Original Coverage & Source Attribution: www.aarp.org
Coming in December
The Man with the Bag (on Prime Video Dec. 2)
Thirty years after Jingle All the Way, Arnold Schwarzenegger, 79, is sledding from the North Pole with another Christmas comedy. This time, he’s playing the big man himself. In this made-for-streaming caper, Santa’s magical sack is stolen by a disgruntled elf (comedian-actor Awkwafina), forcing him to rely on a petty criminal (Alan Ritchson) to save the holiday. Keep an eye out for costars Ken Jeong, 57, and Jane Krakowski, 58.
Tender Loving Care (in theaters Dec. 4)
Acclaimed British filmmaker Mike Leigh (Secrets & Lies, Vera Drake) delivers what he expects will be his final film as he copes with a rare autoimmune disease. A bittersweet drama with tasty sprinkles of comedy, Tender Loving Care explores the life of a London social worker (Kate O’Flynn) wrestling with professional burnout, a failed relationship and her aging father’s dementia. That may sound heavy, but Leigh, 83, gives it his light, lyrical touch.
Behemoth! (in theaters Dec. 4)
From Michael Clayton director Tony Gilroy, 70, comes this clever (but badly titled) drama starring Pedro Pascal, 51, as a gifted concert cellist who returns to Los Angeles after two decades away to record Hollywood film scores. But it’s not all sunshine and glitz in Southern California. He also has to reckon with his past, including a volatile ex (Olivia Wilde). The cast also includes Hank Azaria, 62, and Will Arnett, 56.
14th (on Netflix Dec. 4)
A decade after her Oscar-nominated documentary about how the 13th Amendment’s prison loophole fueled mass incarceration, filmmaker Ava DuVernay, 54, returns with its thematic follow-up — an examination of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment and its guarantees of birthright citizenship, due process and equal protection under the law. The doc features prominent voices from across the political spectrum.
Ink (in theaters Dec. 11)
This one should be fun. Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle, 70, tackles the birth of modern tabloid journalism in this rat-a-tat time capsule about Britain’s Fleet Street mavericks. Set in 1969 London, the film stars Guy Pearce, 59, as brash media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Jack O’Connell and Claire Foy also star. Expect many loving shots of whiskey and cigarettes. (Streams on Netflix Jan. 8)
The Debut (in theaters Dec. 11)
The Social Network star Jesse Eisenberg goes behind the camera to direct this hotly anticipated musical comedy starring Julianne Moore, 66, as a timid New Jersey housewife who develops a passion for acting in community theater. The movie is darker and more complex than that simple setup — she butts heads with her new director, Paul Giamatti, 59, for starters — but that’s what makes it soar. Think All About Eve in the ’burbs, and you’re on the right track.
Clarissa (in theaters Dec. 11)
Have you ever wondered how Virginia Woolf’s classic novel Mrs. Dalloway might play out in Nigeria? Set in modern-day Lagos, Clarissa stars the always-terrific Sophie Okonedo, 58, as a wealthy socialite getting ready to throw an important party that stirs up memories, not to mention a lot of old emotions. Selma’s David Oyelowo, 50, costars.
Dune: Part Three (in theaters Dec. 18)
Hitting theaters the same day as Marvel’s latest battle royale, Avengers: Doomsday, the third chapter of this dazzling sci-fi saga could be considered the thinking person’s blockbuster of the weekend. The first two parts of Denis Villeneuve’s eye-candy trilogy were, in my opinion, instant classics. Now, Timothée Chalamet’s futuristic messiah Paul Atreides has risen to emperor, and something tells me it’s not a peaceful reign. The A-list cast includes Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Javier Bardem, 57, Jason Momoa and Robert Pattinson.
Werwulf (in theaters Dec. 25)
Based on his previous movies (The Witch, Nosferatu), it’s safe to assume that director Robert Eggers has an unhealthy obsession with gothic horror. But that infatuation has been good for moviegoers who love a good, old-timey scare. His latest is set in 13th-century England (that’s already creepy), and stars the underrated Aaron Taylor-Johnson as a mute farmer cursed with turning into you know what (werewolf), you know when (full moon). Costarring Lily-Rose Depp and Willem Dafoe, 71.
Artificial (in theaters Dec. 25)
It seems like Hollywood has found its new villains: tech moguls. This year we’ve already seen movies about Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Elizabeth Holmes. And now we get director Luca Guadagnino’s darkly comic drama about the rise of OpenAI and the 2023 boardroom coup that (briefly) ousted CEO Sam Altman. Andrew Garfield plays Altman, and The Studio’s Ike Barinholtz plays Elon Musk.
