One of the final weeks of the year finds the new offerings on Netflix, for better or worse, starting to dry up. By week's end on December 26, there will likely be tons of presents under the tree--but there's only eight new programs dropping on the streaming service overall.

　　We would be remiss to not highlight The Midnight Sky, George Clooney's sci-fi adventure epic, which debuts December 23 on Netflix. Clooney directs and stars in this adaptation of the acclaimed novel Good Morning, Midnight, which tells the story of a father and daughter racing to stop astronauts from returning to a planet which is now an absolute frozen tundra. Should be just the thing to cozy up with as winter takes hold and the holidays begin.

　　All jokes aside, Clooney himself remarked as soon as he laid eyes on it, this seemed like it would be an unfortunately timely film: "I got the script way before the pandemic, but still there were all these other elements… There’s the denying of climate change but also the idea of how hateful it’s become, how race and all these other things that are tinderboxes in our country really just require anybody to throw a match in it. That’s why I was drawn to the story because if you play that kind of hatred out over a 20-year period of time, it’s not inconceivable that we destroy ourselves."

　　Much more inspiring is another Netflix film adaptation of a novel--this time, The White Tiger. Adapted from Aravind Adiga's 2008 novel of the same name, the movie tells the story of an "ambitious driver for a rich Indian family [who] uses his wit and cunning to escape from poverty and become an entrepreneur." It lands December 22.

　　If you're looking for an out and out laugh, comedian London Hughes will be releasing her stand-up special, To Catch a D*ck, on December 22. Executive produced by Kevin Hart, Hughes recently told Variety that her special finds her “explor[ing] the complete mystery of why the world is full of desirable [and] brilliant but single women--who definitely don't need a man but wouldn't mind the option.” Based on the name alone, this probably isn't one to watch with the kiddies.

　　Below, you'll find everything coming to Netflix this week, and if you're interested in more streaming news, check out the biggest shows that are just over the horizon in 2021.

What's new to Netflix this week?

December 22

December 23

December 25

December 26

　　David Wolinsky on Google+