If you’re looking for new movies to watch on Netflix this month, you’ve come to the right place. The streaming service is closing out 2022 with a bang, releasing a slew of Oscar-contending features throughout the month in addition to your standard new arrivals. Below you’ll find a mix of those high-profile Netflix new releases as well as worthy library titles that might hit the sweet spot when you’re struggling to figure out what to watch. Whether it’s an action-thriller, comedic murder mystery or emotional documentary, we’ve got you covered.
Check out our list of some of the best new movies on Netflix in December 2022 below.
The 55 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now
Sr.
Robert Downey Jr. hasn’t appeared onscreen much since his final goodbye as Iron Man in “Avengers: Endgame,” but the new Netflix documentary “Sr.” offers an introspective and personal look at the actor’s relationship with this filmmaker father Robert Downey Sr. The film is a loving chronicle of Sr.’s life and rebellious spirit when he came of age as a director, but also expands its lens to examine his relationship with his son through times both good and bad. It’s all the more emotional given that during the three-year production, it became clear that the documentary would be capturing Sr.’s final days – he died in July of 2021.
Bullet Train
If you missed this Brad Pitt actioner in theaters earlier this year, now’s your chance to stream “Bullet Train” on Netflix. Pitt plays an American operative suffering from anxiety who finds himself on a bullet train full of colorful characters and assassins who want to kill him. The action-comedy is packed with familiar faces (Sandra Bullock, Brian Tyree Henry, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Michael Shannon, Zazie Beetz, Joey King, Bad Bunny, Hiroyuki Sanada and Andrew Koji all co-star) and eye-popping fight sequences courtesy of director David Leitch, who used to be Pitt’s stuntman and is now a director in his own right (he also helmed “Deadpool 2,” “Atomic Blonde” and co-directed the first “John Wick”). If you’re looking for a good time, this is the ticket.
Emily the Criminal
You should stream “Emily the Criminal,” a compelling indie thriller featuring another stellar performance from Aubrey Plaza. The “Parks and Recreation” alum has become an indie darling of sorts as of late, and stars here as a woman deeply in debt who’s struggling to pay her student loans due to a felony conviction on her record. She then slowly gets caught up in being a scammer, and things unravel from there.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Guillermo del Toro’s first stop-motion feature film is now on Netflix, and this is “Pinocchio” like you’ve never seen the story before. Co-written and directed by del Toro, this adaptation features the voices of Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Burn Gorman, Cate Blanchett, Finn Wolfhard, Ron Perlman and Tilda Swinton and offers up a fantastical twist on the Carlo Collodi Italian classic. Emotional and awe-inspiring in equal measure, make this one a priority.
Prisoners
If it’s hard-boiled thrillers you’re looking for, “Prisoners”is a pretty taut (and handsomely crafted) entry in the genre. Directed by Denis Villeneuve of “Arrival” and “Dune” fame, the film stars Hugh Jackman as a man whose daughter is abducted and decides to take matters into his own hands when he identifies a suspicious suspect (played by Paul Dano). Jake Gyllenhaal plays the detective trying to crack the case, but this one’s less about plot and more about the toll the case takes on these individuals, with an all-star cast rounded out by Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard and Melissa Leo. It also features stellar cinematography by Roger Deakins and a haunting score by the late Jóhann Jóhannsson.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
You simply must, must, must watch “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”. This “Knives Out” sequel (once again written and directed by Rian Johnson) is a brand new mystery, with Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc as the only returning character from the original film. This time, he’s invited to a secluded island by a tech billionaire (played by Edward Norton), who has gathered a group of his closest friends – played by Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr. and Janelle Monae – in Greece to play an elaborate murder mystery game. To say more would spoil the surprises, but suffice it to say this is just as thrilling, hilarious and surprising as the first “Knives Out” and you’ll want to watch it again immediately once it’s over.
White Noise
Filmmaker Noah Baumbach is back with his first film since his Oscar-winning “Marriage Story,” but this time he’s tackling something completely different. The 1990s-set “White Noise” is based on the Don DeLillo novel of the same name and stars Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig as parents navigating the fallout of an “Airborne Toxic Event” that’s the result of a train accident that threatens their entire town. The A24-produced film has drawn comparisons to Steven Spielberg’s “1941” so hold on to your butts.
