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Gal Gadot stars in “Wonder Woman 1984,” coming to HBO Max on Christmas Day.
Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
December’s streaming schedule is loaded with big-name movies and highly anticipated series, providing a bit of dilemma for consumers on a budget.
Besides a slate of buzz-worthy series and likely Oscar contenders coming to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, the additions of Pixar’s “Soul” on Disney+, “Wonder Woman 1984” on HBO Max and “The Stand” on CBS All Access may make splurging on an extra service or two worthwhile, at least for a month.
As this column has previously mentioned, consumers can take full advantage of cord-cutting by capitalizing on the ability to add and drop streaming services each month, and all it takes is good planning. Remember, a billing cycle starts when you sign up, not necessarily at the beginning of each month.
Consumers can also take advantage of deals for free streaming trials, as Disney DIS, +0.59% and Apple AAPL, +2.11% in particular focus on building subscriber bases rather than growing revenue (for now, at least). You’re never going to get a better deal than free, and the offers won’t last forever.
While Netflix NFLX, -0.13% has eliminated its free trial period, CBS All Access still offers a 30-day free preview, for example. You can also get a year of Apple TV+ for free when you purchase a new Apple device (such as the iPhone 12), and Verizon VZ, -0.28% offers a free bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for some wireless customers.
Free and bundled possibilities aside, when it’s time to decide where your subscription dollars should go, What’s Worth Streaming is here to help. We rate each major streaming service every month as a “play,” “pause” or “stop,” similar to investment analysts’ ratings of buy, hold and sell, and pick the best content to help you make your monthly decisions.
Here’s a look at what’s coming to the various streaming services in December 2020, and what’s really worth the monthly subscription fee.
Disney+ ($6.99 a month)
Disney+ is again a must-have, as it wraps up the second season of its smash hit “The Mandalorian” and will debut the new Pixar film, “Soul,” on Christmas Day, which — unlike “Mulan” earlier this year — will be available to subscribers for no additional fee.
Speaking of “Mulan,” it’ll be free for subscribers starting Dec. 4, for those who didn’t want to pay $30 back in September.
Pixar releases are always worth checking out, and “Soul” sounds like another winner. Pushed to streaming rather than a theatrical release due to the pandemic, the animated movie ponders nothing less than the meaning of life. Jamie Foxx gives voice to a middle-school band teacher whose true passion is jazz, and who has to race to reunite his soul and body after an untimely accident splits the two. Tina Fey, Questlove and Phylicia Rashad are among the all-star cast of voice talent.
Disney+ also surprise-dropped Taylor Swift’s intimate concert film, “Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions” just before Thanksgiving, featuring songs from her most recent album, “Folklore,” and the stories behind them. It’s very good.
The “Star Wars” spinoff “The Mandalorian” will have new episodes every Friday, wrapping up its spectacular second season Dec. 18. There’s also “High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special” (Dec. 11); the fairy comedy “Godmothered” (Dec. 4), starring Isla Fisher and Jillian Bell; and the addition of 2018’s “Ralph Breaks the Internet” (Dec. 11).
Who’s Disney+ for? Families with kids, and hard-core “Star Wars” and Marvel fans. For those not in that group, its library can be lacking.
Play, pause or stop? Play. Of the handful of absolute must-sees in December, Disney+ has two in “The Mandalorian” and “Soul.”
Netflix ($7.99 a month for basic, $13.99 standard or $17.99 premium)
Netflix enters December as loaded as Santa’s sleigh, with Oscar-caliber original movies, highly anticipated new series and holiday specials.
The best of the bunch may be the late Chadwick Boseman’s final film, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Dec. 18), which is expected to be a major Oscar contender. Based on the play by August Wilson, Viola Davis stars as the iconic blues singer Ma Rainey, with Boseman playing her band’s trumpeter. Early critics’ reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, with many saying it’s Boseman’s greatest performance.
That’s hardly all the star power Netflix will unleash. There’s also David Fincher’s “Mank” (Dec. 4), a black-and-white biopic of “Citizen Kane’s” alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (played by Gary Oldman), which is also a likely Oscar contender; the George Clooney post-apocalyptic/sci-fi drama “The Midnight Sky” (Dec. 23); and Ryan Murphy’s adaptation of the Broadway musical hit “The Prom” (Dec. 11), starring Meryl Streep, James Corden and Nicole Kidman.
Among series, there’s the long-awaited “Selena: The Series” (Dec. 4), about the life of the late Tejano pop star Selena Quintanilla-Pérez ; the fourth and final season of the teen-witch drama “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” (Dec. 31); Season 4 of the foul-mouthed adolescent animated comedy “Big Mouth” (Dec. 4); and “Bridgerton” (Dec. 25), a highly anticipated romantic drama series set in Regency-era London,
from superproducer Shonda Rhimes. It looks like a 19th-century version of “Gossip Girl,” and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
After a November deluge, Netflix still isn’t done with holiday fare, with more on tap for December, including “The Holiday Movies That Made Us” (Dec. 1), “Home for Christmas 2” (Dec. 18) and the third installment of “The Great British Baking Show: Holidays” (Dec. 3).
And if you feel FOMO kicking in, there’s still time to check out “The Queen’s Gambit,” the chess drama series that all your friends and family have already watched and raved about.
A word of warning: “The West Wing” is leaving Netflix on Dec. 24, and “The Office” departs on Dec. 31 for HBO Max and Peacock, respectively.
Who’s Netflix for? Fans of buzz-worthy original shows and movies.
Play, pause or stop? Play. Even in a highly competitive month, Netflix is defending its title as the king of streaming with a crush of quality additions. Plus, it has that massive library.
More streaming picks
For more…
HBO Max ($14.99 a month)
HBO Max may be making the biggest splash among streaming services this holiday season, dropping “Wonder Woman 1984” on Christmas Day, the same day as its theatrical release (which will be limited in the U.S., due to pandemic restrictions). But what’s bad for movie theaters is great for Max subscribers, who’ll get to see the superhero spectacular for no additional fee beyond the monthly subscription cost. The sequel to the 2017 blockbuster, which earned more than $820 million at the U.S. box office, is one of the most anticipated movies of the year, with director Patty Jenkins returning behind the camera and Gal Godot reprising her iconic role. “Wonder Woman” was not just a great superhero movie, but a great movie, period. The sequel should be a must-see and worth an HBO Max subscription, even if for just a month. Think of it this way: $14.99 is about the price of a single movie ticket in normal times. But heads up: “Wonder Woman 1984” will only be available on HBO Max for a month before it goes exclusively to theaters, then video-on-demand, though it should return to Max sometime in the spring.
There’s more on tap, with director Steven Soderbergh’s new comedy “Let Them All Talk” (Dec. 10), starring Meryl Streep, Candice Bergen and Dianne Wiest; two special episodes of the Zendaya-led teen drama “Euphoria” (Dec. 6, second date TBA) that will bridge the first and second seasons; and “Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults” (Dec. 3), a four-part documentary series about the Heaven’s Gate cult that ended in mass suicide. There’s also a new batch of Looney Tunes cartoons (Dec. 3); “My Gift,” a Carrie Underwood musical Christmas special (Dec. 3); a “Haute Dog” holiday special (Dec. 10); and the Bee Gees documentary “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” (Dec. 12), along with the season finales of “The Flight Attendant” (Dec. 17) and “His Dark Materials” (Dec. 28), and the addition of all seven seasons of “The West Wing” (Dec. 25).
HBO Max is also adding a ton of movies, including “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Shaun of the Dead,” “Hot Fuzz” and the original “Westworld” from 1973 (all Dec. 1).
On top of that, you can catch up on one of the year’s best series, “I May Destroy You,” the thought-provoking and moving dramedy from Michaela Coel that examines rape, trauma and consent.
Who’s HBO Max for? HBO fans and movie lovers. Though frustratingly enough, it’s still NOT for Roku users, since HBO Max owner AT&T Inc. T, -0.96% has yet to hammer out a deal with one of the two biggest makers of streaming-TV devices. (A deal was reached to carry the app on Amazon Fire TV devices in November, giving hope that a similar Roku deal will come soon.)
Play, pause or stop? Play, for “Wonder Woman 1984” alone (unless you rely on a Roku device to stream). The deep library of HBO shows is an added bonus.
Amazon Prime Video ($12.99 a month)
Hard sci-fi isn’t for everyone, but it’s tough to dislike “The Expanse,” which returns Dec. 16 for a fifth season on Amazon Prime Video. This season, the sprawling space epic will see the crew of the Rocinante spread across the solar system dealing with personal crises, while meanwhile a terrorist group is unleashing a potentially catastrophic attack against Earth. Assuming the season sticks to the books, written by the duo known as James S.A. Corey, it’ll be jaw-dropping. For those looking for a high-quality new series to binge, this is a prime candidate, more of a political thriller than a space shoot-’em-up (though there’s plenty of shooting). Amazon has already renewed it for a sixth and final season.
The BBC’s “Top Gear” gang fell a bit flat with its Amazon show, “The Grand Tour,” but it’s been tweaked a bit to highlight its strengths — namely, throwing the hosts (Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May) into a scenic foreign land with souped-up cars and sending them on an adventure. The second installment of the new format drops Dec. 18 with “The Grand Tour Presents: A Massive Hunt,” as they race (and sometimes putter) around Reunion Island and Madagascar. It promises to be good gearhead fun.
Prime Video also has a slate of intriguing original movies in December, including the critically praised “Sound of Metal” (Dec. 4), starring Riz Ahmed as a punk-rock drummer who’s losing his hearing; “The Wilds” (Dec. 11), a YA survival drama about a group of teenage girls stranded on a deserted island; “I’m Your Woman” (Dec. 11), a 1970s-set crime thriller starring Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”); and “Sylvie’s Love” (Dec. 25), a romantic epic beginning with a summer fling in Harlem that stars Tessa Thompson and Nnamdi Asomugha and drew raves at Sundance.
There are also new additions to director Steve McQueen’s excellent “Small Axe” film series about the West Indian community in London, with “Red, White and Blue” (Dec. 4), “Alex Wheatle” (Dec. 11) and “Education” (Dec. 18). They join “Mangrove” and “Lovers Rock,” which debuted in November.
Amazon AMZN, -0.85% is also the one-stop destination for Christmas classics, with “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Miracle on 34th Street,” “Elf,” “Love, Actually,” “A Christmas Story” and “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” among others, though most of those cost an additional rental fee.
And on Dec. 26, the San Francisco 49ers-Arizona Cardinals game will skip broadcast TV and will stream exclusively on Prime Video and Amazon’s Twitch — the first exclusive NFL stream since 2017, and a possible glimpse of the league’s streaming future. (Note: The game will be still available on local channels in the San Francisco and Phoenix markets.)
Who’s Amazon Prime Video for? Movie lovers, TV-series fans who value quality over quantity.
Play, pause or stop? Play. There’s a lot here, and Amazon will only bolster its already-impressive catalog with its December releases.
Hulu ($5.99 a month or $11.99 with no ads)
It takes a special kind of person to appreciate “Letterkenny,” the quirky and stupendously profane comedy returning to Hulu for a ninth season on Dec. 26. Drawing most of its laughs from clever wordplay and intonation, it’s a catchphrase-happy look at a small Canadian town where pretty much the only things to do are chores, hockey, brawling and lounging about. It’s comforting and hilarious, and its return is almost a Christmas gift in itself.
That’s not the only underrated and underloved series returning to Hulu in December — East Germany’s most reluctant spy is back for a third season with “Deutschland 89,” which first aired on Sundance this fall. A sequel to “Deutschland 83” and “Deutschland 86,” the German-American collaboration stars Jonas Nay as an East German agent, this time as the Berlin Wall falls and opens a pathway to a new, free life amid the chaos as the communist regime crumbles. It’s not without flaws, but its pacing and twists never fail to keep the story rolling along. As an added bonus, all three seasons have featured an excellent soundtrack of ’80s songs.
Hulu will also launch “The Hardy Boys” (Dec. 4), because apparently every classic franchise needs a dark reboot (see: “Riverdale,” “Nancy Drew” and “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” among others). Rohan Campbell and Alexander Elliot star as the crime-busting brothers who uncover sinister secrets in their small town.
Who’s Hulu for? TV lovers. There’s a deep library for those who want older TV series, and next-day streaming for many current network and cable shows
Play, pause or stop? Pause and think it over. There’s stiff competition for streaming dollars this month, but “Letterkenny,” “Deutschland 89,” and Hulu’s deep library of series might make it worth splurging on.
Apple TV+ ($4.99 a month)
Apple TV+ continues to feel the lingering effects of the TV- and movie-production shutdown caused by the coronavirus, and with no back catalog to speak of, the streaming cupboard is fairly empty.
In December, Apple will roll out “Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special” (Dec. 4), the classic “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (Dec. 13), and a pair of new animated offerings, “Stillwater” (Dec. 4) and “Wolfwalkers” (Dec. 11).
For those who are getting TV+ for free after the purchase of a new Apple device, there are a handful of shows in the back catalog worth exploring, but there’s really no point to paying for a subscription until at least the new year, when some of its original series (such as “Servant,” “Dickenson” and “For All Mankind”) return for their second seasons.
Who’s Apple TV+ for? It offers a little something for everyone, but not really enough for anyone, unfortunately. It also isn’t available on Google streaming devices.
Play, pause or stop? Stop. The shallow library and lack of substantial new releases aren’t worth the admittedly low price. But if you buy a new Apple device, there’s no excuse for not checking it out for free.
Peacock (free basic level, Premium for $4.99 a month with ads, or $9.99 a month with no ads)
It’ll be a fairly lackluster month for Peacock, at least in terms of originals. The only notable addition is “Limetown,” (Dec. 3) a mystery series starring Jessica Biel that originally ran on Facebook Watch in 2019. Peacock’s also adding some pretty good movies, including “The Dark Knight,” “The Paper,” “Tremors” and “Wet Hot American Summer” (all Dec. 1), as well as “In Bruges” (Dec. 16).
The streaming service from Comcast’s CMCSA, -2.91% NBCUniversal will, of course, have fresh episodes from its family of channels, including NBC and Bravo, along with Premier League soccer. Oh, and it’s adding all nine seasons of a little show called “The Office” starting Jan. 1.
Who’s Peacock for? If you like network and basic-cable TV and don’t mind ads, the free version of Peacock is great. If you’re eligible for Premium through a Comcast or Cox cable subscription, it’s also a perfectly fine free addition. It’s unavailable, though, on Amazon Fire TV streaming devices.
Play, pause or stop? Stop. By all means check out the free version, but the paid tier will be unnecessary for most people (with the possible exception of soccer fans, since Peacock Premium is the exclusive streaming home of the English Premier League).
CBS All Access ($5.99 a month or $9.99 with no ads)
CBS All Access will launch its highly anticipated “The Stand” limited series Dec. 17, with new episodes over the following seven weeks. Stephen King helped write this latest adaptation of his post-apocalyptic classic, which stars Whoopi Goldberg, Alexander Skarsgard and James Marsden.
But that’s about it for originals, although CBS All Access will have new episodes from the ViacomCBS VIAC, +0.61% family of channels, as well as live sports, including NFL football and UEFA Champions League soccer.
Who’s CBS All Access for? Cord-cutters who miss live sports and familiar broadcast and cable shows.
Play, pause or stop? Stop. There’s still not enough here to justify the price. But keep in mind big changes are coming, as the service will rebrand as Paramount+ early next year, with more originals and a bulked-up library of shows and movies. (Pro tip: If you really want to see “The Stand,” wait a month and binge all eight episodes during a 30-day free trial.)
