Everything I Watched Last Month (Dec. 2024)

And what I thought about it all!

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Back with another monthly watch list recap!

Once a month I send out a list of everything I watched the previous month to give you some ideas of things to add to your own watch lists, so I’m here to share the rundown of all of the stuff I watched in December.

By the way, this will be the final monthly watch list available to free subscribers to this newsletter! These take a lot of work and, as a freelance creator who hasn’t made a penny off of this newsletter in two years, I’m introducing a paid tier of the newsletter in an effort to make it more sustainable for myself. If you enjoy getting these lists, I’d love the support. You can pledge your support on the buttons below.

Anyway, also note that I only include seasons of TV shows that I finished in any given month — if it’s still on or I’m still currently watching it, then I’ll include it when it’s over.

RELATED: Everything I Watched in October and November 2024

You’ll find that my reactions to things lean positive, because 1. I actively try to seek out stuff that I expect to be entertaining, has been well reviewed and/or has value to me — I’m not just going to watch the most popular show on Netflix because everyone else is if I don’t think I would like it — and 2. I’ve given myself more leeway recently to give up on shows that I’m not enjoying (here’s the list of all the shows I dropped last year). I used to force myself to finish things even if I hated them, which is truly unnecessary and a waste of time.

Keep scrolling for the list of everything I watched in December 2024 (and here’s the list from October/November if you’re new here or just want more ideas for things to watch):

Maria (in theaters)

Angelina Jolie is otherworldly as opera singer Maria Callas towards the end of her life as she looks back at her colorful life and impactful career. The movie has a couple of sleepy moments, but I enjoyed it. There’ a reason why she’s at the front of this year’s Oscars conversation.

The Later Daters (Netflix)

Such a fun show about people in their 50s, 60s and beyond getting back into the dating pool. It takes the appeal of “The Golden Bachelor” and makes it a bit more fun and cheeky and varied. I’d watch 50 episodes of this.

Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey? (Netflix)

Three captivating episodes that didn’t convince me towards one theory or another, honestly. It might be time to lay this story to rest and just accept the fact that we’ll never have an answer as to what happened to JonBenét.

Queer (in theaters)

I was enjoying the first half of this movie before it took a total left turn and tried to do too much, some of which certainly did not work (for me, at least). Drew Starkey and Daniel Craig were great (though I think some of the press around how ~brave~ Daniel was to take on the role of a gay man was a little antiquated), it was very aesthetically pleasing, but I didn’t love this.

Stax: Soulsville USA (Max)

Really enjoyed this four-episode docu-series about Stax Records in Memphis, which helped to define the sound of the 1960s and produced some of the most enduring hits of that time.

Cruel Intentions (Prime)

This wasn’t very good, but I loved it—and I feel like I can say that about most of the “young adult” shows that I tap into. Does that make sense? If you’re hung up on it being a “remake” of the seminal film of the same name, then skip this. If you can stomach ridiculous, sexy, occasionally campy TV about young people acting like adults, then check this out. A total romp.

Somebody Somewhere - Season 3 (Max)

The end of one of the best shows on TV in recent years. Sweet and poignant and funny and emotional, “Somebody Somewhere” is a must-watch.

A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter (Netflix)

She is the moment. This was cute!

Paris and Nicole: The Encore (Peacock)

Listen, I’m never going to complain about getting to see Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie back on screen together, and that’s what this three-episode special for the 20th anniversary of “The Simple Life” provided. That being said, it felt rushed and made me wish they’d gone back to the basics for this by doing random jobs and tasks instead of basing it around the seemingly random idea of creating an opera together. Bonus points for the Danny Pellegrino cameos, though. Paris and Nicole forever!

Social Studies (Hulu)

This docu-series about teenagers and their social media usage was at times illuminating and groundbreaking, and a total slog at others. It could’ve been streamlined a lot, which would’ve made it much more impactful. Still, I learned a lot about how young people interact through and with technology these days, and it made me really grateful to have grown up when I did.

Black Doves (Netflix)

Keira Knightley was fantastic in this series about the wife of a British politician who has secretly been a spy for years. It plays just outside of the limits of believability, which is what some of the best spy thrillers do.

Mufasa: The Lion King (in theaters)

This was fine. Not great, not terrible. The music from Lin Manuel-Miranda was really solid, though.

An Evening with Dua Lipa (Paramount+)

Haters gonna hate, Dua Lipa is one of the best pop stars in the game. Her growth over time when it comes to her live vocals, her stage presence and her ability to showcase her great personality has been a joy to watch — and this quick special where she performs some of her biggest hits accompanied by a live orchestra at Royal Albert Hall places a spotlight on all of that. There are some great bits between performances, too, that will give you a greater appreciation for all that she brings to the table.

Sing Sing (screener — back in theaters Jan. 17)

What. A. Movie. Coleman Domingo stars in this A24 flick about a theater group in a men’s prison, which is touching and heartbreaking and occasionally funny. “Sing Sing” is a really special film, and it’s one that everyone should see.

A Complete Unknown (in theaters)

This was my family’s Christmas Day movie, and we all loved it! Timotheé Chalamet was phenomenal as Bob Dylan, Monica Barbaro mesmerized as Joan Baez and Edward Norton disappeared into the role of Paul Seeger. I love Elle Fanning, but I found that her character (the only fictional one in the movie) to be underutilized and underdeveloped. I also loved how music-centric this one was. I’d be very content with Timmy getting the Oscar for this.

Dumb Money (Netflix)

Watched this movie with my parents when I was home for the holidays, and it was pretty solid. I’m often hesitant about films that take on such recent happenings—in this case, “Dumb Money” tells the story of the GameStop short squeeze from the beginning of 2021—but I also didn’t know much about this story, so it captured and maintained my attention. It told the story from a variety of different perspectives, which I also found to be effective.

Bad Sisters - Season 2 (Apple TV+)

This is one of the best series on Apple TV+. I know that its improbable second season wasn’t as universally lauded as its first, but I found it to be great—the writers delivered an intriguing premise based around a shocking twist at the heart of this second season that more or less delivered. The last couple episodes were particularly great.

The Day of the Jackal (Peacock)

Can’t say enough positive things about this thoroughly entertaining and thrilling show starring Eddie Redmayne as a professional assassin and Lashana Lynch as the intelligence officer trying to catch him. Bring on season 2!

Fresh Kills (Prime)

A new kind of mafia movie that tells the story of mob boss from the perspective of the women in his life. This was a fantastic film directed by Jennifer Esposito—who also stars in it—with an ending that I didn’t see coming. This had been on my list for a while, so I’m glad I finally checked it out.

No Good Deed (Netflix)

I liked this show! I didn’t love it—sometimes it felt like every episode was gearing up to basically just one actually consequential thing to happen followed by a cliffhanger—but the episodes weren’t too long, I was interested in where the story was going and some of the central performances were fab (Linda Cardellini as a conniving, brand-obsessed sociopath was particularly fun.). As a “Las Culturistas” listener, it was also really fulfilling to see Matt Rogers steal every scene he was in as the real estate agent.

Survivor - Season 47 (Paramount+)

Undoubtedly one of the best seasons of the new era of “Survivor.” The last several episodes were especially twisty and compelling and provided a showcase for some fantastic gameplay.