Streaming services offer a welcome escape during the frequently enough-frenzied stretch between the holidays adn the new year. Film critic Ty Burr has curated a selection of films to help you unwind before 2026 arrives.
Cozy Up: Five Films to Stream This Week
Table of Contents
Looking for a cinematic slowdown? These picks offer everything from quiet dramas to laugh-out-loud comedies.
- Burr highlights films available on streaming platforms like Netflix, MUBI, Apple TV, and YouTube.
- The selections range in tone from poignant character studies to darkly comedic explorations of modern life.
- Several films feature acclaimed actors delivering standout performances.
- A mix of recent releases (2024, 2025) and slightly older titles are included.
- The list offers something for every mood, from thoughtful reflection to lighthearted entertainment.
“A Little Prayer” (2023)
Available to rent on YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV.
“It stars David Strathairn as a middle-American guy.He runs his own sheet metal business with his son. He’s a decent man, and he realizes that parts of his family are falling apart and failing. And in that failing, some of his own past failings come up.” Burr praised Strathairn’s performance, calling the film “a realy good, really solid piece of work.”
“anatomy of a Fall” (2023)
available to stream on MUBI.
This French courtroom drama centers on a writer accused of murdering her husband. burr described it as “a chaotic search for the real individual. Burr called it “a fascinating and really entertaining movie in a dark way,” adding that it reveals “the agony and the drama of living in a police state in ways that I think certainly resonate in Iran and may begin to echo at home.”
“Train Dreams” (2025)
Available to stream on Netflix with a subscription.
This film portrays the life of an anonymous logger and railroad worker, exploring themes of solitude and connection. Kerry Condon plays a forest ranger who develops a friendship with the protagonist later in life.Burr described it as “a movie that is both micro and macro simultaneously occurring, that just focuses on one small person while giving you a glimpse of the universe.”
“Good Fortune” (2025)
Available to rent on Apple TV and YouTube.
Azi Ansari directs and stars in this comedy about a man struggling with student loan debt and living in his car. He unexpectedly switches places with a wealthy tech entrepreneur, played by seth Rogan, with Keanu Reeves portraying his guardian angel. Burr noted, “It’s a silly movie with some points to say about what it’s like to be young and trying to make a living today in America. But it also just has its share of belly laughs.”
More to watch
Additional recommendations include “Wake Up dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” (2025), “New wave” (2025), “Left-Handed Girl” (2025), and “Weapons” (2025).