It’s almost Christmas, but that doesn’t mean streamers are snowed under with festive movies and TV shows exclusively. In fact, this weekend, there’s a noticeable absence of sleigh bells and holly in place of several original features and returning shows.
The biggest arrival is The Witcher season 2, which throws Henry Cavill’s monster-hunting Geralt back into the fray – although, given the amount of artificial snow Netflix has pumped into the series’ second outing, it may as well be considered a Christmas classic.
Elsewhere, though, there’s plenty more new movies and TV shows to enjoy, and below we’ve rounded up the seven biggest additions dropping on the likes of Netflix, HBO Max and Prime Video over the next few days.
The Witcher season 2 (Netflix)
The Witcher, Netflix’s big budget fantasy series, returns for its second season this week, ready to continue the action-packed adventures of everyone’s favorite silver-haired hunk.
Following season 1’s dramatic finale, new episodes take proceedings to snow-capped mountains and icy-cold ravines as Geralt (Henry Cavill) continues his journey with Ciri (Freya Allan). We described the show’s second season as “more ambitious, action-packed and emotionally resonant” in our review – so returning fans should find even more to love this time around.
We also spoke with Cavill, showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, and the rest of the show's main cast ahead of season 2’s release, who told us that audiences can expect “bigger and more expansive” action but also a “more intimate, emotional and private” story.
Now available to stream on Netflix
Swan Song (Apple TV Plus)
Continuing the recent Apple TV Plus content surge is Swan Song, which debuts simultaneously on the streamer and in theaters this week.
It stars Mahershala Ali as Cameron Turner, a husband and father diagnosed with a terminal illness who’s offered the chance to shield his family from the grief of losing him by mysterious doctor Glenn Close.
In our view, that sounds like an intriguing enough premise even without the star power attached to the project – but both Ali and Close remain two of the most accomplished actors working today. This is one for true movie fans.
Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus
The Hand of God (Netflix)
In The Hand of God, a young teenager's eccentric family and vibrant life in 1980s Naples is suddenly upended by the electrifying arrival of a soccer legend – and a shocking accident.
This one marks director Paolo Sorrentino's (The Great Beauty, The Young Pope) long-awaited return to the screen, and also forms a partially autobiographical portrait of his younger years. As is typical of Sorrentino's filmography, Italian actor Toni Servillo stars in a leading role.
We're getting shades of Cinema Paradiso from The Hand of God's trailer, which can only be a good thing.
Now available to stream on Netflix
Station Eleven (HBO Max)
No, Station Eleven isn’t a prequel to ABC’s Station 19. Instead, it’s an aptly-timed (or mistimed?) adaptation of Emily St. John Mandel’s post-apocalyptic pandemic novel.
This 10-episode limited series was commissioned nearly six months before Covid-19 began to make headlines, and depicts the harrowing aftermath of a world ravaged by a viral infection. Too soon? Probably.
The ensemble cast includes Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, Matilda Lawler and Gael Garcìa Bernal. Episodes one and two are available to stream now, with the remaining eight arriving every Thursday.
Now available to stream on HBO Max
With Love (Prime Video)
Sure, there isn’t a whole lot of new Christmas content arriving on streamers this week, but that doesn’t mean there’s a total absence of festive cheer.
Amazon's new holiday rom-com series, With Love, spends a year with a pair of siblings (Emeraude Toubia and Mark Indelicato) as they search for, well, love. It doesn’t look like anything to write home about, but there’s nothing wrong with the occasional snippet of inoffensive escapism.
The show’s first season will feature five one-hour episodes, each set during a different holiday throughout the year.
Now available to stream on Prime Video
MacGruber (Peacock)
Will Forte's MacGyver spoof, which originated first as a sketch on Saturday Night Live and made the jump to the big screen in 2010, returns again as a Peacock original series this week.
This time around, the titular action hero is unexpectedly released from jail to complete a secret government mission to hunt down bad guy Billy Zane. Forte reprises his role as MacGruber, alongside fellow returnees Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe and Timothy V. Murphy.
Early reviews haven’t been too kind to this one – the AV Club called it “the wrong kind of overkill” – but existing MacGruber fans will likely enjoy its more-of-the-same approach.
Now available to stream on Peacock
Juice WRLD: Into the Abyss (HBO Max)
Juice WRLD: Into the Abyss charts the meteoric rise and tragic fall of the Chicago-born rapper following his premature death in 2019.
Tommy Oliver directs this intimate portrait of the artist’s life and legacy, which includes previously unreleased music and footage, along with testimonies from those closest to him.
It’s easy to eulogize public figures after their passing, but Juice WRLD really did represent one of those rare musicians whose talent defined a generation. For that reason, we’d say this one is definitely worth a watch.
Now available to stream on HBO Max
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