19 Films To See In December: ‘Nightmare Alley,’ ‘Don’t Look Up,’ ‘Tragedy Of Macbeth’ & More

It speaks to the month’s quality that to kick things off there’s the release of Jane Campion’s beauty, “The Power of the Dog,” starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst on Netflix following a limited theatrical run last month. December is positively overwhelming in titles to discover both big and small, from independent darlings that have danced the festival circuit all year to the latest – and last – Marvel film of the year, the much talked about “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”

We couldn’t even fit everything about to release on the below list (see reviews in each link) where applicable). There’s the latest from director Bruno Dumont, “France,” which stars Léa Seydoux. “Jockey,” despite its relatively quiet promotion, is being celebrated for the lead performance from Clifton Collins Jr. Films such as “The King’s Man” and the animated sequel “Sing 2” might not be circulated much in the awards talk but will undoubtedly be big draws, especially over the holiday season. “Journal for Jordan” gives us a powerhouse duo of Denzel Washington directing Michael B. Jordan while, “American Underdog” starring “Shazam!” star Zachary Levi tells the inspirational story of NFL MVP, Superbowl champion Kurt Warner.

“Flee“
A fascinating marriage of animation and documentary filmmaking, “Flee” has caused a buzz at every festival it’s made an appearance at this year. Directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen, the film follows Amin, a refugee from his home country Afghanistan who shares his hidden story for the first time about how he made it to Denmark while on the verge of marrying his husband. This animated documentary, directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen and written by Poher Rasmussen and Amin, allows Amin to tell his story while still keeping his privacy entirely. The official Oscar selection from Denmark, our critic who saw it back at this year’s Sundance wrote, “To say it’s a stellar feat of cinema is something of an understatement.”
Release Date: December 3 in theaters via NEON.

“Benedetta“
Director Paul Verhoeven returns to once again shock audiences, this time with his story of a 17th-century nun who finds herself in a forbidden love affair with another woman and whose shocking religious visions threaten to shake the Church to its core. Starring Virginia Efira and Daphne Patakia, our critic who covered the film at Cannes praised the film’s boldness and signaled Charlotte Rampling’s performance. Our critic wrote that “…if “Benedetta” is a joke that Verhoeven is in on, and that is designed to play to those in on it too, we can at least be thankful that it’s a good joke…”
Release Date: December 3 in theaters via IFC.

“Encounter“
Between “Sound of Metal” and “Mogul Mowgli,” actor and producer Riz Ahmed has had an intense two years and continues his run with the science-fiction film “Encounter.” Michael Pearce (“Beast“) directs this film about a Marine who goes on a rescue mission to save his two sons from a mysterious threat, taking them on an unexpected and life-altering journey. Octavia Spencer co-stars along with Lucian-River Chauhan and Aditya Geddada, who play Ahmed’s sons. Our critic praised the performances, highlighting Chauhan and saying, “…the relatively unknown Canadian actor gives one of the best performances from a young actor in recent memory.”
Release Date: December 3 in limited theaters and then December 10 on Prime via Amazon Prime.

“Silent Night“
Marking the first of two apocalyptic films to be released this month, “Silent Night” may not be receiving the same level of buzz, but it’s worth seeking out for the tremendous cast and harrowingly dark comedy. Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, and Roman Griffin Davis (“Jojo Rabbit“) star in this film from writer and director Camille Griffin. Centering on an affluent family who has invited their loved ones to their country estate for what could be their last Christmas. Our critic saw the film at this year’s Toronto Film Festival and called it “highly ambitious, dark as midnight, and often hilarious….”
Release Date: December 3 in theaters via AMC+.

“Red Rocket“
“Tangerine” and “The Florida Project” filmmakers Sean Baker returns with his latest, “Red Rocket,” starring Simon Rex. The film follows Rex as a washed-up porn star who clashes with his estranged wife after returning to his hometown in Texas. The film is written by Baker and Chris Bergoch, who has worked with Baker on his other projects and co-stars Bree Elrod and Suzanna Son. Our critic who saw the film at Cannes called it the “surprise of the festival” and praised the performances, direction, and cinematography in particular. 
Release Date: December 10 in theaters via A24.