What to watch, see or stream over the holidays

By Neia Balao 3:24am PST, Dec 22, 2020

Join Wonderwall.com as we take a look at what to watch, see and stream during the 2020 holiday season, starting with this highly anticipated film… "Wonder Woman 1984" starring Gal Gadot sees our titular heroine and former flame Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) battle the diabolical Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) and Cheetah (Kristen Wiig) during the Cold War. The Patty Jenkins-directed sequel opens in theaters and also hits HBO Max on Dec. 25. Keep reading for more recommendations…

It's that time of year again — when all of our favorite "Saturday Night Live" holiday skits are compiled into one special! On Dec. 22 at 9 p.m. ET, tune in to NBC for an encore presentation of "A 'Saturday Night Live' Christmas Special," which includes holiday skits from Adam Sandler's Chanukah Song to Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood and every festive moment in between!

Any Shondaland fan can agree: We cannot wait for this series to debut! Narrated by the one and only Julie Andrews, Shonda Rhimes' latest project, "Bridgerton," is a period drama show that takes place in London during the Regency era and follows the siblings of the Bridgerton family as they search for love. Available to stream on Netflix on Dec. 25, "Bridgerton" — which is based on author Julia Quinn's popular book series — marks Shonda's first project under her new deal with the streamer.

Tessa Thompson and Nnamdi Asomugha star in "Sylvie's Love" as Sylvie Farrell and Robert Hunter — two strangers who meet at a record store in Harlem and begin a summer romance. Years later, they reconnect and realize that their feelings are far from gone, even after all this time. The Eugene Ashe-directed period romance is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video on Dec. 23.

Based on Lily Brooks-Dalton's novel, 2020's "The Midnight Sky" stars George Clooney as a scientist who journeys through the Arctic in an effort to warn a group of returning astronauts of a worldwide catastrophe. The film, which was also directed by George, stars Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Tiffany Boone, Demián Bichir, Kyle Chandler and Caoilinn Springall. "The Midnight Sky" will be available to stream on Netflix on Dec. 23.

There's no better way to close out 2020 than with a film that's sure to pull at your heart strings. In Pixar's "Soul," Jamie Foxx stars as Joe Gardner, an uninspired band teacher whose love for jazz is reignited when he ventures into an alternate realm in an effort to help someone else find their true passion. Tina Fey, Questlove, Phylicia Rashad, Daveed Diggs and Angela Bassett also star in this moving animated film that'll be available to stream on Disney+ on Dec. 25.

If you have yet to watch "Holidate," what have you been doing?! Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey star as two single strangers who make a peculiar agreement: to be each other's plus-ones for an entire year of holidays… but remaining "just friends" proves to be more complicated than they expected. "Holidate" is available to stream on Netflix.

On Dec. 31 at 10 p.m. ET, ring in the New Year while watching NBC's "New Year's Eve 2020" special. Hosted by Carson Daly, the holiday show will take place live from Times Square in New York City and include performances from several stars like Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton, Chloe x Halle, Jason Derulo, Doja Cat, Goo Goo Dolls, Kylie Minogue and more.

Adapted from the breakout 2018 Broadway musical of the same name, "The Prom" stars Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Keegan-Michael Key, Andrew Rannells, Ariana DeBose, Kerry Washington and newcomer Jo Allen Pellman. The flick follows a group of struggling Broadway stars who come together to help an Indiana-based teen attend the prom with her girlfriend. The musical comedy, which was directed by Ryan Murphy, is available to stream on Netflix.

Sometimes all you need is a cozy film that'll get you in your feelings… and "The Holiday" does exactly that. The 2006 romantic comedy starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet follows two women — one from Los Angeles, one from England — who swap homes for two weeks in an effort to get away from their complicated love lives. Of course, in the process, both women find love with new guys, which makes returning home more difficult than they expected. Stream this beloved holiday rom-com on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube.

What better way to get into the holiday spirit than with a broadcast from the happiest place on earth? Tune in to ABC at 10 a.m. ET and 9 a.m. CT/MT/PT on Christmas Day to watch "Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration." The special, which is hosted by "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" star Tituss Burgess and "Dancing With the Stars" alum Julianne Hough, includes performances from Tori Kelly, Becky G, Trevor Jackson, Maddie & Tae and more.

This film is so ridiculous, it's actually kind of amazing. In 1996's "Jingle All The Way," Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as workaholic father Howard Langston, who finds himself in a dire situation: It's Christmas Eve and he's failed to purchase Turbo Man, the most coveted toy of the season, for son Jamie. Now, desperate to make it up to his son and wife, Howard embarks on a journey across town as he attempts to get his hands on the toy! During his search, he comes up against an equally determined postal worker (played by Sinbad) who also has his sights set on snagging the toy. "Jingle All The Way" is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube.

Based on August Wilson's play of the same name, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" chronicles the mounting tension between progressive blues artist Ma Rainey and her bandmates in the late '20s. The drama, which was praised for its celebration of Black culture and a prominent blues musician, stars Viola Davis and late "Black Panther" actor Chadwick Boseman, who received critical acclaim for his final on-screen performance. "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" is available to stream on Netflix.

There are few films sweeter than this on. 2003's "Love Actually" ranks high among beloved holiday films, and for good reason! With an ensemble cast that includes Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson and Keira Knightley, the film chronicles the intertwined lives of a group of Londoners as they prepare for Christmas while simultaneously dealing with love and loss. The Richard Curtis classic is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube.

The Queen of Christmas is here! On Dec. 4, "Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special" premiered on Apple TV+. The special, on which Mariah performs holiday tracks including "Joy to the World," "Silent Night" and, of course, "All I Want for Christmas Is You," also features performances by Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson and Snoop Dogg. The special event is available to rewatch on Apple TV+.

Starring Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge and Leslie Odom Jr., 2020's "One Night in Miami…" tells the fictionalized story of a meeting that occurred between Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown and Sam Cooke in a Miami hotel room in February 1964. The events of the film take place following Muhammad's historic win against Sonny Liston for the World Heavyweight Championship title. The movie, which earned rave reviews from critics, also marks Academy Award-winning actress Regina King's directorial debut. "One Night in Miami…" is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video on Dec. 25.

As Meryl Streep has proven time and time again, there isn't anything she can't do — "Let Them All Talk" merely solidifies this fact. The dramedy, which was made available to stream on HBO Max on Dec. 10, tells the story of a burgeoning romance between a man and his literary agent while they're on vacation with the latter's renowned aunt. Candice Bergen, Gemma Chan, Lucas Hedges and Dianne Wiest also star in the Steven Soderbergh-directed film.

On Dec. 16, Amazon released the final episode of "Holiday Plays," which sees musicians performing a set that includes tracks from their own discography as well as holiday classics. Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters closed out the series with a performance of several songs including smash hits "Learn to Fly," "Times Like These," and "Best of You" as well as their latest single, "Shame Shame." Amazon Music's "Holiday Plays" concert series is available to rewatch on the streaming service.

What better way to prepare for Christmas than with the help of East High's drama club? On Dec. 11, Disney+ released "High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special," which sees the show's ensemble cast including Olivia Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett, Sofia Wylie and Matt Cornett performing holiday classics as well as original songs. As we patiently await the release of the show's second season, we'll definitely be watching this in the meantime!

Note to self: Always follow the instructions! 1984's "Gremlins" tells the story of a young man who, after failing to properly care for the peculiar creatures he was gifted, accidentally unleashes a slew of tiny diabolical monsters that endanger an entire town on the night before Christmas. The horror-comedy, which was executive produced by Steven Spielberg, is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube.