Netflix is fully ramping up for the upcoming awards season in December 2022. There will be a bounty of new awards hopefuls to choose from this month, all reaching out to specific niches and interests. With original films like Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Noah Baumbach’s White Noise, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s BARDO, and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Netflix subscribers will have pretty packed queues in December 2022. And that extends to original shows as well, including the latest seasons of Emily in Paris, Too Hot to Handle, and The Circle. We can’t go on without mentioning The Witcher: Blood Origin, the next live-action addition to Netflix’s fantasy universe that is led by none other than Michelle Yeoh.
A worthy selection of theatrical releases from 2022 will also be finding a home on Netflix this December. For starters, David Leitch’s Bullet Train starring Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Joey King, Michael Shannon, Bad Bunny, and more is hitting the streaming service early in the month. Aubrey Plaza’s critically acclaimed indie thriller Emily the Criminal will be joining the platform soon after. Prisoners starring Hugh Jackman, Jack Gyllenhaal, and Paul Dano is a must-watch, especially for fans of filmmaker Denis Villeneuve. Last but not least, horror master Wes Craven’s Scream 4 is finally back on Netflix. More than any sequel in the franchise, Scream 4 is the most deserving of a re-watch for being ahead of its time.
Dive into our monthly recs below and then check out the full list of everything coming to and leaving Netflix in December 2022. You can also find the latest new arrivals and what’s about to leave from Hulu, HBO Max, and Disney+ right here on DiscussingFilm.
Our Recs:
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Guillermo del Toro’s latest masterwork comes in this immersive retelling of Italian author Cardo Collodi’s Pinocchio fantasy tales. Like most of Del Toro’s projects, his Pinocchio adaptation spent years in development hell since no studio saw the financial viability of a classic story being retold in stop motion with darker undertones and a fascist setting. To be fair, putting Pinocchio (a character most people heavily associate with Disney) in Mussolini’s fascist Italy of the early 1900s does sound like a risky swing, but in doing so, Del Toro is actually able to connect to Collodi’s original aesthetics and themes much more closely than any other previous adaptation.
Backed by stunning stop motion animation, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is brought to life by a lively voice cast including David Bradley, Ewan McGregor, Christoph Waltz, Ron Perlman, Tilda Swinton, Cate Blanchett, and newcomer Gregory Mann as the wooden boy himself. Guillermo del Toro has expressed great interest in directing more stop motion after this debut, and if the filmmaker finds success yet again in the upcoming awards season, that would be all but a done deal. This and Henry Selick’s Wendell & Wild make for an excellent double feature for animation fans, as there is no better stop motion animation on display at the moment.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio hits Netflix December 7, 2022!
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion comes to Netflix in time for Christmas after having exclusively played in theaters for only 1 week in November. The follow-up to the critically acclaimed whodunit Knives Out, Glass Onion pulled in impressive numbers at the box office, causing wide confusion in this peculiar release strategy. Netflix CEO Reed Hasting told The Hollywood Reporter that the 1-week theatrical window was “a promotional tactic like film festivals, and if it works well we will do more of it.” Despite there already being a good chunk of people who’ve seen the film, the demand to watch Glass Onion (either again for the first time) on Netflix couldn’t be higher now.
Glass Onion sees Daniel Craig’s expert detective Benoit Blanc tackle one of his most puzzling cases yet on the private island of a billionaire tech mogul in Greece. What was supposed to be a fun murder mystery party with elite socialites turns into an active crime scene, and Blanc must quickly uncover who in this so-called group of friends is not who they say they are. Rian Johnson has outdone himself by putting together an all-star ensemble with Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, and Jessica Henwick. Fans still have more whodunit fun with Daniel Craig on the way in Knives Out 3, which Johnson confirmed will be his next film.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery debuts on Netflix December 23, 2022!
The Witcher: Blood Origin
The Witcher: Blood Origin is a 4-part prequel mini-series event set in Netflix’s live-action Witcher universe. Taking place approximately 1,200 years before the main show, Blood Origin will cover the creation of the first Witcher and the events that lead up to the “Conjunction of the Spheres,” which is a cataclysmic event wherein multiple dimensions collided into one another and caused rifts allowing monsters to jump across. Michelle Yeoh leads the bright new ensemble as an Elf warrior on a mission to retrieve an ancient blade that once belonged to her nomadic tribe. Netflix has already expanded its Witcher universe with animated spin-offs, but the success of Blood Origin could pave the way for more live-action additions.
The Witcher: Blood Origin premieres on Netflix December 25, 2022!
Netflix Arrivals for December 2022
TBA
The Glory – Netflix Series
God’s Crooked Lines – Netflix Film
The Interest of Love – Netflix Series
My Next Guest with David Letterman and Volodymyr Zelenskyy – Netflix Series
Coming December 1
Dead End – Netflix Series
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean: Season 1 Episodes 25-38 The Final Episodes – Netflix Anime
The Masked Scammer – Netflix Documentary
Qala – Netflix Film
Troll – Netflix Film
21 Jump Street
Basketball Wives: Season 1
Basketball Wives: Season 2
Coach Carter
Forged in Fire: Knife or Death: Season 1
Hachi: A Dog’s Tale
The Happytime Murders
LEGO Friends: Holiday Special
Love Island USA: Season 3
Meekah: Season 1
My Girl
Peppermint
Troy
Scream 4
Coming December 2
Big Brother: Season 10
Big Brother: Season 14
Firefly Lane: Season 2 Part 1 – Netflix Series
Hot Skull – Netflix Series
Lady Chatterley’s Lover – Netflix Film
My Unorthodox Life: Season 2 – Netflix Series
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol – Netflix Film
“Sr.” – Netflix Documentary
Supermodel Me: Revolution: Season 1
Warriors of Future – Netflix Film
Coming December 3
The Best of Me
Bullet Train
Coming December 4
The Amazing Race: Season 17
The Amazing Race: Season 31
Coming December 5
Mighty Express: Mighty Trains Race – Netflix Family
Coming December 6
The Boss Baby: Christmas Bonus – Netflix Family
Delivery by Christmas – Netflix Film
Sebastian Maniscalco: Is It Me? – Netflix Comedy
Coming December 7
Burning Patience – Netflix Film
Emily the Criminal
I Hate Christmas – Netflix Series
The Marriage App – Netflix Film
The Most Beautiful Flower – Netflix Series
Smiley – Netflix Series
Too Hot to Handle: Season 4 – Netflix Series (New episodes weekly)
Coming December 8
The Elephant Whisperers – Netflix Documentary
In Broad Daylight: The Narvarte Case – Netflix Documentary
Lookism – Netflix Anime
Coming December 9
CAT – Netflix Series
Dragon Age: Absolution – Netflix Anime
Dream Home Makeover: Season 4 – Netflix Series
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio – Netflix Film
How to Ruin Christmas: The Baby Shower – Netflix Series
Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area Part 2 – Netflix Series
Coming December 10
Alchemy of Souls: Season 1 Part 2 – Netflix Series
Prisoners
Coming December 13
Gudetama: An Eggcellent Adventure – Netflix Anime
Last Chance U: Basketball: Season 2 – Netflix Documentary
Single’s Inferno: Season 2 -Netflix Series
Tom Papa: What A Day! – Netflix Comedy
Coming December 14
Don’t Pick Up The Phone – Netflix Documentary
Glitter -Netflix Series
I Believe in Santa – Netflix Film
Kangaroo Valley – Netflix Documentary
Too Hot to Handle: Season 4 – Netflix Series (New episodes weekly)
Coming December 15
The Big 4 – Netflix Film
The Hills: Season 1
The Hills: Season 2
Sonic Prime -Netflix Family
Violet Evergarden: Recollections – Netflix Anime
Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Mystery – Netflix Comedy
Coming December 16
A Storm for Christmas – Netflix Series
BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths – Netflix Film
Cook at all Costs – Netflix Series
Dance Monsters – Netflix Series
Far From Home – Netflix Series
Paradise PD: Part 4 – Netflix Series
Private Lesson – Netflix Film
The Recruit – Netflix Series
Summer Job – Netflix Series
The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari – Netflix Documentary
Coming December 18
Side Effects
Coming December 19
Trolley – Netflix Series
Trolls
Coming December 20
A Not So Merry Christmas – Netflix Film
The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh Part 1 – Netflix Anime
Coming December 21
Disconnect: The Wedding Planner – Netflix Film
Emily in Paris: Season 3 – Netflix Series
I AM A KILLER: Season 4 – Netflix Documentary
Coming December 22
Alice in Borderland: Season 2 – Netflix Series
Mathieu Dufour at Bell Centre – Netflix Comedy
Coming December 23
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery – Netflix Film
Piñata Masters! – Netflix Series
Coming December 25
After Ever Happy
Daughter From Another Mother: Season 3 – Netflix Series
Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical – Netflix Film
Time Hustler – Netflix Series
The Witcher: Blood Origin – Netflix Series
Vir Das: Landing – Netflix Comedy
Coming December 26
No Escape
Treason – Netflix Series
Coming December 27
Chelsea Handler: Revolution – Netflix Comedy
Coming December 28
7 Women and a Murder – Netflix Film
A Night at the Kindergarten – Netflix Film
The Circle: Season 5 – Netflix Series (New episodes weekly)
Stuck with You – Netflix Film
Coming December 29
Brown and Friends – Netflix Family
Rise of Empires: Ottoman: Season 2 – Netflix Documentary
Coming December 30
Alpha Males – Netflix Series
Chicago Party Aunt: Part 2 – Netflix Series
Secrets of Summer: Season 2 – Netflix Family
White Noise – Netflix Film
Coming December 31
Best of Stand Up 2022 – Netflix Comedy
Leaving Netflix in December 2022
There are plenty of films set to leave Netflix in December 2022 that subscribers should know about. First of all, Stanely Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut and A Clockwork Orange are must-sees for any cinephile, the former fitting perfectly with the current holiday season. Those who are watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation as part of their holiday traditions would be interested to know that the first two films, National Lampoon’s Vacation and National Lampoon’s European Vacation are leaving this month as well. A whole collection of classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films are saying goodbye too. The list of notable tiles goes on from Casino Royale to the Men in Black trilogy. See everything leaving Netflix in December 2022 below.
Leaving December 9
The Shack
Leaving December 10
Fast Color
Leaving December 11
Manhunt: Unabomber
Leaving December 14
Black Ink Crew New York: Seasons 3-4
The Challenge: Season 12
The Challenge: Season 25
Merlin: Seasons 1-5
Teen Mom 2: Seasons 3-4
Leaving December 15
The Danish Girl
Leaving December 27
Instant Hotel: Season 1
Leaving December 28
Shrek the Musical
Leaving December 31
1BR
A Cinderella Story
A Clockwork Orange
A Little Princess
Blood Diamond
Blow
Blue Jasmine
Casino Royale
Chocolat
Eyes Wide Shut
I Love You, Man
Life as We Know It
Men in Black
Men in Black II
Men in Black 3
National Lampoon’s European Vacation
National Lampoon’s Vacation
New York Minute
Point Break
Police Academy
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie
