4 Best Things I Watched in December (And My Favorite Books of 2025)

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I was looking at my Letterboxd stats for 2025 and was shocked. I'd watched the lowest amount of movies ever since I started using the site way back in 2012! It might not seem like it to you, but I noticed I cut back on watching movies a lot this year, whether that be because of politics, life happening, or what have you. In December, my mind finally told me to calm down and enjoy the holiday, so I can't say I made up for any lost time. I did, however, watch four movies I loved in different ways that I'd love to share with you!

And as a special bonus, keep reading to the end to find my best books of 2025 list!

Zootopia 2 (2025)

The first Zootopia didn't really get me in 2016. There were a few cute moments, like Martin Scorsese's Godfather-esque character and the gimmick with the guy who passes himself off as a baby, but overall it was a fairly typical 2010s Disney movie. So I willingly missed the opportunity to see the sequel when it debuted for critics. That's a mistake I'm kicking myself over because I do wish I'd see this on a big screen.

Thanks to Disney's awards portal I watched this at home and what a wild ride it is! I'd definitely call it better than the first. Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde (Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman, respectively) reteam in a story simultaneously about emotional insecurity and the forced removal of a group of creatures, in this case snakes, that social media has gone wild deconstructing as an Israel/Palestine allegory. Regardless, it's fun and surprisingly emotionally deep story that shows the best in Disney storytelling. Give me more of this in 2026, Disney, and less live-action remakes.

Elvis: The '68 Comeback Special (1968)

I could have sworn I'd seen this before! My mom and I are big Elvis fans, weirdly enough, and I've been slowly trying to cross off most of the major movies and specials he's starred in. In terms of specials, none compare to Elvis: That's the Way It Is from 1970 in terms of showing what feels closest to Elvis: the person, but the '68 Comeback Special gets close. This wasn't just an opportunity for Elvis to make a much-needed professional resurrection, the singer worried he was irrelevant in the sea change that was music in the late '60s.

It was also an opportunity for the King of Rock, a man who had become pretty untouchable by this point, to look like a normal dude. Some of the best moments in this 50-minute special are just the way the camera focuses on him vibing out to music. Or watching him joke around with the band or the audience. He's a singer on-stage, yes, but he's also a guy just trying to connect with people for a few seconds. Elvis's magnetism is on full display alongside him performing all the bangers he had up to that point. And "If I Can Dream" is still an underrated Elvis song. Just saying.

KPop Demon Hunters (2025)

Yes, yes, I'm remarkably late on seeing this movie! But I did see it just in time for awards voting so don't judge me too harshly. I'm not big on KPop so was concerned this would be too niche for me. If you're in the same boat let me say what people are yelling at the screen right now: You're wrong!

KPop Demon Hunters is one of the year's best animated movies with a rollicking soundtrack and characters who feel so relatable. Think of it like a Disney movie you wish existed in the '90s! The story of three girls who fight demons, while also battling a wealth of emotional insecurity, is something I wish existed when I was a girl. There's a nuance in how their storyline uses the demons as an allegory for societal judgement. That and the songs are just so killer!

Pillion (2025)

Harry Lighton's Pillion was one of my most anticipated movies of 2025. An erotically charged queer romance about bikers starring Alexander Skarsgard? Sign me up! I had a helluva time actually seeing it--it technically debuts in February--and was happy one of the critics groups I'm part of got access to a screener! Even if the above plot doesn't do it for you make time to see this one!

Pillion is the story of mild-mannered Colin (Harry Melling) who falls for biker Ray (Skarsgard). The two embark on a dominant/submissive relationship and the edges soon start to fray as Colin wants more than Ray might be able to emotionally provide. In a year where people have leapt at more sexually overt movies--potentially as a response to Gen Z's antipathy to sex scenes--Pillion is definitely not for the pearl clutchers. And yet within its more explicit scenes there's an emphasis on connection and a hunt for tenderness. It's also outlandishly funny at times and Melling and Skarsgard are pitch perfect. I immediately want to see this again, though not sure if I want to watch it in a room full of people.

What movies or books did you love in December? Be sure to drop them in the comments!