It’s here, ladies and gentlemen: Christmas has officially arrived on streaming services. Last week’s roundup featured only one festive feature, but the majority of this weekend’s new movies and TV shows are suitably seasonable by comparison.
That’s not to say every addition is holiday-themed, mind you. Netflix, in particular, has a couple of dark dramas up its sleeve, while Disney Plus plays host to the long-awaited return of a certain Disney princess.
Below, then, we’ve rounded up eight of the biggest new movies and TV shows heading to the likes of Netflix, Prime Video and HBO Max over the next few days.
Disenchanted (Disney Plus)
It’s been 15 years (fifteen!) since Amy Adams’ Giselle first serenaded Patrick Dempsey’s Robert in a colorful Central Park flash mob, and the duo return to action in Enchanted’s long-awaited Disney Plus sequel, Disenchanted.
Having moved from the busy streets of Manhattan to the tranquil suburb of Monroeville, Giselle, Robert and Morgan are seemingly happier than ever. But when the former Princess begins to behave like a fairytale stepmother, things take a turn for the wicked. James Marsden and Idina Menzel reprise their roles alongside Adams and Dempsey, while Maya Rudolph and Gabriella Baldacchino join the movie’s cast as newcomers.
Reviews for Disenchanted have been decidedly lukewarm so far, but we reckon that fans of Kevin Lima’s original film will still find plenty of musical mayhem to enjoy here.
Now available to stream on Disney Plus.
The Wonder (Netflix)
Fresh from her acclaimed (and movie-saving) turn in Don't Worry Darling, Florence Pugh goes Oscar-hunting in The Wonder on Netflix.
Set in the Irish Midlands in 1862, this new Netflix movie stars Pugh as an English nurse called to observe a young girl (Kíla Lord Cassidy) who remains miraculously alive and well despite not having eaten for four months. Ciarán Hinds, Niamh Algar and Toby Jones are among the movie’s supporting cast.
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, the Black Widow actor has been lauded for delivering yet another standout performance in The Wonder, so this one is an easy recommendation (especially if you’re keen to avoid the onslaught of festive content this weekend).
Now available to stream on Netflix.
The Santa Clauses (Disney Plus)
And so we come to the first of this week’s Christmas-themed releases, the appropriately-named The Santa Clauses on Disney Plus.
A miniseries sequel to his beloved 1994 holiday movie, Tim Allen returns to the screen as everybody's favorite globe-trotting delivery man, Scott Calvin (aka Santa Claus). This time, though, Calvin finds himself on the brink of his 65th birthday – and in search of someone to replace him in the world’s most important job.
Original cast members Elizabeth Mitchell and David Krumholtz return for The Santa Clauses, too, so it’s safe to expect a familiar family adventure from this one.
Now available to stream on Disney Plus.
1899 (Netflix)
Not feeling the Christmas cheer just yet? Fear not: Netflix’s new historical horror series, 1899, is pretty much the antithesis of festive.
Set in – you guessed it! – 1899, this eight-part German-language production takes viewers aboard an ill-fated steamship during a voyage from London to New York in the late 19th century. We don’t know much more about what to expect from the show’s plot, but Netflix promises a “horrifying nightmare of staggering proportions.” Ominous.
Critical reception to 1899 has been fairly positive so far, though verdicts like “slow-burning” and “experimental” should ward off anyone looking for some lighthearted entertainment this weekend.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Spirited (Apple TV Plus)
Apple TV Plus regular Will Ferrell teams up with Disney Plus and Netflix poster boy Ryan Reynolds for Spirited, a musical take on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
Reynolds plays Clint Briggs, a modern-day Scrooge who turns the tables on his ghostly host, Present (Ferrell), by forcing him to re-examine his own past, present and future through the medium of song (because Christmas!).
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land) are responsible for the movie’s musical numbers, so we expect this one to boast some particularly catchy tunes, even if Spirited doesn’t manage to break into our list of the best Apple TV Plus movies.
Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus.
The People We Hate at the Wedding (Prime Video)
Amazon Studios’ streak of releasing star-studded feature-length content continues this weekend with The People We Hate at the Wedding.
In this Claire Scanlon-directed comedy, a trio of American siblings try (and fail) to reconnect in the week leading up to their half-sister's British wedding. Kristen Bell (Frozen), Allison Janney (I, Tonya) and Ben Platt (Dear Evan Hansen) all star.
Critics have called The People We Hate at the Wedding a “cringe comedy with a heart of gold” so, unlike 1899 (above), this one might be the definition of an easy weekend watch.
Now available to stream on Prime Video.
A Christmas Story Christmas (HBO Max)
Not content to sit back and let Disney be the only ones to rehash decades-old holiday comedies, HBO breathes new life into 1983’s A Christmas Story this weekend.
Called A Christmas Story Christmas (yes, really), this one finds Ralphie (played once again by Peter Billingsley) returning to his childhood home with his own kids in tow. Zack Ward, Scott Schwartz and Ian Petrella all reprise their roles alongside Billinsgley, with Vince Vaughn, Julie Hagerty and Erinn Hayes on board as newcomers.
We’ll tell you right now: this one isn’t likely to make it onto our list of the best HBO Max movies. But if you’re after a festive feature for all the family to enjoy this weekend, you can’t go too far wrong with A Christmas Story Christmas.
Now available to stream on HBO Max.
Limitless with Chris Hemsworth (Disney Plus)
Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky returns to the small screen this weekend with Limitless with Chris Hemsworth on Disney Plus.
Fronted by its titular Thor: Love and Thunder star, the six-part show provides a crash course in unlocking the full potential of the human body, using Hemsworth as a (mostly) willing test dummy to prove the efficacy of small-but-important lifestyle changes.
Earlier this week, we sat down with Aronofsky and one of the series’ experts, Ross Edgely, who explained how the new Disney Plus series will help you live longer (and die better). Seriously, it's fascinating stuff.
Now available to stream on Disney Plus.
