Netflix isn’t just ending 2025 with big titles it’s ending the year with the kind of lineup that feels like a studio clearing its entire arsenal at once. From monster epics to intimate dramas, from holiday chaos to long-awaited finales, December delivers a mixed bag of genres unified by ambition. Below is a thoughtful look at everything new, beginning each spotlight with what the movie or series follows, then unfolding the story, tone, and why it might be worth your time.
Troll 2 – December 1
This movie follows a new crisis in Norway as yet another ancient troll rises from the mountains, setting off a chain of destruction that demands a desperate, coordinated response.
The story picks up the spirit of the first Troll and amplifies it literally. Billed as the largest film production ever mounted in the Nordic countries, Troll 2 leans into its mythical backdrop, grounding the spectacle in the landscape and folklore that made the original such an international surprise. What impressed audiences before the blend of Norwegian cultural texture with Hollywood-grade visual effects seems even more muscular here.
Early glimpses suggest a sequel that isn’t just bigger, but more emotionally pointed, giving its characters more to do than simply run from a towering legend. If you loved the original’s energy, December opens with a roar.
The Abandons – December 4
This series follows a group of frontier families trying to hold onto the patchwork lives they’ve built in 1850s Oregon, all while a ruthless mining company attempts to steamroll them off their own land.
Created by Kurt Sutter who is no stranger to stories of loyalty, violence, and moral ambiguity The Abandons feels like a natural evolution of his storytelling instincts. Here, instead of biker gangs and outlaw brotherhoods, he channels those same gravities into the rough-edged American West.
Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey lead a cast that seems tailor-made for gritty emotional conflict. What stands out most is the series’ sense of place: dusty, lived-in, and charged with the tension of lives continually threatened by greed. If you miss the grounded brutality of prestige westerns, this is one to watch.
Jay Kelly – December 5
This movie follows a well-known actor who quietly unravels as he embarks on an inward journey, trying to rediscover who he is beneath his public persona.
Noah Baumbach specializes in emotional excavation the small humiliations, the quiet revelations, the fractured relationships that linger long after the credits roll. With Jay Kelly, he appears to be returning to that introspective territory, this time with Adam Sandler and George Clooney carrying the film’s emotional weight.
Sandler’s dramatic work shines when paired with directors who understand his melancholy undercurrent, and Clooney’s gravitas provides a compelling counterbalance. Expect something gentle, character-driven, and more interested in the inner lives of flawed people than in plot twists. Baumbach rarely misses when it comes to humane storytelling.
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Man vs. Baby – December 11
This series follows Trevor Bingley, the well-meaning but perpetually unlucky caretaker we last saw in Man vs. Bee, now thrown into a new holiday assignment that unsurprisingly goes off the rails.
Rowan Atkinson remains one of the few performers who can make pure physical comedy feel fresh. Man vs. Baby trades the buzzing tormentor for an unexpected infant companion inside a luxurious penthouse, setting up a string of Christmas-themed disasters.
Atkinson’s gift is in elevating the simple gag with timing and sincerity; even his most over-the-top antics carry a sweetness that makes the chaos charming instead of exhausting. This is exactly the kind of lighthearted, warmly silly series people gravitate toward during the holidays.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery – December 12
This movie follows detective Benoit Blanc as he’s pulled into yet another elaborate death this time involving a charismatic priest and a murky tangle of motives that run darker than his previous cases.
The Knives Out films have become the modern gold standard for mystery storytelling: elaborate but never convoluted, funny without undercutting tension, and always anchored in sharp ensemble performances.
The third installment promises an even moodier tone, yet still carries the playful wit that made the series beloved. Daniel Craig has fully grown into this role the drawl, the eccentricity, the unshakeable confidence that he will solve the puzzle even when everyone else has given up.
If Rian Johnson once again balances character, humor, and a twisty narrative, this might be the standout movie of the month.
Emily in Paris – Season 5 – December 18
This season follows Emily as her romantic entanglements, career ambitions, and Parisian escapades collide once again, sending her into yet another swirl of stylish chaos.
Whether you watch it sincerely or ironically, Emily in Paris has carved out its own niche: vibrant, escapist, and feather-light. Season five promises more fashion, more workplace mishaps, and more tangled love stories set against postcard-ready backdrops.
The charm of the show has always been its refusal to take reality too seriously. Viewers who enjoy glossy comfort TV will find another binge-ready season waiting.
Goodbye June – December 24
This movie follows four adult siblings who are forced back into one another’s orbit when their mother’s health declines, stirring old conflicts and unresolved emotional fractures.
Directed by and starring Kate Winslet, Goodbye June looks poised to be the kind of quiet, intimate drama that drops like a stone into the heart. With a cast that includes Helen Mirren and Toni Collette, the film has emotional pedigree baked into its DNA.
Holiday releases often lean sentimental, but this seems like a richer, more grounding story about family grief, aging, and the fragile ties that keep people tethered. Expect something layered, sober, and beautifully acted.
Stranger Things – Season 5 (Final Episodes) – December 25 & 31
This season follows the final descent into the Upside Down as the characters now older, more battered, and more desperate than ever face the endgame of a threat that’s been building for years.
Season 5 is already underway by the time December hits, but the final episodes drop on Christmas Day, culminating in a massive series finale on December 31. It’s a fitting sendoff: closing the year and an era with a show that reshaped Netflix’s identity.
The emotional stakes are the highest they’ve ever been. The kids aren’t quite kids anymore, and the series seems ready to embrace the weight that comes with growing up under impossible pressure. Expect nostalgia, spectacle, and a finale designed to leave fans breathless.
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Additional December Drops
A handful of smaller titles round out the month, offering niche delights across genres:
- My Secret Santa A heartwarming rom-com about a single mother who secretly fills the boots of Santa Claus.
- Record of Ragnarok – Season 3 The gods-versus-human legends continue in this high-energy anime.
- Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara – Season 2 – The animated series returns for its final run of mythic adventure.
- Tin Dance – A Japanese drama exploring rivalry, artistry, and ambition through competitive dance.
- Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua – A headline-grabbing live boxing spectacle pairing a YouTuber with a former heavyweight champion.
- The Great Flood – A Korean sci-fi thriller where scientists race against time to prevent a global catastrophe.
- Christmas Day NFL Games – Cowboys vs. Commanders and Lions vs. Vikings streaming live.
Final Thoughts
December 2025 on Netflix isn’t just busy it’s unusually curated. The month blends spectacle with intimacy, comedy with catastrophe, endings with new beginnings. Whether you’re settling in for a sprawling fantasy, a moody whodunnit, or simply a dose of holiday mischief, there’s something here worth your couch time.
I am a journalist with 10+ years of experience, specializing in family-friendly film reviews.