Every week, MobileSyrup goes over some of the most notable movies and TV shows that recently hit Canadian streaming platforms.
Typically, this column will focus on content from Amazon Prime Video Canada, Crave and Netflix Canada, although other streaming services may be mentioned when relevant.
Shows or movies that are made in Canada, involve notable Canadian cast or crew and/or are filmed in Canada will also be highlighted.
Amazon Prime Video
Batwoman (series premiere)
Kate Kane, the cousin of Bruce Wayne, returns to Gotham City after Batman goes missing to fight crime as Batwoman. Batwoman is the fifth DC Comics series in mega-producer Greg Berlanti’s “Arrowverse” of connected CW shows, following Arrow, Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl.
It’s worth noting that keeping up with all of the Arrowverse shows in Canada via streaming services is rather difficult. Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow both stream on Crave, while The Flash and the first four seasons of Supergirl are on Netflix. Meanwhile, the fifth season of Supergirl is now on Amazon Prime Video via Stack TV alongside Batwoman.
This could prove especially frustrating during December and January’s major “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event, which brings together characters from all five shows plus Black Lightning, which is also produced by Greg Berlanti and streams on Netflix.
Rose’s Batwoman was also first introduced in the Arrow episode of the “Elseworlds” crossover event last December, so you may want to check that out as well if interested.
Batwoman is developed by Caroline Dries (The Vampire Diaries) and Berlanti and stars Ruby Rose (Orange is the New Black), Toronto-born Rachel Skarsten (Reign), Meagan Tandy (Teen Wolf), Nicole Kang (You), Camrus Johnson (The OA) and Dougray Scott (Mission: Impossible 2).
It’s worth noting that the series is primarily filmed in Vancouver, like all of the other Arrowverse shows.
Original TV broadcast date: October 6th, 2019
Amazon Prime Video Canada (via StackTV) release date: October 6th, 2019 (new episodes weekly)
Genre: Action, drama, superhero
Runtime: 23 episodes (around 43 minutes each)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 72 percent
Stream Batwoman here. Note that a $12.99 CAD/month StackTV subscription is required.
Missing Link
From acclaimed stop-motion animation studio Laika (Kubo and the Three Strings) comes Missing Link, the story of an English explorer who escorts a Sasquatch to his yeti cousins in the Himalayas.
Missing Link was written and directed by Chris Butler (Paranorman) and features the voices of Zach Galifianakis (Between Two Ferns), Hugh Jackman (Logan), Zoe Saldana (Guardians of the Galaxy), Stephen Fry (Blackadder) and Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks).
Original theatrical release date: April 12th, 2019
Amazon Prime Video Canada release date: October 7th, 2019
Genre: Adventure, animation
Runtime: 1 hour, 34 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 89 percent
Stream Missing Link here.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Amazon Prime Video Canada this month can be found here.
Crave
Firecrackers
A teenager and her friend try to leave their dead-end Ontario town, only to run into a slew of problems.
Firecrackers was written and directed by Barrie, Ontario-raised Jasmin Mozaffari (in her feature-length debut) and stars Toronto’s Michaela Kurimsky (Bedtime Stories for Men) and Toronto’s Karena Evans (director of several music videos from Toronto rapper Drake, including “God’s Plan”).
Original theatrical release date: March 29th, 2019
Crave release date: October 10th, 2019
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 1 hour, 32 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95 percent
Stream Firecrackers here. Note that a Crave + Movies + HBO subscription is required.
Green Book
2019 Best Picture winner Green Book is based on the true story of Italian-American bouncer Frank “Tony Lip” Vallelonga who drives African-American pianist Don Shirley through the Deep South during a time of segregation.
The film was co-written and directed by Peter Farrelly (Dumb and Dumber) and stars Viggo Mortensen (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) and Linda Cardellini (ER).
Original theatrical release date: November 21st, 2018
Crave release date: October 11th, 2019
Genre: Biographical comedy-drama
Runtime: 2 hours, 10 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 78 percent
Stream Green Book here. Note that a $19.98 CAD/month Crave + Movies + HBO subscription is required.
Letterkenny (Season 7) [Crave Original]
Everyone’s favourite Canadian comedy about small-town Ontario friends is back for a seventh season on Crave.
Letterkenny was created by Listowel, Ontario-born Jared Keeso and stars Keeso, Calgary’s Nathan Dales (Supernatural), Ladysmith, B.C.’s Michelle Mylett (Bad Blood) and Toronto’s K. Trevor Wilson (Goosebumps). The show is filmed in Sudbury, Ontario.
Crave release date: October 11th, 2019
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: Six episodes (20 to 26 minutes each)
Rotten Tomatoes score: N/A
Steam Letterkenny Season 7 here.
Torn Apart: Separated At The Border
This HBO documentary follows two mothers who were separated from their children at the U.S. border after seeking asylum from the dangers of their home countries.
Torn Apart: Separated At The Border was directed by Ellen Goosenberg Kent (One Nation Under Dog).
HBO/Crave release date: October 10th, 2019
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 39 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: N/A
Stream Torn Apart: Separated At The Border here.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Crave this month can be found here.
Netflix
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie [Netflix Original]
Six years after Breaking Bad ended, series creator Vince Gilligan is continuing the story of his massively popular crime drama series in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.
The film follows Jesse Pinkman as he tries to evade the police and start a new life.
Notably, details on El Camino have largely been kept under wraps, as it was filmed in secret last year. However, what has been confirmed is that Aaron Paul is reprising his role as Jesse, while Matt Jones and Charles Baker are back as Badger and Skinny Pete, respectively. Altogether, the film will feature nearly a dozen familiar faces from Breaking Bad, according to Gilligan.
El Camino was written and directed by Gilligan in his feature-length debut.
HBO/Crave release date: October 11th, 2019
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 2 hours, 2 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97 percent
Stream El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie here. It’s also worth noting that all five seasons of Breaking Bad are also streaming on Netflix, should you want to catch up or rewatch the series before El Camino.
Rhythm + Flow [Netflix Original]
Award-winning artists Cardi B, Chance the Rapper and T.I. travel across America in search of the next breakout hip-hop star.
The first four episodes of the show are now available, with new episodes hitting Netflix every week.
Netflix Canada release date: October 9th, 2019 (first four episodes)
Genre: Music, reality
Runtime: 10 episodes (around 52 minutes each)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 86 percent
Stream Rhythm + Flow here.
Schitt’s Creek (Season 5)
Netflix users can now watch the latest season of Schitt’s Creek before the Canadian sitcom’s sixth and final season of airs in January.
The show follows the once-wealthy Roses as they are forced to live in a run-down motel.
Schitt’s Creek was created by Hamilton, Ontario’s Eugene Levy (American Pie franchise) and Toronto’s Dan Levy (Degrassi Goes Hollywood) and stars both Levies, as well as Toronto’s Catherina O’Hara (Second City Television) and Ottawa’s Annie Murphy (Rookie Blue).
The series is filmed in Toronto and other parts of Ontario.
Original TV broadcast run: January to April 2019 (CBC)
Netflix Canada release date: October 9th, 2019
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 14 episodes (around 22 minutes each)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100 percent
Stream Schitt’s Creek Season 5 here.
Riverdale (Season 4 premiere)
In the season four premiere of Riverdale, the popular Archie Comics show’s cast and crew pay homage to actor Luke Perry, who played Archie’s father until he passed away in March.
The series is developed by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Glee) and stars KJ Apa (A Dog’s Purpose), Lili Reinhart (Hustlers), Camila Mendes (The Perfect Date), Cole Sprouse (The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) and Madelaine Petsch (F the Prom).
It’s worth noting that Riverdale is filmed in Vancouver.
Original TV broadcast run: October 2019 to May 2020 (The CW)
Netflix Canada release date: October 10th, 2019 (new episodes every Thursday)
Genre: Teen drama
Runtime: 22 episodes (around 43 minutes each)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 99 percent (season premiere)
Stream Riverdale‘s fourth season here.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Netflix Canada this month can be found here.
What are you looking to stream this long weekend? Let us know in the comments and have a great Thanksgiving!
Image credit: Netflix