Here’s hoping that we all survived Thanksgiving dinner with talks of politics, meeting new girlfriends and boyfriends, arguing over who does the dishes all the while stuffing ourselves with green bean casserole. Did you get crushed in the crowds on Black Friday or have your computer crash on Cyber Monday? December will bring much of the same as we gear up to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa as we hurry to finish off our holiday lists while being elbow deep in flour and baking soda. But don’t despair as December also brings numerous blockbusters to theaters for you to momentarily escape the madness, and relax and escape for a few hours. The following are a just a few for you to choose from.
I See You (R)
On Dec. 6, I See You debuted in theaters. The film is directed by Adam Randall and stars Academy Award Winner Helen Hunt, along with John Tenney and Judah Lewis. This thriller is the perfect way to forget about your stress as you will be clinging to the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next. Hunt and Tenney play husband and wife, who are struggling to overcome the wife’s infidelity, while the husband investigates a missing child case, which resurfaces old memories of a similar, but forgotten case. Add a malicious presence and you have what is sure to be a hit. A must see.
Jumanji: The Next Level (PG-13)
Jumanji: The Next Level transcends into theaters on Dec. 13 and is directed by Jake Kasdan. Reprising their roles from the 2017 film Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle are Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Alex Wolf, Morgan Turner, Madison Iseman and Ser’Darius Blain. Joining in on the fun this time are Danny DeVito, Awkwafina and Danny Glover. Unbeknown to the gang, Spencer kept the pieces to the game and eventually was able to repair the system in his grandfather’s basement. They go to visit him and find the game running, but Spencer is gone. The gang realizes they must all go back into the game to save him, but before doing that, Spencer’s granddad and friend come down to check the commotion and are accidentally transported into the game. This film is sure to be a wild adventure with tons of laughs and is a good family movie.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (NR)
On Dec. 20, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker storms theaters. Directed by J.J. Abrams, this film stars Billie Lourd (Carrie Fisher’s daughter), Carrie Fisher (via archive footage), Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, Lupita Nyong’o and Mark Hamill. This story follows the 2017 movie The Last Jedi and finds the remnants of the Resistance facing the First Order once again while also fighting their inner turmoil and conflict. A must see for all the Trekkers out there as it is said that this film is the final chapter of the Skywalker saga. The movie is long at 2 hours and 35 minutes. You won’t want to miss a minute of the action.
Cats (PG)
Also on Dec. 20, Cats leaps into theaters directed by Tom Hooper, who previously directed the musical Les Miserables from 2012, and features an all-star cast including Idris Elba, Taylor Swift, Ian McKellen, Rebel Wilson, Judi Dench, James Corden, Jennifer Hudson, Jason Derulo and in her first feature length role, Francesca Hayward. Based on both the poetry collection “Old Possum’s Books of Practical Cats” written by T.S. Eliot in 1939 and the stage musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cats is a musical which follows a community of cats called the Jellicles who once a year on a single night pick a chosen cat who will soar to the heavens and come back to a new life. This brilliant musical is sure to be a box office hit.
Little Women (PG)
Little Women comes into theaters on Dec. 25. Directed and written by Greta Gerwig, this film is based on the novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott. This time around (it is the eighth adaption of her novel) the movie stars Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh, Laura Dern and Meryl Streep just to name a few. Taking place in the 1860s, the story revolves around four sisters in the aftermath of the Civil War. Little Women is a good family film to go see after dinner or after dessert on Christmas Day.
Clemency (R)
On Dec. 27, Clemency debuts in theaters. Directed and written by Chinonye Chukwu, this film stars Alfre Woodard, Wendell Pierce and Aldis Hodge. Woodard stars as a tired prison warden who, after years of being an executioner of men on death row, finally succumbs to her demons and as a result connects to the next man she is sentenced to kill. Woodard gives a believable performance as always.
Black Christmas (PG-13)
Also on Dec. 13, Black Christmas creeps into theaters. Directed by Sophia Takal, this film stars Imogen Poots, Cary Elwes, Lily Donoghue and Brittany O’Grady. This is the second remake of the Canadian film of the same name from 1974. The other remake was filmed in 2006. A sorority that stayed at college for the holidays is picked off one-by-one by a mysterious stalker. However, the girls team up and fight back while unwittingly discovering that there is more than meets the eye with regards to their assailant. This film is a good horror movie to break-up the stress of your holiday shopping.
Please check your listings because also in December, Bombshell starring Margot Robbie, Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman comes out, as well as The Aeronauts and Spies in Disguise.
So grab some snacks and a drink, and enjoy the movies.
