The end of the year is upon us and December gifts us with a multitude of new and interesting films to see. Before or after all the festivities for the month, make sure to carve out some time to catch one (or all) of these flicks.
For a horror thriller during these jolly times, check out Dust Bunny. After a monster living under the bed of an eight-year-old eats her entire family, a young girl decides to hire her next door neighbor — who happens to be a hitman — to kill it. The film stars Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale) as the hitman, along with newcomer Sophie Sloan, Sigourney Weaver (Alien) and David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil). The premise is wholly unique and has positive early reviews, so hopefully this family horror film will prove a good time when it releases on Dec. 12.
If a comedy-drama is more your speed, don’t miss Is This Thing On? Directed by Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook), the plot follows Alex Nova, played by Will Arnett (Arrested Development) as he goes through a divorce with his wife. Along the way, he discovers a new hobby in standup comedy and learns about himself through the process of telling jokes about his life. Laura Dern (Jurassic Park), Sean Hayes (Will & Grace) and Cooper also star in what looks to be a bittersweet film about finding new passions while trying to move forward. It releases on Dec. 19.
For pure comedy with two loveable legends, make sure to see Anaconda. A meta-reboot of the 1997 original, this plot sees Doug (Paul Rudd, I Love You, Man) and Griff (Jack Black, School of Rock) deciding to remake the original Anaconda film. Of course, a real anaconda shows up during filming and everything becomes much, much worse. The film-within-a-film aspect gives the remake a much needed change, and the two leads are sure to keep the laughs coming when this hits theaters on Christmas Day.
If you want a sports comedy-drama with some flare and anxiety, look no further than Marty Supreme. Inspired by real life table tennis champion Marty Reisman, the film is set in the 1950s and follows Marty’s journey to become the greatest player in all of New York. Starring Timothee Chalamet (Dune) and directed by Josh Safdie (Uncut Gems), the outing looks to be a tense and fun experience, with hopefully better results than his brother Bennie Safdie’s film The Smashing Machine, also released this year. Marty Supreme releases on Christmas Day.
For a timely black comedy, check out No Other Choice from South Korean director Park Chan-wook (Oldboy). Based on the novel The Ax by Donald E. Westlake, the story follows a man who has been unemployed for an extended length of time. To help his chances at landing work, he decides the best option is to take out his competition. With extremely positive reviews and a sharp critique of the corporate rat race, the film likely has high potential for awards season. It releases in select theaters on Christmas Day, before a larger release in January.
