Theaters and streaming platforms are serving up a new batch of new films and series, from a political thriller to a road-trip gem and a new series from the network that lives for Christmas.

Here is out roundup.

“The Day of the Jackal” >> Fred Zinnemmann’s tightly wound 1973 film, and the Frederick Forsyth novel he adapted it from, are tough acts to follow. While Peacock’s 10-part series doesn’t rival either, it’s still a remarkably well-done update worth your streaming time.

Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne is chilling and suave as the globe-trotting master of disguise “Charles”, a wily hitman nicknamed the Jackal. Hot on his blood-drenched trailed is the obsessed British intelligence officer Bianca (Lashana Lynch of “No Time to Die”), a tough nemesis who puts her family on the backburner, and even in harm’s way, as she pursues her target all over the globe, and then uses questionable methods to get at him.

She and her team seek to squelch his next contracted killing and what a doozy it is, rubbing out a gay tech billionaire (Khalid Abdalla) who’s preparing to launch an app that exposes all the dirty money-making secrets of the world’s filthy rich. That includes an icicles-in-his veins New Yorker (Charles Dance, oozing refined cruelty), who has built an empire on shady shenanigans. He hires “Charles” to dispense with the threat.

Creator Ronan Bennett’s modernizing of Forsythe’s plot works to this series’ advantage, even though expanding upon the backstory and vulnerabilities of the steely jackal presents some challenges. Always there to intercede and distract are the gorgeous hopscotching destinations — Spain, Croatia, Turkey, Estonia, Ireland, to name a few.

Unlike the book and the film, Charles does lead another life in an idyllic villa in Spain — far from prying eyes. That addition works sometimes better than others, but does make Redmayne’s character more emotionally prone to make mistakes, a good development.

It’s fortunate too that actor Úrsula Corberó, playing someone connected to Charles, doesn’t make her character a pushover but a fiery presence who demands answers. The same is true of the well-written role of Bianca, a complex, tenacious woman who always wants to come away the victor. Lynch is explosive in the part.

Bennett’s series lags a bit at the halfway point but then picks itself up and gallops to the finish line, only to leave us with a sense that this story isn’t entirely done.

Details >> out of 4; five episodes drop today with more episodes released weekly on Thursdays and a double-episode finale Dec. 12.

“A Real Pain” >> A trip to Poland to celebrate the life of their beloved grandmother reveals the fissures and bonds between two very different cousins in writer/director Jesse Eisenberg’s wise, tonally perfect drama. Eisenberg, who co-stars here with Kieran Culkin, wrote himself a role that suits him ever so well, playing the by-the-book, uptight David, a married man with a reliable job and a reliable life. Benji (Culkin) is the exact opposite, a jobless stoner who is spontaneous and careless with words where David is rigid and reasoned. The two differ in numerous ways and their relationship gets more strained as they take a tour with others that puts David on edge and finds him apologizing for his cousin’s impetuous, sometimes offensive remarks. “A Real Pain” sounds like it might be your average odd couple road-trip drama where people make up and go kissy-kissy at the end, but Eisenberg aims much higher than that as he addresses the generational fallout from the Holocaust, the pain and loneliness of being mentally ill and the problems of not allowing ourselves to let go and relish the moment. Eisenberg and Culkin play off each other well, but it is Culkin’s erratic performance that stays with you. It’s one of the best performances of 2024.

Details >> ; in Bay Area theaters Nov. 15.

“Holidazed” >> When it comes to feel-good holiday movies, no one rivals Hallmark Media. Hallmark+’s first Christmas heartwarming series is proof of that. The eight-parter introduces us to six diverse families, all of whom live in a cozy, pristine, home on a cul-de-sac in Oak Bay, Oregon. They experience a variety of obstacles to overcome during the holiday season — an unrequited love, a high-achieving sister, a former school bully, an unwelcome health issue, a potentially homophobic grandmother and so on — all of which get oh-so merrily resolved by Christmas Day. An introductory episode to the families follows up with episodes that relate to each family’s drama. A couple are better than others. One constant remains, “Holidazed” is an absolute gift for Christmas movie lovers. Certainly those in the cast know exactly what they need to accomplish here, in particular Virginia Madsen, Loretta DeVine, Noemi Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert and Osric Chau. Of course, anyone with a low tolerance for sugary sweet, sometimes sticky sentimentality would want to suck on a pack of lemons afterwards. For others, this is pure comfort and joy.

Details >> ; two episodes drop today on Hallmark+, followed by an episode every Thursday afterward.

Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.