What’s New to Stream on Hulu for December 2022

Crossing the Streams is our look at all the offerings hitting the big streaming services each month, and this time we’re checking out what’s new on Hulu for December 2022, including The Royal Tenenbaums, a new film with Jenna Ortega, and more!

Hulu Pick of the Month for December 2022

The films of Wes Anderson have gotten away from me a bit in recent years — a result of the filmmaker’s journey up his own behind, I suspect — but he had a great run from the late 90s through 2009 or so. Two of his best (well, his actual best and an underappreciated one) are new to Hulu this month. The former is 2001’s The Royal Tenenbaums, an exquisite masterpiece about family, responsibility, and the need for those around you. Everyone already loves that movie, though, so my pick is the more divisive The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004).

It’s once again a story about family, both the direct relationship between a father and son and the more generalized approach to a group of like-minded people who care about each other. Bill Murray takes lead as a great explorer on a quest for a mythical shark, and it’s a journey that puts him at odds with an ex-wife, fierce competition, and the pull of a young man who might just be his son. Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Anjelica Huston, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Michael Gambon, and many more familiar faces are along for the ride. It’s funny, weird, exciting, and ends with one of Anderson’s sweetest moments.

New Movies You Missed

Jenna Ortega is something of an “it girl” for horror at the moment — she’s even ranked #1 most popular talent on IMDb, like, out of every actor and filmmaker — thanks to roles in the new Scream, X, Wednesday, and more. American Carnage (2022, premieres December 2nd) is a genre film too, but it’s one that received far less attention when it released this summer to negative reviews. The film is a commentary on MAGA politics, undocumented immigrants, and the plight of the youth in this country. So social sci-fi with some horror beats, maybe? Most people tend to agree that she’s great even if the film isn’t, but at least now the rest of us can watch and form our own opinion too.

Gone in the Night (2022, premieres December 2nd) is another genre effort that opened earlier this year with little to no impact, but its cast makes it a must-watch if nothing else. Winona Ryder, John Gallagher Jr., Dermot Mulroney, and Owen Teague star in a thriller that sees two couples come together under strange circumstances. It only gets stranger when two of them disappear. Seems like a low-key affair, but we can find out together if it’s a gem that got lost in the shuffle or something less than that.

One I have seen is Jesse V. Johnson’s White Elephant (2022, premieres December 9th), and it’s worth a watch for action fans. It sits somewhere in the middle of his filmography — it can’t touch bangers like Avengement (2019) or Triple Threat (2019), but it’s better than a few others. Bruce Willis co-stars, but it’s Michael Rooker and Olga Kurylenko who make it a good time as their charisma, combined with fun shootouts and action beats, make for a solid DTV effort.

A Christopher Nolan Marathon

Sometimes you find yourself in the mood for a marathon, and if that strikes your fancy this month — and you have a hankering for logically challenged narratives — Hulu has you covered. Six of Christopher Nolan’s movies arrive on December 12th, and all of them are

All three of his DC films — Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012) — are worth both first-time watches and re-watches. Everyone has their own ranking here, my own goes in chronological order, but each film delivers big entertainment with epic setpieces, memorable visuals, and thrilling action. Christian Bale’s Batman feels far removed from most others, the villains are a mean bunch, and the trilogy ends on a fine note of closure, making the lack of any Batman films since acceptable. That’s right. There have been no more Batman films since 2012. Crazy when you think about it.

Nolan shines just as stylishly away from the superhero shenanigans, and here are three more titles suggesting just that. Insomnia (2002) is a remake, but Nolan makes it his own with a combination of thick atmosphere and two stellar lead performances. Al Pacino is the cop struggling on a case while finding himself a fish out of water, and Robin Williams is the very bad man he’s pursuing, and while it’s one of Nolan’s least-discussed films, it’s still a winner. Inception (2010) is far more popular, understandably so, as it’s an epic tale of imagination brought to life with stunning set pieces. Oh, and it also stars Leonardo DiCaprio. Finally, Nolan looks backward instead of forward with 2017’s Dunkirk, the true story of a large-scale rescue of military personnel by civilians during World War II. It’s both visually impressive and emotionally satisfying.

Horror on Hulu for December 2022!

Horror should be watched year-round, and while Hulu isn’t adding any holiday-themed chillers this month, they are offering up some spooky fun all the same. First up is a hefty five-film franchise, all of which can be enjoyed in a single sitting or spread out across December. Just be sure to watch after your next flight, amusement park visit, road trip, tanning bed visit, or Lasik appointment… that’s right, all five films in the Final Destination series are new to Hulu. Everyone has their own favorite — I’m partial to Devon Sawa’s turn in the first film but love the more elaborate set pieces and gore sequences in the sequels — and now you can settle in and decide for yourself.

We’re also getting a pair of more recent chillers starting with David Bruckner’s The Night House (2020, premieres December 8th). The great Rebecca Hall stars as a recently widowed woman who begins to suspect part of her dead husband has been left behind. It’s a slow burn of sorts, but the scares and secrets are numerous enough to keep the momentum moving in the right direction. Subtle visual terrors alongside Hall’s terrific performance make it a great time.

Offseason (2021, premieres December 10th) got far less attention on its release, but it’s arguably the superior spookfest. Jocelin Donahue takes lead as a young woman who returns to a small island community after the death of her father, but the mystery starts almost immediately. Small-town chills, a growing fear that something isn’t quite right, and a reveal that means this may have been a one-way trip all combine to make for an unsettling and effective horror film.

The Complete Hulu List for December 2022

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