

Our Little Secret (Netflix)
Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Kristin Chenoweth, Tim Meadows, and Ian Harding
Synopsis: Avery (Lohan) and Logan (Harding) grew up as friends in a small town. They dated and Logan hoped for more. But, after a proposal gone wrong, the two grew apart. Years later, they’re heading toward Christmas and Logan is going to meet his girlfriend’s family and parents for the holidays. Avery, now a powerful business consultant, is heading to meet her boyfriend’s family for Christmas, too. When it turns out Avery and Logan are dating siblings, they try to keep their past under wraps. But is it fate that’s brought them back together? This continues the string of Christmas films on Wednesdays for Netflix in November. This is another one that feels like the streamer’s spin on the classic Hallmark formula, this time with Lohan. She and Harding are fine here, and the story has its moments. It feels a bit cliché and it’s not hard to tell where it’s all going. There’s some fun as it’s a light, holiday watch. It isn’t deep but it will leave you satisfied for a date night viewing.
Rating: TV-14

Sweethearts (Max)
Starring: Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga
Synopsis: Jamie (Shipka) and Ben (Hiraga) are best friends. They’ve been best friends for a long time, coming from the same small town and now going to college together. But as they approach Thanksgiving break, both are struggling to remain in the same long-distance relationships they’ve been in since high school. So, the friends make a pact—they break up with their significant others at Thanksgiving to leave them free to make the most of the college experience. Things don’t go according to plan. Along the way, with Jamie and Ben learn something new about their own relationship? This is another plot that feels somewhat familiar, throwing in a holiday to give it a seasonal feel for the release. It works, when it does, thanks to Shipka and Hiraga, who are delightful performers. There are some funny lines and sequences in the early going. But the plot devolves when they get home and put their plan in motion. There are also subplots involving friend Palmer (Caleb Hearon) that feels tacked on. Overall, I thought the basic idea worked fine. I was interested in the decision made at the end and the way the film treats the friendship between Jamie and Ben. It’s a fine little holiday watch but doesn’t offer much beyond being a pleasant streaming diversion.
Rating: Rated R for sexual content, language throughout, teen partying and brief graphic nudity

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.