The best thrillers to watch on Netflix in December

A new month means a new batch of thrillers on Netflix and a new round-up from us on which ones are worth your time. And this month that even includes a new release, perfectly timed for the holidays.

Every month we select some of the best thrillers on Netflix to match the current season. Sometimes they fit well with an upcoming release. Other titles may be new additions to the platform.

This month’s pick is David Fincher’s funniest film, a thriller that’s somehow still under the radar despite being out for a decade and starring one of the world’s greatest actors, and a new addition to the Christmas thriller canon.

Editor’s Choice: Carry-On

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Form: Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, Sofia Carson

There are few thrillers better than Christmas thrillers Continue is constant proof of that. The film follows a beleaguered, unmotivated TSA agent named Ethan (Taron Egerton), who has the misfortune of being chosen by a terrorist to let a bag through security. But the threat to the lives of hundreds of people is just enough to convince Ethan that maybe it’s time to do his job properly, which puts him on a collision course with the terrorists, the police, his bosses and just about everyone else who he encounters. meets at LAX on Christmas Eve. The entire movie is big, ridiculous, suspenseful, and a lot of fun, making it a perfect holiday thriller. —Austen Goslin

Director: Paul Groengras
Form: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman

The 2013 dramatization of the 2009 Maersk Alabama hijacking is one of the most underrated thrillers of the past decade. The film, starring Tom Hanks, tells the story of Richard Phillips, the captain of an unarmed container ship held hostage by Somali pirates. Hanks’ performance is, as usual, great and moving, but it’s Barkhad Abdi’s Oscar-nominated portrayal of Abduwali Muse, the film’s antagonist, that steals the show. Captain Philips is a thrilling human drama about a working-class man who, against daunting odds, fights to protect his crew and return home safely. —Toussaint Egan

Director: David Fincher
Form: Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton, Charles Parnell

People are generally creatures of habit. Even Michael Fassbender’s character makes an appearance The killeran anonymous hitman with a penchant for McGriddles and The Smiths, is not immune to the siren call of routine. After failing to execute a target in Paris, the film’s protagonist is forced to hunt down a pair of hitmen hired to kill him. He works backwards to find the person who hired them and eliminate them as well. “Anticipate, don’t improvise,” the Killer says to himself over the course of the film. “Trust no one. Never provide an advantage. Only fight the fight you are paid for.” Over the course of the film’s two-hour running time, you’ll see Fassbender’s character push his interpretation of that mantra to its limits, seemingly oblivious to the personal freedoms he’s taking away. Sometimes new challenges require new routines. —AT