Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Wondering what your favorite streaming services are adding to their offerings each month? Decider’s got you covered. Stay tuned for our reports on everything coming to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, HBO, Showtime, STARZ, Sundance Now, Shudder, Acorn TV, BritBox, Walter Presents, and Tribeca Shortlist, plus a look at the top titles from all of them.
When it comes to your streaming selections, we know that you deserve the best of the best. With all these hundreds of titles heading your way each month, it can be exciting imagining just what you can add to your queue. Things can totally get overwhelming with so many things to choose from, and we totally get that. So that’s where we come in.
To help guide you in your holiday streaming, we sorted through the massive amount of offerings to give you a starting point for your queue-building. From dark, dreamy series on Netflix to family classics on Hulu and Amazon, we picked some old favorites and surprising new successes out of the woodwork so that you don’t have to. Whether you’re ready to settle in for the evening with a glass of wine for a rom-com or want to sleep with all the lights on after a terrifying new TV show, we’ve got you covered. Here are the best titles coming to your favorite platforms this December.
NETFLIX
Dark: Season 1 *Netflix Original
We know you love dark, haunting thrillers, and if you blazed through the most recent season of Stranger Things, Dark is here to fill that hole in your heart. This German-language sci-fi crime thriller sees two children go missing in a small town and a mind-bending mystery that goes way deeper than you ever could have anticipated revealed as the search begins. Mysterious, scary, and totally smart, Dark is the eerily entertaining binge of your scariest nightmares.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2
This groovy superhero sequel is just as much fun as the first. Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Kurt Russell, and a ton of other big stars, the second installment of the Guardians franchise sees our pals put to the test as they discover the truth of Peter Quill’s parentage and what it might mean for them (and the rest of the galaxy!)
[Stream Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 on Netflix December 5]
The Crown: Season 2 *Netflix Original
If the royal engagement has you in the mood for the monarchy, you’re in luck. The second season of Netflix original series The Crown is finally here, and it does not disappoint. We now follow the royals through 1957-1964, which means we’ll see worlds collide and dark times come to our lovely Queen Elizabeth and the rest of her peers. This is Claire Foy’s last season as our leading lady, so revel in her glory while it lasts.
[Stream The Crown: Season 2 on Netflix December 8]
Peaky Blinders: Season 4 *Netflix Original
The fourth season of Netflix original Peaky Blinders is finally arriving, and it is more than worth the wait. The period gangster drama picks back up with our central bad boy Tommy (Cillian Murphy) on his own and on a bender of sorts as he figures out how to exist without his family. Obviously, this can’t last forever, and soon they must band together again to fight for survival.
[Stream Peaky Blinders: Season 4 on Netflix December 21]
Bright *Netflix Original
Set in futuristic Los Angeles, Bright follows Will Smith as a LAPD detective as he polices this strange City of Angels in which creatures like elves, orcs, fairies, and more all exist alongside humans in different districts. The David Ayer-directed fantasy epic cost Netflix some $100 million to produce, so it’s bound to boast some wild special effects.
[Stream Bright on Netflix December 22]
HULU
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Directed by Jonathan Demme, this Academy Award-winning thriller stars Anthony Hopkins as serial killer/cannibal Hannibal Lecter alongside Jodie Foster as FBI cadet Clarice Starling. Starling is enlisted by the FBI to use Hannibal’s nuanced, disturbing mind to apprehend a serial killer currently on a spree, and the rest is history. Disciplined, eerie, and brilliant, this tense flick is close to perfect.
[Stream The Silence of the Lambs on Hulu]
Titanic (1997)
Just in time for its 20th anniversary, grab a friend and some tissues and turn on Titanic, James Cameron’s epic doomed love story that still has people debating the death of one Jack Dawson. Based on the tragic 1912 ship-sinking, the sprawling film finds two young people (played by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio) from very different worlds as they fall in love aboard the ill-fated ship, leaving us with some of the most famous one-liners (and nude scenes) of all time.
Superbad (2007)
Another in the long line of Judd Apatow successes, this ridiculously funny teen sex comedy somehow manages to simultaneously pack a crude punch and keep its heart. Starring Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, and Academy Award winner Emma Stone in her breakthrough role, the flick follows two co-dependent teenagers on a mission to get their party on, get it on, and get on with their lives as they make the difficult, wild transition from high school to college.
[Stream Superbad on Hulu December 4]
Shut Eye: Season 2 *Hulu Original
Burn Notice‘s Jeffrey Donovan stars as Charlie Haverford, a fraud who makes his living off psychic parlors and soon finds himself actually having the talents he lied about for years after a blow to the head. The second season of Hulu’s hit series dives even deeper into the seedy underbelly of these storefront psychics and the organized crime that runs rampant in Los Angeles, and it’s even weirder and wilder than the first.
[Stream Shut Eye: Season 2 on Hulu December 6]
Legion: Season 1
Created by Fargo mastermind Noah Hawley, this dark twist on the superhero series follows David Haller (Dan Stevens), a mutant diagnosed with schizophrenia from a young age who has been shuffled through psychiatric institutes since. A fascinating view of an insane world through the lens of an unreliable narrator, Legion is a genre game-changer that will please superhero fans and skeptics alike.
[Stream Legion: Season 1 on Hulu December 8]
AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
Silence (2016)
Starring Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver as Catholic missionaries, Martin Scorsese’s period drama sees these two young men travel to Japan to find their missing mentor and spread Catholicism to individuals hiding in fear of persecution. Gorgeously shot and emotionally resonant, this unsettling, sweeping film is one that will stay with you for some time after.
[Stream Silence on Amazon Prime Video]
Crown Heights *Amazon Original
Adapted from an episode of the This American Life podcast, Crown Heights tells the true story of Colin Warner, a young man who was wrongfully convicted of murder and the lifelong efforts of best friend Carl King to prove his innocence. Riveting, beautifully-performed, and timely, Crown Heights is the kind of film that only comes around once in a while.
[Crown Heights on Amazon Prime Video December 8]
It Comes At Night (2017)
Starring Joel Edgerton and Girls‘ Christopher Abbott, It Comes At Night follows a man who has ensured his family’s safety from an unknown force in a desolate home when they are visited by another desperate family seeking refuge from the same threat. Full of twists, turns, and an unsettling sense of dread, It Comes At Night will stick with you long after the credits roll.
[It Comes at Night on Amazon Prime Video December 9]
Nightcrawler (2014)
This neo-noir thriller still has people talking, and it’s not hard to see why. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Louis Bloom, a very determined man who will do just about anything to get what he wants. When he fights his way into the world of Los Angeles crime journalism, he begins to overstep his boundaries and endanger the lives of those around him to get the perfect shot.
[Stream Nightcrawler on Amazon Prime Video December 10]
Jean-Claude Van Johnson: Season 1 *Amazon Original
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as the titular Jean-Claude Van Damme (alias Jean-Claude Van Johnson), this action comedy series sees the retired martial artist and actor sucked back into the game after an unexpected encounter with a lost love. The world isn’t ready for this top undercover contractor.
[Jean Claude Van Johnson: Season 1 on Amazon December 15]
HBO
Deepwater Horizon (2016)
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, Gina Rodriguez, and more, this intense disaster film tells the true story of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico – the worst in American history. This heart-racing, gut-wrenching drama humanizes this horrific event and serves as an important reminder that we must not forget what has happened – and what we’ve done to our planet since..
[Stream Deepwater Horizon on HBO December 3]
The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee *HBO Original
At a time when the Washington Post has broken more stories and journalism is constantly in jeopardy, The Newspaperman couldn’t feel more relevant. This riveting documentary paints an intimate portrait of legendary editor Ben Bradlee, told largely in his own words and from the voices of those who knew him.
[Stream The Newspaperman on HBO December 4]
Logan (2017)
Logan isn’t just a good superhero movie, it’s a damn good movie. If you’ve been feeling X-Men fatigue, Logan will restore your faith in the franchise and show you just what kind of stories there still are waiting to be told. Hugh Jackman resumes his role as Wolverine, but this time, he’s not as invincible as he used to be. Our favorite clawed crusader soon finds himself in some kind of a violent family drama, and with the help of little Laura (mind-blowingly good newbie Defne Keen), he searches for redemption again.
[Stream Logan on HBO December 9]
Gunpowder *HBO Miniseries
If you have a Kit Harington-shaped hole in your heart while you wait for Game of Thrones to return, you’ll be happy to know that he’ll soon be appearing on HBO once more – but in a very different setting. Set in 17th century England, Gunpowder follows Harington over this miniseries’ three episodes as he plots to assassinate the king. He may not be Jon Snow, but he’s still got some good facial hair happenin’.
[Stream Gunpowder on HBO December 18]
The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017)
Based on a true story, this film tells the stale of Antonina and Jan Zabinski, the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo who helped save hundreds of people and animals during the Holocaust by hiding them right under the Germans’ noses. Featuring a stunning performance from Jessica Chastain, this beautiful drama offers a unique, important perspective of the Holocaust.
