December is always a great time to catch up on movies, and this month sees a plethora of exciting films from earlier this year (and bona fide new releases) hitting Netflix, Paramount+, Prime Video, HBO Max, Apple TV and beyond. We’ve put together a curated list of the best of the best, from Brad Pitt’s Oscar-contending racing drama to Tom Cruise’s possibly final “Mission: Impossible movie to a delightful holiday rom-com starring Michelle Pfeiffer.
Check out our picks for the best new movies streaming right now below.
What's New on Netflix in December
Troll 2
Netflix – Dec. 1
Finally, our long international nightmare is over. 2022 saw the release of “Troll,” energetically directed by Norwegian powerhouse Roar Uthaug and written by Espen Aukan. It combined European mythology with “Godzilla”-style kaiju dynamics and remains one of the most entertaining movies Netflix has ever released. And now, it’s finally time for a sequel, with Uthaug and Aukan back for more. Based on the marketing materials, we can expect not one giant troll but two (one seems to be a MechaGodzilla-style robot), with most of the cast from the first film returning (among them: Ine Marie Wilmann, Kim S. Falck-Jørgensen and Mads Sjøgård Pettersen). Sadly, Billy Campbell, who shared a name with his character from “The Rocketeer,” is not back. Maybe he’ll show up for “Troll 3.” Here’s hoping.
The Merchants of Joy
Prime Video – Dec. 1
In terms of Christmastime documentaries, this sounds pretty great. “The Merchants of Joy” follows the five families of the New York City Christmas tree market. According to the official synopsis, this new documentary “follows these Christmas die-hards as they source, sell, and safeguard a family tradition at risk. It’s a warm, grounded portrait of pride, grit, and the joy they bring—one tree, one customer, one season at a time.” Sounds like an insightful documentary that will illuminate, with humor and wit, a subject that you might take for granted or not know anything about. Holly jolly indeed.
Oh. What. Fun.
Prime Video – Dec. 3
Here’s the official synopsis from Prime Video: “Claire Clauster (Michelle Pfeiffer) is the glue that holds her chaotic, lovable family together every holiday season. From perfectly frosted cookies to meticulously wrapped gifts, no one decks the halls quite like Claire. But this year, after planning a special outing for her family, they make a crucial mistake and leave her home alone. Fed up and feeling under appreciated, she sets off on an impromptu adventure of her own. As her family scrambles to find her, Claire discovers the unexpected magic of a Christmas gone off-script.” Sounds cute right? Felicity Jones, Chloë Grace Moretz, Denis Leary, Dominic Sessa, Danielle Brooks, Devery Jacobs, Havana Rose Liu, Maude Apatow, Jason Schwartzman, Eva Longoria and Joan Chen also star, in the latest film from “The Big Sick” filmmaker Michael Showalter. Let it snow.
It’s Never Over Jeff Buckley
HBO Max – Dec. 4
Part of the Bill Simmons-created Music Box series of documentaries, which has given us “Yacht Rock” and “Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage” (among many others), “It’s Never Over Jeff Buckley” looks at the life and career of the musician, who died tragically by drowning at the age of 30. Directed by the always-great Amy Berg, the new documentary “illuminates one of modern music’s influential and enigmatic figures,” according to the official synopsis. We’ve been looking forward to this one since its brief theatrical run earlier this year.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Paramount+ – Dec. 4
The eighth and – possibly? – final installment of the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” is a continuation of 2023’s “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning” (originally titled “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One”) and sees superspy Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) going up against the unstoppably evil AI The Entity. This time around, The Entity’s a bid for world domination includes the acquisition of nuclear missiles, which we all agree would be a very bad thing indeed. Cruise reteams with writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, who has been working on the series since the fourth installment (“Ghost Protocol”) and directed every entry since. The two have an uncanny ability to understand what the audiences desire most and to over-deliver on that expectation. The big set pieces for “Final Reckoning” including a prolonged, nearly silent underwater submarine sequence, with Hunt searching for a key component to defeating the Entity, and a biplane chase sequence that sees Hunt going up against Gabriel (Esai Morales), the human proxy for the evil AI. It’s the franchise at its most death-defying and breathlessly entertaining and it’s good to know that, should this be the final farewell to one of the more dependable series in American cinema, that it went out on a high note. This message will self-destruct in five seconds …
Jay Kelly
Netflix – Dec. 5
Noah Baumbach’s fourth film for Netflix, after the Oscar-nominated drama “Marriage Story” and whatever the hell “White Noise” was, is arguably his most audience-friendly. “Jay Kelly” stars George Clooney as the title character, a man not unlike himself – a legendary movie star who inspires awe and occasionally anger by those in his immediate orbit. There’s his manager Ron (Adam Sandler), who longs for a closer connection with the star; Liz (Laura Dern), his publicist, who is reaching a breaking point; and his two daughters, Jessica (Riley Keough) and Daisy (Grace Edwards), who are wish they knew their father more. As Jay and his entourage travel through Europe, partially so that he can accept an award at a prestigious Italian film festival and partially so he can hound his younger daughter Daisy, before she goes away to college. Rocked by the death of a mentor (Jim Broadbent) and an explosive encounter with a former classmate (Billy Crudup), as he goes about his journey, Kelly thinks back to key moments in his life – and how he has undoubtedly bungled those key moments. Baumbach, working with co-writer Emily Mortimer (who also has a small role), investigates what it means to be an actor and star, and how movies can stand in for memories, for those who make and watch films. It’s one of Baumbach’s most purely enjoyable movies, one that features his characteristic mixture of tones and styles (ranging from screwball comedy to deep drama), anchored by one of Clooney’s very best performances and an agreeable, travelogue-adjacent structure. The whole thing is a joy, but one that, by the end, carries with it an unexpected emotional wallop. Its fizziness will dazzle but its depth will stay with you. Ready to fall in love with “Jay Kelly?”
The New Yorker at 100
Netflix – Dec. 5
The New Yorker, one of the most influential and highly regarded publications in the history of American journalism, recently turned 100. And as part of that centennial celebration, we get a brand-new documentary about the history and power of the magazine. And it is absolutely wonderful. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Marshall Curry and narrated by Julianne Moore, the documentary features bits of you-are-there immediacy, as the magazine scrambles to cover things like Donald Trump’s gruesome reelection or a celebrity profile of Carol Burnett, along with a look back at key moments in the magazine’s history – everything from the publication of the Rachel Carson’s environmental reporting on DDT to the integration of African American writers like James Baldwin to the controversy surrounding what would become Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood.” There are also talking head interviews with staff members like editor David Remnick, superstar writers like Ronan Farrow, critics like Richard Brody, the small fleet of in-house fact-checkers and celebrities like Jesse Eisneberg and Molly Ringwald (who had pieces in the magazine) and admirers like Jon Hamm, Sarah Jessica Parker and, for some reason, Nate Bargatze. Executive produced by Judd Apatow, it both lampoons and celebrates the supposed erudition and sophistication of the magazine, which today feels like even more of a bastion of freedom and journalistic integrity in a world gone awry.
Reflection in a Dead Diamond
Shudder – Dec. 5
One of the best movies of the year is, incredibly, a Shudder original that debuted overseas earlier this summer. “Reflection in a Dead Diamond” hails from the husband and wife directorial duo of Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani, who were responsible for the similarly mind-blowing “Let the Corpses Tan” and “The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears.” This time around they imagine what it would be like if a James Bond-style spy grew old and was living in the south of France. Oh and he might be losing his mind. The character, played wonderfully by Fabio Testi, will always keep you guessing – as to what’s real, what’s imaginary, what’s something in-between. And Cattet and Forzani feel like they are genuinely aiming at a broader audience with this one; sure their references to old Italian thrillers and lurid pulp magazines remain, but there’s also something more earnest and human about this one. Not everything is in quotes this time. This time around, there’s as much substance as there is style. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of the latter too.
Babylon
Netflix – Dec. 7
Slowly, the “Babylon” hive is activating… When Damien Chazelle, the beloved filmmaker behind classy classics like “Whiplash,” “La La Land” and “First Man,” unleashed “Babylon” back in 2022, it was met with wide derision. (Our own review was caustic.) But the film, which follows a trio of characters (Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Diego Calva) as they careen through the hedonistic early days of Hollywood, has aged beautifully in the years since its release. Maybe that’s because everything feels so safe and predictable these days, with cinema largely congealing into a large, flavorless lump, but it’s becoming harder and harder not to appreciate a movie this wildly unchained. It’s also hugely underrated as a comedy, from the quite literally deadly shooting style of the time to bits like Robbie on her first sound film, which is besieged with technical challenges. As Pitt has become more comfortable leaning into his leading man cool, it’s truly refreshing to see a performance as restrained, as internal, and as layered as the one that he delivers here. Also, if you haven’t seen it before, it’s worth watching for its truly unhinged finale, which involves a trip to Los Angeles’ carnal underground and a montage about the power of cinema that includes a shot of the flying dragons from “Avatar.” “Babylon” will have its day. And that day is coming sooner rather than later.
Predators
Paramount+ – Dec. 8
No, this riveting documentary has nothing to do with the alien hunter with a taste for tracking down the planet’s deadliest warriors. Instead, it focuses on the popularity and enduring appeal of “To Catch a Predator,” a show on NBC that served as a spinoff to “Dateline,” and one that followed host Chris Hansen as he trapped would-be pedophiles. (This seems like a truly bizarre premise for a wildly popular television series, but the early-to-mid-2000’s were an unexplainably weird time for culture.) While the show went off the air in 2007, the concept and appeal of “To Catch a Predator” has endured, mutating into amateurish YouTube videos and more slickly produced follow-ups. The documentary probes our own obsession with the original series and the lingering harm that it has inflicted in the decades since. Most tellingly, the documentary climaxes with an extended interaction with Hansen himself, who has continued his quest with a new cable channel. For years the show was an uncomfortable punchline but the truth behind the show and the trauma it has left behind was far more series and even grimmer. One of the year’s very best documentaries.
Roofman
Paramount+ – Dec. 9
Not long after it hit theaters, the Channing Tatum drama/comedy “Roofman” is hitting streaming. Based on a true story, the film follows an Army veteran and struggling father who turns to robbing McDonald’s restaurants by cutting holes in their roofs, earning him the nickname: Roofman. After escaping prison, he secretly lives inside a Toys “R” Us for six months, surviving undetected while planning his next move. But things take a turn when he falls in love with a divorced mom, played by Kirsten Dunst. Derek Cianfrance, the filmmaker behind “Blue Valentine” and “The Place Beyond the Pines,” tackles much lighter material here, but with the same emotional heft that’ll get you invested in the characters.
Merv
Prime Video – Dec. 10
We are currently living in a golden age of dog cinema and “Merv” could very well fit into the pack. We’re just going to give it over to the official synopsis – “When their beloved dog Merv loses his spark after their split, Anna (Zooey Deschanel) and Russ (Charlie Cox) are forced into the world’s most awkward co-parenting arrangement. Hoping to shake Merv out of his funk, Russ takes him to Florida for a much-needed getaway—only for Anna to show up unexpectedly. As Merv slowly gets his groove back, turns out fixing their dog’s broken heart may lead to a few sparks of their own.” Sounds adorable right? And it’s a Christmas movie! What more do you want?
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Netflix – Dec. 12
The third installment in Rian Johnson’s series of whodunnits centered around Southern private eye Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) sees the detective travel to a small New England town. That’s where a beloved Monsignor (Josh Brolin) has dropped dead after a fiery sermon and where his young apprentice (Josh O’Connor) has been fingered for the crime. While there, Blanc interrogates a vast array of colorful characters (this time played by the likes of Jeremy Renner, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny and Thomas Hayden Church) and puts together the actual details of a seemingly impossible crime. “Wake Up Dead Man,” which follows 2022’s more colorful “Glass Onion,” is spookier than the two previous films, and more spiritual too, with the film consisting of thoughtful conversations about the nature of faith and the healing power of belief. (This makes it sound dour and gloomy; it is not.) It might be the best film in the bunch – scary and funny and stuffed with rewarding twists and turns. “Wake Up Dead Man” will also, undoubtedly, be rewarded by repeated viewings. Thank God it’s on Netflix and we are blessed to be able to start it up again once it’s done. Divine stuff, really.
F1
Apple TV – Dec. 12
Apple Films’ “F1” finally comes to Apple TV, after a hugely successful theatrical launch this summer (with $631 million worldwide it made more than “Superman” and became the most successful sports movie ever) and subsequent debut on digital and physical home video (DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD). And if, for some reason, you avoided it until now, then it was very much worth the wait. “F1” was directed by Joseph Kosinski, the man behind “Tron: Legacy” and “Top Gun: Maverick,” produced by his “Top Gun” partner Jerry Bruckheimer and stars Brad Pitt as a washed-up former driver who is recruited by an old pal (Javier Bardem) to shepherd a lowly F1 team to glory. Kosinski and his collaborators got unparalleled access to actual races, thanks to a partnership with the F1 organization (the film was co-produced by legendary racer Lewis Hamilton) and, thanks to a several technological breakthroughs, puts the audience behind the steering wheel with the drivers. It’s absolutely thrilling stuff, deepened by Kosinski’s thematic concerts (about the blurring of man and machine and the possibility for personal redemption at 100 miles-per-hour) and furthered by the stellar work of his collaborators (among them cinematographer Claudio Miranda and composer Hans Zimmer, whose nifty electronic-tinged score is a real highlight). Ready to put the pedal to the metal?
The Mastermind
Mubi – Dec. 12
Kelly Reichardt, a treasure of American independent cinema, is back. And her latest is a doozy. “The Mastermind” is a sort of anti-heist movie, set in 1970 and based in part on a series of art thefts from the period. Josh O’Connor, who can also be seen this month in “Wake Up Dead Man,” plays J.B. Mooney, a husband and father and genuine lay-about, who clumsily puts together a daring daylight robbery of a local art museum. Of course, things go from bad to worse as he attempts to evade capture and fence his stolen pieces. But this being a Reichardt movie, the whole thing is done in a charmingly hangdog style. There’s a moment where he’s silently trying to hide the paintings in an old barn and it is absolutely thrilling. The movie’s fine supporting cast, which includes Alana Haim, Bill Camp, Hope Davis, Gaby Hoffman and John Magaro, are a delight, as is the jazzy score by Rob Mazurek. Either you’re on “The Mastermind’s” wavelength or you aren’t. But those who are tuned into its peculiar charms will be richly rewarded. (Among other things it also has one of the year’s greatest final shots.) “The Mastermind” is a unique work of art and should be applauded as such.
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
HBO Max – Dec. 12
Somehow, Spinal Tap has returned. This full-fledged sequel to 1984’s comedy classic “This Is Spinal Tap” sees co-writer/director Rob Reiner and co-writers/stars Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean all return. While the sequel, which features cameo appearances from real life musicians Paul McCartney, Elton John, Garth Brooks, Questlove, Trisha Yearwood, Chad Smith and Lars Ulrich as themselves, failed to generate much commercial heat (making $3.2 million on a budget of $22.5 million) or critical interest (it boasts a 57 on Metacritic), perhaps it will find its audience on streaming. After all, how many of us first saw “This Is Spinal Tap” thanks to a worn-out VHS copy? Exactly. This is the kind of film whose cultish devotion is stoked in the secondary market. Smell the glove. Watch “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.”
Titanic
Netflix – Dec. 16
“Titanic” is one of the greatest cinematic achievements in history, full-stop. Sorry to the haters, but James Cameron’s epic is sweeping, swoon-worthy, tense and jaw-dropping in equal measure, chronicling a doomed love story on the fateful ocean liner. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are young movie stars personified, and the visual effects spectacle of the third act holds up to this day. Give it a spin!
Breakdown: 1975
Netflix – Dec. 19
The most anticipated film of December, at least when it comes to the person in your life who is super active on Letterboxd, “Breakdown: 1975” is the latest documentary from prolific filmmaker Morgan Neville (“20 Feet from Stardom,” “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” “Piece by Piece”). This time he is turning his attention to 1975, one of the more iconic years in cinema – the year that gave us “Jaws,” “The Godfather: Part II” and “Young Frankenstein.” The documentary is narrated by none other than Jodie Foster, who would breakthrough the following year in Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver.” Expect tons of archival material, clips and new interviews with Albert Brooks, Bill Gates, Ellen Burstyn, Frank Rich, James Risen, James Wolcott, Jefferson Cowie, Joan Tewkesbury, Josh Brolin, Kurt Andersen, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Scorsese, Naomi Fry, Oliver Stone, Patton Oswalt, Peter Bart, Peter Biskind, Rick Perlstein, Sam Wasson, Seth Rogen, Dr. Todd Boyd and Wesley Morris. And remember, after you watch it, to log it on Letterboxd.
Die My Love
Mubi – Dec. 23
Lynne Ramsay is one of our greatest living filmmakers and “Die My Love,” her latest, deserves to be watched and discussed. Thankfully, you can do that now. All you need is a MUBI subscription and a strong cup of coffee. The movie, based on a 2012 Spanish novel (written by Ariana Harwicz and translated by Sarah Moses and Carolina Orloff), follows a couple (Robert Pattinson and Jennifer Lawrence), whose life begins to unravel after they have their first child. This is bold, lacerating stuff, with Lawrence giving one of the finest performances of the year, as she becomes unglued at the arrival of her baby. Ramsay, who also co-wrote the screenplay, keeps us on our toes, with Lawrence existing in a slippery nexus between reality and fantasy, pleasure and pain. It’s an uncomfortable watch, for sure, but the fine performances (including supporting turns from LaKeith Stanfield, Nick Nolte and Sissy Spacek) and gorgeous photography from Seamus McGarvey, will keep you riveted. This is only Ramsay’s fifth film and each one should be treasured, including her latest.
Goodbye June
Netflix – Dec. 24
Kate Winslet makes her long-awaited directorial debut with “Goodbye June.” The Netflix film “follows four adult siblings — played by Winslet, Toni Collette, Andrea Riseborough, and Johnny Flynn — who reunite when their lively mother, June (Helen Mirren), faces a devastating health crisis,” according to the official synopsis. It continues: “As June’s condition deteriorates, the siblings must confront complicated family dynamics and the impending reality of loss, while supporting their beleaguered patriarch Bernie (Timothy Spall). Throughout her final moments, June remains the vibrant woman she is, embracing her family and her condition with biting humor, blunt honesty, and immense love and affection.” Sounds like the kind of old-fashioned weepie that the whole family can watch together and maybe talk about afterwards. Just remember to bring some tissues.
Ne Zha II
HBO Max – Dec. 24
The highest grossing film of 2025 comes to streaming just in time for Christmas. The Chinese animated epic “Ne Zha II” has grossed an incredible $2.2 billion worldwide, topping the charts against the likes of “Jurassic World: Rebirth” and “Zootopia 2,” and achieving insane popularity inside China where it’s the highest-grossing film in a single box office territory. So what’s it about? The fantasy sequel to the 2019 film follows the adventures of the titular mythological being Ne Zha and his friend Ao Bing.
Cover-Up
Netflix – Dec. 26
The life of investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, who “exposed some of the most unconscionable events that were covered up by the US government, including the My Lai massacre of women, children, and the elderly during the Vietnam War, and the torture and abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib” (per Netflix’s synopsis) is the subject of “Cover-Up,” the new documentary from Academy Award winner Laura Poitras and Emmy Award winner Mark Obenhaus. According to Netflix, the documentary “depicts Hersh’s half-century of reporting and exposing what Hersh believes is a pattern of impunity within the US military and intelligence agencies, told through stacks of Hersh’s own meticulous notes, primary documents, and archival footage. The film also documents Hersh coming to terms with making himself the subject of a story after years of professional collaboration with Poitras and Obenhaus.” Sounds like required viewing, especially during a time when truth has become a cherished commodity and investigative journalism a rarity.
