Every week, MobileSyrup goes over some of the most notable movies and TV shows that recently hit Canadian streaming platforms.
Our ‘Streaming in Canada’ column typically focuses on new content from Amazon Prime Video Canada, Crave and Netflix Canada, but other services like Apple TV+ and Disney+ will be mentioned when relevant.
We’ll also highlight shows or movies that are made in Canada, involve notable Canadian cast or crew and/or are filmed in Canada.
Finally, with the COVID-19 pandemic causing many movies to hit digital platforms much sooner than planned, we’ll make note of any major films — as well as any other notable streaming service news — that fall into this category when applicable.
Amazon Prime Video
Happiest Season
A woman struggles to come out to her conservative parents during Christmas, causing her partner to question the girlfriend she thought she knew.
Happiest Season was co-written and directed by Clea DuVall (Veep) and stars Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Saga), Vancouver’s Mackenzie Davis (Halt and Catch Fire), Toronto’s Dan Levy (Schitt’s Creek), Alison Brie (Glow), Mary Steenbergen (Melvin and Howard), London, Ontario’s Victor Garber (Titanic) and Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation).
It’s worth noting that the film is a Hulu Original in the U.S. and has been made available in Canada for streaming exclusively through Amazon Prime Video (not counting premium video on demand services like iTunes and Google Play).
Original release date: November 25th, 2020 (Hulu in the U.S.)
Amazon Prime Video Canada release date: December 9th, 2020
Genre: Romantic comedy, Christmas
Runtime: 1 hour, 42 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 83 percent (based on 168 reviews)
Stream Happiest Season here.
I’m Your Woman [Amazon Original]
A woman is forced to go on the run after her husband is betrayed by her business partner.
I’m Your Woman was co-written and directed by Julia Hart (Stargirl) and stars Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Arinzé Kene (Eastenders), Marsha Stephanie Blake (When They See Us) and Bill Heck (The Leftovers).
Amazon Prime Video Canada release date: December 11th, 2020
Genre: Crime drama
Runtime: 2 hours
Rotten Tomatoes score: 78 percent (based on 59 reviews)
Stream I’m Your Woman here.
The Wilds [Amazon Original]
After a plane crash, a diverse group of teenaged girls are stranded on an island, forcing them to work together to survive.
The Wilds was created by Sarah Streicher (Marvel’s Daredevil) and stars an ensemble cast which includes Sophia Ali (Grey’s Anatomy), Shannon Berry (Hunters), Fort Erie, Ontario’s Jenna Clause (Cold Brook) and Sarah Pidgeon (Gotham).
Amazon Prime Video Canada release date: December 11th, 2020
Genre: Young adult drama
Runtime: 10 episodes (individual runtime TBA)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 60 percent (based on five reviews)
Stream The Wilds here.
Amazon Prime Video is included at no additional cost in a $79 CAD/year Amazon Prime subscription.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Amazon Prime Video Canada this month can be found here.
Apple TV+
Wolfwalkers [Apple Original]
During a time of superstition and magic, an apprentice hunter travels to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last wolf pack, only to have a change of heart.
Wolfwalkers was directed by Tomm Moore (Song of the Sea) and Ross Stewart (Paranorman) and features the voices of Honor Kneafsey (Our Zoo), Eva Whitaker (The Girl at the End of the Garden), Simon McBurney (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and Sean Bean (Game of Thrones).
Apple TV+ Canada release date: December 11th, 2020
Genre: Animated fantasy
Runtime: 1 hour, 42 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 98 percent (based on 100 reviews)
Stream Wolfwalkers here.
An Apple TV+ subscription costs $5.99/month in Canada.
Crave
The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
Director Frank Marshall (Seabiscuit) dives into the triumphs and failures of iconic music group The Bee Gees with a slew of never-before-seen footage and new interviews.
Crave/HBO Canada release date: December 12th, 2020 at 8pm ET
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 1 hour, 51 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100 percent (based on eight reviews)
Stream The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart here. Note that $19.98/month Crave + Movies + HBO subscription is required.
Let Them All Talk
A renowned author goes on a cruise with old friends and her nephew to have fun while reconciling with her troubled past.
Let Them All Talk was directed by Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s series) and stars Meryl Streep (Big Little Lies), Candice Bergen (Murphy Brown), Dianne Wiest (Bullets Over Broadway), Gemma Chan (Crazy Rich Asians) and Lucas Hedges (Manchester By the Sea).
Let Them All Talk is the latest original to come from the U.S.-only HBO Max as part of Warner Media’s exclusive deal with Bell.
Crave/HBO Max Canada release date: December 10th, 2020
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 1 hour, 53 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92 percent (based on 37 reviews)
Stream Let Them All Talk here. Note that $19.98/month Crave + Movies + HBO subscription is required.
Scoob!
This reboot of the Scooby-Doo film franchise follows the formation of Mystery Inc. and the gang’s efforts to stop Dick Dastardly from unleashing a three-headed ghost dog upon the world.
Scoob! was directed by Tony Cervone (Scooby Doo! and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery) and features the voices of Zac Efron (The Greatest Showman), Amanda Seyfried (Les Misérables), Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth), Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin) and longtime Scooby-Doo actor Frank Welker.
Original release date: May 15th, 2020 (video on demand)
Crave release date: December 11th, 2020
Genre: Animated comedy
Runtime: 1 hour, 34 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 48 percent (based on 146 reviews)
Stream Scoob! here. Note that $19.98/month Crave + Movies + HBO subscription is required.
A standard Crave subscription costs $9.99/month, with Starz adding another $5.99/month and HBO an additional $9.99/month.
The full list of movies and shows hitting hit Crave in December can be found here.
Disney+
High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special [Disney+ Original]
The show’s stars sing their favourite Christmas, Hannukah and New Year’s songs. The special also offers a sneak peak at the series’ upcoming second season.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special stars Olivia Rodrigo (Bizaardvark), Joshua Bassett (Grey’s Anatomy), Matt Cornett (Life in Pieces) and Sofia Wylie (Andi Mack).
Disney+ Canada release date: December 11th, 2020
Genre: Musical
Runtime: 45 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: N/A
Stream High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special here.
Safety [Disney+ Original]
Based on a true story, Safety follows Ray McElrathbey, a young man who plays university football through a scholarship while caring for his 11-year-old brother on campus.
Safety was directed by Reginald Hudlin (Marshall) and stars Jay Reeves (All American), Thaddeus J. Mixson (The Grind) and Corinne Foxx (47 Meters Down: Uncaged).
Disney+ Canada release date: December 11th, 2020
Genre: Biographical sports drama
Runtime: 2 hours, 2 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 67 percent (based on six reviews)
Stream Safety here.
A Disney+ subscription costs $8.99/month or $89.99/year in Canada.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Disney+ this month can be found here.
Netflix
Giving Voice [Netflix Original]
Six student actors face off in the prestigious August Wilson Monologue Competition.
Directed by James D. Stern (Hairspray) and Fernando Villena (Any One of Us), this documentary also features interviews from Oscar winners and Fences co-stars Denzel Washington and Viola Davis.
Netflix Canada release date: December 11th, 2020
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: N/A
Stream Giving Voice here.
The Prom [Netflix Original]
A group of Broadway stars rally behind a teen who wants to attend prom with her girlfriend.The Prom was directed by Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story) and stars Meryl Streep (Big Little Lies), Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies), James Corden (The Late Late Show), Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele), Jo Ellen Pellman (The Deuce) and Kerry Washington (Scandal).
<Netflix Canada release date: December 11th, 2020
Genre: Musical comedy
Runtime: 2 hours, 11 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 67 percent (based on 78 reviews)
Stream The Prom here.
The Surgeon’s Cut [Netflix Original]
Four surgeons reflect on their lives and careers.
Netflix Canada release date: December 11th, 2020
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: Four episodes (51 to 58 minutes each)
Rotten Tomatoes score: N/A
Stream The Surgeon’s Cut here.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Netflix Canada this month can be found here.
Premium video on demand (PVOD)
Possessor
A woman who is able to take over peoples’ bodies to carry out high-profile assassinations encounters a strong-willed host who fights back.
Possessor was written and directed by Toronto’s Brandon Cronenberg (Antiviral), the son of famed horror director David Cronenberg, and stars Andrea Riseborough (Birdman), Christopher Abbott (Girls), Vancouver’s Rossif Sutherland (Reign), Tuppence Middleton (Sense8) and Sean Bean (Game of Thrones).
It’s worth noting that the film was shot in Toronto.
Original theatrical release date: October 2nd, 2020 (limited release amid the pandemic)
Genre: Psychological horror, sci-fi
Runtime: 1 hour, 44 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93 percent (based on 176 reviews)
On iTunes, you can rent Possessor for $4.99 and purchase it for $14.99. Google Play, meanwhile, has the film for $4.99 to rent and $12.99 to purchase. Finally, the film is available on the Cineplex Store for rent for $4.99 and purchase for $16.99.
What are you planning on streaming this week? Let us know in the comments.
For more recommendations, check out last week’s Streaming in Canada column here.
Image credit: Hulu
