Five Netflix releases to keep an eye out for this week
Now that we’re only days away from the 2025 curtain call, Netflix is paying meticulous attention to make this yearly transition as special as it can get.
The streaming powerhouse already ensured a banging farewell to the year, thanks to the second volume and the finale of Stranger Things season five landing on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, respectively. But if you think that’s all there is to keep your hands full this week, we hope you love surprises.
As a year-end gift, Netflix has orchestrated a lineup of content that not only looks but screams festive. While that must be enough to have you seated with eyes glued to the screen, that’s actually far from all.
From holiday specials to stand-up comedy specials, Netflix has it all arranged in its house of cards. But to find out what is absolutely unmissable among all that’s to come, here are five Netflix releases to keep an eye out for this week.
Five Netflix releases to watch out for this week
Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story (Skye Borgman, 2025)
Netflix went unusually quiet on the true crime front this December. But on Tuesday, December 30th, it’s confirmed to unveil Skye Borgman’s next gripping documentary, Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story, based on the shocking true story of Utah therapist, Jodi Hildebrandt. The Netflix documentary, clocking in at an hour and 41 minutes, recounts a chilling case of child abuse, which came to light in the summer of 2023.
Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story tells the story of two women, a famous YouTuber mom, Ruby Franke, and a licensed mental health counsellor, Jodi Hildebrandt, who built their careers by giving parenting advice. While they shared tips and tricks related to family life via videos and seminars on their channel, ConneXions Classroom, their behind-the-scenes methods were unbelievably tormenting and traumatising for the children. So, for those with an appetite for chills, don’t forget to save the date!
Stranger Things (Duffer Brothers, 2016-2025)
After nearly a decade of witnessing the supernatural chaos of the Upside Down, Stranger Things is officially coming to an end this week. While the second volume of the fifth and final season came with quite a few answers we weren’t originally prepared for, the finale is about to shake things up twice as much. So, it’s time to pull out the big guns and hold our ground.
The second volume of Stranger Things season five finally unveiled the mysteries surrounding the Upside Down, which kept us awake and brainstorming night after night. The three-episode volume also restored Max to her senses since being stuck in Vecna’s memories from season four. However, the fate of Holly Wheeler remains shrouded in mystery, as does the destiny of the world. Hence, to know what awaits the Stranger Things universe, catch up to the Hawkins heroes one last time on December 31st, because if you don’t, the spoilers surely will.
Run Away (Nimer Rashed and Isher Sahota, 2026)
Even with the end of Stranger Things, the thrills shouldn’t stop for anyone. Thus, to welcome the chills in 2026, Netflix has scheduled a gripping new Harlan Coben adaptation for January 1st, a twisty new mystery to keep it going, Run Away. The forthcoming limited series follows Simon Nesbitt, a family man at heart, whose life begins to crumble down when his eldest daughter, Paige, runs away one fine day. When Simon runs into her next in a city park, vulnerable and clearly out on drugs, he sees it as a chance to bring Paige back home.
But when he finds out she’s not alone, the confrontation spirals into unexpected violence, leading Paige out of his life again. Although Simon doesn’t stop his search, his investigation pulls him deep into the rat hole of a criminal underworld he barely understands. While the dangers might seem little if it means Paige’s safety, what he underestimates is the destructive power of those secrets that have the potential to upend his family once and for all.
Time Flies (Ana Katz and Benjamin Naishtat, 2026)
In addition to Run Away, Netflix is also dropping another crime drama with a comedic twist on January 1st, Time Flies. The bittersweet Argentinian dramedy on Netflix tells the story of two female ex-cons who plan to start anew after getting released from prison. Although they are both prepared to begin this new chapter with honesty and humility, considering their past, it’s not exactly a surprise that they’re, after all, low on occupational options.
With not many professional safety nets to fall back on, they join forces to operate a fumigation business. While all seems to be working in their favour, a shady client enters the scene, changing the dynamic forever. Despite having fought hard to escape the life of crime, they’re lured back into the dangerous underworld once more, and it’s safe to say, the prospects don’t exactly look good for either.
Land of Sin (Peter Grönlund, 2026)
To wrap up the weekly marathon on the streamer, Netflix has a Swedish crime thriller, Land of Sin, coming our way on January 2nd. Both created and directed by Peter Grönlund, the five-episode Netflix series is set in the Scanian countryside, which revolves around the investigation of a teenager named Silas who has been found dead under mysterious circumstances at a farmhouse on the Bjäre peninsula.
The case is assigned to a “perpetually angry,” but genius detective, Dani, who joins forces with his recently graduated police colleague Malik to solve the crime. While the investigation leads the cop duo into a deeply entrenched patriarchal hellhole in the Scanian countryside, the probe also exposes a dark family dispute that dates back generations.