December 12, 2025
John Wilson/Netflix
Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) investigates a priest (Josh O'Connor) accused of murdering his monsignor in 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.'
Need a break from all the movies about reluctant Santas and shredded snowmen? It can be hard to break out of the holiday hubs that take over every streaming service after Thanksgiving. But some of the season's awards contenders are starting to arrive on platforms, along with a few welcome throwbacks.
The third entry in the "Knives Out" murder universe hits Netflix on Friday, promising another twisty mystery and more of Daniel Craig's Foghorn Leghorn drawl. "Hedda," a wild update on the classic Henrik Ibsen play, is also available on Prime.
Max recently freed "Mad Men" from the shackles of AMC+ with a new 4K remaster, while Peacock is hosting a wintery thriller that's the exact opposite vibe of Santa's workshop (though it's not too far from the North Pole). Here's your newest streaming guide:
"Knives Out" sent Benoit Blanc into a stately East Coast mansion. In "Glass Onion," he traveled to a private island in Greece. For the mystery series' third entry, "Wake Up Dead Man," the investigator is going to church to solve yet another murder.
The sequel, streaming Friday on Netflix, concerns a small Catholic parish that has just lost its long-time leader, Monsignor Wicks (Josh Brolin). The clergyman dropped dead in the middle of Good Friday mass, collapsing in a closet by the altar with an unusual weapon sticking out of his back. Though none of his congregation saw the stabbing, they suspect the new priest Jud Duplenticy (Josh O'Connor), who clashed with Wicks over his fire-and-brimstone rhetoric. Naturally, there's more to the story.
The mystery at the heart of "Wake Up Dead Man" is complicated even by "Knives Out" standards. As Blanc tries to divine the truth, he uncovers a missing diamond, secret son and apparent resurrection. You probably won't solve the case before him, but that's part of the fun of this franchise. In keeping with the movie's religious themes, Blanc's grand reveal is delivered from the pulpit to a new crew of suspicious characters (Andrew Scott, Glenn Close, Thomas Haden Church, Kerry Washington, Jeremy Renner, Cailee Spaeny and Daryl McCormack).
"Hedda" may be based on a century-old play, but there's nothing stodgy about this remixed adaptation from writer-director Nia DaCosta.
The drama, now streaming on Prime, takes place over the course of a ritzy party thrown by the petulant, magnetic Hedda (Tessa Thompson). Her husband, George, is up for a teaching position, but Hedda is distracted by the arrival of her ex ... who just so happens to be George's main competition for the job.
Fans of the classics will recognize the basic beats of Henrik Ibsen's tragedy "Hedda Gabler," but DaCosta has made a few crucial revisions. Hedda's former flame is a woman in this take, and Hedda herself is a biracial socialite born out of wedlock to an esteemed general. The gender- and race-bending add new layers to both Hedda and her ex-girlfriend Eileen (Nina Hoss)'s desperate attempts to subvert 1950s high society. It doesn't work out well for everyone involved, but they know how to throw one hell of a party.
Few TV shows can hit you in the gut quite as hard as "Mad Men." The acclaimed drama about '60s New York advertisers sketched a whole office worth of achingly human characters, then dared viewers to watch as they messed up again and again, some learning from it and growing and others staying stuck in the past.
"Mad Men" could also be shockingly funny, and over seven seasons it generated a mountain of memes. "That's what the money is for." "I don't think about you at all." Drunk Don pitching anything. It's all waiting for new and repeat viewers on Max in a new 4K transfer. Unfortunately, the streamer has already erased Roger's puke guy.
When the American version of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" hit theaters in December 2011, it was billed as the "feel bad movie of Christmas." Does that make it a holiday movie? Judge for yourself by giving it a stream on Peacock.
The dark thriller is an adaptation of Swedish author Stieg Larsson's bestselling books about goth hacker Lisbeth Salander. (She's the one with the dragon tattoo.) In this first chapter, Salander (Rooney Mara) teams up with investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig again) to solve a 40-year cold case. It takes them to some pretty brutal places, but, as viewers will see, Salander is used to harsh circumstances. The snowy Scandinavian landscape adds to the bleak atmosphere.
The movie never got its expected sequels, which is a shame considering the strong lead performances, stylish direction and striking soundtrack from Nine Inch Nails alums Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Also, this killer cover of "Immigrant Song" by Karen O:
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