It’s Avatar week. For any fan of gigantic blockbuster movies, this is the moment you’ve been waiting for. For the past 13 years, James Cameron has been working diligently to deliver a worthy sequel to his massive Avatar, which came out in 2009. All these years later—after millions of dollars spent and a movie industry that has totally changed since—The Way of Water is finally here.
That means theaters might be a bit packed this weekend—the box office predictions are looking pretty good for the sequel so far—so if you’re looking for something a little more lowkey Netflix and Prime Video got you. By lowkey I mean something you can watch from the comfort of home, but not because the titles they are offering lack excitement. Netflix is putting heartthrob Noah Centineo at the forefront of its latest action series, The Recruit. And he’s a damn good choice for it. But if you’re not looking for action or you’re feeling Grinchy and not in the Christmas spirit, Prime has the horror film Nanny dropping this weekend, too. For those who missed Black Adam in theaters back in October, The Rock-led film is now available for streaming on HBO Max.
For those giving Cameron’s film a shot this weekend, good luck and enjoy the three-hour-long underwater experience. It’s worth every dime. For those staying at home, do your thing and check out our choices for Best TV Shows of 2022, you may discover something new you may have missed earlier this year.
'Avatar: The Way of Water'
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When: Friday, Dec. 16
Where: In theaters
Avatar: The Way of Water is undoubtedly this week’s biggest release. Director James Cameron is finally returning to the world of Pandora after a 13-year hiatus while he waited for technology to catch up to his vision for the sequel. While you can read our full thoughts on the film here, the tl;dr is that Cameron did it again. The Way of Water improves on the original Avatar in every conceivable way, from its story to even the rendering of this entirely digital world. The 3D effects are even more astonishing this go-round, creating the cinematic experience of the year. See it in the biggest, loudest theater you can find and enjoy the ride. —William Goodman
'The Recruit'
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When: Friday, Dec. 16
Where: Netflix
Noah Centineo is about to have his moment. After kicking off his career by being Netflix’s go-to leading man in their most popular teen romance movies, the heartthrob is ready to shed that image and become Hollywood’s next leading man. The Recruit is a good vehicle for him to prove what he’s got to offer in terms of action and suspense, and it’s way more impressive and more indicative of his talents than his appearance in Black Adam earlier this year.
In The Recruit, Centineo has left high school life behind to play a young and inexperienced CIA lawyer who has fumbled his way to the top. Life starts to get hectic and a bit out of control when he finds himself caught up in a dangerous game of international politics when a former asset threatens to expose the nature of her relationship with the agency unless they clear her name. The show’s eight episodes are exciting and fast-paced, and he’s absolutely charming and likable in it—even as he’s creating a worldwide mess. —Karla Rodriguez
'Nanny'
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When: Friday, Dec. 16
Where: Prime Video
I’ll keep it real—I’m not a huge fan of horror films. (Real life is scary enough!) But that doesn’t mean I won’t add them to this list when they are worthwhile. Nanny is a psychological horror story about a woman named Aisha (Anna Diop), who to the United States from Senegal, and is hired to care for the daughter of an affluent New York City couple (Michelle Monaghan and Morgan Spector). Aisha’s plan is that her new job will allow her to bring the young son she left behind to the U.S., but there is something unsettling about the family she’s working for. As her child's arrival gets closer, a violent presence begins to take over both her dreams and her reality, threatening the American dream she once hoped for. I personally prefer to sleep soundly at night. But if horror is your cup of tea, go ahead and drink up. —Karla Rodriguez
