Stranger Things’ final season and Lee Jung-jae’s romcom era kick off in November

Stranger Things 5

Volume 1 (four episodes) debuts on Netflix on Nov 26; Volume 2 (three episodes) on Dec 25; and the finale on Dec 31

Netflix’s landmark science-fiction horror series, which has captivated audiences since 2016, unveils its much-anticipated fifth and final season.

The ensemble cast returns to the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, in the autumn of 1987, with the action picking up in the immediate aftermath of Season 4’s cataclysmic events and the town under military quarantine.

Millie Bobby Brown reprises her role as the telekinetic Eleven, who joins forces once more with friends Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Will (Noah Schnapp) to confront Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), the sinister being threatening the town.

David Harbour returns as police chief Jim Hopper alongside Winona Ryder as Will’s mother Joyce. Joining the cast is The Terminator (1984 and 1991) star Linda Hamilton as Dr Kay, a villainous government figure.

Why watch it: Stranger Things is one of Netflix’s most culturally defining titles, and creators Matt and Ross Duffer have promised intense supernatural confrontations and poignant character resolutions in this final outing. The brothers also vow to answer fans’ last remaining questions about the Upside Down, the shadowy parallel dimension that haunts the characters.

The Beast In Me

Debuts on Netflix on Nov 13

Five years after her double Emmy-winning performance in the spy thriller Homeland (2011 to 2020), Claire Danes is back playing yet another brilliant but psychologically unstable character in this mystery thriller.

The American actress stars as Aggie Wiggs, a once-celebrated author who has withdrawn from the spotlight since the death of her young son.

As she struggles to reclaim her creative spark, she encounters her affluent new neighbour Nile Jarvis (Matthew Rhys), a property mogul who was the prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance.

Both fascinated and repulsed by the man, Aggie decides to make him the subject of a new book and begins obsessively investigating him, fleeing her own demons as she attempts to unmask his.

Why watch it: Danes seems to be playing to her strengths as she teams up once again with showrunner Howard Gordon, who worked with her on Homeland, to craft a portrait of bereavement, suspicion and a fractured psyche.

Nice To Not Meet You

Available on Prime Video

Fans of South Korean actor Lee Jung-jae’s turn in the dystopian hit series Squid Game (2021 to 2025) get to see him switch gears in this romantic comedy.

In a wink to his own superstar status, he plays famous actor Lim Hyeon-jun, who feels stuck in a rut after four seasons portraying the same trusty television detective and yearns for something different.

Then he crosses paths with Wi Jeong-sin (Lim Ji-yeon), a feisty political journalist who has been demoted to covering the entertainment beat.

She becomes a fan of his TV show, but is disappointed when she realises how different he is from the character.

And as both their lives take unexpected turns, sparks fly between them.

Why watch it: After seeing him tormented in Squid Game as the beleaguered Player 456, it is a nice change of pace to watch veteran star Lee – known for his intense, dramatic roles – in a purely comedic piece. And although he has been the romantic lead in dramas such as Il Mare (2000) and Last Present (2001), this is his first romcom role.

Pluribus

Debuts on Nov 7 on Apple TV

Vince Gilligan, the American writer, director and producer behind acclaimed crime series Breaking Bad (2008 to 2013) and Better Call Saul (2015 to 2022), ventures into fresh territory with this science-fiction drama.

American actress Rhea Seehorn, who picked up Emmy nominations for her work in Better Call Saul, is Carol Sturka, a historical romance novelist known for her biting candour.

During her book tour, she witnesses the outbreak of a strange virus, which sweeps the globe and transforms people into unrelentingly cheerful versions of themselves.

One of the few left unaffected, the chronically unhappy Carol must now save the world from this tedious new utopia.

Why watch it: Gilligan’s signature blend of wry humour and escalating tension gets plenty of room to breathe with this unconventional premise exploring the perils of unbridled optimism.