December is always a great time to catch up on movies, and this month sees a plethora of exciting films from earlier this year (and bona fide new releases) hitting Netflix, Paramount+, Prime Video, HBO Max, Apple TV and beyond. We’ve put together a curated list of the best of the best, from Brad Pitt’s Oscar-contending racing drama to Tom Cruise’s possibly final “Mission: Impossible movie to a delightful holiday rom-com starring Michelle Pfeiffer.
Check out our picks for the best new movies streaming right now below.
Troll 2
Netflix – Dec. 1
Finally, our long international nightmare is over. 2022 saw the release of “Troll,” energetically directed by Norwegian powerhouse Roar Uthaug and written by Espen Aukan. It combined European mythology with “Godzilla”-style kaiju dynamics and remains one of the most entertaining movies Netflix has ever released. And now, it’s finally time for a sequel, with Uthaug and Aukan back for more. Based on the marketing materials, we can expect not one giant troll but two (one seems to be a MechaGodzilla-style robot), with most of the cast from the first film returning (among them: Ine Marie Wilmann, Kim S. Falck-Jørgensen and Mads Sjøgård Pettersen). Sadly, Billy Campbell, who shared a name with his character from “The Rocketeer,” is not back. Maybe he’ll show up for “Troll 3.” Here’s hoping.
The Merchants of Joy
Prime Video – Dec. 1
In terms of Christmastime documentaries, this sounds pretty great. “The Merchants of Joy” follows the five families of the New York City Christmas tree market. According to the official synopsis, this new documentary “follows these Christmas die-hards as they source, sell, and safeguard a family tradition at risk. It’s a warm, grounded portrait of pride, grit, and the joy they bring—one tree, one customer, one season at a time.”…