With original movies and series constantly premiering on digital streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, HBO and Amazon, it’s difficult to figure out what to watch. The recent launch of Disney+ means another whole repertoire of content to wade through. We’ve all been there before — scrolling through a seemingly endless list of shows for so long that it ends up amounting to an entire episode’s worth of time. To help you avoid a black hole of streaming, we’ve compiled this list of all the new and inspiring movies and shows we’re most excited to watch in December.
“HBO Latino Presents: A Tiny Audience, Part 1”
Having family and friends over? Don’t just put on music; get a whole vibe going with “A Tiny Audience” — a music series that will feature intimate musical performances by renowned Latin artists, plus reflections on the inspiration that drove them to create their art. Shot in Miami, the first part of this series will feature renowned artists such as Colombian superstar Juanes, the Dominican singer and songwriter Natti Natasha and Latin Grammy nominee Sebastián Yatra.
Available on HBO Go on Dec. 6.
A surprisingly honest look at the “magic” created behind the scenes for Disney theme parks, “The Imagineering Story” is one of the first original programs to launch with Disney’s new digital streaming platform, Disney+. It’s a six-part docuseries that takes viewers back in time to learn about the creation of the original Disneyland and its most popular attractions, focusing also on Walt Disney himself and the imagineers he worked with to bring the park to life. (Also see “Disney acknowledges its old movies are racist.”)
Available now on Disney+.
“Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements”
Filmmaker Irene Taylor Brodsky is familiar with the challenges deaf people face, growing up with deaf parents and her son Jonah losing his hearing at age 4. Though Jonah can now hear through the use of cochlear implants, this documentary is an intimate chronicling of his journey to learn how to play Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” on the piano — a piece written while the composer himself was going deaf.
Available on HBO Go on Dec. 11 at 9pm.
While it seems like every show is trying not only to strike an emotional chord, but one of hilarious relatability, Netflix’s original dramedy “Atypical” actually does so. The series follows high school-age Sam and his family through his daily trials of living life with autism — from working with his therapist on the possibilities of dating to his social life at school and beyond. It’s a heartfelt and multi-dimensional look at a perspective we don’t usually see on TV, and it explores the challenging dynamics of family life and what it means to be “normal.”
Available now on Netflix.
Lupita Nyong’o stars as schoolteacher Miss Caroline in this zombie-infused rom-com that ends up being equal parts comedy and horror. The plot follows washed-up musician Dave, played by Alexander England, who volunteers to chaperone his nephew’s class field trip in an attempt to get closer to Miss Caroline. His mission is thwarted however by a sudden zombie outbreak, forcing the adults to ban together to save the kids from being devoured.
Available on Hulu now.