Looking for something new to watch on Netflix? You’ve come to the right place. Here are the best new shows and movies releasing on Netflix the week of Dec. 25-31, 2020 (we start it on Fridays since that’s when Netflix releases its biggest shows).
It will certainly be a merry Christmas and a happy New Year’s Eve for Netflix subscribers, with big releases set for both holidays. Unwrap those presents as quickly as you can on Christmas so you can dig into the first big Netflix show from Grey’s Anatomy mastermind Shonda Rhimes, Bridgerton. And if you start the final season of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina by noon on Thursday, you’ll have plenty of time left to ring in the New Year and spoil the series finale before the ball drops.
All titles debut on Friday, Dec. 25 unless otherwise noted. Here’s what came out on Netflix last week.
If you’re looking for even more hand-picked recommendations, we have plenty. If you’d like to see the best of what’s coming out on Netflix in December, here are our Editors’ Picks for Netflix’s December releases and everything that’s coming to the service in the month.
The Biggest Releases
Bridgerton, Season 1
The first fruit of Shonda Rhimes‘ massive Netflix development deal drops on Christmas, with her protege Chris Van Dusen at the helm of a spicy adaptation of Julia Quinn’s bestselling romance novel series. The period piece follows Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) through her first season out in London society and her rollercoaster journey of falling in love with a reluctant duke (Rege-Jean Page), and it introduces us to the rest of the Bridgerton siblings and their immediate social circle as the elusive Lady Whistledown mysteriously catalogs all of the their gossip for her anonymous column. It’s Pride and Prejudice meets Gossip Girl and Scandal in the most delicious way possible. Heads up: Though the art for the series may make it look like a demure Christmas binge, Shonda and company stay true to the spirit of the source material, and things get very steamy as you get further into the season. –Megan Vick
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Season 4
She’s taken on Satan and mean people at school, and in the final season of the Riverdale-adjacent series, Sabrina the Teenage Queen of Hell (Kiernan Shipka) and her witchy aunts take on the Eldritch Terrors one by one. More important than the fate of the world, can Nick Scratch work his way back into Sabrina’s heart? [Trailer / Thursday, Dec. 31]
Everything Else
Equinox, Season 1
If you’re done untangling your brain after watching the latest season of the German sci-fi series Dark, let the Danish series Equinox tie it right back up again. The series follows a woman investigating the disappearance of her sister and her classmates during a school trip years earlier. From there, it looks like your head will turn to scrambled eggs just trying to follow the threads that might involve some alternate universe, maybe the afterlife, and definitely the questioning of your own reality. [Wednesday, Dec. 30]
We Can Be Heroes
Robert Rodriguez directs this sequel to The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D that was originally scheduled to premiere in January but gets bumped up to a Christmas Day release. Sharkboy and Lavagirl are all grown up now, and because this is a movie for kids, it’s up to their children to save the world from an alien invasion. Christian Slater, Priyanka Chopra, and Pedro Pascal star. [Trailer]
DNA
A woman questions her roots and identity when her grandfather dies in this French film that looks like an emotional personal drama and opportunity for a nice nap. [Trailer / Saturday, Dec. 26]
Fast & Furious Spy Racers, Season 3
Once your ungrateful children are bored of their Christmas presents after one day, they can watch this kids series that’s an offshoot of the popular film franchise starring Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel. [Trailer / Saturday, Dec. 26]
The Best New TV Shows of 2020 to Binge-Watch
Go! Go! Cory Carson, Season 3
Like the above, but for even littler ones. [Trailer / Saturday, Dec. 26]
The Magic School Bus Rides Again: In the Zone
Ms. Frizz takes the kids to watch a pop star perform all over the country to teach them about time zones. That’s a fancy school. [Trailer / Saturday, Dec. 26]
Cops and Robbers
This animated special uses multimedia and spoken word to spread the message of social justice and bring attention to police brutality. [Trailer / Monday, Dec. 28]
Best Leftovers Ever!, Season 1
OK, but we really could have used this cooking competition show — in which contestants make new meals from leftovers — closer to Thanksgiving. [Trailer / Wednesday, Dec. 30]
Transformers: War for Cybertron – Earthrise
Autobots wage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons, and, in this latest animated miniseries, a new group of Transformers known as the Mercenaries. [Trailer / Wednesday, Dec. 30]
Best of Stand-Up 2020
It’s gonna be NOTHING BUT JOKES. [Thursday, Dec. 31]
Stop searching, start watching! TV Guide’s Watch This Now! page has even more TV recommendations. And check out our picks for the best Netflix shows and movies to watch in December.
Lucifer, The Baby-Sitters Club, Love Is Blind