Our top picks from Netflix, Stan and Amazon Prime Video.
2020 has, thankfully, almost come to an end but there is still a few weeks left before we can put this nightmare of a year behind us. Everyone knows that December is the limbo month, especially towards the thick of the silly season as you’re stuffing your face like there’s no tomorrow, napping more than ever and constantly wondering what day it is. To fill the weird blur that is time this month, we’ve rounded up our top picks from the major streaming services so you can tune in and zone out.
Netflix
The Prom
Fans of musical theatre, rejoice, because The Prom is taking you to Broadway, baby! Featuring an all-star cast including the likes of Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Kerry Washington, Keegan-Michael Key, James Corden and more, The Prom follows two New York City stage stars who find their careers in tatters after their expensive Broadway show flops. That is, until they get wind of a small-town high school student who has been banned from attending the prom with her girlfriend and decide her dilemma is the ticket to saving their public image. Directed by Ryan Murphy, this is the kind of campy, wholesome extravaganza we all need in 2020.
It hits Netflix on Friday December 11.
The Midnight Sky
A Netflix original based on the critically-acclaimed novel Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton, The Midnight Sky is set in a post-apocalyptic world following a global catastrophe. The film follows scientist Augustine (George Clooney) in the Arctic as he comes across a crew of astronauts preparing to land on earth. Unable to communicate with the crew, he finds himself in a race to prevent their shuttle from landing on the ravaged planet. Gripping and emotionally charged, this sci-fi adaptation promises to get the heart racing.
It hits Netflix on Wednesday December 23.
Alien Worlds
A four-part series melding documentary and fiction, Alien Worlds takes the laws of life on earth and applies them to the countless planets scattered throughout the universe. Going beyond pondering whether aliens exist outside our solar system, the mini-series imagines what those theoretical aliens would look like, how they’d behave, reproduce and evolve. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering about the possibility of aliens, this is one to add to your watch list.
It hits Netflix on Wednesday December 2.
Room 2806: The Accusation
In 2011, French politician Dominique Strauss-Kahn became the subject of a criminal case during the height of his career after he was accused of attempting to rape a hotel maid. What ensued was a media frenzy and a scandal that spanned continents as the world clamoured to find out what happened in room 2806. Featuring interviews and archival footage, Room 2806: The Accusation revisits the controversial case in what is certain to be a binge-worthy docuseries.
It hits Netflix on Monday December 7.
Amazon Prime Video
Sound of Metal
After punk-metal drummer Ruben (Riz Ahmed) begins to experience bouts of hearing loss, he is told that his condition will continue to deteriorate and is urged to do what he can to preserve the hearing he still has. Not only does the prognosis spell the end of his music career, but life as he knows it. That is, until his partner and bandmate Lou (Olivia Cooke) checks him into a sober house for the deaf in order to help him stay clean and adapt to his new situation. Featuring innovative sound techniques to truly take the viewer into Ruben’s world, Sound of Metal is a vivid and unique viewing experience.
It hits Amazon Prime Video on Friday December 4.
The Wilds
When their plane crashes, a group of teenage girls from different backgrounds find themselves deserted on an island where they’re forced to enter survival mode. As they each come to know one another, secrets unfold, bonds are made and heads clash. And while just trying to make it through another day is hard enough, there’s one thing these girls don’t know: their crash-landing on that island was no accident. Full of drama, suspense and curveballs you won’t see coming, The Wilds will have you hooked.
It hits Amazon Prime Video on Friday December 11.
Greed
After a public inquiry decimates his reputation, fashion mogul Sir Richard McCreadie (Steve Coogan) is desperate to save his image and what better way to do it than by throwing himself an extravagant 60th birthday party in Mykonos? Dripping with satire and featuring an impeccable cast boasting names such as Isla Fisher, Stephen Fry and David Mitchell, Greed pokes fun at the senseless need for more that goes hand-in-hand with excessive wealth. You can bet there’ll be a moral to this story.
It hits Amazon Prime Video on Tuesday December 1.
Stan
Your Honor
How far would you go for your family? That’s the question at the centre of Your Honor, which follows Judge Michael Desiato (Bryan Cranston) as he utilises his intricate understanding of the justice system to cover up a hit and run committed by his teen son. As the web of lies slowly begins to tangle, this limited series promises to become tenser and more titillating with every move.
The first episode hits Stan on Monday December 7.
Dom and Adrian: 2020
Bondi Hipsters Dom and Adrian return for this titular comedy special about two USB DJs attempting to get their careers off the ground in 2020. The mockumentary explores the tumultuous year it’s been via the two absurd characters as they’re forced to get creative to make money and remain sane while the planet goes to shit. We could all use a good laugh as 2020 finally comes to a close and this satirical take on things looks like it will deliver just that.
It hits Stan on Sunday December 13.
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