The Queue
Timeless holiday classics and new TV show seasons alike are available on streaming platforms this month. Here are culture writer Kevin Slane’s top picks.
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A typical edition of The Queue starts with me going in-depth on a single topic — whether it’s all the celebrity voices in Ken Burns’ new docuseries, the best deals in sports streaming, or the best music biopics — before offering some quick streaming recommendations.
Once a month, however, I’ll be sending you an all-recommendations edition of the newsletter, because the struggle of deciding what to watch is eternal.
PS: For those of you who are in the holiday spirit, I’ve launched a limited edition newsletter that acts as a one-stop guide for holiday entertainment. You can sign up here to receive three straight days of recommendations from yours truly.
3 movies on Netflix to watch this weekend
“Mean Girls” (2004): While Gretchen (Lacey Chabert) never made “fetch” happen, Tina Fey’s “Mean Girls” made “Stop trying to make ‘fetch’ happen” happen — along with about a dozen other quotable lines from the 2004 coming-of-age comedy. (Netflix)
“The Northman” (2022): New Hampshire native Robert Eggers (“The Witch”) leveled up in budget and scale for his third film, about a Viking prince (Alexander Skarsgard, “True Blood”) hellbent on revenge after the murder of his father (Ethan Hawke, “Training Day”). (Netflix)
“The Wolf of Wall Street” (2013): Other than maybe “One Battle After Another,” Leonardo DiCaprio has never been funnier in a film than he is playing Jordan Belfort, the swaggering businessman who went to jail for securities fraud after living a life of excess as the CEO of Stratton Oakmount, pumping and dumping penny stocks on witless victims. (Netflix)
Want more? Here’s the best movies on Netflix right now (December 2025).
3 holiday titles to get you through the winter cold
“Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” (1987): Sure, Thanksgiving has already come and gone. But this buddy comedy — about an uptight executive (Steve Martin) and an obnoxious traveling salesman (John Candy) who must use all of the aforementioned methods of transportation to make it home for Thanksgiving dinner — feels fitting for the entire holiday season. (Paramount+, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel)
“The Muppet Christmas Carol” (1992): The first Muppets film following the death of creator Jim Henson, “The Muppets Christmas Carol” offers just enough of the puppets’ trademark irreverent humor while remaining faithful to the Dickens tale. In particular, Michael Caine is masterful as Ebenezer Scrooge, and his cruelty isn’t diminished in the slightest by the fact that he’s dishing out humbugs to Muppets instead of human townsfolk. (Disney+)
“White Christmas” (1954): Much of the film’s plot — about two soldiers (Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye) entertaining their fellow troops on Christmas Eve in Europe — is mere window dressing for the film’s musical numbers. But when you’ve got Crosby and Kaye doing their thing, Irving Berlin providing the tunes, and the song “White Christmas” as your centerpiece, do you really need much else? (Prime Video)
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Play or Skip: Staff Edition
You’ve heard enough of my streaming picks already, so here’s what the rest of Boston.com’s staff is watching.
Have a show you can’t stop watching? Email me about it at [email protected], and your recommendation may appear in a future edition of The Queue.
“Nobody Wants This” (Season 2): Boston.com senior producer Heather Alterisio kicked off discussion of this hit Netflix rom-com starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody last month, but reporter Abby Patkin had her own (mixed) thoughts on the new season after catching up over Thanksgiving: “it’s a fine background show and I love some of the side characters, but the A plot felt like more of the same from Season 1.” (Netflix)
“Stranger Things” Season 5, Part 1: Boston.com producer Kelly Chan (who produces this newsletter!) enjoyed the Duffer Brothers’ long-awaited new season, but wished there was a better way to reacquaint herself with the denizens of Hawkins, Indiana after such a long gap between seasons: “The ending to that first part was really good, but honestly I wish they had better recaps of everything that already happened because it’s been a long time since I last saw the show.” (Netflix)
“Death by Lightning”: Boston.com food writer Katelyn Umholtz was enthusiastic about her love of Michael Shannon on this historical Netflix drama: “If you care to learn a little bit about James Garfield, our 6-month-serving president, I highly recommend Death by Lightning. I’ll take a seat when any movie/tv show has Michael Shannon in it, and all the performances from Matthew Macfadyen, Nick Offerman, and Betty Gilpin are superb.” (Netflix)
End Credits
That’s a wrap on this edition of The Queue. If you’re a fan, please consider recommending this newsletter to your friends.
Until next time, good stream hunting, everyone!
— Kevin
The Queue: holiday streaming edition
