Netflix is closing out 2025 with a mix of franchise titles, holiday programming, and a few quieter dramas designed to appeal to viewers looking for something beyond seasonal comfort films. The platform tends to reserve some high-interest releases for December, and this year’s lineup reflects that strategy: a long-awaited mystery sequel, a returning Norwegian monster saga, and several films built to anchor holiday watchlists. Below is a rounded look at four new Netflix movies arriving this month, without the promotional gloss that often accompanies year-end streaming drops.
Jay Kelly, directed by Noah Baumbach, pairs George Clooney, Adam Sandler, and Laura Dern in a character-driven comedy drama about an aging actor attempting to mend his strained relationship with his daughter before she leaves for college. The film follows Kelly as he abandons a troubled project, confronts lingering personal conflicts, and travels to Europe in hopes of reconnecting with his daughter. Parallel to this, Ron, his manager, attempts to keep Kelly’s professional commitments from collapsing as his private life unravels. Baumbach’s films often center on fractured families and personal reinvention, and Jay Kelly appears to continue in that vein rather than offering the broad comedy suggested by its cast.
Troll 2 brings back the unlikely team from the original Norwegian creature feature, which became Netflix’s most-watched non-English-language film. This sequel follows the group as they confront a new troll emerging from a mountain and causing widespread destruction. A twist this time is the need to befriend another giant troll to stop the threat. The franchise leans heavily on Norwegian folklore, and its large viewership ensures the sequel will draw attention, though it remains to be seen whether it can build on the originality that helped drive the first film’s popularity.
For viewers looking for seasonal comfort, My Secret Santa is a holiday romcom about a single mother who poses as an elderly Santa at a ski resort to secure work — and discounted snowboarding lessons for her daughter. Complications arise when the resort’s manager grows suspicious and she develops feelings for the resort owner’s son. It follows a familiar formula for Christmas romances, placing it alongside other light seasonal offerings like Jingle Bell Heist, which Netflix released earlier in November.
The highest-profile release on the list is Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the third installment in Rian Johnson’s murder-mystery series. Daniel Craig returns as investigator Benoit Blanc, this time tasked with uncovering the circumstances behind the stabbing of a priest during a Good Friday service. With an ensemble that includes Josh O’Connor, Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Kerry Washington, and Andrew Scott, the film continues the series’ structure of blending eccentric characters with a tightly controlled mystery. After a theatrical run in November, it arrives on Netflix for a wider audience.
These December releases add to Netflix’s growing catalog of holiday titles, but the platform is also maintaining a balance of non-seasonal content. Users looking for something outside the holiday rotation can find additional options under the New and Popular tab, where genre filters make it easier to bypass the seasonal surge and explore a broader range of films.
