Every week, MobileSyrup outlines 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, Crave and Netflix, but other services like Apple TV+ and Disney+ will be mentioned when relevant. Premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms are also fair game as movies continue to come to digital early amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finally, we’ll highlight shows or movies that are made by Canadian companies, involve notable Canadian cast or crew and/or are filmed in Canada.
Amazon Prime Video
The Tender Bar [Amazon Original]
Seeking a replacement for his father, a boy bonds with his uncle and patrons at a bar.
Based on J. R. Moehringer’s 2005 memoir of the same name, The Tender Bar was directed by George Clooney (Michael Clayton) and stars Ben Affleck (Argo), Tye Sheridan (The Stanford Prison Experiment), Ron Livingston (Band of Brothers) and newcomer Daniel Ranieri.
Amazon Prime Video Canada premiere date: January 7th, 2022
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 1 hour, 46 minutes
Stream The Tender Bar here.
An Amazon Prime Video subscription is included at no additional cost with an Amazon Prime membership, which costs $79/year.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Amazon Prime Video Canada this month can be found here.
Apple TV+
El Deafo [Apple Original]
After losing her hearing, a young schoolgirl becomes a superhero.
El Deafo based on Cece Bell’s 2014 graphic memoir of the same name, the voices of newcomer Lexi Finigan, Pamela Adlon (Bob’s Burgers), Jane Lynch (Glee), Chuck Nice (Star Talk) and Bell.
Apple TV+ Canada premiere date: January 7th, 2022
Genre: Animated, family
Runtime: Three episodes (24 to 27 minutes each)
Stream El Deafo here.
An Apple TV+ subscription costs $5.99/month in Canada.
Crave
Euphoria (Season 2)
Following the December 2020 and January 2021 one-hour specials, find out what happens with Rue, Jules and friends.
Euphoria was created by Sam Levinson (Assassination Nation) and features an ensemble cast that includes Zendaya (Spider-Man: No Way Home), model Hunter Schafer, Maude Apatow (Hollywood), Jacob Elordi (The Kissing Booth) and Storm Reid (A Wrinkle in Time).
Crave premiere date: January 9th, 2022 at 9pm ET (first episode, new episodes every Sunday)
Genre: Animated, family
Runtime: Three episodes (24 to 27 minutes each)
The Many Saints of Newark
This prequel to The Sopranos follows a violent gang war in the ’60s from the perspectives of mobster Dickie Moltisanti and his teenage nephew, Tony Soprano.
The Many Saints of Newark was directed by Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones) and features an ensemble cast that includes Alessandro Nivola (The Elephant Man), Leslie Odom, Jr. (Hamilton), Jon Bernthal (The Punisher), Corey Stoll (House of Cards) and Michael Gandolfini (The Deuce), the son of original Tony Soprano actor James Gandolfini.
Original theatrical release date: October 1st, 2021
Crave premiere date: January 7th, 2022
Genre: Crime drama
Runtime: 2 hours
Stream The Many Saints of Newark here.
The Righteous Gemstones (Season 2)
The blessed Gemstone family is threatened by past and present outsiders looking to destroy their empire.
The Righteous Gemstones was created by Danny McBride (Pineapple Express) and co-stars McBride, John Goodman (The Big Lebowski), Edi Patterson (Black-ish) and Adam DeVine (Workaholics).
Crave premiere date: January 9th, 2022 at 10pm ET (first two episodes, new episodes every Sunday)
Genre: Black comedy
Runtime: Nine episodes (around 30-60 minutes each)
Stream The Righteous Gemstones here.
RuPaul’s Drag Race (Season 14)
Fourteen new drag queens compete for the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” and a cash prize of $100,000.
Stream RuPaul’s Drag Race here.
Crave premiere date: January 7th, 2022 (first episode, new episodes every Friday)
Genre: Reality
Runtime: TBA
Stream RuPaul’s Drag Race here.
Search Party (Season 5)
In the series’ fifth and final season, Dory enters a public business partnership with a tech billionaire and folds Portia, Elliott and Drew into the mix.
Search Party was created by Sarah-Violet Bliss (Fort Tilden), Charles Rogers (Fort Tilden) and Michael Showalter (The Big Sick) and stars Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development), John Reynolds (Stranger Things), John Early (Late Night), Meredith Hagner (Younger) and Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park series).
Crave premiere date: January 7th, 2022
Genre: Sitcom
Runtime: 10 episodes (around 23 minutes each)
Stream Search Party here.
A standard Crave subscription is priced at $19.99/month, with Starz costing an additional $5.99/month. A mobile-only subscription is also available for $9.99/month.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Crave this month can be found here.
Netflix
Hype House [Netflix Original]
This new Netflix reality series follows a group of fame-seeking TikTok stars.
Netflix Canada premiere date: January 7th, 2022
Genre: Reality
Runtime: Eight episodes (around 27 to 36 minutes each)
Stream Hype House here.
Johnny Test (Season 2) [Netflix Original]
Johnny and Dukey get up to new (mis)adventures, including VR wizardry and real-world monster slaying.
The series was created by Scott Fellows (Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide) and features James Arnold Taylor reprising his role of Johnny from the original Johnny Test series.
It’s worth noting that the series was produced by Vancouver-based WildBrain (The Snoopy Show).
Netflix Canada premiere date: January 7th, 2022
Genre: Animated, kids
Runtime: Eight episodes (around 14 minutes each)
Stream Johnny Test here.
A ‘Basic’ Netflix subscription costs $9.99/month, a ‘Standard’ subscription (HD-supported) costs $14.99/month and a ‘Premium’ membership is priced at $18.99/month (4K-supported).
The full list of movies and shows hitting Netflix Canada this month can be found here.
Premium video on demand (PVOD)
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
After moving to small-town Oklahoma, a single mother and her two children discover their connection to the Ghostbusters and their grandfather’s secret legacy.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife was co-written and directed by Montreal’s Jason Reitman (Up in the Air) and stars Carrie Coon (The Leftovers), Vancouver’s Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things), McKenna Grace (I, Tonya) and Paul Rudd (Living With Yourself). Bill Murray, Ottawa’s own Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts and Sigourney Weaver all reprise their respective roles from the original Ghostbusters films.
It’s worth noting that in addition to the Canadian director and co-stars, Afterlife was filmed in Calgary.
Original theatrical release date: November 19th, 2021
PVOD release date: January 4th, 2022
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 2 hours, 4 minutes
You can buy Ghostbusters: Afterlife for $24.99 on a number of platforms, including iTunes, Google Play, the Cineplex Store ($26.99) and Amazon Prime Video. (The option to rent the movie will become available on January 31st.)
King Richard
King Richard tells the story of Richard Williams, the father and coach of world-renowned tennis players Venus and Serena Williams.
King Richard was directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (Joe Bell) and stars Will Smith (Ali), Aunjanue Ellis (The Book of Negroes), Saniyya Sidney (Fences) and Demi Singleton (The Godfather of Harlem).
Original theatrical release date: November 19th, 2021
PVOD release date: January 4th, 2022
Genre: Biographical drama
Runtime: 2 hours, 25 minutes
You can rent King Richard for $24.99 on a number of platforms, including iTunes, Google Play, the Cineplex Store and Amazon Prime Video.
What are you planning on streaming this week? Let us know in the comments.
For more viewing suggestions, check out last week’s Streaming in Canada column.
Image credit: HBO