'Black Beauty'
Of all the tales of a girl and her horse, few have endured as well as Anna Sewell's 1877 novel. The latest film adaptation, set mostly in modern-day New York, stars Mackenzie Foy as the grief-stricken teen who emerges from her shell after befriending a mustang (voiced by Kate Winslet). The beautifully shot film gallops along, which should please younger viewers. Others may find themselves wishing writer/director Ashley Avis would have been given free rein to make this into a miniseries. Disney Plus
British Arrows Greatest Hits
If you look forward to the annual British Arrows and worried that you'd miss them because of the Walker Art Center closing, don't fret. The Walker has your back. The festival of award-winning commercials is online this year, featuring winners from previous collections and new spots created in lockdown. Included are a hilarious but controversial spot in which welfare officers retrieve neglected jars of Marmite spread, a heartwarmer about gift-giving and a Wes Anderson-directed spot for H&M. A few are sad but all pay tribute to the power of the imagination. walkerart.org, $12
'Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions'
Taylor Swift's Grammy-nominated album gets the perfect companion piece, a film that's as laid back and inviting as the new material. Between intimate performances in upstate New York of all 17 tracks, the artist shares juicy tidbits about the process of recording during the pandemic, including how she recruited Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, who duets on "Exile" from Eau Claire, Wis. By the end, anyone still saddled with the notion that Swift is a mere pop star will have to shake it off. Disney Plus
Patti Smith on Black Friday
After she and guitarist Lenny Kaye sang "People Have the Power" on the streets of New York to early voters lined up on Election Day, the punk rocker/poet/author/icon will end the month with a more formal and probably equally emotional afternoon concert with her band. There's no hint of what to expect, but given the performer and the year, it should be special. ($10 virtual tickets, 2 p.m. Central Time) Veeps.com
Toni Morrison tribute
Over the long Thanksgiving weekend, consider joining this online event. Fifteen writers — including Louise Erdrich, Tommy Orange, Margaret Atwood, Jacquelyn Woodson and Yaa Gyasi — will read aloud, on camera, Morrison's "Song of Solomon" in its entirety. Organized by the New York-based education nonprofit Literacy Partners, the event begins at 7 p.m. Friday, with a new reader each hour, ending Sunday afternoon with Erdrich reading the final chapter. Litpartners2020.org, $5 suggested donation
'The Movie Show'
Imagine if the puppets from "Avenue Q" took over public-access TV and grilled "stars" like Stephen King's laptop and the mound of cocaine from "The Meg." That's what you get in this low-rent, high-laughs spoof set in the entertainment mecca of Modesto, Calif. After some sneak peeks this weekend, the series will move to Thursday nights. 10:35 p.m. Friday and Sunday, Syfy
'Gallim'
If you're a Northrop Dance Series subscriber who's missing those bracing blasts of modern movement, Andrea Miller and Helix Film's "Gallim" could help tide you over. Performed to eerie music by Arvo Pärt, "Gallim" is a film/dance blend that grew out of "Boat," a piece performed last year at the Jacob's Pillow festival in Massachusetts. Its images of people stuck at home almost seem to predict our present state, while the ennui-filled film excerpts recall the movies of Michelangelo Antonioni. Bonus: You get to hear Dean Billmeyer play Northrop's pipe organ. Through Sunday at northrop.umn.edu, $8 and up
'By Sidney Lumet'
This "American Masters" repeat, first aired in 2017, is a film lover's early Christmas present, consisting almost entirely of the esteemed director reflecting on his career. It's enough. Interviewed by filmmaker Nancy Buirski in 2008, three years before his death, Lumet covers the gamut, from his stint as a child actor in vaudeville to a defense of Paul Newman's character in "The Verdict." It's an intimate documentary that will thrill devotees of gritty American film. 10 p.m. Friday, TPT, Ch. 2
