With the weather getting colder and binge-watching season officially here, it suddenly feels like prime time to stream something new. But with Netflix dropping fresh shows and movies every single week, it’s impossible not to feel like you’re always behind.
You start one series you’ve been meaning to watch, and before you know it, there’s a brand-new hit blowing up your feed. The watchlist grows (the free time doesn’t), and deciding what’s actually worth your weekend becomes a whole mission.
So if you’re trying to get a handle on what’s new on Netflix in December 2025, or you just want a quick rundown of the most exciting titles you might’ve missed, you’re in the right place. I’ve rounded up three standout picks that are genuinely worth curling up and binge-watching on Netflix this weekend.
‘The Abandons’
Netflix’s latest big original is a western drama perfect for “Yellowstone” fans, and I have no doubt it will climb to the top of the streamer’s trending list this weekend. “The Abandons” dives further into the past, with Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey playing rival matriarchs at the center of two very different families. While not quite as layered as “Yellowstone,” it’s got that same gritty quality that makes it obvious who to root for, and you’ll likely end up hooked anyway.
Set in 1854 Washington Territory, “The Abandons” centers on two very different families led by strong matriarchs. On one side is Fiona Nolan (Headey), who has built a home for herself and a group of orphans and outcasts. On the other side is Constance Van Ness (Anderson), a wealthy widow managing a powerful mining dynasty hungry for land and silver. When Constance’s family sets its eyes on the land where Fiona and her adopted family live, violent conflict erupts.
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‘Love & Death’
It’s not common for streaming services to get each other’s original shows. However, Netflix recently picked up Prime Video’s canceled thriller “Absentia,” and now the streaming giant has added HBO Max’s psychological crime drama “Love & Death.” The latter, starring Elizabeth Olsen in the lead role, is based on a shocking true story, so I’m not surprised it’s already soared into Netflix’s top 10.
In late‑1970s suburban Texas, Candy Montgomery (Olsen) is a seemingly ordinary housewife married to her husband Pat with two kids. Though she appears settled, Candy starts feeling disconnected from her quiet church life. That changes when she meets married man and church acquaintance Allan Gore (Jesse Plemons), and the two engage in a secret affair. One fateful day, a confrontation ends in tragedy: Allan’s wife Betty (Lily Rabe) is found dead. Candy is arrested, tried, and must defend herself in a sensational courtroom drama.
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‘Playing Gracie Darling’
Netflix subscribers tend to eat up mystery thrillers, which is why the streamer often expands this genre the most. This week, the Australian series “Playing Gracie Darling” arrived, following a dual missing persons case with a touch of the paranormal. If you’re looking for something tense and gripping to binge this weekend, this new series will likely hold your attention the whole way.
Decades ago, teenage friends held a séance and 14‑year-old Gracie Darling (Kristina Bogic) vanished under mysterious circumstances. Fast‑forward 27 years, and Joni Grey (Morgana O'Reilly) who is now a child psychologist, hasn’t forgotten. Haunted by guilt, she returns to her hometown when another girl disappears in eerily similar fashion: through a recreation of the original séance, now part of a dangerous “game.” As Joni reconnects with old friends and local police, she reopens the cold case tied to the town and the vanished girl.
Stream "Playing Gracie Darling" on Netflix now
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