The holiday season is almost here, and it’s time to cozy up in your blanket as you watch a good movie on Paramount+. The end of the year always puts us in an introspective mode, and what you consume around this time can seriously make a difference, since we’re more emotional and receptive.
On December 1, 2025, the streaming service will release multiple movies, spanning classics, comedy, and horror genres. But there are a few on the list that will keep you up at night, and not because they’re scary, but thoughtful enough to stay in your mind and make an impact.
So, let’s look at these nine well-known features that might make you lose some good night’s sleep, but in the best way possible.
9. Annihilation (2018)
Annihilation follows a biologist soldier named Lena, played by Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman. Lena, along with a team of scientists, enters a strange zone called the Shimmer, where the laws of nature collapse.
Here, plants, animals, and humans mutate in disturbing ways. But the horror in Annihilation is also about inner demons, grief, and self-destruction. Though the visuals are beautiful, tonally, this film is quite unsettling. Don’t mistake it for some light entertainment, because the Portman starrer is bold and lingers in your mind.
8. Disturbia (2007)
A still from Disturbia | Credits: DreamWorks Pictures / Cold Spring Pictures
A tense psychological thriller might be exactly what you need in December to get your heart all pumping and excited! Disturbia stars Shia LaBeouf as Kale, a 17-year-old who has violent outbursts at school after a traumatic loss, and is put on house arrest.
Due to being bored and restless, he begins to spy on his neighbors from his windows, and soon he begins to suspect that his normal-looking neighbor might actually be a serial killer! Disturbia doesn’t rely on gore or over-the-top horror, but plays games with your mind, and that only adds to its appeal.
7. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
A still from Dusk Till Dawn | Credits: Dimension Films / Los Hooligans Productions
A movie starring George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino in the lead? Now, everyone would sign up for that! From Dusk Till Dawn is a crime thriller featuring two fugitive brothers, played by Clooney and Tarantino, who kidnap a family in a desperate bid to escape to Mexico.
But the intense hostage situation doesn’t last long, and turns into a chaotic horror show. Somehow, the two find themselves at a packed place, defending themselves against a horde of vampires! The movie received mixed reviews, but the audience loved it, and now it has acquired a cult classic status!
6. Gone Baby Gone (2007)
A still from Gone Baby Gone | Credits: Miramax Films / The Ladd Company
Gone Baby Gone is the directorial debut of Ben Affleck and follows two private investigators in Boston, who are hired to find a missing child from a rough neighborhood. From the get-go, we are plunged into a world of poverty, corruption, and addiction.
Their straightforward mission starts to become complex and ambiguous as people change their stances and loyalties, while suspects overlap. Its ending leaves many unanswered questions, which you’d likely revisit at bedtime.
5. I See You (2019)
A still from I See You | Credits: Bankside Films / Head Gear Films
A boy disappears, and Greg Harper is assigned to investigate his case in I See You. What begins as a missing-child mystery slowly evolves into something darker, with items vanishing and eerie noises.
The narrative also shifts between perspectives, so we’re misdirected, and the reveals feel unexpected after we’ve just assumed what happened. The film is a subtle horror, and there are no jump scares, but a creeping dread that will make you question if your own home is safe!
4. No Country for Old Men (2007)
A still from No Country for Old Men | Credits: Paramount Vantage / Miramax Films
No Country for Old Men is a movie by the Coen Brothers, and they’ve turned the novel into a cinematic journey. Josh Brolin’s Llewelyn takes away the cash left behind after a drug deal goes wrong. But a psychopathic killer named Chigurh, played by Javier Bardem, picks up on his trail!
The movie is an all-time classic and won several Oscars, like Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay. No Country for Old Men will make you question what happens when evil becomes random and unstoppable.
3. Shutter Island (2010)
A still from Shutter Island | Credit: Paramount Pictures / Applan Way Productions
Shutter Island is another one of Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese’s epic collaborations. The actor plays Teddy, who travels to a remote psychiatric facility with his partner.
They’re on a forbidden island, investigating the disappearance of a dangerous patient. But as the story goes on, we learn that Shutter Island is a labyrinth of trauma, grief, paranoia, and just how unreliable reality can be.
2. Taxi Driver (1976)
A still from Taxi Driver | Credit: Columbia Pictures / Bill/Phillips Productions
Another Scorsese classic on the list is Taxi Driver, featuring Robert DeNiro as Travis Bickle, a troubled veteran who drives around the streets of New York. His loneliness leads him to rapidly disconnect from reality, while he’s also haunted by insomnia and social rejection.
He has a growing disgust for the world around him, and what begins as his search for meaning and purpose turns into something far darker. Taxi Driver serves as an inspiration for Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, but it’s a much more authentic portrayal of psychological breakdown.
1. The Ring (2002)
A still from The Ring | Credits: BenderSpink / DreamWorks Pictures
We all have heard about The Ring, but if you’ve never had the chance to watch it, now is your time! The horror movie is a remake of a Japanese classic that revolves around a cursed videotape. So, anyone who watches it will receive a phone call saying seven days, and will die exactly a week later.
Naomi Watts’ Rachel Keller is the central character in the American version, and she begins to investigate the deaths of her niece and friends. It’s a desperate race against time, and the kind of horror that doesn’t let you sleep at night.
Here’s an overview of the movies:
TitleDirectorRotten Tomatoes (critic score | audience score) Annihilation (2018) Alex Garland88% | 67% Disturbia (2007)D.J Caruso69% | 77% From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) Robert Rodriguez66% | 76% Gone Baby Gone (2007)Ben Affleck 94% | 86% I See You (2019) Adam Randall73% | 74% No Country for Old Men (2007) Joel Coen and Ethan Coen93% | 86% Shutter Island (2010) Martin Scorsese69% | 77% Taxi Driver (1976) Martin Scorsese 89% | 93% The Ring (2002) Gore Verbinski72% | 48%
And these are our top picks for anyone who wants to watch something disturbing, surreal, and thoughtful. Paramount+ will have more movies coming out on December 1, 2025, so you might want to check out their catalogue after that. But up until now, which of these films are you planning to watch in December?
All the movies mentioned above will be available to stream on Paramount+ on December 1, 2025 (USA).
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
