Ten movies to add to your December watchlist
December is the time to get into the holiday spirit and head to your local cinema because the blockbuster Australian summer movie season is a festive scorcher. From moving musicals to violent Christmas comedies, check your watchlist twice for these ten new releases.
Joe Alwyn and Margaret Qualley lead thriller Stars At Noon
Stars at Noon (December 1)
French auteur Claire Denis brings Denis Johnson’s 1986 novel to the screen. The romantic thriller follows a young American journalist (Margaret Qualley) who’s stranded in Nicaragua. She falls for an enigmatic Englishman (Joe Alwyn) who seems like her best chance of escape, until she realises that he may be in even greater danger than she is.
Unlike the novel, which is set during the Nicaraguan Revolution, Denis moves the story to the present day. The film was shot in December 2021, so that means pandemic-era, not post-COVID.
Iconic Australian band The Angels gets the doco treatment
The Angels: Kickin’ Down the Door (December 1)
If you’ve ever had rock tunes No Secrets, Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again? (and it’s cheeky variations) or Take a Long Line on repeat, this is the movie for you.
The Angels exploded onto the local music scene in 1974 with a lust for fame. But when they were on the verge of international success, bonds and dreams were shattered; and when front-man Doc Neeson was asked to leave by his own brother, the hurt estranged them for years. This is the untold story of one of the greatest legacies in Australian rock ‘n’ roll history.
Violent Night pits Santa Claus (David Harbour) against a team of ruthless mercenaries
Violent Night (December 1)
David Harbour is Father Christmas in this dark comedy inspired by Die Hard and Home Alone. When a group of mercenaries led by Mr Scrooge (John Leguizamo) attacks a wealthy family’s estate on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus steps in to save the day… and Christmas.
The Stranger Things star dons the red coat and white beard in the not-so-sweet or merry holiday movie from director Tommy Wirkola (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters). But if you look beyond the blood and broken bones, Violent Night is still bound to give you some Christmas cheer.
Watch Popcorn Podcast’s interview with Violent Night star John Leguizamo now
Greta Gerwig (left) and Adam Driver (centre) star in Noah Baumbach’s apocalyptic black comedy White Noise
White Noise (December 8)
Another book adaptation this month is Noah Baumbach’s apocalyptic comedy White Noise. As per Don DeLillo’s novel, college professor Jack Gladney (Adam Driver) and his wife (Greta Gerwig) are forced to evacuate their suburban family when a nearby chemical leak causes "The Airborne Toxic Event”.
Baumbach, Gerwig and Driver are becoming quite the team. The three first collaborated in 2012 for Frances Ha before Baumbach’s six-time Academy Award-nominated film Marriage Story. Despite early mixed reviews, critics are speculating some recognition for the writer-director in the Adapted Screenplay category. An Original Score nomination is said to be a lock thanks to the musical genius of Danny Elfman.
White Noise hits Netflix on December 30 after a limited cinema run.
Avatar: The Way Of Water returns to Pandora for a new adventure
Avatar: The Way of Water (December 15)
Arguably the most anticipated movie of not just the month, but the year, James Cameron’s Avatar sequel takes us back to the fantastical world of Pandora. Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana reprise their roles in the big-budget blockbuster as Jake Sully and Neytiri, who are enjoying life with their newfound family. But when a familiar threat returns to finish what was started, the couple must work with the army of the Na'vi race to protect their planet.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the budget for the epic fantasy adventure film sits between US$350 million and $400 million, meaning it will need to earn approximately $800 million to “break even”. Considering 2009’s Avatar became the top-grossing film of all time at the global box office with over $2.9 billion (remaining undefeated by Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame), this seems like an achievable goal for the ambitious Cameron.
Naomi Ackie portrays superstar Whitney Houston in biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody
I Wanna Dance With Somebody (December 26)
This triumphant celebration of musical icon Whitney Houston is sure to have you up and dancing as it revisits career-defining moments of one of the best-selling and most awarded recording artists of all time. The biographical musical stars BAFTA-winner Naomi Ackie as Houston, Stanley Tucci as music mogul Clive Davis – who handpicked Tucci to portray him – and Ashton Sanders (Moonlight) as Bobby Brown.
Constance Wu is Mrs Primm in Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (December 26)
Based on the popular children’s book by Bernard Waber, this musical comedy tells the tale of the Primm family, new residents of New York City. Their young son, Josh (Winslow Fegley), befriends a singing crocodile named Lyle, but their evil neighbour Mr Grumps (none other than Javier Bardem) is out to get him. The family must work together to prove that family can be found, too.
Popstar Shawn Mendes voices Lyle and performs original songs by the songwriting team behind The Greatest Showman, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
Colin Farrell seeks answers in The Banshees of Inisherin
The Banshees of Inisherin (December 26)
Martin McDonagh, the man behind Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, brings us an Irish tragicomedy about a grown man who sets out to repair his broken relationship with his lifelong friend.
The film stars Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan. McDonagh won the Golden Ostella for Best Screenplay at the Venice Film Festival and Farrell took home the Volpi Cup for his portrayal of Pádraic Súilleabháin, folk musician and desperate friend. The Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor categories at the Oscars are going to have a field day with The Banshees of Inisherin.
Listen to Popcorn Podcast’s The Banshees of Inisherin movie review now
Philippa (Sally Hawkins) is determined to find the missing remains of King Richard III in The Lost King
The Lost King (December 26)
In this comedy-drama, Sally Hawkins plays a rebellious amateur historian who defies the academic establishment to find King Richard III's remains (which were lost for over 500 years) in a Leicester car park.
Stephen Frears’s (Philomena) adaptation is based on the 2013 book The King's Grave: The Search for Richard III by Philippa Langley and Michael Jones, which dramatises Langley’s search. That’s right, it’s based on a true story!
Listen to Popcorn Podcast’s bite-sized The Lost King movie review now
Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness has divided audiences
Triangle of Sadness (December 26)
Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or winner Triangle of Sadness is a comedy-drama about a group of the super-rich who are stranded on an island after their cruise sinks. Östlund is no stranger to satire – just look at The Square (2017) and Force Majeure (2014) – but despite its eight-minute standing ovation at Venice, the film was subject to walkouts with many not being able to handle the wickedly wacky comedy.
