The last month of 2025 is upon us – and December has kicked off with a slew of new pre-Christmas movies for you to enjoy on the world’s best streaming services.
For those who are convinced of a TV show, Netflix has also served up a new series from the Western era and, depending on your musical inclinations, a documentary that has proven to be highly controversial. No matter what kind of content you consume, I’m sure this week’s recommendations will have something for you. – Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter
Jay Kelly (Netflix)
Look at
A character study that satirizes life as a Hollywood persona, Jay Kelly a great addition to this month’s new Netflix movies and worth watching for its strong lead performances alone.
A-listers George Clooney and Adam Sandler star as a famous actor and his manager who embark on an in-depth journey through Europe where they both examine the choices they’ve made in life, their relationships and the legacy they leave behind.
Our Jay Kelly review is full of several good reasons why I want to watch Noah Baumbach’s latest feature on Netflix this weekend and you should too. – Lucy Buglass, Senior Entertainment Writer
Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning (Paramount+)
Look at
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, dear reader, is to catch Ethan Hunt’s potentially final mission on Paramount+ this weekend (NB: it’s only available in North America right now, but it’s launching internationally in the coming weeks and months).
Actually with the eighth Mission Impossible movie out now, Tom Cruise’s time as the world’s preeminent spy (well, until James Bond comes back…) may be over. However, you’ll have to watch it to see if Hunt survives the events of his latest life-threatening mission.
If you do, you’ll be treated to everything we’ve come to expect from everyone Mission Impossible movie: explosive action, high-stakes drama, the odd bit of comedy, and Cruise pulling off death-defying stunts that Hunt himself would be proud of. I stick to sitting on the sofa… – TP
Oh. What. Fun. (Prime Video)
Look at
Prime Video always has a big Christmas burst each year, and 2025’s offer is Oh. What. Fun. As you can tell from the punctuation in the title, there’s a heavy emphasis on sarcasm here for one of December’s new Prime Video movies.
Claire (Michelle Pfeiffer) has her family Christmas planned to perfection… until they all forget about her. It takes them all a while to realize she’s missing, but until then it’s total chaos.
We all often need a reminder not to take ourselves (or the party season) too seriously, so this Amazon Original really arrives at the perfect time. Honestly, it doesn’t matter what Pfeiffer does – if she’s on screen, I’m there. – Jasmine Valentine, entertainment reporter
The Abandons (Netflix)
Look at
Gillian Anderson as a Netflix villain? Then continue. The abandoned best described as a matriarchal version of Yellowstone and the drama is rife.
Anderson plays the wealthy tyrant Constance Van Ness, intent on terrorizing the town of Angel’s Ridge with an iron fist. Her greatest enemy? Poor rancher Fiona (Lena Heady). Brave and defiant, all she wants is to keep her found family on the land she believes is theirs. This results in a head-to-head that turns fatal, with the unique dual performances that you would expect.
You’ll binge its seven episodes in no time, but don’t be fooled—the drama gets incredibly dark. Luckily for us, Anderson on his (literally) high horse makes it all worth it. – JV
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (Disney+)
Look at
Beloved children’s book author and illustrator Jeff Kinney has written and produced another new animated film based on his bestselling book A Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series for Disney.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw marks the second holiday-themed animation, this time adapting the third book in the franchise, which follows disaster-prone student Greg Heffley as he tries to prove to his father that he can turn his troubled ways around.
With Disney+ almost guaranteed to be a hit with the little ones over the Christmas holidays, one of December’s new Disney+ movies seems like a safe bet if you need something to distract them for an hour or two. – Amelia Schwanke, Senior Entertainment Editor
The Family McMullen (HBO Max)
Look at
The McMullen family is just one of the great new HBO Max movies this month. Acts as a legacy successor to The McMullen Brothersit centers on the original characters Barry, his brother Patrick and his widowed sister-in-law Molly as they return for a new story 30 years later.
Since everyone is old since the 1995 film that won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, there is a lot to catch up on. Expect to see romantic obstacles and challenges, including a canceled wedding and other unpleasant surprises. After all, it’s not a family reunion without a lot of drama.
It is worth settling for a double bill, which The McMullen Brothers also streams on HBO Max if you’ve never seen it before or need to refresh your memory. – LB
Sean Combs: The Reckoning (Netflix)
Look at
I still don’t understand why Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs streaming numbers went up after being arrested for prostitution-related crimes involving two ex-girlfriends. Regardless of your thoughts on whether the now-convicted artist should get airtime, however, Netflix has gone ahead with a major release that has generated some backlash since its December 2 debut.
Sean Combs: The Reckoninga four-part series documenting Combs’ life leading up to the arrest, is out now. But the criminal’s lawyers have since accused the streamer of “using stolen footage”, raising doubts about whether Sean Combs: The Reckoning will continue to live off the service.
Director Alexandria Stapleton has hit back, saying the production team — which includes Combs’ longtime rival Curtis James Jackson III (aka 50 Cent) — obtained the footage legally, causing even more fanfare around the already toxic story. – AS
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews and opinions in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can too follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, video unboxings, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
