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December’s first batch of streaming premieres includes a welcome, star-driven new Christmas family dramedy and the first new TV series in seven years from “Sons of Anarchy” creator Kurt Sutter. Additionally, Netflix, has unveiled this week its latest feature film collaboration with “Marriage Story” and “White Noise” director Noah Baumbach, while Starz is in the midst of, at long last, rolling out the newest entry in its ongoing, ever-growing “Spartacus” franchise.
There is, in other words, a diverse array of new titles you could watch at home over the coming days. With that in mind, here are the eight best new movies and shows you can stream this weekend.
“Oh. What. Fun.” (Prime Video)
December is officially here, and what better way to kick off the month than with a new, star-studded Christmas comedy like “Oh. What. Fun.”? The Prime Video original from “The Big Sick” and “The Idea of You” director Michael Showalter follows an overworked mom (Michelle Pfeiffer) whose family takes her yearly holiday contributions for granted… and then forgets to bring her with them to an event she planned.
Fed up, Pfeiffer’s Claire sets off on her own to participate in a contest she’d hoped her family would sign her up for. Anchored by Pfeiffer’s still-radiant star power, the ensemble cast of “Oh. What. Fun.” includes Jason Schwartzman, Felicity Jones, Chloë Grace Moretz, Denis Leary, Dominic Sessa, Joan Chen and Eva Longoria. For his part, Showalter has proven himself an expert at low-key dramedies that manage to be both absurd and deeply human. On paper, that seems like the right recipe for a fun, holiday-themed watch this weekend.
“My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman and Adam Sandler” (Netflix)
In honor of his latest film’s premiere (more on that below), Adam Sandler appears at the center of this week’s new, special installment of Netflix’s “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman.” The 50-minute special features a long sit-down conversation between Sandler and Letterman about the former’s life, career and interests. It is not often that a talk show episode makes it onto a list like this, but it is also not often that viewers get to see two comedy legends like Sandler and Letterman sit and talk candidly for nearly an hour.
Whether you’re a fan of Sandler or not, you might just want to check out this week’s episode of “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.” It promises to offer a welcome spotlight on the career of one of America’s most popular comedic voices of the past 30 years — one moderated and steered by a figure of similar renown and love.
“The Abandons” Season 1 (Netflix)
“Sons of Anarchy” creator Kurt Sutter has returned this week with his latest, violent TV offering, “The Abandons.” Created by Sutter and produced by Netflix, the new Western drama takes place in 1850s America and focuses on the conflict between a devout, protective Irish matriarch (Lena Headey) of a found family and the equally fierce head (Gillian Anderson) of a nearby, booming frontier town who wants to take control of the former’s land.
Featuring an impressive ensemble cast headlined by Anderson and Headey and also starring Nick Robinson, Diana Silvers, Lamar Johnson and Michiel Huisman, “The Abandons” appears to fit right in alongside Sutter’s other TV creations. That is to say that it looks to be just as brutal, blood-soaked, operatic and potentially addictive as fans of the “Sons of Anarchy” creator’s work have come to expect from him. Its entire, seven-episode first season is streaming now on Netflix.
“The New Years” (Mubi)
“The New Years,” the new, 10-episode series from “The Beasts” director Rodrigo Sorogoyen, premiered on Mubi this week. Created and partly written and directed by Sorogoyen, “The New Years” follows Ana (Iria Del Río) and Óscar (Francesco Carril) and charts the arc of their relationship from the night they meet on their shared 30th birthday through the following ten years.
Each episode explores a different New Year’s Eve in the course of its leads’ relationship, and that structure gives Sorogoyen and his collaborators the freedom to patiently explore not only the beauty and difficulty of long-term commitment, but also how love grows, fades and evolves over time. A new episode is set to premiere on Mubi every week through Jan. 28, and if a reflective, adult drama about love and connection sounds appealing to you, then you may just want to give “The New Years” a chance.
“Jay Kelly” (Netflix)
In addition to his appearance on “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” this week, Adam Sandler also stars in director Noah Baumbach’s new Netflix film, “Jay Kelly.” Co-written by Baumbach and actress Emily Mortimer, the dramedy follows a famous actor (George Clooney) who embarks on a spur-of-the-moment trip across Europe with his longtime manager (Sandler), all while reflecting on his past memories, choices, regrets and achievements.
“Jay Kelly” is Baumbach’s first film since his admirable but deeply flawed 2022 Don DeLillo adaptation “White Noise,” and it marks a return to the more grounded, contemplative human dramedies that he has built his career making. The film is set to premiere Friday on Netflix, following a brief theatrical run in select theaters in November. In addition to its awards potential, “Jay Kelly” offers the rare pleasure of getting to watch two very different but equally charismatic movie stars (i.e., Clooney and Sandler) share the screen together, and that alone is reason enough to check it out.
“Spartacus: House of Ashur” (Starz)
There is no more unexpected franchise title premiering this year — on either the big or small screen — than “Spartacus: House of Ashur.” The new series from “Spartacus” creator Steven S. DeKnight takes place in an alternate reality from its parent series (yes, you read that right) where former gladiator Ashur (Nick E. Tarabay) was not killed on Mount Vesuvius.
The series’ specific setting and backstory may make it more difficult to get into for “Spartacus” newbies, but for longtime fans of the franchise, “House of Ashur” has the potential to be the kind of extremely satisfying treat they never expected to get. The series premieres Friday on Starz and the Starz app, and the early reviews for it have been overwhelmingly positive, which should give “Spartacus” fans all the more reason to make some time for it this weekend.
“Man Finds Tape” (2025)
December may not traditionally be a month associated with horror movies, but that does not mean you should let “Man Finds Tape” fly under your radar this week. The new found-footage thriller from writer-directors and first-time feature filmmakers Peter Hall and Paul Gandersman follows a documentarian (Kelsey Pribilski) who travels back to her small Texas hometown to reconnect with her paranoid brother (William Magnuson).
While there, she agrees to investigate a series of strange events, which lead her to a disturbing, decades-old secret that forces her to wonder whether anyone in her hometown can be trusted. “Man Finds Tape” has received widespread acclaim following its initial festival screenings, and it looks to be an exciting addition to the found-footage subgenre — one that is keyed into our current true-crime and conspiracy-obsessed, creepypasta-overrun Internet Age.
“Diary of a Wimpy Kid : The Last Straw” (Disney+)
Rounding out this week’s list is “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw.” The new film from director Matt Danner is an adaptation of the third novel in author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney’s popular “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” book series. The film catches back up with its franchise’s adolescent protagonist Greg (Aaron Harris) and follows him as his relationship with his father Frank (Chris Diamantopoulos) is tested by a misguided trip to a wilderness camp.
“The Last Straw” is Disney+’s fourth animated “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” film and the first to hit the streaming service since 2023’s “Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever.” Fortunately for fans of Kinney’s books, “The Last Straw” appears to have maintained the absurdist charm of its source material. Premiering Friday on Disney+, it is also, notably, one of the few titles debuting on streaming this week that’s suitable for the whole family.
