Best Movies to Stream on Netflix in December

By John Harrington Published Dec 4, 11:00AM EST

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Best Movies to Stream on Netflix in December — © hocus-focus / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

The pioneering streaming service Netflix, which received such a boost in subscriptions during the pandemic, is under siege. Competition has been ratcheted up from rival streaming services like Disney, Hulu, and Amazon. Some subscribers have voted with their feet because of more choices and lower subscription fees elsewhere, among other reasons. Almost 1.2 million have defected this year. For the 223 million subscribers who’ve stuck with Netflix, however, they have more than 3,000 movies to select from.

To determine the best movies to stream on Netflix this December, 24/7 Tempo developed an index of Netflix offerings using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of Dec. 1, 2022, weighting all ratings equally. We considered only movies with at least 5,000 audience votes on either IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes. (Documentaries were not considered.) Data on streaming availability, current as of this month, comes from the streaming guide Reelgood. Directorial credits are from IMDb.

We found that Netflix users can currently select from among 28 films that carry a Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score of 90% or above. One film, “Leave No Trace,” holds a score of 100%.

Most of the films listed here are recent releases, but there is a fair amount of vintage celluloid to select as well. This includes the crime drama “Donnie Brasco” (1997), the World War II actioner “The Dirty Dozen” (1967), and the rom-com “When Harry Met Sally…” (1989) . (These are the best romance movies of all time, according to the data.)

Click here to see the best movies to stream on Netflix this month

Another of the older movies on the list, the Roman epic “Gladiator” (2000), has the most IMDb user votes on IMDb of any film on the list – nearly 1.4 million.

Movies based on true events are represented, including “Official Secrets” (2019), “Philomena” (2013), and “Captain Phillips” (2013). Foreign films that can be found among the offerings include “Mirai” (2018), “The White Tiger” (2021), and the Oscar-winning “Roma” (2018) – one of the 25 best original Netflix movies.

50. Hush (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (115,593 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (6,853 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (42 reviews)
> Directed by: Mike Flanagan

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49. Risky Business (1983)
> IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (84,978 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (71,267 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (49 reviews)
> Directed by: Paul Brickman

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48. Other People (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (10,699 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (2,563 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (60 reviews)
> Directed by: Chris Kelly

47. Tully (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (55,750 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (3,715 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (285 reviews)
> Directed by: Jason Reitman

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46. Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (492,019 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (108,838 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (238 reviews)
> Directed by: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa

45. Margin Call (2011)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (122,167 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (20,059 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (172 reviews)
> Directed by: J.C. Chandor

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44. Our Souls at Night (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (12,653 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (1,024 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (44 reviews)
> Directed by: Ritesh Batra

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43. The Fundamentals of Caring (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (66,831 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (6,058 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (35 reviews)
> Directed by: Rob Burnett

42. Loving (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (33,296 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (19,722 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (294 reviews)
> Directed by: Jeff Nichols

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41. Labyrinth (1986)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (129,400 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (373,425 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 73% (49 reviews)
> Directed by: Jim Henson

40. The Conjuring 2 (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (248,052 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (54,926 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (255 reviews)
> Directed by: James Wan

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39. The Gift (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (147,518 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (51,282 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (196 reviews)
> Directed by: Joel Edgerton

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38. Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (144,300 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (100,039 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (179 reviews)
> Directed by: Alessandro Carloni

37. If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (45,888 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (2,617 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (362 reviews)
> Directed by: Barry Jenkins

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36. First They Killed My Father (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (17,217 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (2,399 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (71 reviews)
> Directed by: Angelina Jolie

35. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (46,581 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (1,141 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (297 reviews)
> Directed by: George C. Wolfe

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34. Mirai (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (14,186 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (945 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (84 reviews)
> Directed by: Mamoru Hosoda

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33. Okja (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (112,707 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (10,697 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (239 reviews)
> Directed by: Bong Joon Ho

32. Darkest Hour (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (185,346 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (14,148 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (318 reviews)
> Directed by: Joe Wright

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31. The White Tiger (2021)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (54,128 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (1,016 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (170 reviews)
> Directed by: Ramin Bahrani

30. The Night Comes for Us (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (23,843 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (984 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (33 reviews)
> Directed by: Timo Tjahjanto

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29. Dope (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (82,817 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (34,031 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (160 reviews)
> Directed by: Rick Famuyiwa

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28. Up in the Air (2009)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (326,364 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (228,553 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (288 reviews)
> Directed by: Jason Reitman

27. Official Secrets (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (40,803 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (361 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (166 reviews)
> Directed by: Gavin Hood

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26. Men in Black (1997)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (535,658 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (1,049,562 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (89 reviews)
> Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld

25. The Nice Guys (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (299,978 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (56,468 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (320 reviews)
> Directed by: Shane Black

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24. El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (205,157 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (5,048 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (129 reviews)
> Directed by: Vince Gilligan

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23. Roma (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (148,393 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (5,701 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (400 reviews)
> Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón

22. The Half of It (2020)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (32,458 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (969 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (101 reviews)
> Directed by: Alice Wu

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21. Paddleton (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (12,659 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (568 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (44 reviews)
> Directed by: Alex Lehmann

20. The Dirty Dozen (1967)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (69,957 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (41,423 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (49 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert Aldrich

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19. Menace II Society (1993)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (55,052 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (62,747 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (42 reviews)
> Directed by: Albert & Allen Hughes

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18. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (96,804 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (4,835 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (70 reviews)
> Directed by: Susan Johnson

17. Leave No Trace (2018)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (55,265 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (4,960 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (240 reviews)
> Directed by: Debra Granik

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16. Gladiator (2000)
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (1,399,053 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (34,128,168 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (201 reviews)
> Directed by: Ridley Scott

15. Donnie Brasco (1997)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (291,291 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (204,292 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (56 reviews)
> Directed by: Mike Newell

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14. Mudbound (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (46,035 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (5,906 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (200 reviews)
> Directed by: Dee Rees

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13. I Lost My Body (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (29,388 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (633 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (83 reviews)
> Directed by: Jérémy Clapin

12. Skyfall (2012)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (648,708 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (374,338 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (381 reviews)
> Directed by: Sam Mendes

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11. When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (205,660 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (396,152 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (74 reviews)
> Directed by: Rob Reiner

10. Moneyball (2011)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (391,423 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (92,018 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (267 reviews)
> Directed by: Bennett Miller

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9. Philomena (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (97,066 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (52,457 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (200 reviews)
> Directed by: Stephen Frears

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8. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (158,141 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (2,455 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (331 reviews)
> Directed by: Aaron Sorkin

7. I’m No Longer Here (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (6,950 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (119 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (43 reviews)
> Directed by: Fernando Frias

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6. Hell or High Water (2016)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (214,372 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (40,252 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (283 reviews)
> Directed by: David Mackenzie

5. Dolemite Is My Name (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (57,480 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (113 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (232 reviews)
> Directed by: Craig Brewer

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4. Captain Phillips (2013)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (437,868 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (152,646 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (279 reviews)
> Directed by: Paul Greengrass

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3. Beasts of No Nation (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (77,493 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (8,145 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (143 reviews)
> Directed by: Cary Joji Fukunaga

2. A Little Princess (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (33,377 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (240,459 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (35 reviews)
> Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón

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1. Star Trek (2009)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (589,910 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (747,981 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (354 reviews)
> Directed by: J.J. Abrams

About the Author John Harrington →

I'm a journalist who started my career as a sportswriter, covering professional, college, and high school sports. I pivoted into business news, working for the biggest newspapers in New Jersey, including The Record, Star-Ledger and Asbury Park Press. I was an editor at the weekly publication Crain’s New York Business and served on several editorial teams at Bloomberg News. I’ve been a part of 24/7 Wall St. since 2017, writing about politics, history, sports, health, the environment, finance, culture, breaking news, and current events. I'm a graduate of Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History.