December 2023: a list of the 15 best best new movies to stream this month, from anticipated releases to lesser known films to watch right now or soon!
It’s December 2023, and it’s difficult to choose the 10 best new movies to stream this month, as the list of upcoming streaming releases is long! We’ll get to see some highly anticipated films on our TV screens very soon, like May December and Maestro on Netflix and Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn on Prime. Ridley Scott’s Napoleon is bound to be out on Apple TV+ next month too, even though we have no release date yet. Keep an eye on this page for updates, and let’s take a look at the 15 best new movies to stream in December 2023, in order of release date!
Last updated on: December 4, 2023
1. Candy Cane Lane
Director: Reginald Hudlin
Release Date: December 1, 2023
Where to Stream it: Prime Video
It’s December, and this means the Christmas movies are coming! In Candy Cane Lane, Eddie Murphy plays a man named Chris, who is determined to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest. To do so, he inadvertently makes a deal with an elf (Jillian Bell), who casts a spell that ends up causing chaos in his entire town. And so, Chris has a new mission: breaking the spall and saving Christmas, with the help of his wife Carol (Tracee Ellis Ross) and his children. If you’re looking for a holiday movie, this will put you in the right mood!
2. It’s a Wonderful Knife
Director: Tyler MacIntyre
Release Date: December 1, 2023
Where to Stream it: Shudder
“Think Happy Death Day meets Black Christmas,” writes Emma in our review of It’s A Wonderful Knife, and despite its flaws, this Shudder release is still a fun horror comedy for slasher fans. The film is about a woman named Winnie (Jane Widdop) who saves her town from a psychotic killer on Christmas Eve only to find them again the following year, in a parallel universe. And so, Winnie must defeat the threat again, helped by a bunch of misfits. Also starring Joel McHale and Justin Long.
3. May December
Director: Todd Haynes
Release Date: December 1, 2023
Where to Stream it: Netflix
The wait is over: this Cannes favorite is finally coming to Netflix! The film revolves around a couple, Gracie (Julianne Moore) and Joe (Charles Melton), who reached celebrity status years prior because of their involvement in a scandal. Now, Gracie and Joe live an idyllic suburban life. But their carefully constructed balance is turned upside down when famous actress Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) is sent to their house to shadow Grace, as she’s going to play her in a film soon, and does a little more than just research.
4. Great Photo, Lovely Life
Directors: Amanda Mustard & Rachel Beth Anderson
Release Date: December 5, 2023
Where to Stream it: Max
Renowned photojournalist Amanda Mustard turns the camera to herself in Great Photo, Lovely Life: Facing a Family’s Secrets. This documentary was eight years in the making, and it explores timely, heavy themes like sexual abuse and trauma, all present in Mustard’s past.
5. A Tiger in Paradise
Director: Mikel Cee Karlsson
Release Date: December 8, 2023
Where to Stream it: Mubi
The production company behind Triangle of Sadness bring us a movie about musician José González. A Tiger in Paradise focuses on both his music and his philosophy, with a gorgeous, surreal vibe to it.
6. Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever
Director: Luke Cormican
Release Date: December 8, 2023
Where to Stream it: Disney Plus
If you’re a fan of Jeff Kinney’s beloved book series, save the date: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever hits Disney Plus on December 8! The film takes place during the winter holidays, when Greg Heffley (Wesley Kimmel) has one main preoccupation: getting a video console for Christmas.
7. Leave the World Behind
Director: Sam Esmail
Release Date: December 8, 2023
Where to Stream it: Netflix
After a successful theatrical release in November, Leave the World Behind is coming to Netflix. The film is an apocalyptic thriller from the writer-director of Mr. Robot, and it’s about a couple (Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke) who go on vacation with their kids at a luxurious home they rented. But when two strangers (Mahershala Ali and Myha’la) arrive, claiming that there was a cyberattack and the home is actually theirs, both families’ worlds collapse. The movie is based on a bestselling novel, and this incredible cast is making us want to watch it.
8. Merry Little Batman
Director: Mike Roth
Release Date: December 8, 2023
Where to Stream it: Prime Video
Batman fans, rejoyce! DC’s Merry Little Batman is coming, and the trailer looks great! This animated family action comedy is about a boy named Damian Wayne (Yonas Kibreab) who is alone in Wayne Manor on Christmas Eve. But there’s a threat in Gotham City, and so he must become “Little Batman” to save his hometown.
9. Your Christmas Or Mine 2
Director: Jim O’Hanlon
Release Date: December 8, 2023
Where to Stream it: Prime Video
Asa Butterfield and Cora Kirk return as James and Hayley in this sequel holiday movie. This time, they have been invited to spend Christmas at a luxury ski resort in the Alps by James’ father, who wants to introduce them to his new American girlfriend. Of course, there’s a mix-up with the bookings, and everyone ends up in different places. Will Hayley and James’ relationship survive the holidays?
10. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
Director: Sam Fell
Release Date: December 15, 2023
Where to Stream it: Netflix
If you found the first Chicken Run movie as charming as we did, you don’t want to miss the sequel. This London Film Festival-premiering animated film follows our favorite animals after their escape from Tweedy’s farm. They now leave in a peaceful island sanctuary that they created, where they are safe from humans. But back on the mainland, the future of all chicken is threatened, and our heroes need to come to the rescue!
11. The Family Plan
Director: Simon Cellan Jones
Release Date: December 15, 2023
Where to Stream it: Apple TV+
In The Family Plan, Mark Wahlberg plays a husband and family man named Dan Morgan, who leads a quiet suburban life with his wife (Michelle Monaghan) and kids. But Dan used to be – you guessed it! – an elite government assassin, sent on deadly missions to eliminate dangerous threats. Needless to say, his enemies decide to knock on his door, and Dan’s new mission becomes getting his family safe – using the excuse of a vacation to Las Vegas. The premise isn’t exactly new, but the cast is stellar and we are excited.
12. FinestKind
Director: Brian Helgeland
Release Date: December 15, 2023
Where to Stream it: Paramount+
Jenna Ortega returns in Finestkind, playing a woman who finds herself caught in the middle of a reunion between two brothers (Ben Foster and Toby Wallace) who soon become involved with a violent Boston crime gang. Tommy Lee Jones plays the brothers’ father in a tense thriller where everyone’s loyalties are tested.
13. Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire
Director: Zack Snyder
Release Date: December 15, 2023
Where to Stream it: Paramount+
One of the most anticipated movies out this month, Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire is about a young woman named Kora (Sofia Boutella) who crash lands on the moon and settles with a community of peaceful farmers. But her past comes knocking when a tyrant (Fra Fee) and his emissary (Ed Skrein) discover that the farmers unwittingly sold their crops to the rebellion. The film revolves around the epic conflict between two teams of warriors, and Charlie Hunnam and Anthony Hopkins are also in the cast.
14. Saltburn
Director: Emerald Fennell
Release Date: December 22, 2023
Where to Stream it: Prime Video
The new sensation from Promising Young Woman director Emerald Fennell is coming, and it’s another genre-defying gem. Described as a “wicked tale of privilege and desire,” the film is about an Oxford student named Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) who’s drawn into the world of wealthy fellow student Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi). When Felix invites Oliver to his family estate, the titular Saltburn, for the summer, a relationship develops between them that absolutely isn’t what you’re expecting it to be.
15. Maestro
Director: Bradley Cooper
Release Date: December 29
Where to Stream it: Netflix
Here’s another highly anticipated festival film coming soon to Netflix! Maestro is a biopic, telling us about the life of US composer Leonard Bernstein (Cooper), with a particular focus on his relationship with Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (Carey Mulligan). The film switches between two timelines to show us their evolution as a couple, and it’s worth watching for its stunning cinematography and a fantastic performance from Carey Mulligan.
MORE MOVIES TO STREAM IN DECEMBER 2023:
- We Live Here: The Midwest: December 6 (Hulu)
- The Sacrifice Game: December 8 (Shudder)
- Dating Santa: December 8 (Prime Video)
- Thank You, I’m Sorry: December 26 (Netflix)
- Napoleon: TBA
