The 20 best new releases to stream this December
Whether you’re welcoming the arrival of Christmas music with the joyous festive spirit or rejecting its cheer with all the frustration of Scrooge, there’s no getting around the fact that the holiday season is here to stay (for a month at least). Our gift to you is this extremely handy list of the very best movies and TV shows heading to streaming sites Netflix, Apple TV, Disney, MUBI and Amazon this December, giving you something to do whilst you’re stuffing your face with dry turkey and tiny little mints.
As has become routine for streaming services, it is Netflix that sticks out predominantly from the crowd, dominating the landscape of visual content this December with a host of brand-new and exciting releases. This includes fresh offerings from such acclaimed filmmakers as the American indie pioneer Noah Baumbach, Mexican filmmaking maestro Guillermo del Toro and the contemporary sci-fi champion Rian Johnson.
Make no mistake, Netflix is going to dominate the landscape this Christmas season, so if you’re not already borrowing someone else’s subscription, get sponging now to avoid disappointment later in the month. This is not to say that other streaming services are barren wastelands, though, with MUBI also hosting the return of the divisive Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier by presenting the third season of his strange series, The Kingdom.
Still, in efforts to keep things balanced, we’ve also included some noteworthy additions to the festive calendar from Apple and Amazon too, as well as offerings for all ages so that you try to avoid the annual Christmas argument.
The 20 best new releases to stream this December:
20. The Muppet Christmas Carol – Extended Edition – Disney+ – December 11th
The extended edition of the festive classic The Muppets Christmas Carol will be hitting Disney+ on December 11th, giving you plenty of time to watch it before the big day. The family favourite follows the story of Charles Dickens’s novella A Christmas Carol, with the loveable Muppets characters playing the characters alongside Michael Caine starring as Ebenezer Scrooge. Mixing comedy and tragedy, the film offers something for all ages.
Since the film’s release in 1992, The Muppets Christmas Carol has been hugely popular amongst families. However, with the release of the extended edition, you can access even more songs and material that you might not have previously had the chance to enjoy.
19. Diary Of A Wimpy Kid – Rodrick Rules – Disney+ – December 2nd
Jeff Kinney’s successful Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series was transformed into a film series in 2010, bringing the cartoon characters to life as protagonist Greg deals with school life and family dilemmas. The sequel, Rodrick Rules, centres around Greg and his brother Rodrick, a slacker who plays in a band called Löded Diper. The family-friendly film stars Zachary Gordon as the wimpy kid himself, Devon Bostick as his brother, and Rachael Harris and Steve Zahn play the pair’s parents.
The film, which grossed $72,417,394 worldwide upon its release in 2012, will have kids and adults alike laughing at its unique and often pathetic cast of characters.
18. Bullet Train (2022) – Netflix – December 3rd
Bullet Train, directed by David Leitch, was one of this summer’s most popular blockbusters, grossing $239.3 million worldwide. In case you didn’t get the chance to catch the Brad Pitt action comedy, or perhaps you want to enjoy it in all its thrills again, the film will appear on Netflix on December 3rd. Bullet Train follows Pitt’s assassin as he battles fellow killers during a train journey whilst trying to retrieve a briefcase.
The film’s ensemble cast includes Aaron Taylor Johnson, Joey King, Brian Tyree-Henry, Andrew Koji, Sandra Bullock, Michael Shannon, Hiroyuki Sanada, and even rapper Bad Bunny.
17. Last Chance U: Basketball – Season two (2022) – Netflix – December 13th
Following the success of the Emmy-winning documentary series Last Chance U, which explored the football program at East Mississippi Community College, Netflix created the spinoff series Last Chance U: Basketball. The first season followed the basketball program at East Los Angeles College, which aired in 2021. Now, the streaming service will release the second season on December 13th, perfect to binge-watch over the holiday period.
The show details the personal struggles of the team members, who battle mental health issues, financial insecurities, and injury. The players offer viewers access to the ups and downs of their journeys to becoming stronger athletes.
16. Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022) – Netflix – December 2nd
A musical animation retelling the classic Dickens Christmas tale will hit Netflix on December 2nd. Luke Evans will voice the iconic character of Ebenezer Scrooge, who must redeem himself before Christmas Day. Olivia Colman provides the voice of The Ghost of Christmas Past, and Johnny Flynn voices Bob Crachit. Other actors who have lent their voices include Jonathan Pryce, Jessie Buckley, James Cosmo, and Fra Fee.
Director Stephen Donnelly has said, “It’s been a fascinating challenge to adapt such a beloved and often-told story. I think this version will give those who know A Christmas Carol all the things they expect, but not as they’ve experienced them before.”
15. Troll – Netflix – December 1st
A new Norweigian monster film, Troll, will be added to Netflix on December 1st. Directed by Roar Uthaug, the film stars Ine Marie Wilmann, Kim Falck, Mads Sjøgård Pettersen, Gard B. Eidsvold, Pål Richard Lunderby and Eric Vorenholt. Troll follows a group that must unite to stop an ancient troll that has awoken in a Norweigian mountain from wreaking havoc.
Uthaug said, “Troll is an idea that has been developing in the back of my mind for over 20 years. To finally be able to realise it with the enthusiastic and ambitious people at Netflix and Motion Blur is truly a dream come true. I can’t wait to unleash this Norwegian monster on the world.”
14. The Witcher: Blood Origin – Season one (2022) – Netflix – December 25th
The Witcher: Blood Origin, a prequel series for the hugely successful Henry Cavill-starring Netflix show The Witcher, will be released next month. The show lands on Christmas Day, the perfect watch if you’re not feeling the festive spirit. The show is set 1,200 years before The Witcher and will depict the creation of the first ‘Witcher’ and the events leading to the ‘Conjunction of the Spheres’ and explore the ancient Elven civilization before its demise.
The fantasy show will feature actors such as Sophia Brown, Michelle Yeoh, Laurence O’Fuarain, Lenny Henry, and Dylan Moran.
13. Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical (2022) – Netflix – December 25th
The highly anticipated Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical will appear on Netflix on December 25th following a short run in cinemas. The film, directed by Matthew Warchus, is based on the highly popular stage play written by Warchus, Dennis Kelly (who wrote the screenplay) and Tim Minchin, which in turn, is inspired by Roald Dahl’s book of the same name.
Alisha Weir will play the title character alongside Lashana Lynch, Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough and Emma Thompson. Minchin, who wrote the music for the film, shared, “The messages about defiance are beautiful for young girls.”
12. If These Walls Could Sing – Disney+ – December 16th
Paul and Linda McCartney’s daughter Mary has directed her first feature – a documentary about Abbey Road Studios, which will air on Disney+ on December 16th. She shared: “Some of my earliest memories as a young child come from time spent at Abbey Road; I’ve long wanted to tell the story of this historic place.” The documentary features contributions from big names such as John Williams, Liam and Noel Gallagher, Kate Bush, Jimmy Page, Roger Waters and Celeste.
McCartney also added, “What I wanted from the interviews was to drill down into those musicians really feel about Abbey Road. […] And I think from the interviews, you can really see they are thinking fondly about it.”
11. Wildcat (2022) – Amazon Prime – December 30th
After a successful run at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, the new Amazon Prime documentary Wildcat will be released on the streaming service on December 30th. The film follows British man Harry Turner, who fought in Afghanistan aged 18. “Struggling with PTSD, depression and suicidal thoughts, he travels deep into the Peruvian rainforest, where he meets the US scientist Samantha. Together, they take care of an orphaned ocelot, a small spotted wildcat.”
Directed by Melissa Lesh and Trevor Frost, the documentary is a tale of love and healing, which critics have praised for its honest depiction of mental health issues.
10. “Sr.” – Netflix – December 2nd
What is Christmas without a Netflix documentary? To whet the appetite of any documentary lover, Netflix has got the brand new feature film “Sr.” to offer, a tender account of the life of Robert Downey Sr., the filmmaker who changed countercultural comedy in the 1960s and 1970s with such films as Putney Swope and Pound. Whilst most will know him as being the father of Iron Man’s Robert Downey Jr., the iconic director finally gets the praise he deserves here.
Whilst much of the study obviously focuses on Robert Downey Sr. and his son, Netflix also wrangled the likes of Paul Thomas Anderson, Alan Arkin and Sean Hayes to appear in the film.
9. Slow Horses – Season two (2022) – Apple TV+ – December 2nd
Hollywood icon Gary Oldman returns for season two of Apple TV’s Slow Horses, a series which follows a team of British intelligence agents who have each made career-ending mistakes earlier in their lives. Playing Jackson Lamb, the leader of the pack, Oldman is joined by such celebrated actors as Kristin Scott Thomas, Jack Lowden, Chris Reilly, Dustin Demri-Burns and more.
Having impressed with the first season, we can’t wait to see where the new set of episodes will take the story, with the show proving to be one of Apple TV’s quietest successes.
8. Lady Chatterley’s Lover (2022) – Netflix – December 2nd
Already garnering early praise from critics, the latest adaptation of D. H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover is helmed by The Mustang director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre. Staying faithful to the influential novel, the story follows an unhappily married aristocrat who begins an affair with the gatekeeper on her husband’s country estate. Starring Emma Corrin and Jack O’Connell in the lead roles, this looks like a passionate romance not to be missed.
Indeed, after the success of Bridgerton, it seems as though Netflix is trying to carve out a niche for itself as the master of period dramas.
7. BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (2022) – Netflix – December 16th
Where has the Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu been? Having directed the Oscar-winning survival story The Revenant in 2015 with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy, the director has barely been seen since, apart from now, of course. His latest mouthful of a movie title tells the story of an acclaimed journalist-turned-documentarian who goes on an introspective journey to reconcile with his past.
Ditching Hollywood stars for his latest outing, BARDO features the likes of Daniel Giménez Cacho, Ximena Lamadrid, Luis Couturier and Andrés Almeida.
6. White Noise (2022) – Netflix – December 30th
Having premiered at the 79th Venice Film Festival in August, Noah Baumbach’s latest movie, an adaptation of the 1985 novel of the same name by Don DeLillo, has received rave critical reviews ever since its initial release. Packed full of commentary about death and consumerism, White Noise tells the story of Jack (Adam Driver), a professor of Hitler studies at a liberal arts college, and his family, who are faced with the existential threat of death after an ‘airborne toxic event’ occurs near his home.
As well as Driver, White Noise also stars Noah Baumbach’s partner, fellow filmmaker Greta Gerwig, alongside Don Cheadle, Jodie Turner-Smith and André 3000.
5. Emancipation (2022) – Apple TV+ – December 9th
Will Smith has been staying out of the limelight since he shockingly slapped comedian Chris Rock across the face at the 2022 Academy Awards. Several months later and he’s ready to re-enter the fray with the release of Apple’s slave drama Emancipation, starring Smith in a demanding role as a runaway slave who forges through the swamps of Louisiana on a tortuous journey to escape plantation owners.
Leading the line, much as he did in his Oscar-winning performance for King Richard, Smith has a little help from a supporting cast that includes Charmaine Bingwa, Ben Foster and Gilbert Owuor.
4. The Kingdom Exodus (2022) – MUBI – December 4th
The Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier is back, but not on the big screen as you might expect. This time, he’s returning to his 1990s TV series, The Kingdom, which is something of a mix between David Lynch’s Twin Peaks and Channel 4’s Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace. Picking up where he left off, the new series will continue the story of the ultramodern hospital in Denmark, which appears to be haunted.
A new von Trier project doesn’t come around all that often, so we highly recommend watching The Kingdom Exodus and discovering a strange, disturbing world of comedy and horror.
3. Decision to Leave (2022) – MUBI – December 9th
Speaking of iconic filmmakers returning to the fold, on December 9th MUBI is hosting the online stream of Park Chan-wook’s award-winning crime drama Decision to Leave. Telling the story of a detective investigating a man’s death in the mountains who meets the dead man’s mysterious wife, Chan-wook’s latest mystery contains all the passion, drama and cinematic prowess of his previous celebrated works.
Whilst he may be known for the violence of Lady Vengeance and Oldboy, Chan-wook is a versatile filmmaker, and the romance of Decision to Leave proves this beyond doubt.
2. Pinocchio (2022) – Netflix – December 9th
We can say with some certainty that Guillermo del Toro’s stop-motion triumph Pinocchio will be high up on our list of the greatest films of 2022, with the film having impressed at the BFI London Film Festival. Gorgeously crafted by the Mexican filmmaker, Pinocchio may be the finest adaptation of the classic Italian tale ever put to screen, shaming the awful live-action counterpart that Disney released this year.
Whilst the visuals and the emotional story does most of the leg work, the excellent voice cast of Gregory Mann, Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz, Cate Blanchett and Finn Wolfhard really bring the feature film to life.
1. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) – Netflix – December 23rd
Some fans will never forgive filmmaker Rian Johnson for the Star Wars sequel, The Last Jedi, but we’ve explained several times why the celebrated director should be given a second chance. After all, he is so much more than Disney’s sci-fi franchise. Thankfully he regained some trust with the release of the murder mystery thriller Knives Out in 2019, leading Netflix to sign a lucrative deal for several sequels.
Releasing on December 23rd, right in time for the Christmas weekend, there’s no doubt that Glass Onion should be the film you watch with your family and friends, with the new release offering plenty of action, drama, comedy and more. Once again, starring Daniel Craig as the famed Southern detective Benoit Blanc, this time the know-it-all, is in Greece alongside such stars as Kate Hudson, Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn and Janelle Monáe to solve a brand new mystery.
With favourable reviews already pouring in, we can’t wait to watch this sparkly sequel.
