Everything That’s Streaming in December 2023

As winter desiccates our skin and glues every calorie to our bodies, December’s streaming menu offers plenty of reasons to gather round the warm glow of the fire television, from thousands of hours of Christmas programming to a trio of nostalgic Dr. Who specials. Zack Snyder’s anticipated sci-fi series Rebel Moon debuts as The Crown takes a royal bow with its final episodes, and Gary Oldman leads his team of Slow Horses into a third season. The fastidious Detective Monk is back to solve one last case in a new reunion film, the Power universe brings another hard-hitting season of Raising Kanan, and comics Chris Rock and Kevin Hart celebrate brotherhood in a new Netflix special. Pour a hot buttered rum, switch on the holiday lights and check out the jolliest streaming titles this month.

Netflix

Rebel Moon Part 1 – A Child of Fire (Dec 22) – Director Zack Snyder takes warrior mythology to space with an awfully familiar-sounding sci-fi epic that pits a plucky band of rebels against a corrupt intergalactic government. As the regime threatens a vulnerable colony at the galaxy’s edge, a former Imperial soldier seeking redemption for her past goes on a mission to recruit warriors from neighboring planets to take a stand against the evil empire. Snyder’s moody, dynamic space opera features an ensemble cast including Sofia Boutella, Charlie Hunnam, Djimon Hounsou, Jena Malone and Anthony Hopkins. Part Two: The Scargiver is out next April.

Kevin Hart & Chris Rock: Headliners Only (Dec 12) – Kevin Hart and Chris Rock revisit their decades-long friendship in an exclusive documentary that follows the superstars of stand-up as they prepare for a week of four sold-out shows in New York. From back in the day to the top of their game, the comedians offer an unparalleled behind-the-scenes look at their friendship and careers, trading firsthand accounts of struggles and triumphs while celebrating an unbreakable brotherhood.

Leave the World Behind (Dec 8) – The bestselling disaster novel from Rumaan Alam explores how a group of isolated strangers react to a nameless threat sweeping across New York state. A family vacation at an airbnb on Long Island is interrupted by the homeowners who are returning for refuge in the wake of a mysterious blackout. As the threat grows closer and ominous events begin to unfold, both families must decide how to survive the crisis while grappling with their future in a collapsing world. Directed by Sam Esmail (Homecoming, Gaslit) and starring Julia Roberts (who also produced the film), Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la, and Kevin Bacon.

Maestro (Dec 20) – Bradley Cooper headlines, writes and conducts the compelling biopic centered on the complicated marriage of conductor Leonard Bernstein as he reconfigures the American music landscape.Cooper’s ecstatic character study details the highs and lows of Bernstein’s intense brilliance, along with the effects of his sexuality on his lifelong relationship with Costa Rican actress Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan). Produced by Cooper, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg among others, Maestro also stars Maya Hawke as Bernstein’s daughter and Sarah Silverman as his sister.

Also playing:

May December (Dec 1)

The Archies (Dec 7)

The Crown Season 6 Part 2 (Dec 14)

Visit Netflix for a full list of releases.

Hulu

Letterkenny Season 12 (Dec 26) – Turkish takeoff, Irish goodbye, French exit, Letterkenny Leave: whatever you call it, the long-running Canadian show skewering rural Ontario life is drawing to a close with its twelfth and final season. Fans can expect more petty rivalries between the Hicks, the Skids and the hockey players while their small town contends with a comedy night at Modean’s, a country music hit, a new nightclub, and the bad influence of upcountry clods the Degens. Stay tuned for more Letterkenny-based hooliganry: Hulu just debuted the second season (and greenlighted a third) of spinoff show Shoresy, following the titular hockey-playing side character played by co-creator and star Jared Keeso.

Science Fair: The Series (Dec 11) – Science Fair: The Series showcases students working to solve the world’s most complex and pressing issues while vying for a coveted spot at the most competitive science fair on the planet. The series follows the teens as they hit the laboratory to tackle urgent topics like youth suicide prevention, wound care monitoring systems, food security, and fuel alternatives. The series also features the families and teachers who support their mini-Mendeleevs along the way, culminating in an adrenaline-filled awards show to rival the Grammys. Science, drama and exuberance collide in the surprisingly emotional series as like-minded nerds find joy in the fellowship of discovery – and maybe solve world hunger along the way.

Maggie Moore(s) (Dec 22) – Jon Hamm reunites with Mad Men costar John Slattery, who’s directing this dark comedy about two small-town murders in New Mexico linked to an unbelievable plot. Micah Stock plays a shady sandwich store manager who hires a deaf hit man (Happy Anderson) to scare his wife— but in a Fargo-like twist, the assassin decides to kill her instead. To divert suspicion, Jay rehires him to kill another woman with the same name, hoping the cops will think his wife’s death was a case of mistaken identity. As Jay’s criminal plans spiral out of control, the police chief (Hamm) and his deputy (Nick Mohammed) are determined to find justice with the help of a nosy neighbor played by Tina Fey (who also worked with Hamm on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt).

Also playing:

Culprits Season 1 (Dec 8)

Moving Season 1 (Dec 13)

Such Brave Girls Season 1 (Dec 15)

Visit Hulu for a full list of releases.

Amazon Prime

Reacher Season 2 (Dec 15) – Saddle up for another season of alpha Chad action as ex-military cop and person-mountain Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) travels west for a dangerous new adventure, with the show’s storyline jumping to book eleven in the Lee Child book series it’s based on. When Jack and Frances discover that someone is tracking down and killing members of their old Army special investigation unit, the pair must delve into their past and cut a bruising swath from California to Las Vegas to uncover a plot that includes blackmail, corruption, and murder. Robert Patrick (Peacemaker, Terminator 2) joins this season’s cast as a shady former NYPD detective working for a defense contractor.

Coach Prime Season 2 (Dec 7) – Reality tackles hype as MLB and NFL great Deion Sanders takes on a new head coach role with the Colorado Buffaloes in a bid to dominate the 2023 college football season. Following an inspiring start that made them the buzz of the sports world, the Buffaloes suffered losses against top teams in the NCAA—but continued to draw millions of viewers thanks to Sanders’ star power and showmanship. The 6-episode docuseries transports fans into the locker room and onto the field as Sanders fires up the fanbase and channels his MVP energy into building the historic sports program into a national powerhouse – alongside sons and Colorado players Shilo and Shedeur.

Also playing:

Candy Cane Lane (Dec 1)

Sound of Freedom (Dec 26)

Visit Amazon Prime for a full list of releases.

Max

Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage and Reckoning (Dec 1) – A new 3-part docuseries uncovers a racially charged 1989 case that reignited tensions in Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood and draws out the city’s longstanding racial polarity. When a white man fingered a mysterious Black assailant for the shooting death of his pregnant wife, the outcry was quick and harsh. The investigation prompted aggressive police targeting of Black and Latino residents, worsening community relations– but the case that drew national attention wasn’t what it seemed. From the Emmy-winning director of Michael Jordon docuseries The Last Dance, Murder in Boston takes a clear-eyed look at the city as both the cradle of American democracy and one of the most segregated cities in the country.

Also playing:

Great Photo, Lovely Life (Dec 5)

Visit Max for a full list of releases.

Disney+

Doctor Who: Wild Blue Yonder (Dec 2) – The Whoniverse is celebrating 60 years on television with three special episodes that reunite the Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant) with beloved companion Donna Temple-Noble (Catherine Tate) after he erased her memory of their former adventures. Tennant calls their latest escapade Wild Blue Yonder “dark and weird,” as the time-hopping duo face off with their most terrifying villain yet: the Toymaker, played with evident glee by Neil Patrick Harris. The trilogy, which includes The Star Beast released November 25 and The Giggle out December 9, marks the first time an actor has returned to the role as a new incarnation (Tennant played the Tenth Doctor from 2005-2010). Ncuti Gatwa will also make his debut as the Fifteenth Doctor in a Christmas special airing on December 25, ahead of his first season in 2024.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 (Dec 20) – Based on Rick Riordan’s best-selling fantasy novels, the original Disney series follows 12-year-old modern demigod Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell, The Adam Project), who’s just learning to live with his new divine powers after discovering he’s the descendant of a Greek god. When Zeus (the late Lance Reddick) accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt, Percy teams up with friends Grover (Aryan Simhadri) and Annabeth (Leah Jeffries) on a quest across America to find the missing firebolt and restore order to Olympus. Loosely based on Riordan’s first book The Lightning Thief, the eight-episode series also features appearances by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Megan Mullally.

Also playing:

Marvel Studios’ “What If…”? Season 2 (Dec 22)

Visit Disney+ for a full list of releases.

Apple TV+

Slow Horses Season 3 (Dec 1) – Gary Oldman reprises his role as greasy alcoholic and brilliant spycraftsman Jackson Lamb in season three of the critically acclaimed thriller series, as his underdog team of disgraced spooks become entangled in yet another high-stakes spy game to save England from sinister forces. Season three brings the team to Istanbul, where a romantic liaison threatens to expose high-level corruption within British intelligence ranks. And when an MI5 team goes rogue and kidnaps Lamb’s secretary, he and his team must infiltrate their own headquarters to steal valuable intel– but a much larger game is in play, and the Slow Horses find themselves caught in a conspiracy that will upend allegiances and threaten the future of the spy trade itself. Gangs of London star Sope Dirisu will join the series as an embassy security chief for its third and fourth seasons.

The Family Plan (Dec 15) – Dan (Mark Wahlberg) loves his quiet life as a devoted husband, father of three and successful car salesman – after retiring from a secret career as an elite government assassin. When enemies from his past track him down, Dan packs his unsuspecting wife (Michelle Monaghan), teens and baby into their minivan for an impromptu cross-country road trip to Las Vegas. Determined to protect his family — while treating them to the vacation of a lifetime — Dan must put his long-dormant skills into action, without revealing his true identity. The trailer portends 90 minutes of contrast-driven jokes between suburban tropes and shooty bad guys, as Wahlberg fistfights a man while out on a diaper run and wearing his baby in a carrier; wrecks a motorcycle assassin by spraying milk in his helmet; and changes a diaper like he’s speed-disassembling a glock. Sigh.

Also playing:

Spirited: Sing-Along Version (Dec 1)

A Charlie Brown Christmas (Dec 16 & 17)

Visit Apple TV+ for a full list of releases.

Paramount+

 Finestkind (Dec 15) – From writer-director Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential, Mystic River) comes a stormy “felladrama” about a New England fishing family who stray into the dangerous waters of organized crime. Two estranged brothers (Ben Foster and Toby Wallace) from different walks of life are reunited as adults, but their new bond is threatened when they rack up a $100,000 fine for fishing in Canadian waters. Facing the loss of their father’s boat, they reluctantly strike a deal with a Boston crime syndicate to get out of their mounting debts. But with Taylor Sheridan (Tulsa King, Yellowstone) attached as one of the producers, the plot is bound to thicken as their father (Tommy Lee Jones) and a mysterious young woman (Jenna Ortega) get caught up in the mess.

Born in Synanon (Dec 12) – Betty Ford meets Jim Jones in an astonishing docuseries chronicling a cult that started as a drug rehabilitation program in Santa Monica in the 1960s. Initially celebrated as a breakthrough treatment center and a progressive alternative lifestyle, Synanon was beloved by the recovery community as well as the political and celebrity elite. But over time its charismatic leader transformed the group into a cult centered on attack therapy and control via forced abortions and head shaving, culminating in an attempted murder by rattlesnake. The documentary includes first-person accounts from members and archival material that chronicle the group’s aspirational rise and violent fall. Director-producer Rory Kennedy says Synanon’s lessons are more relevant than ever. “Synanon was wildly innovative and exciting, yet also a profoundly damaging cultural experiment. With the current rise today in charismatic leadership and the growth of alternative therapies, the subject holds surprising resonance.”

Thriller 40 (Dec 2) – An electrifying documentary marks the 40^th anniversary of the best-selling album of all time with a glimpse behind the scenes of the record-breaking project, as Michael Jackson’s extraordinary studio and stage talent captivated the world. Jackson takes new shape as a self-described “angry” perfectionist striving to change his bubble gum image with an ambitious record that would become “the ultimate blueprint to pop music.” With whisper-intimate concert footage, rehearsal clips and commentary from Usher, Mark Ronson, Brooke Shields, Misty Copeland, Will.i.am and Mary J. Blige, Thriller 40 celebrates the legendary impact of a gifted artist determined to give the world a once-in-a-lifetime album.

Also playing:

The World According to Football (Dec 1)

The Envoys Season 2 (Dec 7)

Visit Paramount+ for a full list of releases.

Peacock

Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Dec 8) – The Emmy-winning show that ran for eight seasons in the early aughts is back for an encore with a full-length movie featuring the rigid but genius detective Adrian Monk. Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) won hearts and award statues with his portrayal of the star investigator who developed germophobia and OCD after his wife’s murder, shining a light on mental health, grief and trauma with humor and verve. The reunion movie finds Monk freshly traumatized from Covid and coming out of retirement to solve one last case involving his stepdaughter Molly, a journalist preparing for her wedding. With most of the main cast (Melora Hardin, Hector Elizondo, Ted Levine, Traylor Howard) returning under the same creative team, viewers are obsessed (pardon the term) with Shalhoub’s character reprisal. “Tony was so perfect in this role,” tweeted one fan. “Pass the wipes.”

Dr. Death Season 2 (Dec 21) – The term “botched” takes on hair-raising implications in a drama series inspired by true stories of gross medical malpractice at the hands of sociopathic doctors who make Dr. Moreau look like Dr. Quinn. Season one began collecting buzz after introducing Christopher Duntsch, a charismatic young Texas neurosurgeon who left his patients disabled or dead. Season two tells the story of Paolo Macchiarini (Edgar Ramírez), a charming thoracic surgeon renowned for his innovative procedures, whose practices are exposed by journalist Benita Alexander (Mandy Moore). Also known as the “Miracle Man,” he was accused of performing unethical and risky experimental surgeries that resulted in seven deaths. Stay tuned for the same-day release of Dr. Death: Cutthroat Conman, a partner docuseries about Macchiarini’s rise and fall.

Also playing:

The Exorcist: Believer (Dec 2)

Visit Peacock for a full list of releases.

STARZ

Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3 (Dec 1) – Fans are rewatching seasons one and two in anticipation of the third season of Raising Kanan, the third chapter in the explosive Power universe. Loosely based on executive producer 50 Cent’s childhood, the prequel set in the 90s chronicles the early years of Kanan Stark (Mekai Curtis) in his rise through the ranks of the criminal underworld in Queens, ultimately becoming the street boss played by 50 Cent in the original Power franchise. Season three finds the Thomas family reeling from the mob’s coordinated attack on Raquel, Marvin (London Brown) and Lou-Lou (Malcolm Mays). Raquel is looking to make a fresh start after her close call, but Kanan doesn’t trust her when she says she’s out of the game. The trailer also shows the return of Italian mob boss Stefano (Tony Danza) and introduces new adversaries played by Wendell Pierce and Erika Woods.

Also playing:

Shining Vale Season 2 cont’d. (Dec 1)

Joy Ride (Dec 1)

Visit STARZ for a full list of releases.

AMC+

It’s a Wonderful Knife (Dec 1) – It takes real Christmas baubles to turn the beloved Frank Capra holiday classic into a low-budget slasher, and director Tyler MacIntyre is putting a gory twist on the wholesome movie. Winnie thinks her life is less than wonderful one year after saving her town from a psychotic killer on Christmas Eve. When in a fit of teen angst she wishes she was never born, she finds herself transported to a nightmarish parallel universe. Like George Bailey, Winnie discovers that deleting her existence has turned her neighborhood into a neglected dump, and the murderous real estate developer she initially killed (Justin Long) is now the local mayor. With the maniac mogul threatening the town, she’ll have to team up with her misfit crush to beat him once more and return to her own reality.

Joe Bob’s Creepy Christmas (Dec 17) – It’s the perfect show for holiday haters who could use a b-movie break from all the schmaltzy togetherness. Joe Bob Briggs, America’s self-proclaimed “foremost drive-in movie expert” emcees a Christmas special and charity auction airing live on AMC on December 15 and hitting Shudder and AMC+ two days later. Briggs and Darcy the Mail Girl will deck the bloody halls with a double-helping of yuletide terror while raising money for the less fortunate. With one Redditor calling the show a “nostalgia trip to the bygone era of late-night horror hosts,” Briggs built a cult following on TMC in the 80s and 90s, hosting and dissecting shlocky cult films; the show was revived as The Last Drive-In on Shudder in 2018, which was recently renewed for a sixth season.

Also playing:

The Lovers (Dec 7)

The Sacrifice Game (Dec 8)

In the Kitchen with Harry Hamlin: A Holiday Special (Dec 13)

Visit AMC+ for a full list of releases.