The Best New Films To Watch This Month
December is here, and while we’re almost at the end of the year, there’s still plenty of new film releases on the horizon. When you’re not dipping into your fave Christmas classics with a sherry, you can check out movies like Queer, Luca Guadagnino’s follow-up to Challengers starring Daniel Craig, Robbie Williams biopic Better Man, or Amy Adams’s surreal new comedy, Nightbitch. Here’s everything you need to watch:
Queer
Daniel Craig stars in this new drama from Challengers director Luca Guadagnino– and given that film’s success, it’s no wonder this one is so anticipated. It follows an expat, Lee, in Mexico City (Craig), as he wanders through bars and clubs searching for something meaningful. He meets and soon becomes infatuated with a discharged navy man, Eugene (Drew Starkey), and they’re drawn to each other- despite the fact that Eugene is quite sure he’s straight, and resists the advances of Lee. It also stars Jason Schwartzman, Lesley Manville, Omar Apollo and Henry Zaga.
out on 13th December
Better Man
It’s a Robbie Williams biopic- except he’s a monkey. That’s the zany concept behind Better Man, which retells the pop star’s story in a decidedly unconventional way. Williams is voiced by actor Jonno Davies with singing by Williams himself, as the film recounts his meteoric rise to fame as part of Take That and then as a solo artists, before falling into addiction issues, and eventually making his way to recovery. Of course, it features songs and performances from his career and recognisable moments from his much-publicised private life, with everyone else as a human. Meanwhile, the film also stars Steve Pemberton, Alison Steadman, Damon Herriman, Anthony Hayes and Raechelle Banno.
out on 26th december
Rumours
This satirical comedy film stars Cate Blanchett and Charles Dance in a rather weird narrative focusing on a meeting of world leaders at the G7 summit. Blanchett plays the German Chancellor while Dance plays the US President, as they and the rest of the leaders arrive at the conference to address an international crisis. What exactly this crisis is is not specified, and after the politicians take a trip into the woods to discuss matters, end up getting lost. The comedy becomes increasingly surreal as they must figure out how to get past various obstacles that keep appearing before them, and with night soon falling and mist descending, they realise they’re entirely alone.
out on 6th December
Nightbitch
Amy Adams stars in another surreal dark comedy releasing this month, Nightbitch. A stay-at-home mother, who’s paused her career to focus on being a parent and housewife, feels fed up and stressed with her life. She feels that her husband doesn’t properly appreciate her and what she does around the house, and that her passions and energy have been drained out of her. In magical realism style, she suddenly discovers one night that she has the ability to turn into a dog and finds with this odd power newfound freedom. It’s a comedy about motherhood and womanhood, and is directed by Can You Ever Forgive Me?’s Marielle Heller.
out on 6th December
Mufasa: The Lion King
Revisiting the world established in the 2019 CGI remake of The Lion King, Mufasa: The Lion King tells the origin story of Simba’s revered father, Mufasa. In a time before he had his deep voice and was king of the jungle, the young Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) is orphaned and is taken in by a royal family that includes Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), who will later become known as Scar. The two share a close bond as Mufasa becomes Taka’s adopted brother, and they set out on a long journey in search of their purposes. Rafiki (John Kani), Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) and Timon (Billy Eichner) also appear to retell the story in the present day.
out on 20th December
How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies
This acclaimed Thai language film arrives on Boxing Day, and follows M (played by singer Putthipong Assaratanakul, also known as Billkin) as a young man in his early 20s. A college dropout, M is directionless and also low on money but dreams of one day becoming a popular video game streamer online. M decides that the only way he might be able to get some cash is by helping out his elderly and ailing grandmother, Menju (Usha Seamkhum). Menju has recently been diagnosed with stomach cancer, and the condition is terminal- but M hopes that he might perhaps be able to get into her good books by caring for her in her last days, and might be able to collect a tidy inheritance.
out on 26th December
