December is quietly becoming one of the most interesting months for mystery and thriller fans as familiar stories are making the leap to the screen. This month’s adaptations tap into something deeper than plot twists: domestic unease, moral ambiguity, and the lingering question of who gets to tell the story—and how.
From a viral psychological thriller finally reaching theaters to a devastating real-life column reimagined for a wider audience, December’s slate leans intimate rather than explosive. These are stories about secrets kept inside homes, families pushed to their breaking points, and truths that surface only when it’s almost too late.
Whether you’re drawn to page-turning fiction, prestige drama, or classic mystery reworked for modern audiences, these are the book-to-screen adaptations worth watching this December—and why they matter now.
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden (December 19, 2025)
Freida McFadden’s viral psychological thriller arrives on screen with all the voyeuristic tension that made the novel a TikTok phenomenon. The adaptation leans into the claustrophobia of the Winchester household, where a seemingly perfect family becomes a pressure cooker of secrets, manipulation, and shifting power.
McFadden admits that translating Millie’s interior monologue to film is a challenge that she left to screenwriters. Still, early glimpses suggest the production is successfully embracing a more visual form of gaslighting—mirrors, closed doors, and the slow tightening of domestic space. It’s the kind of story that thrives in adaptation because the suspense is built on what characters think they see, and what the camera chooses to reveal.
Recommended for: Viewers who enjoy psychological thrillers set almost entirely inside the home, where tension builds through manipulation rather than action. This adaptation will appeal to fans of The Girl on the Train and Behind Her Eyes, and to anyone who prefers suspense rooted in power dynamics and unreliable perspectives. It’s especially suited for audiences who like twists—but care more about how characters get there than the shock itself.
Wake Up Dead Man by Netflix (December 1, 2025)
Written and directed by Rian Johnson, Wake Up Dead Man draws inspiration from John Dickson Carr’s classic locked-room mystery The Hollow Man. Rather than a direct adaptation, the film channels Carr’s fascination with impossible crimes and intellectual puzzle-solving through a contemporary lens.
Johnson’s involvement signals a renewed interest in fair-play mystery—stories that challenge the audience to think, not just react. In a landscape dominated by psychological thrillers, this adaptation stands apart by revisiting the mechanics of classic mystery while reshaping them for modern viewers.
Recommended for: Mystery lovers who enjoy intellectual puzzles, classic whodunits, and stories that invite active participation from the audience. This adaptation will appeal to fans of modern reinventions of traditional mystery, particularly those who appreciate structure, clues, and fair-play storytelling. Viewers looking for something sharper and more cerebral than the typical thriller will find this especially compelling.
Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan (December 11, 2025)
Sarah Vaughan’s Little Disasters examines friendship under pressure, asking how well we really know the people we trust with our children—and our secrets.
Adapted for the screen, the story leans into moral ambiguity rather than clear villains, a choice that mirrors the novel’s strength. At its core, this is less a mystery about what happened than a study of perception, guilt, and maternal fear.
The adaptation arrives at a moment when audiences are increasingly drawn to stories that interrogate social judgment rather than neatly resolve it.
Recommended for: Fans of character-driven dramas and morally complex mysteries, particularly those centered on motherhood, friendship, and social judgment. This adaptation is ideal for viewers who appreciate slow-burning tension and unresolved discomfort over tidy conclusions. If you gravitate toward stories that ask difficult questions rather than offering clear villains, this one will resonate.
Rosemead (December 5, 2025)
Originally published as a deeply reported column by Frank Shyong for the Los Angeles Times, A Dying Mother’s Plan brings a real-life story of desperation and love to the screen.
The piece gained attention for its restraint, focusing not on sensational crime but on the emotional calculus behind a mother’s final decisions. Its adaptation underscores a growing interest in narrative journalism crossing into prestige storytelling.
The result is expected to prioritize human complexity over dramatization, inviting viewers to sit with uncomfortable ethical questions rather than easy answers.
Recommended for: Viewers drawn to true stories, narrative journalism, and emotionally grounded adaptations. This film is best suited for audiences who value ethical nuance and real-world complexity over traditional crime storytelling. It will likely appeal to those who appreciate reflective, human-centered dramas that linger long after viewing.
Thalia Mercer is a writer covering mystery and thriller fiction, with a focus on book-to-screen adaptations and contemporary reading culture. She writes about why certain stories resonate—and how they translate beyond the page.
