What's new on Netflix in November, from "The Crown" and "Blockbuster" to "Wednesday"

Spooky shows, provocative documentaries and feel-good holiday films are just a few offerings to watch this month

By Joy Saha

Staff Writer

Published October 30, 2022 8:00PM (EDT)

Melissa Fumero as Eliza and Randall Park as Timmy in "Blockbuster" (Ricardo Hubbs/Netflix)
Melissa Fumero as Eliza and Randall Park as Timmy in "Blockbuster" (Ricardo Hubbs/Netflix)

As sweater weather brings a bout of cooler weather, stay warm in the comfort of your own home, preferably cozied up with a hefty blanket, a bowl of piping-hot soup and new entertainment, courtesy of Netflix.

If you're looking for feel-good content to binge watch, be sure to check out the fifth season of "The Great British Baking Show: Holidays," which follows a new batch of competitors looking to impress judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith with their festive bakes. There's also "Christmas With You," a romantic-comedy film starring Freddie Prinze Jr. that concerns a burnt-out pop star who escapes to a small New York town, where she finds both inspiration and a shot at true love.

In anticipation of this year's World Cup — which starts on Nov. 20 — don't miss out on a slew of soccer content, including the soccer corruption documentary, "FIFA Uncovered," the animated sports film, "The Soccer Football Movie" and "The Final Score," a miniseries about the rise and fall of Colombian soccer and Andrés Escobar, who was murdered in the aftermath of the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

This month also brings a collection of non-Netflix titles that still remain as classics today. Notable mentions include the 1963 comedy film "The Pink Panther" and the 1999 rom-com "Notting Hill," starring Julia Roberts — who returned to the genre this year with "Ticket to Paradise" — and Hugh Grant as a famous American actor and a humble London bookstore owner who (you guessed it!) fall in love despite their different lifestyles. Another must-watch is "The Bodyguard," especially prior to the anticipated release of Whitney Houston's biopic "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" this December. 

Check out our picks below: 

01
"Killer Sally," Nov. 2

This three-episode docuseries investigates the 1995 Valentine's Day shooting death of bodybuilding champion Ray McNeil by his wife Sally, who is currently serving her sentence of 19 years to life at the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla, California. Was the murder really premeditated or an act of self-defense? Friends, family and acquaintances make appearances in the series along with Sally herself, who recounts her rocky marriage, her husband's abuse and the motive behind her crime.

 

02
"Blockbuster," Nov. 3

Fans of "The Office," "Parks and Recreation," "Superstore" and other workplace comedies will also enjoy Netflix's upcoming series "Blockbuster." Randall Park stars as Timmy, the manager of the last Blockbuster Video store on Earth, alongside Melissa Fumero as Eliza, Timmy's long-time crush and recently divorced coworker. Together, the pair and their fellow staff members fight to keep their store both relevant and in business.

 

This is the second time Netflix has used the Blockbuster brand. The streamer first featured the brand in a 2020 documentary called "The Last Blockbuster" which also spotlights Blockbuster's last store in Bend, Oregon.

 

03
"Enola Holmes 2," Nov. 4
Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill reprise their roles as Enola Holmes and Sherlock Holmes in the sequel to the 2020 film, which is also based on Nancy Springer's young adult fiction series of the same name. Attempting to escape her brother Sherlock's shadow, Enola is eager to start her own practice and solve her first official mystery case, which involves a missing match factory worker. In addition to her newfound responsibilities as a detective, Enola struggles to maneuver a budding crush along with the more serious issues of her time, including ageism and sexism.
 

04
"The Crown," Season 5, Nov. 9
Netflix's "The Crown" will make its highly anticipated return soon, following the death of Prince Philip on April 9, 2021 and the death of Queen Elizabeth II earlier this year. This new season will highlight the royal family's life from the early-to-mid 1990s, with special focus on Princess Diana and Prince Charles' (now King) bombshell separation and the former's tragic car accident. Imelda Staunton is set to star as Queen Elizabeth alongside Jonathan Pryce, who plays Philip, Elizabeth Debicki, who plays Diana, and Dominic West, who plays Charles.
 

05
"Falling for Christmas," Nov. 10 
Christmas is coming early this year with "Falling for Christmas," Netflix's upcoming romantic comedy film starring Lindsey Lohan, who is officially making her acting comeback over a decade later, and Chord Overstreet ("Glee") in the main roles. Lohan plays Sierra Belmont, a newly engaged and spoiled heiress who suffers from total amnesia following a skiing accident. She subsequently finds herself in the care of a handsome, blue-collar lodge owner named Jake, played by Overstreet, and his daughter at Christmastime.
 

06
"Is That Black Enough For You?!?" Nov. 11

Written and directed by renowned film critic Elvis Mitchell, "Is That Black Enough For You?!?" is a documentary film that examines "the evolution — and revolution — of Black cinema from its origins to the impactful films of the 1970s." 

 

Earlier this month, Mitchell told Variety that the documentary was inspired by his own life experiences: "As a Black viewer, I found myself confronted with what wasn't being voiced about my people, and wondered why the movies were so slow to respond to Black audiences — who were paying good money to see movies — and even social shifts brought about by the civil rights movement."

 

In addition to Mitchell's commentary and analysis, the documentary features interviews with prominent Black stars in Hollywood, including Laurence Fishburne, Whoopi Goldberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Suzanne de Passe, Billy Dee Williams and Zendaya.

 

07
"In Her Hands," Nov. 16

Filmed over a two-year period, this documentary explores the story of Zarifa Ghafari, who became one of Afghanistan's first female mayors and the youngest to ever hold the position at 26 years of age. "In Her Hands" documents Ghafari's "fight for survival against the backdrop of her country's accelerated unraveling as Western forces announce their retreat and the Taliban start their sweep back to power."

 

Back in September, "In Her Hands" won the audience award at the 18th Camden International Film Festival. The documentary is directed by Tamana Ayazi and Marcel Mettelsiefen with Hillary Clinton and her daughter Chelsea serving as executive producers.

 

08
"The Wonder," Nov. 16
Based on the 2016 period novel by Emma Donoghue, "The Wonder" stars Florence Pugh as nurse Lib Wright, who travels from England to a remote Irish village in 1862 to observe an 11-year-old girl named Anna O'Donnell (Kíla Lord Cassidy), who has not eaten for four months. Although Anna's fast has been hailed as a miraculous phenomenon, Lib soon realizes the direness of the situation and attempts to use both science and faith to save the young girl's life.
 

09
"Dead to Me" Season 3, Nov. 17
The third (and final) season of Netflix's popular black comedy series is finally returning almost three years after its second season dropped. The season will pick up from the massive cliffhanger, which includes Ben Wood's (James Marsden) drunken car crash with best friend duo Jen Harding (Christina Applegate) and Judy Hale (Linda Cardellini) along with Jen's shocking confession that she killed Steve, her ex-fiancé and Ben's semi-identical twin brother.
 

10
"Pepsi, Where's My Jet?" Nov. 17

Directed by Andrew Renzi, this four-part docuseries tells the story of a ludicrous Pepsi campaign involving a pricey fighter jet and a teenage boy who decided to challenge one of the largest corporations in America. The 1996 promotional gambit encouraged consumers to mass purchase Pepsi products to accumulate "Pepsi Points" in exchange for "Pepsi Stuff" or prizes, including a $23 million Harrier Jump Jet. 

 

Pepsi execs assumed the astronomical "price" of the jet would make it impossible for anyone to attain it, but they clearly thought wrong after one college student named John Leonard accepted the offer as a challenge and later sued Pepsi for the fighter jet prize that never existed in the first place.

 

11
"Inside Job" Part 2, Nov. 18

The adult animated sci-fi workplace comedy series follows Reagan Ridley, a talented yet socially awkward robotics engineer who works at the shadow government organization Cognito Inc., struggling to cope with the aftermath of her father's major betrayal. Season 2 also introduces Adam Scott, voicing a key member of the Illuminati, Cognito's primary rival company.

 

"Inside Job" also stars the voices of Christian Slater, Clark Duke, Andrew Daly, Bobby Lee, John DiMaggio, Tisha Campbell, Chris Diamantopoulos and Brett Gelman.

 

12
"Trevor Noah: I Wish You Would," Nov. 22 

Noah's third Netflix stand-up special, called "I Wish You Would," is more lighthearted in nature than his usual segments on "The Daily Show." Viewers can expect to hear about Noah "learning to speak German, modern communication, and his love for curry," per Netflix. 

 

The special also comes after Noah announced in September that he's officially ending his tenure as host of "The Daily Show" on Dec. 8.

13
"Wednesday," Nov. 23

Based on Wednesday Addams from "The Addams Family," Netflix's upcoming coming of age supernatural mystery comedy series stars Jenna Ortega as the titular character. As a high school student at Nevermore Academy, Wednesday investigates a local monstrous killing spree while making new friends — and foes.

 

Alongside Ortega, Luis Guzmán stars as Gomez Addams, the family's patriarch; Catherine Zeta-Jones stars as Morticia Addams, the family's matriarch; and Isaac Ordonez stars as Pugsley Addams, Wednesday's younger brother. Christina Ricci, who notably played Wednesday in the 1991 film "The Addams Family," also makes an appearance as Marylin Thornhill, a den mother to the female students at Nevermore Academy.

 

14
"The Swimmers," Nov. 23
Sally El Hosaini's biographical drama film tells the true story of Yusra and Sara Mardini, two young sisters and talented swimmers who embark on a risky voyage from war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics. Lebanese actors and real-life sisters Nathalie Issa and Manal Issa play the roles of Yusra and Sara, respectively.
 

15
"Ghislaine Maxwell: Filthy Rich," Nov. 25
Following the release of the 2020 docuseries "Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich," comes "Ghislaine Maxwell: Filthy Rich," which now spotlights the sex-trafficking trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, a socialite, convicted sex offender and accomplice of Epstein, along with stories from survivors.

By Joy Saha

Joy Saha is a staff writer at Salon. She writes about food news and trends and their intersection with culture. She holds a BA in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park.

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