The Week’s guide to what’s worth watching
Under the Grapefruit Tree: The CC Sabathia Story
CC Sabathia was just 20 when he reached the big leagues, launching a nearly two-decade career as one of the most accomplished left-handed pitchers in baseball. But even as the California native was piling up awards, pennants, and respect throughout the game, he was struggling with addiction, anxiety, and weight issues. In this moving profile, he tells his story with winning candor. Tuesday, Dec. 22, at 9 p.m., HBO
The Midnight Sky
George Clooney’s latest movie has a vastly different mood from his previous directorial efforts. Clooney plays a weary scientist who is isolated in the Arctic when a catastrophe wipes out the rest of Earth’s human population. But a young stowaway gives him reason to do all he can to contact the crew of a spaceship that went searching for another habitable planet. The result is somber but solid drama sci-fi for anyone in a mood for a wallow. Available for streaming Wednesday, Dec. 23, Netflix
Sylvie’s Love
Hollywood’s romantic melodramas of the 1950s didn’t put many black couples at the center of their story. One of the pleasures of Eugene Ashe’s new movie is seeing Tessa Thompson and Nnamdi Asomugha bathed in that familiar glow as they play an aspiring TV producer and talented jazz musician who meet at a record store in 1957 Harlem. Available for streaming Wednesday, Dec. 23, Amazon Prime
Soul
The latest animated wonder from Pixar goes boldly metaphysical, sending its protagonist to the great beyond in the opening minutes. Jamie Foxx voices a middle-school music teacher who steps into a manhole and tries to navigate his way back to life by way of the Great Before—a realm where the unborn acquire their motivating spark. Tina Fey voices the listless unborn soul he teams up with for an adventure that could only have come from Inside Out’s creative team. Available for streaming Friday, Dec. 25, Disney+
Bridgerton
Producer Shonda Rhimes puts her imprint on the 19th century, creating a juicy period drama for Netflix in her first series since signing with the streamer. As in the best-selling fantasy novels it’s based on, the voice of a scandal-sheet writer, who goes by Lady Whistledown, holds the tale together as she unfurls the salacious details of the trysts roiling the English aristocracy. Bridgerton isn’t a history lesson. Rhimes and company opt for brilliant color, a beautiful multiracial ensemble cast, and enough racy scenes to channel a romantic page-turner. Available for streaming Friday, Dec. 25, Netflix
Ariana Grande: Excuse Me, I Love You
The ponytailed pop star drops a gift for her fans with a superbly choreographed concert movie filmed during her 2019 world tour. Available for streaming Monday, Dec. 21, Netflix
City Hall
Frederick Wiseman’s latest documentary captures the heartbeat of his hometown Boston by tailing its municipal employees. Tuesday, Dec. 22, at 8 p.m., PBS; check local listings
DNA
A bickering French family loses its patriarch, sending a daughter in search of her Algerian roots. Actor-director Maïwenn stars. Available for streaming Saturday, Dec. 26, Netflix