New on Netflix: 7 movies and shows you have to watch this December

(Image credit: Netflix)

The festive month is finally here! Other than stuffing your face with leftover turkey and wading through piles of gift wrap, Christmas break is perfect for one other thing - binge-watching Netflix’s newest and freshest movies and TV shows. And boy, do we have some first-class content for you.

This month's highlights include the long-awaited second part of The Crown’s final season, brand new musical biopic Maestro starring A Star is Born’s Bradley Cooper, and family favorite Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget. And that's not all, Zack Snyder’s major movie Rebel Moon will hit the streamer, as well as the star-studded thriller Leave the World Behind, there truly is something for everyone this month.

So what are you waiting for? Read on as we take you through the latest and greatest releases that the streaming giant has on offer this snowy season.

New on Netflix in December 2023

May December

Release date: December 1 (US only)

Starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, May December follows a young actor named Elizabeth as she heads to Georgia to research the woman whom she will be playing in a new film that follows a scandalous romance between a grown woman and a young boy. Twenty years after the affair gripped the nation, the actor's presence drags unsettled business back up, and a married couple buckles under the pressures of the past. Based on the true story of an American teacher, who in the mid-1990s had an illegal relationship with her twelve-year-old student, May December is an emotional exploration of one of society's biggest taboos.

May December hits Netflix in the US on December 1 and will be available in the UK on Sky from December 8.

Sweet Home season 2

Release date: December 1

In the first season of the South Korean zombie thriller Sweet Home, we saw Cha Hyun-soo leave his home and move into an apartment after a family tragedy, only to find that a strange infection is turning humans into monsters. With his neighbors turning overnight and the creatures lurking below, Hyan-soo had to do what needed to be done in order to protect himself. The second season of the apocalyptic horror proves to be a much wilder ride now that Hyun-soo no longer has walls to hide behind and faces the monsters, humans, and hybrids outside on a much deadlier backdrop.

Leave the World Behind

Release date: December 7

Based on the magnetic novel of the same name by Ruuman Alam, Leave The World Behind follows a seemingly normal family on vacation when a cyberattack causes a complete blackout and two mysterious strangers appear at their door. In a thrilling game of uncertainty and tough choices, both groups must decide how to survive the potential crisis. If that ominous description wasn't enough to pique your interest then the rather impressive lineup might, as this Netflix original stars household names such as Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, and Kevin Bacon, alongside Bodies Bodies Bodies’ Myha'la Herrold and Moonlight’s Mahershala Ali.

You can watch the full trailer for the movie here.

The Crown season 6 part 2

Release date: December 14

Here is where it all draws to a close. Released just last month, Part 1 of the sixth and final season of The Crown followed Diana’s final weeks and her blossoming relationship with Dodi Fayed. The fourth episode came to a heartbreaking end with the Princess declared dead along with two others in the infamous Paris car crash. The Royal family are left in grief and ruin but pull together for the funeral, before the episode ends with Queen Elizabeth’s televised address.

Part 2 of The Crown season 6 plummets us right into the noughties where a grown up Harry and brother William navigate adult life as Kate Middleton enters the picture. As for her majesty, Queen Elizabeth II reflects on her life and legacy, before paving the way for her successors Charles and William.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

Release date: December 15

Netflix is really spoiling us this month with the best, and a rather nostalgic feeling, family movie to watch over Christmas break, and we for one cannot wait for its release. Over two decades after Chicken Run was released, the team has flapped back together to bring us the sequel we never knew we needed, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget. The movie welcomes back our favourite hens Ginger and Rocky as well as some new little chickies, and follows the flock as they try and save the whole of chicken-kind from a terrible new threat. And don’t worry, the villainous Mr and Mrs Tweedy will be returning once more to wreak havoc on their feathered foes.

Maestro

Release date: December 19

Directed by A Star is Born’s Bradley Cooper, Maestro follows the true story of the complex relationship between renowned conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein and Costa Rican actress Felicia Montealegre. As well as stellar performances from Cooper alongside Promising Young Woman’s Carey Mulligan as Montealegre, the film also offers first-class music and cinematography, which is unsurprising, and the Maestro’s list of producers includes none other than Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. This biopic is a story of love, art, and the bond between two talented individuals, that will surely melt even the iciest of hearts.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire

Release date: December 21

Legendary DC director Zack Snyder is back with a new genre-bending space action adventure Rebel Moon. Part One titled A Child of Fire follows a mysterious stranger played by The Mummy’s Sofia Boutella, who must build an army to fight against tyrannical forces who are threatening her peaceful home settlement. The cast also includes The Gentlemen’s Charlie Hunnam, Deadpool’s Ed Skre, and the legendary Anthony Hopkins.

Rebel Moon Part 1 premieres on December 21 7pm PT in the US and December 22 8pm GMT in the UK.

Read our exclusive interview with Snyder where he compares his upcoming flick to his previous Netflix project, Army of the Dead. Rebel Moon Part 2: The Scargiver will later hit Netflix on April 19th, 2024.

Looking for more to watch? Here are the best shows on Netflix.

I'm the Junior Social Media Editor here at GamesRadar+, handling all of Total Film's social platforms. However, I also write, covering all things film and TV for the site's entertainment section. I joined GamesRadar+ in 2023 and have been here ever since. I previously worked in communications after graduating with an MA in journalism. In my spare time, you can find me binging horror movies or getting lost in a cosy little game on my Switch.