“Black Doves”, “The Sticky” and more: The best streaming tips of the week

Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw co-star as a spy and an assassin in the Netflix series Black Doves, while Margo Martindale plays a down-on-her-luck woman who finds something even in a crime ring in the new Prime Video series The Sticky , who steals maple syrup. Also this week:

Pop star Sabrina Carpenter hosts a holiday music variety special on Netflix and Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice experiences another afterlife and makes its streaming debut on Max.

“Black Pigeons”

In their new Netflix series Black Doves, Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw play old friends who also happen to be a spy and an assassin who team up at Christmas to solve (and get revenge) a murder. Knightley joked to The Associated Press that the show falls into the “Die Hard” category of Christmas entertainment. “It’s like I spent too much time with my family. I hate them all. I have to watch something explode!” “Black Doves” debuts on the streamer on Thursday. DETAILS

“The Sticky One”

Margo Martindale stars in the new Prime Video series “The Sticky” as a down-on-his-luck woman on the verge of financial ruin who gets caught up in a crime ring that steals millions of dollars worth of, of all things, maple syrup. It is inspired by a true story. The dark comedy also stars the delightful Chris Diamantopoulos and Guillaume Cyr. Jamie Lee Curtis executive produces and also appears. The premiere is on Friday, December 6th. DETAILS

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”

Thirty-six years after the original, the Deetz family returns to Winter River in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (streaming Saturday, December 7 on Max). There, Lydia (Winona Ryder), still haunted by Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), is forced into another odyssey into the afterlife when her teenage daughter (Jenna Ortega) discovers a portal. In her review, Jocelyn Noveck called it “A cheerfully realized sequel that sometimes makes sense and sometimes doesn’t, but just keeps being left out.” DETAILS

“This Christmas”

A low-key reunion between Richard Curtis, the writer and director of Love Actually, and one of that film’s stars, Bill Nighy, is part of the new Netflix animated film That Christmas. The film was co-written by Curtis (it is based on his Christmas book series) and stars Nighy as the voice of Lighthouse Bill, one of the townspeople of Wellington-on-Sea who struggles with a winter storm. The storm poses challenges even for Santa Claus, voiced by Brian Cox. DETAILS

“Fly me to the moon”

Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum star in the space romantic comedy “Fly Me to the Moon,” about a NASA launch director (Tatum) and a Madison Avenue marketing manager tasked with selling the mission to the moon . The film, which hit theaters in July, is coming to Apple TV+ this week. In her review, AP film writer Lindsey Bahr praised the film as “lighthearted and breezy with a pleasant screwball energy that gives Johansson the opportunity to harness the full potential of her movie star.” DETAILS

Sabrina Carpenter

Does espresso go with eggnog? Find out when Sabrina Carpenter hosts a holiday music variety special, streaming on Netflix starting Friday, December 6th. “It’s an hour of literal nonsense,” Sabrina told Time magazine about the special. “If people expect it to be boring when I sing by a tree, that’s not the case. It’s so fun, so chaotic. There are so many guests I’m looking forward to.” These guests include Chappell Roan, Tyla, Shania Twain, Kali Uchis, Quinta Brunson, Cara Delevingne, Kyle Mooney, Nico Hiraga, Megan Stalter, Sean Astin, Owen Thiele and Jillian Bell. DETAILS