There’s a good chance that, between all the shopping and gift-opening, someone’s going to suggest catching a movie over the next month. After all, December is the time when the studios bring out their remaining Oscar big guns (though a few, set to be released in LA and NYC in December to qualify for Oscar consideration, may not straggle into Houston until January). So here are some of the major releases landing in theaters (or on streaming) in the next four weeks.
December 6
Marriage Story: Director Noah Baumbach (“Frances Ha,” “While We’re Young”) makes his most searing film, chronicling a divorce that spirals from amicable to angry. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson turn in two of their best performances and their are notable appearances from Laura Dern, Alan Alada, Ray Liotta and Wallace Shawn. While it has opened theatrically in other markets and played Houston’s Cinema Arts Festival earlier this month, it’s available only on Netflix in Houston.
Playmobil: The Movie: The Playmobil brand toys get their own animated movie with voices provided by Jim Gaffigan, Daniel Radcliffe, Meghan Trainor, Adam Lambert and Kenan Thompson.
FILMS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED: Have you seen all the best of 2019? See what our critic thought you’d be talking about this year, on HoustonChronicle.com
December 13
Black Christmas: Imogen Poots, Cary Elwes and Lily Donoghue stars in this horror film about students stalked by a killer during Christmas break.
Jumanji: The Next Level: Our heroes return but it’s a very different game they’re playing this time around. Dwayne Johnson, Awkwafina, Jack Black, Nick Jonas and Kevin Hart star.
Richard Jewell: Paul Walter Hauser, so good as the half-wit hanger-on in DirecTV’s mixed-martial-arts drama “Kingdom,” finally gets his shot at a big starring role as the title character in Clint Eastwood’s take on the life of the man mistakenly accused of planting a bomb at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde, Jon Hamm and Kathy Bates co-star.
December 20
A Hidden Life: Austin director Terrence Malick is getting some of the best reviews he has had in a long time for this biographical drama about Franz Jagerstatter, the Austrian man who declared himself a conscientious objector rather than fight for the Third Reich. August Diehl, Matthias Schoenaerts, Bruno Ganz and Michael Nyqvist star.
Bombshell: The latest film from Jay Roach (“Meet the Fockers,” “Game Change,” “The Campaign”) is both topical (focusing on the group of women who took on former Fox News chief Roger Ailes over issues of sexual harassment) and star-studded (Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson, John Lithgow as Ailes, Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly an a cast that also includes Margot Robbie, Allison Janney, Kate McKinnon), making it prime Oscar-bait material.
Cats: The hit Broadway musical comes to the big screen with an all-star cast including Taylor Swift, Idris Elba, James Corden, Judi Dench, Rebel Wilson, Ian McKellen, Jennifer Hudson and Jason Derulo. Much has been made online of the “creepy” look of the cats in the trailers. We’ll see if the public agrees once it opens.
ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Andrew Lloyd Weber’s ‘Cats’ still doesn’t have claws
Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker: This it kids, the final chapter in the story of Luke Skywalker. J.J. Abrams, who did “Episode VII: The Force Awakens,” is back in the director’s chair as are Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega and, of course, Mark Hamill.
The Two Popes: Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce star as conservative Pope Benedict and liberal future Pope Francis respectively as they tussle over the future of the Catholic Church. Available on Netflix.
December 25
1917: Christopher Nolan crafted one of the best films of 2017 with his WWII film “Dunkirk.” Can Sam Mendes (“Skyfall,” “American Beauty”) do something similar in 2019 with his WWI film “1917”? There’s a hive’s worth of buzz about this story of two young British soldiers tasked with delivering a message deep behind enemy lines in order to stop 1600 men from being ambushed. Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth, Richard Madden and Mark Strong star.
Ip Man 4: The Finale: The successful “Ip Man” franchise — in which Donnie Yen plays the martial artist/teacher whose most famous student was Bruce Lee — returns for a presumably rousing franchise finale in which he travels from his native China to San Francisco to help Lee who has run afoul of the Northern California martial-arts community.
Little Women: Actor/director Greta Gerwig (“Lady Bird”) tries her hand at the Louisa May Alcott novel about four sisters in post-Civil War America. Saoirse Ronan, Meryl Streep, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Chris Cooper, Bob Odenkirk and Timothée Chalamet are in the heavyweight cast.
Spies in Disguise: Animators Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, who worked on various “Ice Age” movies, direct their first animated feature about a spy turned into a pigeon. Will Smith, Ben Mendelsohn, Rachel Brosnahan, Rashida Jones and Tom Holland are among the voice cast.
Uncut Gems: Cult indie-film directors Benny and Josh Safdie (“Good Time”) are getting acclaim for this drama starring Adam Sandler in a career-redefining role as a New York City jeweller out to make a big score. It’s nominated for five Independent Spirit Awards. The Weeknd, Idina Menzel, LaKeith Stanfield and Eric Bogosian also star.
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