The Oscar-nominated animated charmer “Robot Dreams” and Lindsay Lohan starring in the Christmas romantic comedy “Our Little Secret” are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.
Also among the streaming offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: HBO has a documentary about yacht rock, there’s another entry in the reality genre of seniors looking for love called “The Later Daters” on Netflix and the Fab Four’ first trip to America is chronicled in the documentary, “Beatles ’64.”
— “Robot Dreams,” the Oscar-nominated animated charmer about a dog and a robot, comes to Hulu on Tuesday. Associated Press Film Writer Jake Coyle called it “one of the best New York movies in years, not to mention a surprisingly mature tale of loving and losing for a movie where the effects of rust are quite central to the narrative.”
— Also arriving on Hulu shortly after, on Friday, Nov. 29, is the family comedy “Nutcrackers.” Ben Stiller plays a city guy who must go to the country to take care of his unruly orphaned nephews. It’s a return to comedy for “Pineapple Express” filmmaker David Gordon Green.
— “When Harry Met Sally” gets a modern update in the new romantic comedy “Sweethearts,” about childhood best friends whose relationship gets a little complicated in college. Starring Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga “Sweethearts,” debuting on Max on Thursday, is the feature directorial debut of “Dollhouse” creator Jordan Weiss.
— If you’re wondering why Lindsay Lohan seems to be everywhere lately, Netflix is the answer. The streamer has a new Christmas romantic comedy on the way, “Our Little Secret,” on Wednesday. The idea is that Lohan’s character is spending the holiday with her boyfriend’s family, only to discover that his sister is dating her ex.
— The Beatles’ first trip to America is chronicled in a new movie produced by Martin Scorsese, “Beatles ’64,” which streams on Disney+ on Friday, Nov. 29. The documentary uses never-before-seen and rare footage and drills down on the Fab Four’s milestone American visit, which included appearances on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” concerts at Carnegie Hall and the Washington Colosseum, and a meeting with Muhammad Ali. It offers interviews with David Lynch and Ronnie Spector as well as some of the women who as girls screamed outside the Beatles’ New York hotel. Its backbone is rare footage filmed by documentarians Albert and David Maysles of John, Paul, George and Ringo being exceedingly silly.
— Grab your captain’s hat and fake mustache for a tour of yacht rock, the once dismissed musical genre that has found new love of late. HBO’s revealing “Music Box: Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary” traces the rise of the music style — elevated pop music infused with jazz and R&B — from the perspective of its makers, including Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins and Christopher Cross. The documentary nicely connects yacht rock to the culture and music heritage, adding the creators of the web series who coined the label. Sail away on Friday, Nov. 29.
— Eric Clapton has a new live album and concert film, “Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival 2023,” which captured the shows on Sept. 23-24, 2023, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Only Clapton could attract this level of musical talent to join him: Gary Clark Jr., Sheryl Crow, H.E.R., Los Lobos, John Mayer, Santana and The Wallflowers. The master of ceremonies is Bill Murray. This was the seventh installment of the festival after a four-year break. Guitar World hailed it as “a six-string celebration.”
— AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy
— When a CIA agent who goes by “Martian” (played by Michael Fassbender) returns to the London office after a long undercover job, the transition to real life is not an easy one in “The Agency.” The espionage thriller also stars Jodie Turner-Smith as a former love who complicates matters. “It’s the battle of his soul between what he does for a living and the relationships he has,” Fassbender told the AP. George Clooney is an executive producer. The story is based on a 2015 French espionage series called “The Bureau.” Jeffrey Wright, Katherine Waterston and Richard Gere also star. “The Agency” premieres Friday, Nov. 29 on Paramount+ with Showtime.
— America first fell for the notion of people of a certain age finding love on ABC’s “The Golden Bachelor” and most recently “The Golden Bachelorette.” Netflix — and Michelle Obama, who is an executive producer — have jumped on the trend with a docuseries called “The Later Daters” debuting Friday, Nov. 29. Cameras follow six silver singles as they go on a series of blind dates to find love and companionship.
— Colman Domingo stars in a new conspiracy thriller series “The Madness” as a CNN pundit who is framed for the murder of a white supremacist. It deals with misinformation and disinformation spread online about Domingo’s Muncie Daniels character, and the damage it can do to an individual and community. “The Madness” hits Netflix on Thursday.
— There are plenty of job simulators out there, but Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop is the first one I know of that also invites you to “ponder the futility of your existence.” You are a spaceship mechanic, so instead of flying around exploring strange new worlds, you’re stuck on a lonely asteroid tightening screws and replacing burnt-out wires. You also have to contend with a particularly demanding boss — one who might actually kill you if you don’t make your quota. The result, from British developer Beard Envy, is a mix of tricky, time-sensitive mechanical puzzles and surreal black comedy. Start choppin’ Thursday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch or PC.
