December is a time for friends, family and cuddling in front of the TV. So luckily, a boatload of new movies is arriving on Netflix just in time for the streaming season.
We’ve picked 10 must-see movies coming to Netflix this December that are sure to keep you entertained all month long. Everything from psychological thrillers to raunchy comedies to the biggest animated blockbuster of 2023 (wahoo!) is heading to the streaming service – as well as three major Netflix originals in the form of May December, Rebel Moon And Masterall of which seem like strong contenders for our list of the best Netflix movies.
That leaves plenty of choices to choose from to end the year in style, involving some of Hollywood’s biggest names including Bradley Cooper, John Cena, Natalie Portman, Russell Crowe, Anya Taylor-Joy and even a little Danny DeVito thrown in for good measure. So let’s take a look at the movies you can’t miss on Netflix in December 2023.
Black Swan
Netflix streaming date: December 1st
Darren Aronofsky can be a inconsistent director, but he struck gold with the 2010 psychological horror thriller Black Swan. Natalie Portman earned an Oscar for playing Nina Sayers, a young dancer with the New York City Ballet who pushes herself to the limit to reach stardom… only to tumble over it. Trippy, entertaining and darkly melodramatic, this is gripping.
LA Confidential
Netflix streaming date: December 1st
Based on the 1990 novel of the same name by James Ellroy. LA Confidential is a fantastic noir crime drama that’s packed with stars on their A-game: Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell, Danny DeVito (see we didn’t lie), and a fierce Kim Basinger. Following the LA police in 1953, three officers investigate a series of murders that expose widespread corruption in law enforcement and Hollywood. While Titanic claimed the majority of the Oscars that year, LA Confidential managed to briefly slip past the iceberg, earning Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Basinger.
Blockers
Netflix streaming date: December 1st
Sometimes you just need something light and fun, and that’s exactly what Blockers is. John Cena, Leslie Mann and Ike Barinholtz play three overprotective parents who pursue their three high school daughters who made a pact to lose their virginity at prom. It cleverly turns the raunchy teen comedy on its head, turning adults into fools driven by their impulses while the teens just try to have a good time.
May December
Netflix streaming date: December 1st
Natalie Portman fans are treated well this month. Following on from the excellent Dark watersdirector Todd Haynes turns his attention to the Mary Kay Letourneau tabloid scandal from the 1990s. May December. The story is loosely based on the teacher’s romance with a minor and begins twenty years later when an actress visits to tell the couple about their past, but their marriage soon comes under strain.
Boyz n the Hood
Netflix streaming date: December 1st
A coming-of-age drama that stars Ice Cube and Cuba Gooding Jr. to stardom and made director John Singleton the youngest Oscar-nominated director ever – a record that still stands. Actually, Boyz in the hood follows the lives of three young men as they all deal with relationships with friends, family, and the Crenshaw Ghetto of Los Angeles. 32 years later, it continues to resonate for its powerful exploration of characters trying to take advantage of their limited economic opportunities, the gang violence surrounding them, and the general difficulties faced by adolescents growing up in difficult circumstances.
Treacherous
Netflix streaming date: December 1st
How about something to watch from behind a pillow? James Wan made a big impression with the 2010 supernatural horror Treacherous, which has spawned two sequels and two prequels so far, all with varying levels of success. Forget them for a moment, though, and watch the first entry in which two parents (played by Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne) seek help as their son falls into a coma after a mysterious incident in the attic. It’s a good dose of horror.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Netflix streaming date: December 3
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a love letter to Nintendo games, erasing the nightmare fuel of the ’90s dystopian movie forever. Mixing in classic Mario music from legendary composer Koji Kondo only helps make the poppy visuals sing further. That and Jack Black’s ballad “Peaches.” It’s a nice, light soufflé of a movie.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
Netflix streaming date: December 15
It’s a long time ago! 23 years even! But Mrs. Tweedy is back to wreak havoc among outspoken poultry in the highly anticipated sequel to the much-loved Chicken coop. With a mix of original and new cast members, but the same great animation team working behind the scenes, Dawn of the Nugget could be the perfect Christmas family movie. Will it live up to the original? We can only hope.
Master
Directed by Bradley Cooper, co-written by him and Spotlight‘s writer Josh Singer, and starring composer Leonard Bernstein, Master is about the thirty-year love affair between Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre (played by Cary Mulligan). Expect swelling and moving romance and character moments, but what we’re most looking forward to here is the cinematography, which pays deep tribute to classic Hollywood films and looks unlike anything else you’ll see this year.
Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire
Zack Snyder’s new epic for Netflix is getting the first of two parts at the end of this month, and it looks like a follow-up to the dark fantasy films of the ’80s mixed with brilliant modern sci-fi films. And of course, a lot of Snyder’s special mix of kinetic action and lush, high-contrast images. Interestingly enough, it will have two versions – a family-friendly version and an R-rated version that Snyder says will deliver “weird darkness” – and we couldn’t agree more.