The Best TV Shows and Movies to Watch Over Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is full of tradition: gathering with family and friends, eating way too much food with family and friends, drunkenly arguing with family and friends… Then there’s our favorite: escaping from family and friends to watch endless hours of TV or go to the movies.

Whether catching up on the best shows and films is a solo endeavor or something that brings your brood together over the holiday, we’ve got you covered. Here’s some of the best new (and new-ish) TV shows and movies that our Daily Beast’s Obsessed team thinks you should watch over the Thanksgiving break.

The Crown Season 6, Part 1

Now on Netflix

The first four episodes of the final season of The Crown are here (the final batch arrive in December), and they’re the ones that most of the show’s fans have either been most morbidly eager for or dreading. Or perhaps both? Let’s just say the premiere begins with a car crash, before rewinding the timeline two months prior to that fateful event. Elizabeth Debicki, who plays Diana, is remarkable, just as she was last season. —Kevin Fallon

The Curse

Fridays on Paramount+ With Showtime and Sundays on Showtime

For those expecting another Nathan Fielder-like show from Nathan Fielder, this is … not fully that. But it’s also not not that? In a way The Curse may be the apex of Fielder’s artful, unpredictable, outrageously funny work: It plays things so straight and close to the vest that you have to go along with it, just to find out how absurd and messy things get. Fielder turns in rare dramatic work as one-half of a couple whose privilege convinces them that “doing” good—or even just wanting to be a do-gooder—is equal to “being” good. Emma Stone is brilliant as Fielder’s wife, a self-described eco-friendly artist who could pass for either of the “Bad Art Friend” ladies. While the laughs here are much quieter than in Nathan for You and The Rehearsal, there’s still some snickering to be had alongside the cringing at white people falling over themselves to turn marginalized communities into their personal self-esteem-building tools. This isn’t just a satire, though; it’s a tense, tantalizingly opaque character study that will have you clamoring for more. —Allegra Frank

For All Mankind

Now streaming on Apple TV+

For All Mankind is one of television’s finest dramas, and that continues to be the case with its ongoing fourth season, whose space-race story—set in an alternate historical timeline in which the Soviet Union beat the United States to the moon— now focuses on the efforts of the Americans, the Soviets, and a private company to harness the power of mineral-rich asteroids in order to grow their burgeoning Mars colony. It’s a speculative saga that places a premium on realistic science-fiction and compelling three-dimensional characters, and its celebration of unity as the key to progress makes it an ideal watch for this family-reunion holiday. —Nick Schager

The Killer

Now streaming on Netflix

Killing is Michael Fassbender’s business in The Killer, and business is…well, not so good. Thanks to an assassination-attempt screw-up, Fassbender’s hired gun goes on the run, simultaneously adhering to and breaking the code of conduct (and honor) that governs his life. Electrically directed by David Fincher (re-teaming with his Seven screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker), this sleek noir-ish thriller is suspenseful, cynical, and satirically droll, and boasts Fassbender’s best turn in years. Genre fans won’t get a more satisfying feast this Thanksgiving. —Nick Schager

The Holdovers

Now in theaters

The Holdovers may take place during Christmastime, but it sure feels like a movie you should watch over Thanksgiving with a warm bowl of soup. Okay, maybe AMC doesn’t sell broccoli cheddar—this one isn’t streaming yet—but popcorn and a candy cane will do. The dramedy follows an unpredictable trio who must spend the holidays together at a university, following a crotchety professor, a compassionate school cook, and a down-on-his-luck student. Hilarity ensues; tears follow. Isn’t that what the holidays are all about? —Fletcher Peters

A Murder at the End of the World

Now streaming on Hulu

If snow-covered landscapes are your thing over the holiday season, you’ll derive plenty of chills—both visually and literally—from A Murder at the End of the World. This wickedly smart seven-part whodunit is the product of Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, creators of Netflix’s The OA. But unlike that show, this series is far more accessible to viewers looking for an engrossing mystery that isn’t too obtuse to wrap your head around. It’s both simple enough to dip into with family after too many turkey sandwiches and as heady as all of that post-dinner red wine—a perfectly delicious dessert to pair with your pumpkin pie.—Coleman Spilde

Saltburn

Now in theaters

Saltburn is a feast of a film, making its release this weekend at least spiritually on brand. Writer-director Emerald Fennell’s film echoes The Talented Mr. Ripley, with a young, impossibly attractive cast acting out themes involving deceit, wealth-gap, jealousy, and absolute horniness. There’s about as many twists as there are rooms in the palatial estate where most of the film is set, all careening towards an ending you won’t see coming—but will certainly want to debate. —Kevin Fallon

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

Now streaming on Netflix

In the first episode of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off—much as in both the comics from which it’s based and the live-action feature film that preceded it—Scott Pilgrim goes out with the girl of his dreams. It’s one of those low-budget dates we’ve all been on: a walk through the park. And because it’s wintertime (or because the story takes place in Canada, or both), Scott and Ramona’s date starts off as a traipse through the snow and ends with a hot drink-fueled cuddle session. If that’s not what they call peak holiday-season vibes, I don’t know what is. But if you read “cuddle session” and squirm out of a knee-jerk sense of heartbroken revulsion (been there, done that!), don’t be mistaken: This wily anime is far from a wintery romance. Scott and Ramona’s cute first date is the most mundane part of this explosively delightful, funny, warm, multi-genre romp, which will entertain family members of all ages and, crucially, relationship statuses. —Allegra Frank

Squid Game: The Challenge

Nov. 22 on Netflix

During Thanksgiving, everyone likes to think about what they’re grateful for—well, I’m grateful to have never taken part in Squid Game. That’s not the case with 456 contestants who willingly signed up to take part in Squid Game: The Challenge, a recreation of the deathly Netflix original drama show without the fatalities but with the behemoth cash prize. Squid Game: The Challenge is, shockingly, the perfect family show. Not only is it fun for everyone and family friendly, but it also features a mother and son. Start drafting members of your fam to be on Season 2. —Fletcher Peters

Thanksgiving

Now in theaters

We’d be remiss if we didn’t recommend a movie literally called Thanksgivingon Thanksgiving. But though this slasher might be a piece of novelty horror, it holds up well past the title card. Thanksgiving is a ferocious good time, filled with as many silly holiday puns as it is uproariously unexpected kills. For all of the adults who manage to let Aunt Susan wrangle the kids at Trolls Band Together: this is your big, memorable post-feast adventure. After all, Thanksgiving is a holiday for carving!—Coleman Spilde

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