All 11 New Documentaries Coming to Netflix in December 2025
Picture: Netflix
Netflix has a wide range of new documentary content coming to its library in December 2025, from true crime to sports to the making of one of Netflix’s biggest movies of the year.
As we enter the festive season, Netflix has an enormous slate of exciting movies and TV series (not least the final season of Stranger Things). After 10 new documentary additions in November 2025, the streamer goes one step further, offering 11 new documentaries in December, with projects ranging from intimate tear-jerkers to twisted stories and inspirational documentaries. Let’s dive into it!
All The Empty Rooms
Coming to Netflix: December 1
In what’s poised to be one of the most gut-wrenching documentaries of 2025, All the Empty Rooms follows CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman and photographer Lou Bopp as they memorialise the bedrooms left behind by children killed in school shootings.
“We were filled with sadness and sorrow as we observed these rooms through a cinema verite approach – allowing space for the viewer to be transported to the room,” Director Joshua Seftel said of the experience, per Deadline. “Through this film, I hope we’ve opened a door for all of us to step out of the numbness and rekindle an urgency to do something.”
Lali: Time to Step Up
Coming to Netflix: December 4
Lali Espósito is an Argentine singer, dancer, model, and actress who’s been active since 2003. Her glittering career has made her one of the most popular stars to come out of Argentina (look no further than her 12M Instagram followers). This documentary chronicles her journey of personal growth, self-discovery, and creative evolution following a 4-year hiatus. It’s an intimate look into the career of a musical superstar.
The Making of Jay Kelly
Coming to Netflix: December 5
Acclaimed filmmaker Noah Baumbach’s movie, Jay Kelly, starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler, received mostly positive reviews at various film festivals. The picture marks Baumbach’s fourth major movie for the streamer following The Meyerowitz Stories, Marriage Story, and most recently, White Noise. It follows movie star Jay Kelly (George Clooney) and his manager, Ron (Adam Sandler), as they embark on a journey of self-discovery across Europe. Along the way, they confront their pasts, regrets, and relationships.
Jay Kelly lands on Netflix on December 5. Alongside the release is a documentary exploring the making of the movie, featuring behind-the-scenes clips and tidbits with director Noah Baumbach, George Clooney, Adam Sandler and others.
The New Yorker at 100
Coming to Netflix: December 5
Academy Award winner Marshall Curry (The Neighbors’ Window, Street Fight) helms a documentary looking back on the last century of the magazine The New Yorker. The documentary takes viewers into the newsroom, offering a look at the cultural significance, controversies, and most seminal moments of the iconic publication.
“I’ve been a reader of the magazine for most of my life,” Curry told Netflix TUDUM. “It’s been thrilling to get to peek behind the curtain and witness the precision, thought, and almost fanatical obsession that goes into crafting their stories, cartoons, and covers.”
The core of the documentary follows editor David Remnick and his team as they develop and work towards making the magazine’s landmark 100th-anniversary issue.
Masala Kids, A Rhythm Within
Coming to Netflix: December 7
Inspiring and heartwarming, Masala Kids, A Rhythm Within takes viewers inside an Ugandan orphanage, where children find hope and joy in dancing. Not only that, but their clips went viral online. With the success of Masaka Kids Africana, surpassing 6 million TikTok followers, the orphanage becomes a beacon of hope and a source of happiness and belonging.
Simon Cowell: The Next Act
Coming to Netflix: December 10
Thanks to shows like The X Factor, Pop Idol, and the ‘Got Talent’ franchise, Simon Cowell is one of the most powerful and influential figures in modern pop music. In 2010, he put together One Direction, a group that went on to become an international phenomenon. His company, Syco Entertainment, is home to such household names as Little Mix and Fifth Harmony.
In Netflix’s six-episode docuseries The Next Act, Cowell is on the hunt for the next act he seeks to skyrocket to international stardom. Follow Cowell throughout every aspect of his search for stars, from casting calls to the release of debut music.
Murder in Monaco
Coming to Netflix: December 16
Murder in Monaco takes place in Monaco in 1999 when Edmond Safra, a billionaire banker and one of the richest people in the world back then, died in his penthouse. After such a high-profile murder, in one of the most secure places on the planet, the investigation sparked international interest. Who actually killed Safra? Was it his nurse? Russians? His own wife?
This documentary dives into the details of the cast, both big and intimate, including interviews with those who knew him best.
Breakdown: 1975
Coming to Netflix: December 19
Picture: Netflix
From Academy Award-winning Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom, Won’t You Be My Neighbor, Piece by Piece), comes Breakdown: 1975, a documentary-essay that explores how political and social chaos in 1975 America birthed some of the most groundbreaking works of art in cinema history, from One Few Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to Taxi Driver.
Narrated by Jodie Foster, the documentary features appearances from some of the most coveted names in Hollywood, including Martin Scorsese, Patton Oswalt, Josh Brolin, Seth Rogen, and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs.
Elway
Coming to Netflix: December 19
American football quarterback John Elway spent his entire 16-year tenure with the Denver Broncos — a career that saw them retire the number ‘7’ shirt. Elway is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential quarterbacks in NFL history. This documentary dives into his illustrious life and career, from his early Super Bowl setbacks to his later back-to-back successes. This is the ultimate story of an NFL superstar.
Cover-Up
Coming to Netflix: December 25
Cover-Up was made by an esteemed team, including Emmy-award winner Mark Obenhaus and Academy-award winner Laura Poitras. It’s also executive produced by Hollywood star Brad Pitt. A political thriller, it explores the career of Seymour Hersh — an investigative journalist who famously exposed My Lai massacre and its cover-up during the Vietnam War. He would later win a Pulitzer Prize for his work. This documentary explores the cover-up from exclusive access to Hersh’s notes, chronicling the immense and complex process of his work.
Cover-Up debuts on Netflix on Christmas Day, but it also debuts in select theatres, so keep an eye out for a screening near you.
Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story
Coming to Netflix: December 30
There are already a few documentaries about the Jodi Hildebrandt story out there; look no further than Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence. In December, Netflix will release one of its own.
Hildebrandt was a former counsellor and life coach from Utah, who would get involved with YouTuber and mother-influencer Ruby Franke. As Hildebrandt got involved, reports surfaced of child abuse, and the two women were ultimately arrested in 2023. Hildebrandt pleaded guilty to four counts of child abuse.
Which of these documentaries are you most interested in watching? Tell us in the comments down below!
