Looking for something great to watch at home? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each streamer!
Don't be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services to determine what to watch. We've got your back, whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, and animation, among others. But if you're seeking something brand new (or just new to streaming), we've got you covered there, too.
Mashable's entertainment team has scoured the streaming services to highlight the most buzzed-about releases of the week and ranked them from worst to best — or least worth your time to most watchable. Whether you're looking for sci-fi shenanigans, fierce drag personas, nail-biting horror, a film starring the dynamic Katy O'Brian, or a new game show, we're here for you.
— Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor
12. What's in the Box?
I can't be the only one who reads that title in a strained Brad Pitt voice, right? Well, this show is not a Se7en spinoff. Instead, Neil Patrick Harris turns into a game show host for this Netflix offering, where teams of two compete in trivia rounds to win the contents of enormous gold boxes.
Per the trailer, "Eight pairs of contestants will work with and against each other across an entire season." How do you mean? Well, there's a white elephant twist. You play for a box not knowing what's inside. But once you win and open it, then like this yuletide gift-giving game, it's possible to steal it through a "prize fight." And all this leads to the "Super Box," worth a quarter of a million dollars. This sounds more stressful than being on the phone with a sin-obsessed serial killer played by Kevin Spacey. But your mileage may vary. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor
Starring: Neil Patrick Harris
How to watch: What's in the Box? debuts on Netflix on Dec. 17.
11. The Running Man
So you walked, didn't run, to see The Running Man in cinemas? Well, now you can watch it at home, with Edgar Wright's Stephen King adaptation getting a digital release this week. Think Glen Powell running for his life from a keen-eyed group of Hunters in a dystopian future where such a situation is primetime entertainment. Think Colman Domingo dropping lines like "my bouche was not amused" as the high-maintenance host of the titular program. Think a storyline way closer to King's 1982 paperback than the Arnold Schwarzenegger film of the '80s.
Unfortunately, don't think this will be the best movie you watch this week. As Mashable entertainment editor Kristy Puchko writes in her review, "In the end, The Running Man is a sloppy collage of violence, action, and cheap jokes that is far more style than substance." Unexpectedly, however, the film has a connection to...Pennywise? — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor
Starring: Glen Powell, Katy O'Brian, William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Michael Cera, Emilia Jones, Daniel Ezra, Jayme Lawson, Sean Hayes, Colman Domingo, and Josh Brolin
How to watch: The Running Man is now available to rent/buy on digital.
12. Now You See Me: Now You Don't
The third instalment of the Now You See Me film series reunites the Horsemen, while bringing a new trio of clever illusionists into the mix. Altogether — while squabbling and showing off increasingly outrageous magic tricks — they set out to topple a diamond industrialist (Rosamund Pike) who launders money for all arrays of bad guy.
Admittedly, I've never been all that awed by this franchise. In my review of this sequel, I wrote, "Frankly, the star power of this movie alone might be enough for Now You See Me fans hungry for more hijinks and hilarity. That this sequel does nothing all that new or even surprising might not be a glitch, but a feature. Why challenge an audience when you can wrap them within the warm certainty that no matter how twisted economic equality is making the world for everyday men and Horsemen, a scrappy group of clever individuals can pull together to save the day." — K.P.
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, Lizzy Caplan, Rosamund Pike, and Morgan Freeman
How to watch: Now You See Me: Now You Don't is now available to rent/buy on digital.
11. Megadoc
Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis is one of the most fascinating film flops of the past few years. It truly has everything: a decades-in-the-making backstory, Roman chariot races, a satellite crash, Aubrey Plaza as Wow Platinum, and Adam Driver's earworm-level delivery of the line, "Go back to the club." To learn more about how this bonkers film came to be, check out Megadoc, a fly-on-the-wall look at Coppola's creative process. Featuring behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with the director and his cast, and even footage from table reads dating back to 2001, this is a must-watch for any Megalopolis devotee. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter
Starring: Francis Ford Coppola, Eleanor Coppola, and Talia Shire
How to watch: Megadoc is now streaming on the Criterion Channel.
10. My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, Season 6
David Letterman is back with more interviews from his Netflix talk show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. With Season 6, the host welcomes Sinners star Michael B. Jordan, YouTuber Mr. Beast, and Zootopia 2's Jason Bateman, for one-on-one interviews. Some of the conversation happened before a live theater audience. Some had a more private setting with a more casual vibe. Of course, no matter the setting, Letterman does it like no other. — K.P.
Starring: David Letterman, Michael B. Jordan, Mr. Beast, and Jason Bateman
How to watch: My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman Season 6 is now streaming on Netflix.
9. Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately?
In the '90s, Counting Crows had a meteoric rise with their debut album August and Everything After, then hit the sophomore slump hard with Recovering the Satellites. It wasn't so much about the quality of one record from another, and more about how a dreadlocked Adam Duritz became a household name overnight, then a punchline in the blink of an eye.
Documentarian Amy Scott looks back at this time for the band, with a keen eye on Duritz, who riled Saturday Night Live producers, thrilled fans, and battled mental illness all at once. Interviews with he and his bandmate give the doc a Behind the Music feel, while interviews with friends and colleagues — like Mary-Louise Parker and Cyndi Lauper — give a fuller context to the cost of fame. As someone who owned both albums, it's an interesting doc to me, but frustratingly superficial. Though Scott claims Counting Crows is one of the most polarizing bands of an era, she only glancingly touches on why, before giving Duritz and his friends to defend themselves or offer vague apologies. But whether or not either is deserved is unclear when the doc itself refuses to engage in actual critiques, instead leaning on kooky commentary from roast-master comedian Jeffrey Ross. — K.P.
Starring: Adam Duritz, Steve Kerr, Cyndi Lauper, Chris Martin, Mary-Louise Parker, David Wild, and Jeffrey Ross
How to watch: Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately? debuts on HBO and HBO Max on Dec. 18 at 9:00 p.m. ET.
8. The Boulet Brothers’ Holiday of Horrors
The Boulet Brothers have built an empire of drag horror with their competition show Dragula. Now, they bring their unique brand of glamor, horror, and filth to a tried-and-true entertainment staple: the holiday special. The Boulet Brothers' Holiday of Horrors is a scripted anthology series of four frightening holiday tales from horror heavy hitters. In addition to the Boulet Brothers themselves, these heavy hitters include David Dastmalchian (Murderbot, Late Night with the Devil), Akela Cooper (Malignant, M3GAN), and Kate Siegel (The Fall of the House of Usher, V/H/S/Beyond). So sit back for a dose of holiday horror, and be sure to pile on an extra blanket: These stories promise to be chilling. — B.E.
Starring: Dracmorda Boulet, Swanthula Boulet, and David Dastmalchian
How to watch: The Boulet Brothers’ Holiday of Horrors now on Shudder.
7. Him
The NFL and horror collide in Him, a football-focused fright fest produced by Jordan Peele and directed by Justin Tipping. Him introduces rising star quarterback Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers), who gets the chance to train with his idol Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans). However, Isaiah's methods are stranger — and bloodier! — than anything Cam has been through before. How much is he really willing to sacrifice to become the GOAT?
Despite the prestige that comes with Peele's involvement, Him was a critical and box office disappointment. However, according to Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko, the film is in no way irredeemable, boasting great performances from Withers and Wayans, as well as some surreal scares courtesy of Tipping. Where Him fumbles the ball, however, is its ending. In her review, she writes, "In its final minutes, Tipping's tale pivots to something more concrete, gorier, and less daring. That ending, though twisted and thrilling, doesn't feel earned. So, in the end, Him falls short of astounding." — B.E.
Starring: Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers, Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker, and Jim Jefferies
How to watch: Him is now streaming on Peacock.
6. The Creep Tapes, Season 2
The found footage franchise starring (and co-created by) Mark Duplass stalks on with The Creep Tapes Season 2.
Wild to think it was a decade ago when director Patrick Brice first collaborated with Duplass on a screenplay for the found-footage psychological horror thriller Creep. Since, then the story of the serial killer (played by Duplass), who lures video camera-carrying victims in with promises, has only grown gnarlier. Creep 2 led to this spin-off series, where each episode reveals a new victim doomed to film their own demise. — K.P
Starring: Mark Duplass, David Dastmalchian, Chris Donlon, Diego Jodef, Desean Terry, Alec Bewkes, Robert Longstreet, Linas Philips, Taylor Garron, Timm Sharp, Jody Lambert, and Katie Aselton (who is Duplass's real-life wife!)
How to watch: The Creep Tapes Season 2 debuts on Shudder Dec. 19.
5. Emily in Paris, Season 5
Emily in Paris? More like Emily in Rome, as Darren Star's Netflix series says buongiorno to a new European capital for Season 5. Lily Collins returns as American expat and marketing queen Emily Cooper, who has been deployed to run Agence Grateau's Rome chapter by her boss, Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu). What lessons did France teach Emily that she can bring to la dolce vita in Italy? Expect handsome Venetian gondoliers, Roman Holiday-style Vespa rides, and jaw-dropping fashion as always. — S.C.
Starring: Lily Collins, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Ashley Park, Lucas Bravo, Samuel Arnold, Bruno Gouery, Camille Razat, William Abadie, and Lucien Laviscount
How to watch: Emily in Paris Season 5 debuts on Netflix on Dec. 18.
4. Chevalier
This 2023 release is woefully underseen, though it offers a stirring look into the life of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a Black and French 18th-century multi-hyphenate who was a violinist, a composer, a conductor, and a fencer.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. stars as Joseph, who faced racism, bullying, discrimination, and envy throughout his life. His is a story of Black Excellence, artistic passion, and forbidden love. Whether you love period piece romance, overlooked histories, or great drama, you'll want to discover Chevalier. — K.P.
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., Samara Weaving, Lucy Boynton, Marton Csokas, Alex Fitzalan, Minnie Driver, and Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo
How to watch: Chevalier is now streaming on Disney+.
3. Queens of the Dead
Tina Romero struts in the footsteps of her late father, George A. Romero, by creating a zombie movie that pays tribute to his Night of the Living Dead movies, but through a determinedly comedic and queer lens.
Queens of the Dead follows the hilarious mayhem that breaks out when a zombie contagion hits Bushwick's queer night club scene. Katy O'Brian headlines as a party promoter who's given her blood sweat and tears to build a safe space to dance, flirt, and revel. But when an undead drag queen hits the dance floor, her life is also on the line. Offering a mindful and wilfully silly array of queer archetypes, Queens of the Dead is a movie by queer horror fans for queer horror fans. Or as I put in my review, "Drenched in neon, steeped in attitude, and radiant with queer joy, this movie is beyond fine; it's fierce, funny, and fabulous." — K.P.
Starring: Katy O'Brian, Jaquel Spivey, Riki Lindhome, Jack Haven, Cheyenne Jackson, and Margaret Cho
How to watch: Queens of the Dead comes to Shudder on Dec. 19.
2. It Was Just an Accident
This week, check out one of the most critically acclaimed international films of 2025, as Iranian director Jafar Panahi's It Was Just an Accident comes to digital. Winner of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, and nominated for four Golden Globes, it's sure to be a major awards season contender this year, and for good reason. This tale of former political prisoners trying to get revenge on the man they believe to be their former torturer is equal parts darkly funny and scathing critique of authoritarianism.
The film hits even harder considering Panahi's life story. The Iranian regime has arrested Panahi in the past and even banned him from making films, meaning he shot several films in secret. While It Was Just an Accident is his first film following the lifting of the ban, he still shot it covertly. Such secrecy amplifies the film's tension, and Panahi certainly pulls no punches in one of the best films of the year. — B.E.
Starring: Vahid Mobaserri, Mariam Afshari, and Ebrahim Azizi
How to watch: It Was Just an Accident is now available to rent/buy on digital.
Best of Streaming this week: Fallout, Season 2
Wastelanders, it's time to set your Spotify listening age to 87, as Prime Video's adaptation of post-apocalyptic game franchise Fallout is back with a second season. Of course, we're in for more Easter eggs, needle drops, and details from the Bethesda games the series is based on. As Mashable's Belen Edwards writes in her review, "Season 1 already did an admirable job of building out the world of Fallout, from its retro-futuristic vaults to the ruins of Shady Sands. In Season 2, though, it goes for broke, with stellar results."
But Edwards also notes the show as "more relevant than ever," as the show "stages an ideological showdown against the backdrop of an increasingly bizarro — and immaculately realized — nuclear apocalypse." — S.C.
Starring: Ella Purnell, Walton Goggins, Aaron Moten, Kyle MacLachlan, Frances Turner, and Moisés Arias
How to watch: The first episode of Fallout Season 2 is now streaming on Prime Video, with new episodes Wednesdays.
(*) denotes a blurb came from a prior list.
