Everything That’s Streaming In November

As the weather nippens and daylight shrivels with the last of the leaves, viewers are welcoming the extra hours of November darkness to binge new seasons of their favorite shows and check out new releases on streaming platforms. There’s a yuletide sackful of Christmas specials on Netflix and Hulu, along with Florence Pugh’s period thriller The Wonder and religious documentary God Forbid about Jerry Falwell Jr’s sex scandal. Amazon Prime features Emily Blunt in tense Western noir The English, and HBO Max offers Spanish-language supernatural adventure series Paraíso. Apple TV+ is unleashing fresh seasons of workplace comedy Mythic Quest, while director Ron Howard explores groundbreaking science in Breakthrough on Disney+ and Stephen Colbert hosts Pickled, a celebrity pickleball tournament on Paramount+. Feast your eyes on the best shows and movies heading to your favorite streaming services this month.  WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

Netflix

Blockbuster (Nov 3) – Operating the last Blockbuster Video store in the United States, hardworking manager Timmy (Randall Park) and his employees fight to stay relevant after the entertainment industry shifts to digital. Creator Vanessa Ramos (Superstore, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) delivers another zippy workplace comedy about the doomed media-rental franchise with trademark irony: Netflix once competed with Blockbuster in the DVD rental market, and now they’re sending up their old rival in a show exclusively available on streaming platforms. The trailer hits on the nostalgia of physical media and the ways in which small businesses add character and heart to the community as the plucky staff try to save their store— how can hijinks not ensue?

The Wonder (Nov 16) – English nurse Lib (Florence Pugh) travels to a rural Irish village in the 1800’s to monitor Anna, a young girl who reportedly thrived without food for months. Hired by town leaders wary of being conned, Lib’s task is to confirm the miracle —or expose her as a fraud. As the Anna’s health immediately begins to wane under observation, Lib faces an ethical choice when she realizes that her presence may be preventing her from being secretly fed. Will Lib betray her medical values to sustain a miracle? Pugh burns bright in a bonfire of deadwood religious tropes: carnality vs spirituality, superstition vs science, social cohesion vs godless chaos.

The Swimmers (Nov 23) – Director Sally El-Hosaini tells the heroic true story of sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini (played by real-life sisters Nathalie and Manal Issa), refugees fleeing from war-torn Syria who used their champion swimming skills to drag a dinghy of refugees to safety across the Aegean Sea. Just a year later, Yusra would compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics as part of the Refugee Olympic team. El-Hosaini holds a riveting gaze on the community bonds of the refugee experience with a hopeful eye that seeks out color against desert warfare and vast dark ocean, and finds the strength of sisterhood in despair.

1899 (Nov 17) – All aboard a trippy new nautical mystery series from the creators of German thriller Dark! Multinational emigrants onboard the New York-bound Kerberus are diverted when the captain receives a mysterious message from a missing steamship. They find the ghost ship mangled and deserted, but the supernatural secrets it unleashes will take the Kerberus passengers through the darkest portals of the mind. Dark fans will recognize themes of unexplained disappearances, rubbery spacetime, and psychological tension stretched to its absolute limit.

Also playing:

The Crown Season 5 (Nov 9)

Stutz (Nov 14)

Dead to Me Season 3 (Nov 17)

Wednesday Addams (Nov 23)

Visit Netflix for a full list of releases.

Hulu

Fleishman Is In Trouble (Nov 17) – Jesse Eisenberg is exploring life post-divorce as a 40-something in New York City when his ex-wife Rachel drops their children off and vanishes. His search becomes an emotional inventory as he juggles a medical career, parenting, hookups, and the realization that he’ll never find Rachel until he can be honest with himself about his role in the breakdown of his 14-year marriage. The limited series, also starring Claire Danes, Lizzy Caplan and Adam Brody, is a thoughtful assessment of the stress points and sweet spots of modern matrimony. Showrunner and author Taffy Brodesser-Akner says, “It’s about the sort of crisis of middle age, of marriage, of divorce, of nostalgia, of friendship, of what you thought your life was going to be and what you think you could have predicted.”

God Forbid (Nov 1) – One of the most recent scandals to rock the Christian evangelical world is getting the documentary treatment: ex-Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr.’s alleged unholy arrangement with his wife and a Miami poolboy whom they reportedly met with for kinky sexual liaisons for years. While the Falwells chalked it up to a simple affair and accused the poolboy of blackmailing them, Junior resigned from the university and faced a 40 million dollar lawsuit from his former employer. Filmmaker Billy Corben avoids rubbernecking sensationalism in favor of unraveling the subtler ties between cultural Christianity and American politics.

My Old School (Nov 17) – Filmmaker Jono McLeod returns to his old school in Scotland to tell the bananasstory of his former classmate, Brandon Lee—a.k.a. Brian MacKinnon, a 32-year old medical school flunky who decided to start over with a clean slate by passing himself off as a teenager. Knowing he couldn’t re-enroll to med school under his real identity, he changed his name to Brandon Lee and started attending high school to build a new academic record under his pseudonym. McLeod tells Lee’s story in the same fantastical, cloak-and-dagger style with Alan Cumming lip-syncing MacKinnon’s voice interview and Daria-like animation filling in nearly half the runtime. Real footage and dozens of interviews with friends and classmates anchor an otherwise unbelievable story in credulity.

Also playing:

Saw 1-6 and 3D (Nov 2)

Welcome to Chippendales (Nov 22)

Visit Hulu for a full list of releases.

Amazon Prime

The English (Nov 11) – A splashy Western revenge noir follows a fancy Englishwoman (Emily Blunt) who teams up with a Pawnee ex-cavalry scout (Chaske Spencer) to hunt down the man she blames for her son’s death. The six-episode miniseries finds the pair navigating the violent landscape of the Old West, facing physical and psychological obstacles as they battle closer to a stunning truth that links their pasts—and their futures. Amazon Studios says The English “takes the core themes of identity and revenge to tell a uniquely compelling parable on race, power, and love.”

The People We Hate at the Wedding (Nov 18) –  Struggling, dysfunctional siblings (Kristen Bell and Ben Platt) reluctantly travel to England for their wealthy, perfect half-sister’s (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) posh wedding and old conflicts bubble to the surface as the date approaches. Perversely, Bell is at her most likable when her character is supposed to be an insufferable hot mess a la The Good Place: somehow she’s most vulnerable and sympathetic when she and Platt are wreaking havoc alongside Allison Janney as their sloppy mother Donna. As author Grant Ginder writes in the novel behind the film, “Relationships are awful. They’ll kill you, right up to the point where they start saving your life.”

Good Night Oppy (Nov 23) –  Narrated by Angela Bassett, the surprisingly tender film tells the story of a NASA rover robot named Opportunity who was only expected to live for a 90-day mission to find water on Mars, but survived to explore the planet for a staggering 15 years. Battling dust devils and tech crises, Oppy helped scientists gather large data to answer fascinating questions about the Red Planet. Oppy died in 2019, and the mission team’s tearful celebration at the close of the historic mission makes clear the emotional bonds formed over a decade and a half working with the intrepid robot. Eat your shiny metal heart out, Wall-E.

Also playing:

My Policeman (Nov 4)

Animal Kingdom Season 6 (Nov 22)

Cyrano (Nov 23)

Visit Amazon Prime for a full list of releases.

HBO Max

Paradise (Paraíso) Season 2 Premiere (Nov 17) –  The retro supernatural kidventure is Spain’s answer to Stranger Things: when Sandra and her two friends go missing at a disco in 1992, it’s up to her little brother Javi (and his pals of course) to launch his own investigation into the mysterious events darkening their gorgeous coastal town — but their discoveries will lead them to a place of otherworldly danger.

A Christmas Story Christmas (Nov 17) – It’s a relief to know Ralphie never shot his eye out with that Red Ryder air rifle, as both baby blues are front and center in the newest iteration of A Christmas Story. Taking place in the 70s, thirty years after the original movie, Peter Billingsley reprises his role as a grown-up Ralphie who returns to his old home on Cleveland street after the death of his Old Man to share the magic of his childhood holidays with his son and reconnect with old friends from the neighborhood. Ian Petrella, Scott Schwartz, R. D. Robb, and Zack Ward also revive their roles as Randy Parker, Flick, Schwartz, and Scut Farkus.

Don’t Worry Darling (Nov 7) –  It’s a shame that Olivia Wilde’s telling of the overbaked psychological thriller is getting more attention for what was going on behind the camera, because it should stand out on the merit of its one-note screech of “Tradition bad! Gender roles are control and men are smug heartless manipulators!” Anyone who’s ever breathlessly tweeted about how real life in America is just like the Handmaid’s Tale will positively wriggle with indignation at the film’s blunt-fingered devices and threadbare, pattycake symbolism (a literal glass wall closing in—y’know, oppression!). Now pour me another highball, sweetcheeks.

Also playing:

See How They Run (Nov 1)

Titans Season 4 (Nov 3)

Master of Light (Nov 16)

Visit HBO Max for a full list of releases.

Disney Plus

Breakthrough (Nov 9) – Six Hollywood directors are helming an exciting new series exploring scientific fields on the verge of groundbreaking discoveries. Oscar winners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (Arrested Development) executive produce the six-episode series of documentaries highlighting the stories behind the world’s most cutting-edge scientific innovations in biotechnology, neuroscience, and virology. Angela Bassett explores the world’s water crisis, Akiva Goldsman unpacks the future of energy, and Paul Giamatti probes biotechnology’s attempts to build better humans. Howard himself directs an episode on the evolving science of aging and the question of how humans can stay healthier longer.

Saving Notre Dame (Nov 4) – The 2019 inferno that engulfed the Notre Dame cathedral nearly incinerated 800 years of history, but a diverse group of craftspeople worked heroically in the following year to save the priceless structure. Saving Notre Dame documents the immediate aftermath of the devastating fire and the incredible coordinated efforts to prevent the building’s total collapse. Embedded with architects, archaeologists, engineers and builders, this series captures the ups and downs of the unprecedented project and explores the cutting-edge tech helping to uncover the mechanics behind the disaster and restore the cathedral.

Marvel Studios Legends: King T’challa, Princess Shuri, The Dora Milaje (Nov 4) –  The docuseries showcasing Marvel Comics characters brings the warriors from Black Panther into the spotlight this month. Legends recounts the heroism of King T’challa (Chadwick Boseman), the  protector of Wakanda who battled Killmonger and Thanos; Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright), a witty and genius inventor in the field of vibranium-based technology who stood with her brother T’challa against world-pulverizing threats; and the Dora Milaje, an elite fighting force of Wakanda’s fiercest female warriors who fought valiantly for T’challa’s sovereignty and crushed the armies of Thanos under the leadership of General Okoye.

Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (Nov 25) – Writer, director and brand-new co-head of DC Films James Gunn has hit peak nostalgia with the guest star of his latest Guardians saga, a Christmas tale starring retro icon Kevin Bacon. The Guardians are on a mission to make Christmas unforgettable for Peter (Chris Pratt), who is deeply depressed after Gamora’s death in Guradians 2.  Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) head to Hollywood to kidnap Kevin Bacon, the star of Peter’s favorite movie, Footloose. Vin Diesel is back as a taller, beefier Groot, along with Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Karen Gillan, Sean Gunn and Zoe Saldana. The 40-minute special is more than just a standalone holiday romp: it adds to the MCU canon, set after Thor: Love and Thunder and prequel to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, to be released next May.

Also playing:

Ocean’s Breath (Nov 4)

The Montaners (Nov 9)

Save Our Squad with David Beckham (Nov 9)

Visit Disney+ for a full list of releases.

Apple TV Plus

Mythic Quest Season 3 (Nov 11) – The irreverent send-up of tech and gaming culture from Rob McElhenny, Charlie Day and Megan Ganz is logging back in for a third season of neurotic digital mayhem. The series follows workplace shenanigans at the videogame studio behind popular online multiplayer game Mythic Quest. Season 3 finds creator Poppy (Charlotte Nicdao) leaving the company to start her own game with Ian (McElhenny), setting up a rivalry with former boss David (David Hornsby). Meanwhile sociopathic Brad (Danny Pudi), who was arrested for insider trading, reappears in the season 3 trailer as the company’s janitor in an attempt to return to society as a reformed man, and Rachel (Ashly Burch) struggles to reconcile her morals with capitalism.

Circuit Breakers Season 1 (Nov 11) – Seven small-town middle schoolers in the near future have their wishes seemingly granted by a mysterious high-tech operation, but the fulfillment of their wildest dreams comes at a frightening cost. The half-hour anthology series navigates adolescent issues with a supernatural twist, using science fiction to tell universal stories about growing up.

Echo 3 Season 1 (Nov 23) – Based on the award-winning series and inspired by the novel When Heroes Fly, Echo 3 is an epic international thriller about two Special Ops soldiers who will go to any length for family. When brilliant scientist Amber goes missing along the Colombia-Venezuela border, her brother and husband – both elite commandoes – struggle to find her as a guerilla war rages around them and their complicated pasts collide. The series, filmed in English and Spanish, was shot almost entirely on location.

Also playing:

The Mosquito Coast Season 2 (Nov 4)

Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock: Holiday Special (Nov 18)

Visit Apple TV+ for a full list of releases.

Paramount Plus

Tulsa King (Nov 13) – The anticipated crime drama from Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan takes on another traditional slice of American culture: the New York mafia and Sylvester Stallone’s well-prodded face. Capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi ends a 25-year prison stint only to be put out to (literal) pasture by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma; suspecting that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, The General must find a new crew to help establish his own empire.

Pickled (Nov 17) – Stephen Colbert is emcee-ing a charity pickleball tournament featuring 16 big-name stars taking the court for a good cause. Colbert, also producing, promoted the show with his trademark silliness: “If you love pickleball and you love celebrities and you love helping people, you’re going to love watching these celebrities help people by playing pickleball.” The amateur lineup includes Dierks Bentley, Will Ferrell, Luis Guzman, Daniel Dae Kim, Sugar Ray Leonard, Tig Notaro, Kelly Rowland, Aisha Tyler and Emma Watson. The shenanigans will include Colbert performing the National Anthem as a duet with Kenny Loggins and a halftime show sponsored by Claussen, with pickles handed out to the crowd. It’s all to benefit Comic Relief US, which seeks to alleviate poverty.

Also playing:

Licorice Pizza (Nov 3)

Transformers: Earth Spark (Nov 11)

Sun Records Season 1 (Nov 30)

Visit Paramount+ for a full list of releases.