Best New Movies Streaming on Hulu in December 2023

The month of December brings many things, be it indulgent meals, gift-giving traditions, and the dreaded holiday traffic as people utilize Planes, Trains, and Automobiles to visit loved ones. With so much going on, many people question if and when they could possibly find time to sit down and watch a whole movie when, in reality, there are even more opportunities to do just that! Of course, it’s always polite to offer assistance in the kitchen when you are a guest in someone else’s home, but there are many hosts who absolutely insist that you “sit down and relax” while they cook up a storm. That’s movie time. Are you wrapping presents? That’s the perfect opportunity to throw a beloved classic holiday movie in the background. Hulu makes this process even easier by having a special option on their platform called “Happy Huludays” that highlights all the best holiday movies, both new and nostalgic.

However, this month doesn’t have to only be about traditional holiday movies. In fact, there has been an increase lately of campy holiday-themed horror movies being created that help some people cope with the stress that comes with this time of the year, including Violent Night, featuring Stranger Things’ David Harbour as a rugged and ruthless Santa Claus, The Mean One, which is a twisted version of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, or Michael Dougherty’s Krampus, which is based on German folklore about “the evil shadow of Saint Nicholas.” Additionally, some people prefer to avoid holiday movies entirely and stick with the genre that suits them best.

Regardless of if you prefer warm and fuzzy holiday movies like Love, Actually, or if you would prefer to stick with non-holiday-themed movies, Hulu has plenty to offer this December. This handy guide will help you find the perfect selection for your next movie night!

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)

Available on: December 1

Director: Andrew Adamson | Runtime: 143 Minutes | Genre: Adventure, Fantasy

Cast: Tilda Swinton, Georgie Henley, William Moseley, James McAvoy, Anna Popplewell, Liam Neeson

Based on the classic C. S. Lewis novel of the same name, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a perfect movie to watch while you gear up for the coming winter months. If you’re unfamiliar with the premise, the story follows four siblings, Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), and Lucy (Georgie Henley) as they take up residence in a remote country estate during World War II. During a game of hide-and-seek, the youngest, Lucy, discovers a wardrobe that serves as a portal to a fantasy world filled with mythological creatures.

When she returns with her siblings in tow, they discover that the magical realm of Narnia is fraught with an ongoing conflict between the evil White Witch (Tilda Swinton) and the creator and protector of the land, Aslan the lion (Liam Neeson). Coming from a war-torn reality, the siblings find themselves deeply enmeshed in the politics of Narnia and join arms with Aslan and his remaining loyal subjects to free the land from the clutches of the White Witch. In addition to the first movie in the series, Hulu will also be adding the subsequent films, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Dawn Treader on December 1 as well.

Paddington 2 (2017)

Available on: December 1

Director: Paul King | Runtime: 104 minutes| Genre: Family, Adventure Comedy

Cast: Ben Whishaw, Hugh Grant, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins

Many people overlook family-friendly movies as they get older, often disregarding them as “childish.” As stated in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal) and Nicolas Cage heartily disagree. In the movie, Pascal’s character describes the movie as his third favorite movie of all time, stating “I cried through the entire thing. It made me want to be a better man.”

Paddington 2 can be watched as a standalone movie, with no need to watch the 2015 Paddington first. As described in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, the movie definitely holds up to the expectations as the loveable British bear attempts to gain employment in order to buy a birthday present for his Aunt Lucy’s (Imelda Staunton) 100th birthday. When the intended gift is stolen, Paddington tries to chase the thief but ultimately ends up getting blamed for the crime. If this movie can bring Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal to tears and warm their hearts, it’s worth watching on Hulu this December.

The Jingle Bell Jubilee (2023)

Available on: December 3

Director: Ernie Barbarash | Runtime: N/A | Genre: Romance, Comedy

Cast: Erin Agostino, Marshall Wiliams, John B. Lowe, Samantha Kendrick, Kristian Jordan

Originally titled “The Christmas Regift,” The Jingle Bell Jubilee features a city manager (Marshall Williams) who recruits his childhood friend (Erin Agostino) to help him organize a Christmas charity event in their hometown. She agrees, but simultaneously works behind the scenes as a “Christmas Cupid” and attempts to set him up with her close friend. As the two of them work together on this massive project, will she end up falling for him herself? The Jingle Bell Jubilee is directed by Ernie Barbarash, who served as a producer on the 2000 cult classic, American Psycho. Since then, he has directed 6 other Christmas movies, including Christmas in Rome, and I’m Glad It’s Christmas.

Mob Land (2023)

Available on: December 4

Director: Nicholas Maggio | Runtime: 111 minutes | Genre: Crime, Thriller

Cast: John Travolta, Shiloh Fernandez, Stephen Dorff, Kevin Dillon

Evil Dead’s Shiloh Fernandezstars in this gritty crime drama as Shelby Connors, a desperate man with a family to provide for. Shelby and his brother Trey (Kevin Dillon) decide to rob a local pill dealer, which results in alerting the New Orleans mafia hitman, Clayton Minor (Stephen Dorff). He targets Shelby’s wife and young daughter as a way to draw the brothers out of hiding. As they try to evade “The Enforcer” and keep their families safe, local sheriff Bodie Davis (John Travolta) attempts to figure out what happened and how to prevent further bloodshed in his town.

Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

Available on: December 6

Director: John M. Chu | Runtime: 121 minutes | Genre: Romantic Comedy, Drama

Cast: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan

While not a holiday movie, Crazy Rich Asians encompasses the ups and downs of complicated family dynamics that often come out while visiting relatives during the holiday season. Constance Wu stars as an NYU professor who is swept up into a world of drama after she is invited to visit her boyfriend Nick’s family in Singapore for a wedding. Unbeknownst to her, Nick (Henry Golding) comes from an extremely affluent family who immediately disapproves of her because of her economic status. During this trip, Rachel has to decide whether she loves Nick enough to stay with him despite the less-than-warm welcome she receives from his family.

During his Academy Award acceptance speech for his performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once, Vietnamese actor Ke Huy Quan attributed Crazy Rich Asians as the inspiration for his return to Hollywood after a long break due to racism within the industry regarding Asian actors. Michelle Yeoh, who also won an Oscar for her performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once, stars in Crazy Rich Asians as the overbearing and disapproving mother that Rachel must win over.

Crazy Rich Asians

This contemporary romantic comedy based on a global bestseller follows native New Yorker Rachel Chu to Singapore to meet her boyfriend’s family.

Release Date

August 15, 2018

Director

Jon M. Chu

Cast

Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan, Awkwafina, Chris Pang

Rating

PG-13

Runtime

121

Main Genre

Comedy

Genres

Comedy

Writers

Pete Chiarelli, Adele Lim

Tagline

Three wealthy Chinese families prepare for the wedding of the year.

The Retirement Plan (2023)

Available on: December 15

Director: Tim Brown | Runtime: 103 minutes | Genre: Crime Thriller, Comedy

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Ashley Greene, Ron Perlman, Jackie Earle Haley, Ernie Hudson

After Ashley (Ashley Greene) and her young daughter find themselves caught up in the middle of a crime syndicate, she seeks out her estranged father, Matt (Nicolas Cage) for help. Matt, who is living out his retirement days in the Cayman Islands, ends up having a secret past of his own that comes into play when he is forced to protect his family from crime boss Donnie (Jackie Earle Haley) and his second-hand man, Bobo (Ron Perlman). Ashley quickly learns that her father is not the man she originally thought he was, as his tactical survival skills emerge once they are hunted by Donnie.

The Retirement Plan

Release Date

September 29, 2023

Director

Tim Brown

Cast

Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Ashley Greene, Jackie Earle Haley, Ernie Hudson, Joel David Moore

Rating

R

Runtime

103 minutes

Main Genre

Comedy

Genres

Action, Comedy, Crime

Studio

Darius Films, Productivity Media

Writers

Tim Brown

Operation Napoleon (2023)

Available on: December 21

Director: Óskar Thór Axelsson | Runtime: 112 minutes | Genre: Thriller

Cast: Vivian Ólafsdóttir, Jack Fox, Iain Glen

This Icelandic thriller focuses on Kristin (Vivian Ólafsdóttir), an attorney who finds herself swept up in an international conspiracy after her brother discovers an old Nazi aircraft on one of Iceland’s largest glaciers. Based on Arnaldur Indriðason’s best-selling novel of the same name, Operation Napoleon also stars Game of Thrones veteran actor, Iain Glen, who played Ser Jorah Mormont in the HBO series. If you’re a fan of other “Nordic-Noir” films like The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo or the new Hulu original series A Murder At the End of the World, this is the movie for you this December.

Maggie Moore(s) (2023)

Available on: December 22

Director: John Slattery | Runtime: 99 minutes | Genre: Dark Comedy, Thriller

Cast: Jon Hamm, Tina Fey, Nick Mohammad, Micah Stock

If you’re a fan of the 1996 film Fargo or the FX original series of the same name, this crime-thriller movie should be at the top of your watchlist. While it doesn’t have the fun Midwestern accents, this movie is based on true events. Maggie Moore(s) follows Jay Moore (Micah Stock), a local business owner who gets wrapped up in criminal activities. When his wife, Maggie, threatens to report him to the police, he hires a man to scare her out of it. When the hitman ends up killing her instead of just scaring her, things get complicated. This is further exasperated by the fact that there are two women named “Maggie Moore” in the small town. New Mexico police chief Jordan Sanders (Jon Hamm), and his deputy (Nick Mohammad) have to get to the bottom of multiple homicides in their town and figure out which Maggie is the one they’re looking for.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

Available on: December 25

Director: Quentin Tarantino | Runtime: 161 minutes | Genre: Comedy, Drama, Action

Cast: Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Emile Hirsch, Dakota Fanning

Academy Award winner Quentin Tarantino’s most recent film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, is very loosely based on the shocking murder of actress Sharon Tate in the late 1960s at the hands of Charles Manson’s cult followers. The movie also features Leonardo DiCaprio as Rick Dalton, a washed-up actor who was most popular in the 50s, and his best friend/stunt double, Cliff (Brad Pitt). Dalton, who lives next to Sharon Tate and her director husband, hopes to revive his career by befriending them, as he and Cliff both struggle to find work. Filled to the brim with nostalgia, cameo appearances, and Tarantino movie magic, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a great choice to throw on the TV after all the Christmas morning excitement has died down.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

A faded television actor and his stunt double strive to achieve fame and success in the final years of Hollywood’s Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles.

Release Date

July 24, 2019

Director

Quentin Tarantino

Cast

Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Damon Herriman, Dakota Fanning, Sydney Sweeney

Rating

R

Runtime

165

Main Genre

Crime

Genres

Crime, Drama

Writers

Quentin Tarantino

Tagline

In this town, it can all change… like that.

Website

https://www.onceuponatimeinhollywood.movie

It Lives Inside (2023)

Available on: December 29

Director: Bishal Dutta | Runtime: 99 minutes | Genre: Supernatural Horror

Cast: Megan Suri, Neeru Bajwa, Mohana Krishnan

As she tries to assimilate into Western culture, teenage Samidha “Sam” (Megan Suri) struggles with her identity as a first-generation Indian-American. Her mother disapproves of her rejection of their cultural traditions, while her father seems less concerned. In Sam’s attempts to fit in with her classmates, she isolates her childhood best friend, Tamira. When Tamira presents Sam with a glass jar she claims contains an evil entity, Sam becomes embarrassed and smashes the jar, unleashing the spirit and threatening the lives of everyone she is close to. The entity, a creature that comes from stories both Tamira and Sam’s mothers told them as children, feeds on emotions like fear and loneliness, not unlike Pennywise the Clown from Stephen King‘s IT. The more Sam fights back, the more ammunition she gives the demon.

It Lives Inside

Release Date

September 22, 2023

Director

Bishal Dutta

Cast

Megan Suri, Neeru Bajwa, Mohana Krishnan, Betty Gabriel

Rating

PG-13

Runtime

99 minutes

Main Genre

Horror

Genres

Horror, Drama, Thriller

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