2020 movies: Everything new to Netflix UK in December

The end of 2020 is in sight and Netflix is here to guide you safely into 2021 with a host of brilliant new films and shows landing on the streaming service before the year is out.

Highlights worth mentioning up front include new films from Oscar-nominated filmmakers David Fincher – who returns for his first film since Gone Girl with Hollywood history lesson Mank – and George Clooney, who also stars in his new dystopian sci-fi thriller The Midnight Sky.

Other new films coming include jazz drama Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom starring Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman in his final screen performance, and Ryan Murphy’s star-studded adaptation of The Prom featuring James Corden, Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman.

Read more: Everything new on Disney+ in December

Elsewhere, Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes makes her Netflix debut with Bridgerton, a Regency period drama based on the Julia Quinn novels.

Here is everything we know so far about what’s coming to Netflix UK in December.

Film

Netflix Originals

Angela’s Christmas Wish - 1 December

Angela's Christmas Wish is a heart-warming tale of a determined little girl who sets out to reunite her family in time for Christmas. Based on the characters from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Frank McCourt, it is a tender and funny story about the importance of family and togetherness.

Leyla Everlasting - 4 December

A new original film from Ezel Akay.... Starring Haluk Bilginer, Demet Akbag, Elcin Sangu, Firat Tanis and Alican Yucesoy.

One marriage, two loves, three troubles, nine lives Leyla...Adem (Haluk Bilginer), decided to end his 20 years marriage with Leyla (Demet Akbag) for his gorgeous mistress Nergis (Elcin Sangu). But it seems that it is nearly impossible to get rid of Leyla naturally. And if he doesn’t find a solution, his forbidden lover Nergis will slip through his fingers very soon. Beside his love life, Adem has to deal with Mr. Mahdum (Firat Tanis) who is after Adam’s antique handwritten manuscript and his jealous lawyer Greed (Alican Yucesoy).

Mank - 4 December

1930s Hollywood is re-evaluated (by director David Fincher) through the eyes of scathing social critic and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) as he races to finish the screenplay of Citizen Kane for Orson Welles.

Christmas Crossfire - 4 December

After a great night of love, Edda persuades Sam to go on a Santa Claus trip to her home village, which she has not set foot in for five years. The trip takes them to the unknown, almost empty province.The couple gets separated and unexpectedly finds itself in a fight between men who have nothing to lose and men who cannot lose because they love. When Edda and Sam find each other again they try to survive together in a completely overstrained world. 24 hours later, six men hang over the fence, but no woman.

Emicida: AmarElo - It’s All For Yesterday - 8 December

The documentary AmarElo - É Tudo Pra Ontem goes into the creative process and recording of the studio project AmarElo and behind-the-scenes of Emicida’s performance at Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, in 2019, to tell the story of Brazil’s black culture in the last 100 years. With film realization by LAB Fantasma, production by Evandro Fióti and directing by Fred Ouro Preto, AmarElo - É Tudo Pra Ontem brings exclusives interviews with relevance Brazilian personalities, such as Gilberto Gil, Mateus Aleluia, Zeca Pagodinho and Pabllo Vittar. The narrative is also combined with backstage scenes and animations.

Rose Island - 9 December

Giorgio, a gifted yet misunderstood engineer has hit rock bottom - he’s been fired from his job, his parents won’t speak to him, and the love of his life has ditched him after he accidentally gets them both arrested (long story…). Sick of the stuffy rules of Italian society of the late 60s, Giorgio hatches an impossible plan; he will build his own island in the middle of the sea. Joined by a team of revolutionaries and outcasts, the Republic of Rose Island is founded, independence is declared and Giorgio is appointed President. However, team values and resilience are tested, as the Italian Prime Minister decides Giorgio’s idealistic island is Italy’s Enemy Number One.

The Prom - 11 December

Dee Dee Allen (three-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep) and Barry Glickman (Tony Award winnerJames Corden) are New York City stage stars with a crisis on their hands: their expensive new Broadway show is a major flop that has suddenly flatlined their careers.

Giving Voice - 11 December

A new generation of performers is discovered in “Giving Voice,” which follows the emotional journey of six students as they advance through the high-stakes August Wilson Monologue Competition, an event which celebrates one of America’s preeminent playwrights.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom - 18 December

Tensions and temperatures rise over the course of an afternoon recording session in 1920s Chicago as a band of musicians await trailblazing performer, the legendary “Mother of the Blues,” Ma Rainey (Academy Award® winner Viola Davis). Late to the session, the fearless, fiery Ma engages in a battle of wills with her white manager and producer over control of her music. As the band waits in the studio’s claustrophobic rehearsal room, ambitious trumpeter Levee (Chadwick Boseman) — who has an eye for Ma’s girlfriend and is determined to stake his own claim on the music industry — spurs his fellow musicians into an eruption of stories revealing truths that will forever change the course of their lives.

The Midnight Sky - 23 December

This post-apocalyptic tale follows Augustine (George Clooney), a lonely scientist in the Arctic, as he races to stop Sully (Felicity Jones) and her fellow astronauts from returning home to a mysterious global catastrophe. Clooney directs the adaptation of Lily Brooks-Dalton’s acclaimed novel Good Morning, Midnight, co-starring David Oyelowo, Kyle Chandler, Demián Bichir and Tiffany Boone.

Other films - dates TBC

Ocean's 8 (2018)

Mary, Queen of Scots (2018)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018)

The Prestige (2006)

Seven (1995)

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Falling Down (1993)

The Last of the Mohicans (1992)

Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

Step Up (2006)

Casper (1995)

Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

Galaxy Quest (1999)

Despicable Me (2010)

TV

The Holiday Movies That Made Us - 1 December

Unwrap the real stories behind these iconic Christmas blockbusters, thanks to insider interviews and behind-the-scenes peeks.

Big Mouth S4 - 4 December

Big Mouth is a 10-episode, half-hour edgy adult animated comedy from real-life best friends Nick Kroll (Kroll Show, The League) and Andrew Goldberg (Family Guy) about the glorious nightmare that is teenaged puberty.

Selena: The Series - 4 December

Before she became the Queen of Tejano Music, Selena Quintanilla was a young girl from Texas with big dreams and an even bigger voice. Selena: The Series explores her journey from singing small gigs to becoming the most successful female Latin artist of all time — and the years of hard work and sacrifice the Quintanilla family navigated together.

Detention - 5 December

Detention: The Series starts at Greenwood High School in the 1990s. Yunxiang Liu (played by Lingwei Lee), a transfer student, steps into the forbidden area on the campus by accident, where she encounters the ghost of Ruixin Fang (Ning Han). Fang later unveils the hidden history and trauma over the past 30 years, and how a group of young students and teachers were persecuted as they fought for freedom in the era of censorship. Their stories keep coming back to the school like haunting nightmares, waiting to be told and revealed.

Mr. Iglesias S3 - 8 December

In the multi-cam series Mr. Iglesias, Iglesias plays a good-natured public high school teacher who works at his alma mater. He takes on teaching gifted but misfit kids to not only save them from being “counseled out” by a bully bureaucrat Assistant Principal (Oscar Nuñez), but also to help them unlock their full potential. Sherri Shepherd co-stars.

Ashley Garcias: Genius In Love: Christmas - 9 December

A holly, jolly gathering takes a strange turn when Ashley bumps her head and gets a glimpse of her near-distant future with Tío, Tad, Stick and Brooke.

The Big Big Show: Christmas - 9 December

When Big Show gets injured Cassy has to fill his big shoes in the hopes of winning the neighbourhood Christmas competition. Meanwhile JJ, Mandy and Lola are sent on a scavenger hunt for presents only to discover spending time together might be the best gift of all.

The Surgeon’s Cut - 9 December

The Surgeon’s Cut profiles four ground-breaking surgeons from around the world, each with a visionary approach to their craft. Viewers will follow along as they perform innovative operations and procedures, and reveal personal insight into their journey into medicine, providing a unique window into the world of surgery. Through the individual stories of these experts, the series explores how our understanding of the human body is constantly being reinvented by new discoveries and techniques. Specialty areas featured include fetal medicine, neurosurgery, transplant surgery and cardiology.

Alice in Borderland - 10 December

Arisu—a listless, jobless and video-game-obsessed young man—suddenly finds himself in a strange, emptied-out version of Tokyo in which he and his friends must compete in dangerous games in order to survive. In this strange world, Arisu meets Usagi, a young woman who’s navigating the games alone. Together, they set out to unravel one mystery after another as they risk their lives and confront what it means to live.

Tiny Pretty Things - 14 December

Based on the book by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton, Tiny Pretty Things is set in the world of an elite ballet academy and charts the rise and fall of young adults who live far from their homes, each standing on the verge of greatness or ruin. As Chicago’s only elite dance school, the Archer School of Ballet serves as the company school for the city’s renowned professional company: City Works Ballet.

Song Exploder S2 - 15 December

Based on the acclaimed podcast of the same name, and from host Hrishikesh Hirway and Oscar®-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville, each episode of Song Exploder features some of the world's greatest musicians as they reveal how they brought one of their songs to life. Series two songs are: Nine Inch Nails - 'Hurt", Dua Lipa – “Love Again”, The Killers – “When You Were Young”, Natalia Lafourcade – “Hasta La Raíz”.

The Ripper (limited series) - 16 December

In the late 1970s, British police to identify – let alone capture – the serial killer known throughout the world as the Yorkshire Ripper.

Anitta: Made In Honório - 16 December

The docuseries shows, in an unprecedented way, the private life and career of the singer Anitta, icon of funk and pop in Brazil. The show closely follows the controversial and fascinating artist in her intimacy and during the preparation of important shows on different stages around the world. It also shows her on the road and in meetings with her staff, while accumulating two roles: as an artist and entrepreneur.

Home For Christmas S2 - 18 December

When love comes knocking, would you be ready? Follow Johanne through another December as she continues her pursuit for eternal, warm, and real love. When her family and the world around her fall apart, how can she still believe in true and everlasting love? Does it even exist and will she find the one for Christmas this year?

Bridgerton - 25 December

From Shondaland and Creator Chris Van Dusen, Bridgerton follows Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), the eldest daughter of the powerful Bridgerton family as she makes her debut onto Regency London’s competitive marriage market. Hoping to follow in her parent’s footsteps and find a match sparked by true love, Daphne’s prospects initially seem to be unrivaled. But as her older brother begins to rule out her potential suitors, the high society scandal sheet written by the mysterious Lady Whistledown casts aspersions on Daphne. Enter the highly desirable and rebellious Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), committed bachelor and the catch of the season for the debutantes’ mamas. Despite proclaiming that they want nothing the other has to offer, their attraction is undeniable and sparks fly as they find themselves engaged in an increasing battle of wits while navigating society’s expectations for their future.

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina S4 - 31 December

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina re-imagines the origin and adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and, of course, witchcraft.

Other TV - dates TBC

How To Get Away With Murder S6

Rick and Morty S4 Pt 2

The Legend of Korra

Comedy specials

London Hughes: To Catch A D*** - 22 December

London is confused. She’s awesome, successful, attractive, and has no gag reflex and yet… somehow, incredibly single… how on earth has that happened?! In this hilariously provocative, empowering show, London will explore the complete mystery of why the world is full of desirable, brilliant but single women - who definitely don’t need a man but wouldn’t mind the option.