The best thing about the holiday season is that everyone is in generally in a better mood. So here are December’s picks, sprinkled with some potential ‘swing and a miss’ wildcards that might not sit right at any other time of the year.
Little America Season 2
In Little America, you can find a little bit of home. | Screenshot: Apple TV+
If humanistic stories are your bag, then the second season of Little America is a mandatory watch. This heartwarming series is inspired by true stories of immigrants living in America trying to make a decent life for themselves, overcoming struggles at home and trying their hardest to ‘make bank’. Above all, it’s always about the triumph of the indefatigable spirit of a fish out of water.
Release date: December 9
Network: Apple TV+
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
del Toro’s stop motion version of Pinocchio looks appropriately gritty. | Image: Netflix
If you’re calling BS that I keep featuring del Toro’s work, then keep on keeping on cos’ I don’t intend to stop. His creations are all about heart, and there’s nothing more ‘appropes’ than a retelling about the boy without a human heart. del Toro’s interpretation of the classic is characteristically grim and dark, but it’s closer in spirit to the Disney classic as opposed to Carlo Collodi’s original (Pinocchio was a USDA prime a**hole); gritty reality-bites moments undercut by levity, and heartwarming in the face of sombre –that’s the del Toro touch.
Release date: December 9
Network: Netflix
Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again
Just like any other night, but with new jokes. | Image: Disney+
How many times can you produce a movie like Night at the Museum? Perhaps one more but in a different medium? Kahmunrah Rises Again (KRA) isn’t placed on this list because it’s award-winning material, but because it’s December and you need material for the kids. The fact that it’s a straight-to-TV release rather than a cinematic spectacle gives you all the clues you need regarding its box office potential. But to be fair, KRA is all about witty dialogue and if your kids (or you) are into that sort of thing, this one’s worth a roll of the streaming dice.
Release date: December 9
Network: Disney+
Alice in Borderland Season 2
Our motley crew tries again to survive ridiculous puzzle games. | Image: Netflix
Unless you’re an unfazed, grizzled veteran of Japanese-styled dystopian horror, Alice in Borderland will horrify and yet enthral you in equal measures. The unforgivingly visceral violence and horror of the first season set the tone for the series, and teased audiences with the basic framework of this rabbit hole of intrigue. Our heroes scramble to work out the terrifying machinations and rules of their horrifying world–they’ll need everything to survive.
Release date: December 22
Network: Netflix
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Maybe the clue is really in the name. | Image: Netflix
The follow-up to sleeper hit Knives Out goes heavy-handed on the metaphor game this time as Rian Johnson invites you to peel away the layers of this murder mystery that is somewhat… transparent? Daniel Craig, who reperises his role as lead detective Benoit Blanc, leads a star-studded cast as he does his whodunnit schtick on an always trope-worthy tech billionaire (played by Edward Norton) and his eclectic bunch of friends. Will it be a worthy Knives Out part 2 or will it be more in line with that Jedi tosh that no one wants to speak of? The suspense might kill you…
Release date: December 23
Network: Netflix
The Witcher: Blood Origin
Michelle Yeoh leads us to where it all began in the Witcher universe. | Image: Netflix
With Henry Cavill set to be replaced by ‘Chris-Hemsworth-if-you-squint’ Liam Hemsworth, wouldn’t you like to know how that will turn out? Seems like we don’t need to wait very long to find out. Just four episodes long, it’s a series that’s relatively low-risk if it all goes to crap. Blood Origin joins Nightmare of the Wolf in supplmenting the Witcher lore, covering the first Witchers and the Conjunction of the Spheres. For non-book fans, this looks like a good way to understand the formation of the Witcher universe as we know it.
Release date: December 25
Network: Netflix
