The best new Netflix series, films, and documentaries to binge in December 2020, courtesy of Secret Dublin.
Christmas is here, and you know what that means – a bountiful avalanche of cheery, cheesy Netflix Christmas films! Thankfully, plenty of blockbuster films, hot new series, and though-provoking documentaries are also being unleashed this month, so here’s the best of what to watch on Netflix in December 2020, as well as some winners available now. Plus, a tantalising glimpse at what lies in store in 2021!
New to Netflix in December 2020:
Big Mouth, Season 4 (December 4)
Foul-mouthed teenagers going through puberty alongside their “puberty monsters” – and it’s all animated? One hell of an elevator pitch, so let’s be thankful it paid off and Big Mouth returns for a fourth season.
The Prom (December 11)
Last time we saw James Corden in a musical, it was Cats, and.. well, let’s just leave it at that, shall we? This time, he stars alongside Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and Andrew Rannells as the Broadway stars who descend upon a small-minded town to give a young woman the prom she deserves.
The Ripper (December 16)
A timely arrival in the wake of the Yorkshire Ripper’s recent death, this documentary talks to investigators and eyewitnesses to uncover the true horrors of one of the UK’s worst serial killers.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (December 18)
For the second time, Denzel Washington produces an adaptation of an August Wilson play – and for the second time, Viola Davis takes the leading role. She stars as ‘Mother of the Blues’ Ma Rainey, with the late Chadwick Boseman (in his final film role) starring as her upstart trumpet player.
The Midnight Sky (December 23)
George Clooney is the lone Arctic scientist trying to prevent a returning crew of astronauts from returning to a desolate Earth. Is it uncomfortably just a tad more plausible after the year we’ve had?
Bridgerton (December 25)
Think Shonda Rhimes adapting a Jane Austen novel, and you’ll get Bridgerton. Salacious secrets and high social scandals are rife in this new series, and I am here for it!
The best of the rest – coming to Netflix in December 2020
Original Netflix fare Mank (4th) dives deep into Hollywood mythology to tell the story of Herman J. Mankiewicz’s bid to write the script for Citizen Kane, whilst the women run the show in slick crime thriller Ocean’s 8 (20th). There’s the arrival of zom rom com Shaun of the Dead (31st), historical drama Mary, Queen of Scots (20th), Austen adaptation Pride & Prejudice (30th), exceedingly wordy The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (21st), skin-crawling serial killers in Seven (30th), and an all-time classic in the form of Bridget Jones’s Diary (31st). Before all that though, we’ve got The Prestige, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 10 Cloverfield Lane, The Last of the Mohicans, and Wild Wild West, all dropping on December 1.
We’re in for a cracking month of telly, starting with the second half of Rick and Morty‘s fourth season on December 4. From there, it’s into a sixth season of How To Get Away With Murder (9th), the debut of dark ballet drama Tiny Pretty Things (14th), and a sophomore season of sweet Norwegian festive series Home For Christmas (18th). 2020 ends (mercifully) with darkness, hellish creatures, and magic in the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Part 4 (31st). See, it could have been so much worse this year!
Things are quieter on the documentaries and reality TV front, but viewers can expect Volume 2 of Song Exploder (15th), in which musical talents break down their hit song to the delight of music aficionados.
Now streaming – new to Netflix in November 2020:
They’re already here, so check ’em out!
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
A critically-acclaimed animated foray into the Spidey universe, this film weaves a tangled web of heroes from multiple dimensions, with an equally dazzling voice cast.
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
An original Christmas adventure featuring a magical town, whimsical inventions, and original songs from the likes of John Legend and Usher, Jingle Jangle looks like a real Christmas cracker. Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, and Phylicia Rashad star.
The Crown, Season 4
How nice of them to time the lockdown so that we could binge The Crown throughout it! As the series moves into the 1980s, Queen Elizabeth II (Olivia Colman) encounters new challenges, family drama, and the arrival of Britain’s first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson).
The Princess Switch: Switched Again
Have I been waiting for this since the moment the credits rolled on The Princess Switch? Of course! Vanessa Hudgens will be reprising her leading roles in the sequel to Christmas hit The Princess Switch – this time, she’s playing three characters, and I frankly cannot wait to see how it all unfolds.
Dolly Parton’s Christmas On The Square
Dolly Parton plays a literal angel in this festive flick, which sees Mamma Mia and The Good Wife alum Christine Baranski as the Scrooge-like millionaire aiming to sell the town she owns, consequences be damned. Oh, and it’s a musical too!
Shawn Mendes: In Wonder
Charting the rise and rise of Shawn Mendes, this Netflix original documentary film offers a whole new level of access into the star’s life and career. Superfans are going to love it!
The best of the rest for November 2020
There’s a proper smorgasbord of films to enjoy this month, with Music and Lyrics, Police Academy, National Lampoon’s Vacation, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Seven Pounds, Daddy’s Home, and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie all available to stream. You’ll see the film that tempted Sophia Loren out of retirement with The Life Ahead, whilst there are shenanigans aplenty in Road Trip and Scott Pilgrim vs The World. Finally, two brand new releases will have you contemplating the hard grind of life (Hillbilly Elegy) and celebrating the miracles of Christmas (The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two).
There’s only one place you need to go in TV land this month: Capeside, Massachusetts. All six seasons of Dawson’s Creek are streaming on Netflix now, and if you think there’s a better place to spend lockdown than in 90s small town America with a bunch of hyper-verbose teens, then you’re lying to yourselves. Also pitching up are season eight of Modern Family, whilst season two of The End of the F***ing World arrives too… kind of a timely one, isn’t it?
Coming to Netflix in 2021
Impatient, are we? Fear not, for we’re a forward-thinking bunch too. We’ve sifted through the rumours, hearsay, and snippets of information to take a look forward to Netflix arrivals rumoured to drop in 2021. They don’t have streaming dates yet, but keep your eyes peeled for the highly-anticipated fourth season of Stranger Things, and the rumoured return for Russian Doll. We’ll of course keep you updated with the new arrivals!
Featured image: IMDb