Welcome to Marwen December! It’s the time of the year when movie studios unleash their fury on theaters unlike anything you’ve seen before. While summer is filled with blockbusters, December gives it a run for its money because it has big time crowd pleasers, awards favorites, and Natalie Portman playing a pop star. What a Christmas miracle! Scroll on for the 11 best films landing in theaters this December.
BEN IS BACK (DECEMBER 7)
A bit of a sleeper hit on the awards circuit, Ben Is Back is another troubled boy movie with Lucas Hedges at the helm and Julia Roberts as his mom. Set in the holiday season, Roberts and Hedges document a complicated tenure home for Christmas. Peter Hedges directs one of Roberts’s best performances in years.
DUMPLIN’ (DECEMBER 7)
Getting a limited release in theaters (don’t worry: if it’s not in your town, it’s available on Netflix the same day), Dumplin’ is the story of Willowdean, a plus-size teenager played by Danielle Macdonald, who decides to enter into the beauty pageant circuit for which her mom (Jennifer Aniston) has become so well-known. And it’s all soundtracked to the hits of Dolly Parton.
MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS (DECEMBER 7)
Following the tense relationship between Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth I, the film stars Margot Robbie and Saoirse Ronan as the dueling sisters who attempt to stake claim to the English throne. Let’s just say that more than just wigs are snatched by the end of it.
THE MULE (DECEMBER 14)
You can practically tell it’s a Clint Eastwood film from a mile away. Starring Bradley Cooper and Eastwood, the latter plays as an 80-something man named Earl who takes up being a drug mule for the Mexican cartel—a casual job for someone in the later stages of life. But as the walls start closing in on him, Earl’s reflection on his choices and life pushes him to the edge.
VOX LUX (DECEMBER 14)
In the same year that Lady Gaga became a movie star, a movie star attempts to become Lady Gaga. Playing a pop star plotting her big comeback, Vox Lux looks nothing short of absolutely bananas. But it also stars Natalie Portman and Jude Law, so it’s a gamble: good talent, crazy story.
MARY POPPINS RETURNS (DECEMBER 19)
In what is easily going to be the feel-good film of the year, Emily Blunt is center stage as the incomparable Mary Poppins. Big umbrellas to fill from Julie Andrews’ run as the Banks children’s caretaker, but Blunt’s singing in the trailer makes it seem like she can handle the job. Joined by Emily Mortimer, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Angela Lansbury, and Meryl Streep, the cast is stacked.
AQUAMAN (DECEMBER 21)
It feels like we’ve been waiting on Jason Mamoa to step into Aquaman’s shoes (scales?) for years. This month, it’s finally happening. Giving us a bit of backstory before launching into his ascension to kingship, Aquaman is the first installment in the DC Comics story, and it’s well overdue.
WELCOME TO MARWEN (DECEMBER 21)
It’s a real shame that Beautiful Boy is pulling most of Carrell’s spotlight during this awards season, because Welcome to Marwen—the story of how a man attacked by Nazis channels his PTSD into an alternative world run by dolls—looks absolutely incredible. Flanked by Merritt Wever, Leslie Mann, and Janelle Monáe, Marwen feels like a timely exploration into mental health and neo-Nazis that seem to be having a surprisingly successful 2018.
VICE (DECEMBER 25)
Nothing says Christmas like the insatiable need to control a government from the backseat of a presidency. Christian Bale transforms into former Vice President Dick Cheney in Vice, with Amy Adams by his side as wife Lynne. Sam Rockwell tags along as a pretty decent George W. Bush as well.
HOLMES & WATSON (DECEMBER 25)
The evergreen story of Sherlock Holmes returns, but this time, it’s in the absurdly comedic hands of Will Ferrell. And in the best reunion ever, John C. Reilly joins him as Dr. Watson. So if you’ve ever had the itch to see a British period piece, but have none of it taken seriously… this could be your film.
ON THE BASIS OF SEX (DECEMBER 25)
As Christmas films come to an end, On the Basis of Sex is the story of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and how she took on gender discrimination all the way up to the federal level. It’s a poignant story and one that just happens to align with the 25th anniversary of Ginsburg’s tenure on the bench.