December is a good month for movies. Not only are studios rushing to get their best movies out in theaters ahead of awards season for consideration in the year's top prizes, but big blockbusters get released for families to go and enjoy during the holiday season.
Here's your guide to the best of the best movies coming out this month, in order of date of release.
1. "La La Land" (December 9)
You definitely don't want to miss this awards contender starring Ryan Gosling as a jazz pianist and Emma Stone as an aspiring actress. It's part love story, part musical with two of the hottest actors working in Hollywood. Not only that, but it is written and directed by Damien Chazelle, who you might remember as the writer and director of 2014's "Whiplash". This guy is the real deal and you should be paying attention to what he has to offer.
2. "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "(December 16)
As if you don't already know why you check this out. i just wrote an article about it so check it out here. But this is seriously one of the most anticipated movies of 2016. it's a whole New Star Wars story set in a familiar universe with one of the most impressive casts ever assembled. Like Chazelle, the director Gareth Edwards is one of Hollywood's up-and-coming directors with a lot of potential. If you're a fan of Star Wars, I'm sure you already bought tickets for the midnight premiere. If you're a fan of movies in general, you definitely will want to see this gem.
3. "Passengers" (December 23)
Another sci-fi movie coming out this month, this one starring Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence as two passengers on 130 year journey to a new colony, but are woken up 90 years early. This is another film starring two of Hollywood's biggest stars. It's got a very original script written by Jon Spaihts who has written Prometheus and this year's "Doctor Strange". Morten Tyldum ("The Imitation Game") is at the helm of this thriller that looks like it's going to be a huge hit for sci-fi fans and movie fans alike.
4. "Assassin's Creed" (December 23)
Yet again, another sci-fi film. But this one is noteworthy because it's based on the popular video game series "Assassins Creed". Video Game adaptations have the reputation of being infamously terrible. They're almost all bad. But, this one is being watched closely to see if it can break that mold. IT's taking a different spin on the game series, splitting the time between present day real life and the time in the Spanish Inquisition 65/35 respectfully. It is an interesting take that I am looking forward to seeing how it plays out. It stars Michael Fassbender, Marion Cottilard, Jeremy Irons, and Brendan Gleeson and is directed by Justin Kurzel (Macbeth).
5. "Patriot's Day" (December 23)
This based-on-a-true-story film follows the events of the Boston Marathon Bombing in 2013 and the actions of Police Commissioner Ed Davis, played by the wonderful J.K. Simmons. The film includes an all-star cast with Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Monaghan, John Goodman, Kevin Bacon, and Melissa Benoist. This is the first dramatized account of the bombing to hit theaters so it should be interesting to see the direction the film takes. And it's the second film of the year for writer/director Peter Berg, who released the well-reviewed "Deepwater Horizon" back in October, also starring Mark Wahlberg.
6. "Silence" (December 23)
Two words: Martin Scorsese. One of the greatest filmmakers of all time returns to the big screen for the first time since 2013's mega hit, "The Wolf of Wall Street", with his passion project 20 years in the making. It's a story about two Jesuit priests facing violence and persecution in Japan where they traveled to find their mentor. It stars Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, and Liam Neeson. Not much else is known about the film. The first trailer was released just a few short weeks ago. Nonetheless, the cinematography looks breathtaking and any film directed by Martin Scorsese is sure to be an awards contender and a film that will stick with you.
7. "Hidden Figures" (December 30)
This may very well be one of the most important movies of 2016. It's the story of three African-American women who provide NASA with important mathematical data to help launch the Nation's first successful space mission. The women are played by Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer who have already made a name for themselves in the acting business, and Janelle Monae, the singer turned actress who is generating buzz for her roles in this film and October's "Moonlight" (another fantastic movie that you should check out). The film is directed by the relatively unknown Theodore Melfi and is sure to garner some awards season attention.
These certainly aren't the only movies being released in December worth paying attention to. But, these are ones that you definitely do not want to miss. Looks like you'll be spending the next few weekends at AMC.
