As the lights go up, the cocoa comes out, and the year winds down, December 2025 delivers a final flurry of can’t-miss new TV shows and movies on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus and other streaming services. It’s the month when comfort viewing meets blockbuster finales, and this year the lineup leans all the way into the holiday spectacle.
Music fans get a year-end gift with Taylor Swift’s sweeping docuseries “The End of an Era" and a new Eras Tour concert film that includes "The Tortured Poets Department." And Rian Johnson stirs up another round of mischief in the star-studded whodunit “Wake Up, Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.” Here’s our guide on what to watch in December 2025.
What to watch in December 2025
‘Oh. What. Fun.’ (Dec. 3, Prime Video)
Christmas magic doesn't just come from anywhere — it's the time and toil of a dedicated parent, as Michelle Pfeiffer's Clauster family matriarch Claire knows all too well.
However, when the rest of the Clausters (played by Felicity Jones, Chloë Grace Moretz, Denis Leary and Dominic Sessa) forget her in the midst of the holiday hustle, Claire chooses to free herself from all that present-wrapping pressure and embark on her own festive adventure, "one that doesn’t involve cooking, cleaning, or coordinating anyone else’s chaos,” the official logline reads. “As her family scrambles to find her and salvage their Christmas, Claire rediscovers what the holidays mean when you’re finally free to put yourself first.”
Michael Showalter (“The Idea of You”) directs "Oh. What. Fun." from a screenplay he co-wrote with Chandler Baker. Jason Schwartzman, Danielle Brooks, Havana Rose Liu, Maude Apatow, Eva Longoria and Joan Chen round out the star-studded cast. — Christina Izzo
Premieres Dec. 3 on Prime Video
‘The Abandons’ (Dec. 4, Netflix)
Two of TV's most formidable leading ladies — "The X-Files" icon Gillian Anderson and "Game of Thrones" great Lena Headey — go head-to-head as ruthless rival matriarchs in Netflix's new Western drama from "Sons of Anarchy" creator Kurt Sutter.
Set in the 1850s in Washington Territory, "The Abandons" chronicles the land-based power struggle between the two women and their respective worlds, “one of wealth and privilege bound by blood, the other a found family of orphans and outcasts bound by love and necessity." Along with Anderson and Headey, the cast includes Nick Robinson, Diana Silvers, Lamar Johnson, Natalia del Riego, Lucas Till and Aisling Franciosi, among others. — Christina Izzo
Premieres Dec. 4 on Netflix
‘Jay Kelly’ (Dec. 5, Netflix)
George Clooney plays a charismatic, mega-famous movie star — a stretch, we know — in this new Netflix dramedy by Noah Baumbach ("Marriage Story").
With his mentor recently passed and his teenage daughter off soon to university, Clooney's Kelly decides to back out of a big film production at the last minute to take a reflective trip across Europe ahead of a career-spanning tribute in Italy. Always by the star's side is his trusty team, including devoted manager Ron (Adam Sandler) and publicist Liz (Laura Dern), who have their own personal issues to unpack. — Christina Izzo
Premieres Dec. 5 on Netflix
‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ season 2 (Dec. 10, Disney Plus)
Soon it’ll be time to return to Camp Half-Blood, and as a huge fan of Rick Riordan’s The Sea of Monsters book, I’m very excited to see what season 2 of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” has in store.
When Camp Half‑Blood’s protective borders are broken and his friend Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri) goes missing, Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) must sail into the dangerous Sea of Monsters to recover the legendary Golden Fleece — the only thing that can save his home. Alongside Annabeth Chase (Leah Sava Jeffries), his new cyclops half‑brother Tyson (Daniel Diemer), and others, Percy battles monstrous sea creatures and dark forces led by the traitorous demigod Luke (Charlie Bushnell) and a titanic threat. — Alix Blackburn
Premieres Dec. 10 on Disney Plus
‘Taylor Swift: The End of an Era’ and ‘The Final Show’ (Dec. 12, Disney Plus)
Taylor Swift is offering up two holiday gifts this year, and no, I’m not talking about yet another vinyl variant of her latest album. “Taylor Swift: The End of an Era” is a six-part docuseries that takes viewers behind the scenes of her global-spanning, record-breaking Eras Tour. The doc promises to showcase its initial conception, rehearsal, and backstage chaos. And it’s all set against the backdrop of her falling in love with fiancé, Travis Kelce.
On the same day that the first two episodes of “The End of an Era” docuseries drop (Dec. 12), Disney Plus will also premiere “The Eras Tour: The Final Show,” a complete pro-shot concert movie of Swift’s, you’ve guessed it, final show of the tour at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium. This is significant because the previous “Eras Tour Move” released in theaters last fall didn’t include the “Tortured Poets Department” section that Swift added to the setlist for its later international legs. Expect the Swiftie(s) in your life to be talking about these new Disney Plus releases all December long. - Rory Mellon
Premieres Dec. 12 on Disney Plus
‘Wake Up, Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’ (Dec. 12, Netflix)
If you haven’t seen the “Knives Out” movies yet, pause whatever you’re doing and dive into the first two movies right now. These clever whodunits are endlessly entertaining, and I’d be thrilled if Rian Johnson keeps delivering more. The best part? You don’t need to have watched the first two to enjoy the new “Wake Up Dead Man.”
Famed detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is drawn into a baffling murder at a small church in upstate New York. A young priest named Jud Duplenticy (Josh O'Connor) — sent to assist the parish overseen by the charismatic yet intimidating Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin) — becomes caught up in the mystery. When Wicks is discovered dead under seemingly impossible circumstances (a locked‑room scenario that leaves no obvious entry or exit), Blanc must investigate the suspects within the church community to uncover who did it and how. — Alix Blackburn
Premieres Dec. 12 on Netflix
‘Fallout’ season 2 (Dec. 17, Prime Video)
“Fallout” season 2 is one of my most anticipated drops of the year, and saying I’m excited to head back into the Wastelands would be an understatement. Even the latest trailer has somehow increased my excitement. The Mojave Desert becomes a battleground, with Deathclaws, Dogmeat, and widespread destruction setting the stage for war.
Season 2 follows the aftermath of season 1 as the main characters — Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell), The Ghoul (Walton Goggins), and Maximus (Aaron Moten) — journey through the wasteland to the ruined metropolis of New Vegas. There, they’ll confront dangerous factions, unravel the mysteries surrounding Vault‑Tec’s past, and face new enemies, including powerful figures tied to New Vegas. Meanwhile, Maximus rises within the Brotherhood of Steel, wielding a mysterious cold‑fusion device, while Lucy and The Ghoul chase clues about her father’s dark secrets. — Alix Blackburn
Premieres Dec. 17 on Prime Video
‘Emily in Paris’ season 5 (Dec. 18, Netflix)
Plucky publicist Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) is back with her usual over-the-top fashions and romantic dramas in season 5 of Netflix's "Emily in Paris," albeit this time in a different stunning European city: Rome.
Yes, while Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu), Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) and the rest of the gang are back in France, Emily is currently living la dolce vita with her new Italian love Marcello (Eugenio Franceschini) and her promotion as the head of Agence Grateau Rome. “But just as everything falls into place, a work idea backfires, and the fallout cascades into heartbreak and career setbacks,” reads this season's official logline. “Seeking stability, Emily leans into her French lifestyle, until a big secret threatens one of her closest relationships." Le drame! — Christina Izzo
Premieres Dec. 18 on Netflix
‘Goodbye June’ (Dec. 24, Netflix)
This is the year for acclaimed actors to take on their child’s movie project. Daniel Day-Lewis starred in son Ronan’s directorial debut. And now Kate Winslet directs her first film from a script written by her son, Joe Anders.
The Christmas drama gathers Toni Collette, Johnny Flynn, Andrea Riseborough, Timothy Spall, Helen Mirren and Winslet herself for a holiday story that refuses to sugarcoat the season. When matriarch June’s health suddenly falters, four grown siblings and one thoroughly exhausting father are shoved into emotional triage. But June insists on carrying out her final act her own way. — Kelly Woo
Premieres Dec. 24 on Netflix
‘Stranger Things’ season 5 part 2 and series finale (Dec. 25 and Dec. 31, Netflix)
Now that the first four episodes of “Stranger Things” season 5 are streaming, the wait is on for volume 2 to drop. Since premiering in 2016, “Stranger Things” has become a phenomenon, breaking streaming records and establishing itself as one of Netflix’s standout series. By 2025, the show had racked up more than 404 million viewing hours across its first four seasons.
Season 5 finds Vecna gone missing after the events of season 4, but his threat to Hawkins, Indiana, remains. With the town under a strict military quarantine and the government hunting Eleven, the core group must reunite to take him down. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance looms, the final confrontation draws near. — Alix Blackburn
Part 2 premieres Dec. 25 / Part 3 premieres Dec. 31 on Netflix
‘The Copenhagen Test’ (Dec. 27, Peacock)
“Copenhagen Test” drops you straight into the worst workday imaginable: realizing your brain has been hacked. Simu Liu stars as Alexander Hale, a first-gen Chinese American analyst whose every word and gesture is being tracked by a mysterious entity.
Caught between his own agency and the hackers, he’s forced to play along while hunting for the truth. Melissa Barrera sails in as a possible ally, possible trap; she’s both helpful and tempting, and her motives aren’t quite clear. The result is a spy thriller where privacy is a myth and trust is replaced by paranoia. — Kelly Woo
Premieres Dec. 27 on Peacock
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