STREAM HIT SHOWS
Snuggle under a cosy blanket and make your Christmas merry and bright with these movies and TV shows coming to your favourite streaming services. Here’s what’s new on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and beyond
Find out the best TV and films available for you to binge over the festive period
MOTHER
Those not quite ready to move on from Halloween or in need of a dark counterweight to all those joyous offerings should enjoy hunkering down to this Japanese dark drama. Mother is about a boy whose dangerously codependent relationship with his emotionally disturbed mum is put to the test as he grows up and comes into his own. It seems like a hard tale to tell during the holidays, but it’s something that might feel fitting for those who are dreading that obligatory Christmas dinner with the family.
Release date: 3 November
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE
The latest animated Spider- Man movie may have been out for a couple of years now, but it’s hands- down among the best superhero movies out there. With a terrific soundtrack, felicitous storyline, compelling characters and breathtaking animations and visuals, some might say it’s even better than the first two film series. Now that it’s streaming on Netflix, it’s certainly worth watching a few times over the holiday break. The kids will be entertained while the adults will appreciate its underlying themes. Release date: 6 November
NETFLIX
The streaming service that started it all always goes all out during the holidays, and this year is no different. Joining its lineup of holiday specials like the second instalments of The Princess Switch and The Christmas Chronicles is a slew of new non-Christmas offerings
From £5.99/month, netflix.com
DASH & LILY (SEASON 1)
While coming- of-age flicks are a dime a dozen these days, we can’t help but be excited about this new romantic comedy series. Dash & Lily is about two young adults who nurture a budding relationship by sending each other messages on a notebook. It’s an interesting old-school take on the anonymity of online dating, minus the online part, and reminiscent of 2001’s Serendipity in that it looks to capture the magic of being in love in New York City at Christmas. Except hopefully without the tiresome contrivances.
Release date: 10 November
ALIEN XMAS
While Netflix is rolling out several Christmas flicks this year as per usual, Alien Xmas offers a different take on the Yuletide season. Part alien invasion, part The Grinch, this stop-motion animation sees black- eyed grey extraterrestrials trying to steal all our Christmas ‘stuff’ by taking away the Earth’s gravity. Of course, because it isn’t Christmas without hearts growing, an adorable little alien called X decides to switch sides and help defend the Earth. This might just be the perfect family movie to watch post opening of presents. Release date: 20 November
THE LIFE AHEAD
With all your daily stresses put off until after the New Year, it’s just the right time to catch up on your foreign-language film checklist. The Life Ahead, a Netflix original about a young Senegalese immigrant who forms an unlikely friendship with a Holocaust survivor, isn’t exactly a sappy holiday movie. However, it has just the right amount of warm sentimentality that’s sure to melt people’s hearts this Christmas. Co-starring the venerable Sophia Loren, its heartwrenching trailer already has us tearing up.
Release date: 13 November
THE CROWN (SEASON 4)
Netflix has amassed quite a collection of addictive shows, but very few have reached the same level of success as The Crown. The award-winning Netflix original is back for its fourth season, and this time around, it’s Margaret Thatcher, played by the ever-brilliant Gillian Anderson, with whom the Queen has to contend with. The show is, after all, nothing without Queen Elizabeth’s relationships with her prime ministers. Naturally, it’s also gifting us with a few juicy details behind Prince Charles’s contentious relationship with Lady Diana. Release date: 15 November