December 2023 picks: The movies and series you can't miss
Stay in the know with the movies and series people will be talking about in December.
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- DirectorTodd HaynesStarsNatalie PortmanChris TenzisCharles MeltonTwenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple buckles under pressure when an actress arrives to do research for a film about their past.In director Todd Haynes' hands, the real-life tabloid relationship between teacher Mary Kay Letourneau and her student-turned-husband is a jumping off point for Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore to finally face off on screen. The turn this script takes is so wicked, you might forget how funny and perverse the story is leading up to a brutal betrayal. Haynes, who has no deal with Netflix or any other studio (the streaming giant bought 'May December' at Cannes), has been outspoken about how it was hard to get financing for the project despite its stars, as the director has always advocated for women on screen. And he's looking to shoot his next project, a queer-themed story set in 1930s Los Angeles with Joaquin Phoenix, in Mexico so he can continue to maneuver around the constraints of studio filmmaking.
Premieres on Netflix Friday, Dec. 1 - DirectorJohn WooStarsJoel KinnamanKid CudiHarold TorresA grieving father enacts his long-awaited revenge against a ruthless gang on Christmas Eve.In theaters Friday, Dec 1
- DirectorReginald HudlinStarsEddie MurphyTracee Ellis RossJillian BellA man is determined to win the neighborhood's annual Christmas decorating contest. He makes a pact with an elf to help him win--and the elf casts a spell that brings the 12 days of Christmas to life, which brings unexpected chaos to town.Premieres on Prime Video Friday, Dec. 1
- StarsSong KangLee Jin-wookLee Si-youngHyun, a loner high school student who lost his entire family in a terrible accident, is forced to leave his home and has to face a new reality where monsters are trying to wipe out all of humanity. Now he must fight against all odds to try and race against the clock to save what is left of the human race before it's too late.Season 2 premieres on Netflix on Friday, Dec. 1
- CreatorSydney NewmanStarsJodie WhittakerPeter CapaldiPearl MackieThe further adventures in time and space of the alien adventurer known as the Doctor and his companions from planet Earth.The longest running sci-fi series is returning for its latest holiday special this Christmas, and we’re looking forward to seeing actor Ncuti Gatwa wield the sonic screwdriver as the fifteenth regeneration of the infamous Timelord. But this holiday adventure, titled "The Church on Ruby Road," isn’t just a continuation of the franchise. Showrunner Russell T. Davies has said that the upcoming season will be considered a "re-branded Season 1." Details on the holiday special and the succeeding series are under wraps, but with Davies back at the wheel, and the talented Gatwa inside the TARDIS, we can’t wait to see what kind of wibbly wobbly timey wimey adventures the Doctor and his companions get up to.
"Wild Blue Yonder" premieres on BBC Saturday, Dec. 2 "The Giggle" premieres on BBC Saturday, Dec. 9 "The Church on Ruby Road" premieres on BBC Monday, Dec. 25 - DirectorZoya AkhtarStarsAgastya NandaKhushi KapoorSuhana KhanSet in 1960s India, Archie and the gang navigate romance, friendship and the future of Riverdale as developers threaten to destroy a beloved park.Premieres on Netflix Thursday, Dec. 7
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsEmma StoneMark RuffaloWillem DafoeAn account of the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter.We'd like to call attention to anyone who loved the series "Penny Dreadful"; in particular, Billie Piper's portrayal of Lily Frankenstein. We didn't think we'd ever need to see someone else's take on a woman brought back to life by a maker with dubious intentions. Emma Stone's performance stands tall next to Piper's, and we hope it inspires writers and directors to make couture for her after they observe the heroic woman she co-created with Yorgos Lanthimos. 'Poor Things' is its own liberation movement, and the film's creators, cast, and tinkerers deserve all the accolades they will attract throughout awards season.
In theaters Friday, Dec. 8 - DirectorSam EsmailStarsJulia RobertsMahershala AliEthan HawkeA family's getaway to a luxurious rental home takes an ominous turn when a cyberattack knocks out their devices, and two strangers appear at their door.Someone somewhere called Julia Roberts' character a "Doomsday Karen" and we haven't been able to stop laughing about it, even though this is a deadly serious Netflix movie from "Mr. Robot" creator Sam Esmail. Unlike that heralded series, the characters here apparently have no idea what's happening as cyberattacks cripple the US, animals strike curious poses, and audiences at home might not realize this is a two-hour movie, not an eight-episode series. If you know how the novel ends, it will be something to see what the chatter about the movie is, knowing this is a one-and-done scenario.
Premieres on Netflix Friday, Dec. 8 - DirectorWilliam OldroydStarsThomasin McKenzieShea WhighamSam NivolaA woman's friendship with a new co-worker at the prison facility where she works takes a sinister turn.In theaters Friday, Dec. 8
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsSoma SantokiMasaki SudaKô ShibasakiIn the wake of his mother's death and his father's remarriage, a headstrong boy named Mahito ventures into a dreamlike world shared by both the living and the dead.Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli, 'The Boy and the Heron' is the first feature from the legendary animator in 10 years. The semi-autobiographical film follows a young boy named Mahito (voiced by Christian Bale) on his journey to a world shared by the living and the dead. Originally titled 'How Do You Live?' for its Japanese release, the highly anticipated movie boasts an all-star voice cast featuring Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson, and Florence Pugh, among others.
In theaters Friday, Dec. 8 - StarsTakumi KitamuraJun ShisonKanata HongôA teenager dies while saving a young kid and is given a chance to be resurrected, provided he works for the Spirit World as an investigator of supernatural crimes with his newly-given powers.Series premieres Thursday, Dec. 14
- CreatorPeter MorganStarsClaire FoyOlivia ColmanImelda StauntonFollows the political rivalries and romances of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped Britain for the second half of the 20th century.Season 6, Part 2 premieres on Netflix on Thursday, Dec. 14
- DirectorPaul KingStarsTimothée ChalametGustave DieMurray McArthurWith dreams of opening a shop in a city renowned for its chocolate, a young and poor Willy Wonka discovers that the industry is run by a cartel of greedy chocolatiers.Timothée Chalamet has enormous shoes to fill. Depending on when you were born and which version your parents showed you, Willy Wonka is either a psychotic Johnny Depp or a psychotic AND dulcet voiced Gene Wilder. If you’re not convinced the world needs a Willy Wonka origin story, just keep in mind that director and co-writer Paul King is the person who gave us the 'Paddington' films.
In theaters Friday, Dec. 15 - DirectorSam FellStarsThandiwe NewtonZachary LeviBella RamseyHaving pulled off an escape from Tweedy's farm, Ginger has found a peaceful island sanctuary for the whole flock. But back on the mainland the whole of chicken-kind faces a new threat, and Ginger and her team decide to break in.Premieres on Netflix Friday, Dec. 15
- CreatorNick SantoraStarsAlan RitchsonMaria StenMalcolm GoodwinItinerant former military policeman Jack Reacher solves crimes and metes out his own brand of street justice. Based on the novels by Lee Child.Season 2 premieres on Prime Video Friday, Dec. 15
- DirectorGreta GerwigStarsMargot RobbieRyan GoslingIssa RaeBarbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.It's hard to believe there was a time when Barbie seemed like a box-office gamble. Thanks to Greta Gerwig’s magic, the toy doll who came to life in the form of Margot Robbie boxed up $1.44 billion at the global box office, while dismantling the patriarchy in her native Barbie Land and in the real world. Rarely have the movies created a cultural conversation quite like the Barbenheimer era, where fans dressed up for opening weekend, men felt attacked, and the Mattel Cinematic Universe was born.
Streaming on Max Friday, Dec. 15 - DirectorSimon Cellan JonesStarsMark WahlbergMichelle MonaghanCiarán HindsA former top assassin living incognito as a suburban dad must take his unsuspecting family on the run when his past catches up to him.Premieres on Apple TV+ Friday, Dec. 15
- DirectorBradley CooperStarsCarey MulliganBradley CooperMatt BomerThis love story chronicles the lifelong relationship of conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein and actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein.We've seen 'Maestro.' You have to be nitpicky to not be pulled under by it. It's a touch overly manipulative and unsteady as Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan move through the first act, but as they age and smoke, and the problems of fame and their marriage mature, their performances lock in (and his prosthetics settle into place). The movie might come in second for total Oscar nominations this year, though I wouldn't expect a redemptive Best Director nomination for Cooper, who was unfairly blanked for the honor for A Star Is Born.
Premieres on Netflix Wednesday, Dec. 20 - CreatorRick RiordanJonathan E. SteinbergStarsWalker ScobellLeah JeffriesAryan SimhadriDemigod Percy Jackson leads a quest across America to prevent a war among the Olympian gods.Series premieres on Disney+ Wednesday, Dec. 20
- DirectorJames WanStarsJason MomoaPatrick WilsonYahya Abdul-Mateen IIBlack Manta seeks revenge on Aquaman for his father's death. Wielding the Black Trident's power, he becomes a formidable foe. To defend Atlantis, Aquaman forges an alliance with his imprisoned brother. They must protect the kingdom.The long-delayed sequel to James Wan's billion-dollar hit 'Aquaman' is finally coming. The big question is whether fan love for Jason Momoa is enough to overcome the movie's lame duck position as the final installment in the DCEU. The DC franchise gets a full reboot under new studio heads James Gunn and David Safran, so it’s unclear how (or if) 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' will wrap things up.
In theaters Friday, Dec. 22 - DirectorZack SnyderStarsSofia BoutellaDjimon HounsouEd SkreinWhen a peaceful settlement on the edge of a distant moon finds itself threatened by a tyrannical ruling force, a stranger living among its villagers becomes their best hope for survival.Zack Snyder's Netflix sci-fi epic has been taking up space in the director's imagination for two decades. Originally conceived as a Star Wars pitch, the action-adventure introduces us to a colony on the edge of the galaxy that's itself threatened by the armies of sinister tyrant. Into the picture comes a young woman with a mysterious past who looks to unite warriors from neighboring planets to take a stand against evil.
Premieres on Netflix Friday, Dec. 22 - DirectorSean DurkinStarsZac EfronJeremy Allen WhiteHarris DickinsonThe true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s.If you're unfamiliar with the story of wrestling's Von Erich family, don't expect a standard sports biopic with thick bodies flying through the air as a trio of talented brothers ascend to glory. All the normal elements are here, from the overbearing father with impossible standards, to the competition between Kevin, Kerry, and David Von Erich to be the best. But we understand director Sean Durkin doesn't shy away from depicting the tragedies that befell the family as he pays honor to their enduring legacy. Plus, yes, he wants you to enjoy the bodies jumping off of top ropes too, as Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, and Harris Dickinson have packed on beef for our enjoyment.
In theaters Friday, Dec. 22 - DirectorAndrew HaighStarsAndrew ScottPaul MescalCarter John GroutA screenwriter drawn back to his childhood home enters into a fledgling relationship with his downstairs neighbor while discovering a mysterious new way to heal from losing his parents 30 years ago.Everything you are wearing will become a kerchief and the one-time Hot Priest might earn a Best Actor Oscar nomination in writer/director Andrew Haigh's loose adaptation of the novel by Taichi Yamada. Take that heartbreaking monologue from Elio's father in 'Call Me by Your Name' and turn it into a ghost story about retconning your family history, and you have the bones of this story. But also include Paul Mescal as a troubled and loving soul desperate to connect with a similarly effed up Andrew Scott. Bear hugs for Haigh, who has found an audiences with ' Weekend' and "Looking," for abandoning straightforward storytelling.
In select US theaters Friday, Dec. 22; in UK theaters Friday, Jan. 26 - DirectorCord JeffersonStarsJeffrey WrightTracee Ellis RossJohn OrtizA novelist who's fed up with the establishment profiting from Black entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him into the heart of the hypocrisy and madness he claims to disdain.Jeffrey Wright should earn his first Oscar nomination in Cord Jefferson's satire that earned the coveted People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival. By calling out white audience's penchant for Black trauma, the movie will likely have a bizarre ride through awards season as it continues to generate headlines, rapturous reviews, and discussion threads that go as deep as when Barbie took on the patriarchy. Though this is Jefferson's directorial debut, you've seen his name in the credits for "Succession," "The Good Place," and "Watchmen." We're way curious to watch Issa Rae portray a fictional version of the author Sapphire (whose novel "Push" was adapted into the movie 'Precious'), and we’re thinking those two real-life figures probably won’t ever been seen on a red carpet together.
In theaters Friday, Dec. 22 - DirectorWill GluckStarsSydney SweeneyGlen PowellAlexandra ShippAfter an amazing first date, Bea and Ben's fiery attraction turns ice-cold--until they find themselves unexpectedly reunited at a wedding in Australia. So they do what any two mature adults would do: pretend to be a couple.Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell star as Bea and Ben in the latest enemies-to-lovers romcom ‘Anyone But You.’ The film follows two train wrecks as they hatch a scheme to pose as a couple at a destination wedding. With classic hijinx like pratfalls, explosions, and cringey romantic stunts (Sweeney’s Bea requests Ben “Titanic” her at the bow of a yacht, for example), this light-hearted comedy could be the breath of fresh air audiences need to close out the year.
In theaters Friday, Dec. 22 - DirectorBlitz BazawuleStarsFantasia BarrinoTaraji P. HensonDanielle BrooksA woman faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.In theaters Monday, Dec. 25
- DirectorMichael MannStarsAdam DriverShailene WoodleyGiuseppe FestineseSet in the summer of 1957, with Enzo Ferrari's auto empire in crisis, the ex-racer turned entrepreneur pushes himself and his drivers to the edge as they launch into the Mille Miglia, a treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy.Michael Mann has been in a relationship with this project for so long, first Robert De Niro was set to star as the Italian racing mogul, then it was Christian Bale for a spell. The movie kicked up a lot of enthusiasm earlier this year, but the Oscar whispers died down after a mere few stops on the festival circuit. We feel like Mann fans are more focused on the director's next move: He plans to shoot a sequel, finally, to 'Heat,' which has become a classic since its initial release in 1995.
In theaters Monday, Dec. 25 - DirectorGeorge ClooneyStarsJoel EdgertonCallum TurnerPeter GuinnessA 1930s-set story centered on the University of Washington's rowing team, from their Depression-era beginnings to winning gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.In theaters Monday, Dec. 25
- CreatorJared KeesoJacob TierneyStarsJared KeesoNathan DalesMichelle MylettQuick-witted, fast-paced snappy comedy about rural folk getting by in a small town.Season 12 premieres on Crave Monday, Dec. 25 on Hulu Tuesday, Dec. 26