Stop Scrolling: 6 Unmissable New Releases on Netflix, Disney Plus, and More This Week (Dec 22–28)
Tomorrow, the wait ends. Months of buildup give way to a high-stakes day of hard choices and consequences that will echo far beyond the headlines.
Holiday week = couch week. If you want something new (or just new-to-streaming) to throw on, here are six solid picks across Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and Apple TV. Yes, Stranger Things 5 is about to own Christmas Day — and I am excited and a little nervous — but it is not the only thing worth your time.
Stranger Things season 5, volume 2
Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix
The final season hits its middle stretch on Christmas Day with three fresh episodes. The last batch ended on a high for our Hawkins heroes, but do not get comfy. Vecna is still out there, Demogorgons are multiplying, and the whole vibe is the bleakest it has ever been.
The big question — who makes it to the end — is louder now, with the light vs. darkness showdown finally taking shape. It is ideal holiday binging if your idea of festive is monster mayhem and emotional damage. And heads up: this is not the end-end. The series finale drops December 31.
Pluribus season 1 finale
Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Apple TV
One of the year’s best new dramas sticks the landing with episode 9. The show has followed Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn), a romance novelist heartbroken into becoming a reluctant savior type after humanity fuses into a global hive mind. She is convinced she has to, in her words:
'save' humanity
Along the way, Carol grows close to Zosia (Karolina Wydra), one of the Joined, while a wild card named Manousos (Carlos-Manuel Vesga) threatens to blow everything up — emotionally and otherwise. The finale feels both earned and properly conclusive. Also good news: season 2 is already confirmed.
The Lowdown
Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Disney Plus
Sterlin Harjo’s new crime comedy gives Ethan Hawke a very fun lane. He plays Lee Raybon, a citizen journalist and self-described 'truthstorian' in Tulsa. Lee’s digging into the powerful Washberg family when patriarch Dale Washberg dies under very sketchy circumstances, and that opens a much bigger, uglier can of worms.
From there, Lee chases clues, gets in deeper, and — because this blends noir mystery with deadpan humor — gets into more danger. It is sharp, it is nimble, and it is a great Hawke showcase. Also, quick fix to the confusing bit you might have heard elsewhere: it is Lee (Hawke), not Dale, who keeps following the trail.
Downton Abbey: A New Era
Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix
If your household needs something warm and familiar, the second Downton movie is back on streaming — perfect if the third film sent you back down the Crawley rabbit hole earlier this year. Plot-wise, the family decamps to the south of France after Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith) unexpectedly inherits a villa, while back at the estate, a silent film crew wants to shoot at Downton, much to Robert (Hugh Bonneville)’s horror.
It gets pretty silly (yes, there is a movie-about-a-movie thread), but it is charming and family-friendly from start to finish.
The Phoenician Scheme
Available: US
Where to watch: Prime Video
Wes Anderson’s latest finally hits streaming. Benicio del Toro stars as Anatole 'Zsa-Zsa' Korda, an arms dealer so disliked he cannot walk five feet without someone trying to kill him. Facing the obvious, he attempts to make peace with his estranged daughter (Mia Threapleton), who is now a nun named Sister Liesl. What follows is a madcap reconciliation tour where the ice does, slowly, start to melt.
Is it peak Anderson? Not quite. Is it stylish, funny, and stacked with sharp performances? Absolutely — including a delightfully bizarre turn from Michael Cera.
Love Actually
Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Prime Video (UK), Netflix (UK)
It is messy. It is cheesy. And it still works. Richard Curtis writes and directs this holiday mosaic about eight London couples fumbling their way through romance in December, powered by a murderer’s row of stars: Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Andrew Lincoln, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Bill Nighy, and a bunch more.
Overstuffed? Totally. But the warmth, the jokes, and the cast chemistry carry it — just be prepared to yell at Alan Rickman’s character all over again.
If you burn through these and want more, I also keep running lists of the best stuff on Hulu and Apple TV. Happy holidays, and happy watching.