4 movies and TV shows to lift your spirits this weekend

A mother kisses her teenage son on the forehead.

Jan. 17, 2025 12 PM PT

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Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who could do with some lighter, brighter viewing this weekend.

After nearly two weeks of bruising news about the death and destruction caused by a series of wildfires in the L.A. area, the Screen Gab team thought you might be in a need of a distraction, a breather, a glimmer of hope. So in this week’s edition we highlight four titles to stream this weekend that we hope will lift your spirits. Take care!

ICYMI

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Turn on

Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times

“Resident Alien” (Netflix, Peacock)

Extraterrestrial comedy “Resident Alien,” based on the Dark Horse comic, is headed into its fourth season, but because it originated on the Syfy network, it’s quite possible you’ve never heard of the series, let alone watched it. It was certainly not on my radar — at least until the first two seasons recently appeared on Netflix. Now it’s my “new” favorite escapist comedy. This hilarious half-hour of TV follows an alien (Alan Tudyk) who crash-lands outside a small Colorado town while on a mission to kill all humanoids. Attempting to blend in with the inferior creatures around him, he morphs into the image of a human by the name of Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle. But when the only other physician in town is murdered, Harry is tapped to run the local clinic. Thankfully he has YouTube as his medical school. His assimilation is the stuff of great comedy. He learns to speak by watching “Law & Order” reruns and feels no shame openly admitting that he’s sexually attracted to E.T. (that other extraterrestrial). He’s physically clumsy, emotionally immature and picks fights with children. An unexpected friendship with nurse Asta Twelvetrees (Sara Tomko) causes Harry to question his mission of human extermination. Tudyk is made for this fish-out-of-water role. Try not to laugh when, as Harry, he describes the longing he feels for his home planet: “I had 342 children, and I never worried about any of them. Now, I cannot stop thinking about number 62. It had my eyes.” — Lorraine Ali

“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (Netflix)

Of all forms of animation, none is more magical than stop-motion animation, in which real things, in real space, under real light, on real (miniature) sets, manipulated frame by frame, are brought to life. The adventures of Yorkshire inventor Wallace and his smarter, more practical dog Gromit began in 1989 with Nick Park’s short film, “A Grand Day Out,” in which the pair travel to the moon in search of cheese. The first W&G adventure in 17 years, following the 2008 short “A Matter of Loaf and Death” — the process is the very definition of “taking one’s time” — the feature-length “Vengeance” finds penguin jewel thief Feathers McGraw busting out of the prison (that is, zoo) where he landed at the end of “The Wrong Trousers”; hijacking Wallace’s latest invention, a robotic garden gnome called Norbot; and attempting (again) to steal a valuable diamond. The slapstick is beautifully realized, the action scenes thrilling, the suspense killing, and Gromit, as ever, is a masterpiece of deadpan comedy. The film is BAFTA nominated in three categories. — Robert Lloyd

Catch up

Everything you need to know about the film or TV series everyone’s talking about

Two groups of adults face off in a school hallway.

After I spent the better part of a week glued to news about the wildfires wreaking havoc across L.A., “Abbott Elementary” (ABC, Hulu) has emerged as one of the few forms of stress relief still capable of holding my attention — in part because creator/star Quinta Brunson’s comedy series doesn’t have patience for pure fluff. In Season 4, the conflict comes in the form of gentrification, as the construction of a golf course in Abbott’s backyard throws the staff and students’ West Philadelphia neighborhood into (hilarious) turmoil. Nice white parents enroll their children; protests break out when a bougie juice bar threatens to replace an old-school deli; and Principal Ava (Janelle James), always a canny operator, helps her team blackmail the developer out of some fancy new computers for the kids.

So far, the story line has struck the balance between real-life subject matter and winking humor that’s become “Abbott’s” trademark, aided by delightful detours into Janine (Brunson) and Gregory’s (Tyler James Williams) new relationship, Jacob (Chris Perfetti) and Melissa’s (Lisa Ann Walter) family ties and Barbara’s (Sheryl Lee Ralph) reliably note-perfect malapropisms. If anything, the current season has been so expertly crafted that the highly anticipated crossover with the gang from a certain seedy pub across town feels like gravy. Still, the completist in me does need to see the “It’s Always Sunny” cut of “Volunteers.” We know Ms. Schemmenti can drop an F-bomb! —Matt Brennan

Guest spot

A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching

Anthony Robles and William Goldenberg on the set of "Unstoppable."

With his feature directorial debut “Unstoppable” (Prime Video), Oscar-winning editor William Goldenberg (“Argo”) has made the distinctly unglamorous world of college wrestling into the surprising backdrop for an inspirational sports movie. Though you might say he had help from his mighty impressive subject, Anthony Robles (played here by Jharrel Jerome), who was born, and wrestled, with just one leg, and went on to win the NCAA Championship in 2011. As Goldenberg told Screen Gab recently, it was the sport’s metaphor for the challenges we all face, and how we overcome them, that made Robles’ story intriguing to him: “It’s not just about brute force,” he said of his interest in wrestling. “It’s about outsmarting your opponent.” —Matt Brennan

WATCH: Jennifer Lopez and Jharrel Jerome on the ‘healing’ experience of making ‘Unstoppable’

What have you watched recently that you’re recommending to everyone you know?

I recently finished “Black Doves” [Netflix] and loved it. The relationship between Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw (one of my all-time favorite actors) is fantastic and the thriller aspect of the show kept me on the edge of my seat.

What’s your go-to “comfort watch,” the film or TV show you return to again and again?

My go-to show is always “The West Wing” [Max]. The writing, directing and acting are all superb. The way Aaron Sorkin blends sharp dialogue with humor and irony makes it so easy to get lost in, no matter how many times I’ve seen it. Plus, Sorkin’s stuff is always packed with layers, so every rewatch brings something new. It’s my go-to when I need a little bit of everything — wit, heart and optimism.

In your view, what’s the perfect inspirational sports movie and why?

I think “Rocky” [AMC+, VOD] is the perfect inspirational sports film. I’m from Philadelphia, which may have something to do with my choice, but the underdog story is something we all can relate to in some way. Rocky’s relentless determination, his belief that he’s capable of more than what others expect of him and his willingness to put everything on the line to chase his dreams make it timeless. It shows that success isn’t about being the best from the start, but about staying focused and never giving up. It’s a great reminder that it’s never too late to change your life or do something incredible.

“Unstoppable” is the only film of its kind that I could recall with wrestling as the focus. What made the sport interesting to you dramatically and/or cinematically?

What interested me in making a film that centered around wrestling was the metaphor that everyone has something in life to wrestle. Anthony wrestles with and overcomes so many challenges in his life and I found that inspiring. It’s one of the most physically demanding sports — it’s all about strength, endurance, technique and mental toughness. The level of discipline and focus required is incredible. On top of that, wrestling is one of the few sports that doesn’t just reward physical power but also technique and strategy. It’s not just about brute force; it’s about outsmarting your opponent. I found all these elements very cinematic.