It may look different from days of yore, when people stampeded through malls or camped out in front of electronics stores the day after Thanksgiving, but make no mistake: Black Friday is still the top shopping day of the year, even if it’s largely online now.
The good news is you can participate in this extremely American tradition right from the comfort of your own home, which is also where you can stream these movies and shows to get in the Black Friday spirit — whether you go on a spending spree or not. Call up some cultural critique with movies that challenge overconsumption, check out a reality series about once-in-a-lifetime purchases, or catch a stylish show to fuel all your fashion dreams. For those about to shop, we salute you — and for those who just want to watch, happy streaming!
But first, what’s new on Netflix?
The beginning of the end. That’s right, the wait is over: Volume 1 of the fifth and final season of the Duffer brothers’ Stranger Things arrives Nov. 26 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET (with Volumes 2 and 3 coming on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve). Fans will be thankful this holiday season that they get to see how the story ends for the Hawkins crew. Can’t face the strange? Try pulling a Jingle Bell Heist with Michael Fimognari’s new rom-com, in which two thieves scheme to rob a London department store at Christmastime. Not stealing your heart? Get your first taste of the celebratory season with the new installment of Is It Cake? Holiday — the baking fake-out competition is back and serving extra festive flavor.
If you have just a night …
Think before you buy. Illuminate the dangers of unchecked consumerism with two very different films. First, Nic Stacey’s 2024 documentary Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy explains how corporations keep us shopping and, in turn, how our shopping keeps the planet suffering. After that sobering warning, lighten the mood with the romantic comedy Confessions of a Shopaholic, P.J. Hogan’s 2009 adaptation of Sophie Kinsella’s novels. In it, Isla Fisher plays a stylish but debt-ridden compulsive shopper and Hugh Dancy the finance journalist who helps her understand what really matters. We’re about to enter the season of “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” after all.
If you have a whole day …
Place your bids. If your post-holiday shopping takes the form of hunting down rare collectibles, Ken Goldin is your man. His company, Goldin Auctions, is the subject of the reality series King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch, which debuted in 2023 and has gone on to collect two seasons’ worth of thrilling drama. It follows the employees of the auction house as they trade in historical artifacts and coveted memorabilia. Catch the first two seasons now, before Season 3 arrives next month.
If you have the entire weekend …
Try doing Black Friday à la Parisienne. In Darren Star’s hit romantic dramedy Emily in Paris, marketing maven Emily (Lily Collins) leaves Chicago for a job opportunity in the French capital, where she finds intrigue, romance, and absolutely fabulous fashion. Look to her American spin on French-girl chic (realized by costume designer Marylin Fitoussi) to get inspired for your own 2026 wardrobe makeover. And get ready for more of Emily’s expat adventures in the upcoming Season 5, which picks up with Emily in Rome.
Don’t forget, you have one last chance …
For killin’ Nazis. Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 black comedy Inglourious Basterds imagines an alternate WWII history in which an undercover unit of Jewish American soldiers embarks on a bloody mission to destroy the Nazi party. Brad Pitt stars as the Basterds’ single-minded lieutenant, and Christoph Waltz won an Oscar for his portrayal of a ruthless Nazi officer. Watch now, before the movie says auf Wiedersehen at the end of the month.
