I'm annoyingly picky about what to watch - but these are the 7 things I refuse to miss this month
I'm fortunate enough to live by myself, which means that if I want to watch nothing but Grey's Anatomy reruns, I absolutely can. I'm only ever a few clicks away from The Departed (again) and my go-to horror films are on a constant viewing loop.
But as a creature of comfort, it also means I'm notoriously picky when it comes to watching new things. The benefit of living with housemates or a significant other is that they usually have something to say if you're hogging the TV with vintage Made In Chelsea every night. So this year, I made a conscious effort to break out of my telly rut - and it has led to some pretty excellent finds. Thanks to early nudges from industry insiders, I make a note of what's coming up and pick out the best bits.
So, what's making the cut in November? This month Netflix is releasing the hotly-anticipated musical crime drama Emilia Pérez starring Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez, but if you need a bit of fluffy, light and festive entertainment, try The Merry Gentlemen. Prime Video is finally giving us the TV reboot of the 90s cult classic, Cruel Intentions, and Sahra Mani's unflinching documentary Bread & Roses is landing on Apple TV+.
Take a look at my 7 picks from Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and Apple TV+ this November.
Shows coming to Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and Apple TV+ in November
Emilia Pérez, Netflix
What to expect: This bold, punchy musical crime drama premiered at Cannes earlier this year and won two awards - so it's safe to say it's expected to be one of Netflix's biggest additions of 2024. Starring Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón and Selena Gomez, it tells the story of lawyer Rita (Saldaña) who is recruited by cartel leader Emilia (Karla Sofía Gascón) to help her fake her own death.
Starring: Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez
Release date: 13th November 2024, Netflix
Cruel Intentions, Prime Video
What to expect: Whether you were here for the OG film or it's your first foray into the world of Cruel Intentions, it's time for the TV show based on the cult 90s classic. It might be a reboot, but it's set in a social media-free world (very 20th century), and follows two step-siblings in Washington DC who attempt to seduce the Vice President's daughter. Starring Zac Burgess, Khobe Clarke, Sarah Catherine Hook and Savannah Lee Smith, it's hoping to grab Gen Z's attention as much as it did millennials back in 1999.
Starring: Zac Burgess, Khobe Clarke, Sarah Catherine Hook, Savannah Lee Smith, Sean Patrick Thomas
Release date: 21st November 2024, Prime Video
The Merry Gentlemen, Netflix
What to expect: If you're looking for some frivolous fun with a sprinkle of topless noughties heartthrobs, then The Merry Gentlemen is for you. A struggling bar recruits locals - including Chad Michael Murray himself - to put on a male strip show and get the punters in. Think Magic Mike in Santa hats.
Starring: Chad Michael Murray, Britt Robertson
Release date: 20th November 2024, Netflix
Joy, Netflix
What to expect: Joy tells the story of how the world's first 'test-tube baby' came to be in 1978. It follows nurse and embryologist Jean Purdy (Thomasin McKenzie), scientist Robert Edwards (James Norton) and surgeon Patrick Steptoe (Bill Nighy) as they pioneer groundbreaking IVF treatment against a backdrop of opposition from both the church and the medical community.
Starring: Thomasin McKenzie, James Norton and Bill Nighy
Release date: 22nd November 2024, Netflix
Beatles '64, Disney+
What to expect: This is one for Beatles fans. It documents John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr's first trip to the USA in February 1964, and includes previously unseen footage of the musicians and their fans at the exact moment they reached stratospheric fame. Martin Scorsese produces and David Tedeschi directs.
Release date: 29th November 2024, Disney+
Blitz, Apple TV+
What to expect: Saoirse Ronan stars as Rita in Steve McQueen's war drama, Blitz. It follows the story of a mother who sends her 9 year-old son George (Elliott Heffernan) to the country during World War II - but when he attempts to make his way back to her, she finds herself frantically looking for her lost boy.
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Paul Weller, Elliott Heffernan, Kathy Burke, Stephen Graham
Release date: 22nd November, Apple TV+
Bread & Roses, Apple TV+
What to expect: This unflinching documentary follows three women in Afghanistan as they navigate life under Taliban rule. The film illustrates the challenges they face day-to-day following the fall of Kabul in 2021, and while it depicts a brutal reality for Afghan women, there's an undercurrent of hope that change will come.
Starring: Directed by Sahra Mani, and produced by Malala Yousafza, Jennifer Lawrence, Justine Ciarrocchi and Farhad Khosravi
Release date: 22nd November 2024, Apple TV+
