We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+.
If you enjoy local documentaries: Shortland Street: Reflecting a Nation (TVNZ+, December 19)
The iconic soap opera Shortland Street and its wildly entertaining storylines have been a mirror for Aotearoa. Photo / The Spinoff
Since arriving on our screens in 1992, the iconic soap opera Shortland Street and its wildly entertaining storylines have been a mirror for Aotearoa. The beloved primetime medical drama has led the way with its progressive on-screen depictions of everything from race to religion, sexuality to mental health. Now, the show is the subject of a documentary special that “looks at the myriad of ways Shortland Street has reflected Aotearoa New Zealand during more than 30 years on air.” Check out Shortland Street: Reflecting a Nation to see why we voted the profoundly influential soap opera number one on our list of NZ TV shows of the 21st century.
If you love Kiwi comedy: Rose Matafeo: On and On and On (Neon, December 21)
Since Horndog won Best Show at Edinburgh Fringe in 2018, our own Rose Matafeo has been on a meteoric rise to stardom. Her TV romcom Starstruck was a smash hit and she’s now the presenter of Junior Taskmaster. Matafeo’s hotly-anticipated second stand-up special, Rose Matafeo: On and On and On, sees the comedian humorously musing on the trials and tribulations of her love life. Expect some sharp truths about relationships, ageing and gender roles, as well as “smarts, self-mocking humour and striking perspectives.” You’ll likely want the special to go … on and on and on.
If you’re a Taskmaster tragic: Taskmasterclass (TVNZ+, December 16)
Horne and Greg Davies are giving fans of Taskmaster a peek behind the scenes of the beloved comedy competition. Photo / The Spinoff
Taskmaster, the brain-child of “little” Alex Horne, first aired in 2015 and has quickly become a TV phenomenon. Spawning several international versions, including five seasons here in Aotearoa, Horne and Greg Davies are now giving fans a peek behind the scenes of the beloved comedy competition. The two will discuss “burning questions” and dive into if “there is any point to the seemingly pointless tasks.” Former contestants Ed Gamble and Jo Brand also feature, giving their thoughts on the twisted tasks that made them go bananas. Just don’t expect Joe Wilkinson to appear. It’s too soon after the potato incident.
If you love the natural world: The Secret Lives of Animals (Apple TV+, December 18)
Hugh Bonneville, star of Paddington and Downton Abbey, narrates this breathtakingly beautiful 10-part docuseries. The Secret Lives of Animals follows 77 unique species in dozens of countries over three years, capturing “pivotal moments in the life cycles of various animals – from birth and leaving home to raising a family, and from finding food to growing old.” Featuring an unexpected relationship between a humming frog and burrowing tarantula, a wood mouse that marks its territory with teensy signposts and a spider that weaves self-portraits, The Secret Lives of Animals is sure to leave you in a state of awe.
If you like big-budget historical epics: The Last Samurai (Neon, December 21)
Edward Zwick’s Oscar-nominated The Last Samurai follows Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), a skilled former US Army captain haunted by the brutal atrocities he committed and witnessed during the American Frontier Wars. In need of money, he agrees to train the newly created Imperial Japanese Army to help suppress a rebellion led by Lord Moritsugu Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe), the “Last Samurai.” Although set in 19th century Japan, filming mostly took place in the forest and farmland surrounding Mount Taranaki, a stand-in for Mount Fuji. According to one critic, The Last Samurai “demands our surrender – to its energy, to its bold-stroke moviemaking.” Like the blossom of a sakura, the film is of rare beauty.
Pick of the Flicks: Blink (Disney+, December 17)
If you knew you were going to experience near-total vision loss, what would be the last things you’d want to see? In this moving documentary, Edith Lemay and Sébastien Pelletier set out on a year-long global adventure after three out of their four children were diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare and incurable disease that may eventually cause total blindness. Lemay and Pelletier want to show their children the beauty of the world while they can still see it. Helmed by Daniel Roher and Edmund Stinson, who collaborated on the Oscar-winning documentary Nalvany, Blink is an “uplifting film about people facing adversity and the triumph of love over despair.” Prepare to be inspired.
