In cinema: December's top 9 new movies
The summer movie season is upon us here in Australia, which means big screen blockbusters, a Boxing Day trip to the cinema, and the traditional holiday fare. Whether naughty or nice, here’s the new movies you need to have at the top of your festive to-watch list…
Hugh Grant and Martine McCutcheon in Love Actually
DECEMBER 7
Love Actually: Re-release
Special mention goes to this holiday classic, with its iconic ensemble cast featuring Hugh Grant as a lovelorn Prime Minister, Alan Rickman as a cheating spouse, Liam Neeson as a widowed single father, Rowan Atkinson as an exasperating shop assistant and Laura Linney as a shy expat in unrequited love. It’s impossible to decide who is the stand-out in this heartwarming flick, trotted out year after year.
The Boy And The Heron
This expectedly beautiful Studio Ghibli animation follows a young boy named Mahito (voiced by Soma Santoki) who ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead searching for his mother. It’s a semi-autobiographical fantasy from writer and director Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) about life, death, friendship and creation.
From left: Timothée Chalamet and Hugh Grant in Wonka
DECEMBER 14
Wonka
Want to know how Willy became Wonka? This wondrous tale introduces us to Roald Dahl’s magical inventor and chocolate-maker on his earliest adventures. While Timothée Chalamet (Dune) takes top billing as the main character, everyone is beside themselves to see Hugh Grant (Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves) as a wise-cracking, surly Oompa Loompa.
Listen to Popcorn Podcast’s bite-sized Wonka movie review
King Magnifico (Chris Pine) holds power over the people of Rosas
DECEMBER 26
Wish
Disney’s latest offering explores what happens when the will of an idealistic wannabe apprentice magician clashes with the ruler of a magical land where anything is possible – as long as he decides it’s so. In this stunningly animated comedy adventure, Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose, In The Heights) makes a wish so powerful it’s answered by a ball of boundless energy called Star, and together they go up against the seemingly benevelont King Magnifico (Chris Pine, Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves) to free the wishes of the people of Rosas.
Listen to Popcorn Podcast’s Wish movie review
One Life
Hailed as “soberly stirring”, One Life tells the true story of British humanitarian Nicholas Winton (Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins and Johnny Flynn), who helped save hundreds of Central European children from the Nazis on the eve of World War II. Helena Bonham Carter co-stars as Winton’s wife Babette in the remarkable tale.
Migration
From hit-making animation studio Illumination (Minions, Sing) comes an amusing adventure, featuring a flock of well-known voice stars, including Elizabeth Banks, Kumail Nanjiani, Awkwafina, Keegan-Michael Key and Danny DeVito. Take the family and have some fun.
Anyone But You
Filmed in Australia, Anyone But You stars Sydney Sweeney (Madame Web) and Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick) as ridiculously good-looking guests at a destination wedding who despise each other, but strike a deal to be a pretend couple in the hopes they’ll make the real targets of their affections jealous. Combine the stunning, romantic backdrops of iconic Sydney locations with the chemistry of Sweeney and Powell and we can guess where this is going…
Join Popcorn Podcast at the Anyone But You movie premiere in Sydney
Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry in Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom
Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom
What has Arthur Curry aka Aquaman (Jason Momoa) been up to since his successful superhero debut? If you believe his cameo in The Flash… he’s been drinking. Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom promises much more from the King of the Seven Seas when Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) returns hellbent on revenge for the death of his father. This time, he’s wielding the power of the Black Trident and Aquaman must turn to his imprisoned brother King Orm (Patrick Wilson) for help defeating an unleashed malevolent force.
Poor Things
From director Yorgos Lanthimos and producer Emma Stone comes a visually striking tale about the evolution of a woman (Stone) brought back from the brink of death by a daring scientist (Willem Dafoe). Stone says the film asks, “What would a woman be, if she were able to start from scratch?” as it explores liberation, sexuality and equality in a coming-of-age offering that inverts the classic Frankenstein story. Poor Things is hailed as an awards season darling for it’s bold originality.