8 new movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and more this weekend (November 18)
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It’s here, ladies and gentlemen: Christmas has officially arrived on streaming services. Last week’s recap included just one celebratory feature, but most of this weekend’s new movies and TV shows are season-appropriate by comparison.
That’s not to say every addition is holiday themed, mind you. Netflix, in particular, has some dark dramas up its sleeve, while Disney Plus is playing host to the long-awaited return of a certain Disney princess.
Below, we’ve rounded up eight of the biggest new movies and TV shows heading to Netflix, Prime Video, and HBO Max in the coming days.
Disillusioned (Disney Plus)
It’s been 15 years (fifteen!) years since Amy Adams’ Giselle first serenaded Patrick Dempsey’s Robert in a colorful Central Park flash mob, and the duo are back in action in Enchanted’s highly anticipated Disney Plus sequel, Disenchanted.
After moving from the bustling streets of Manhattan to the quiet suburb of Monroeville, Giselle, Robert and Morgan seem happier than ever. But when the former princess starts acting like a fairy-tale 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 film’s cast as newcomers.
Reviews for Disenchanted have been decidedly lukewarm so far, but we think fans of Kevin Lima’s original movie will still find plenty of musical mayhem to enjoy here.
Now available to stream on Disney Plus.
The Miracle (Netflix)
Fresh off her acclaimed (and movie-saving) turn Don’t worry honeyFlorence Pugh goes on an Oscar hunt in The Wonder on Netflix.
This is set in the Irish Midlands in 1862 new Netflix movie stars Pugh as an English nurse who is called to observe a young girl (Kíla Lord Cassidy) who miraculously stays alive despite not having eaten in four months. Ciarán Hinds, Niamh Algar and Toby Jones are among the film’s supporting cast.
To the surprise of no one, 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 want to avoid the onslaught of festive content this weekend).
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Santa Clauses (Disney Plus)
And so we come to the first of this week’s Christmas themed releases, aptly named The Santa Clauses on Disney Plus.
A miniseries sequel to his beloved 1994 holiday movie, Tim Allen returns to the screen as everyone’s favorite world traveler, Scott Calvin (aka Santa Claus). This time, however, Calvin finds himself on the brink of his 65th birthday – and looking for someone to replace him in the world’s most important job.
Original cast members Elizabeth Mitchell and David Krumholtz also return for The Santa Clauses, so it’s safe to expect a familiar family adventure from this one.
Now available to stream on Disney Plus.
1899 (Netflix)
No Christmas feeling yet? Fear not: Netflix’s new historical horror series, 1899, is pretty much the opposite of celebratory.
Bet – you guessed it! – 1899, this eight-part German-language production takes the viewer aboard an ill-fated steamship on a journey 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 is promising a “horrific nightmare of staggering proportions.” Menacing.
Critical reception to 1899 has been fairly positive so far, though statements like “slow-burning” and “experimental” should ward off anyone looking for some light-hearted entertainment this weekend.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Spicy (Apple TV Plus)
Apple TV Plus regular Will Ferrell teams up with Disney Plus and Netflix poster boy Ryan Reynolds for Spirited, a musical version of 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 reexamine his own past, present, and future through song (because Christmas!).
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land) are responsible for the film’s musical numbers, so we expect it to feature some particularly catchy tunes, even if Spirited fails 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 film 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 play.
Critics have called The People We Hate at the Wedding a “cringing comedy with a heart of gold” so, unlike 1899 (above), it could be the definition of an easygoing 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 one repeating decades-old holiday comedies, HBO is reviving 1983’s A Christmas Story this weekend.
Called A Christmas Story Christmas (yes, really), this one finds Ralphie (again played 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 now: This one probably won’t make our list of the best HBO Max movies. But if you’re looking for something festive for the whole family to enjoy this weekend, A Christmas Story Christmas has you covered.
Now available to stream on HBO Max.
Boundless 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.
Guided by its titular Thor: Love and Thunder star, the six-part show offers a crash course in unlocking the full potential of the human body, using Hemsworth as a (usually) willing test dummy to prove the effectiveness of small but significant lifestyle changes.
We did earlier this week sat down with Aronofsky and one of the experts on the series, 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.