2017 is already almost upon us, but before we ring in the new year, we have a litany of potentially great movies to bear witness to first. Believe it or not, this selection of December 2016 films I’ve compiled doesn’t include some titles I’m anxious to see, but the list does include almost every genre imaginable. Without further adieu, read on to discover what I’ve deemed the 11 December 2016 films you simply cannot miss.
Opening December 2nd
– The Eyes of My Mother –
We feel a duty to represent the underrepresented in cinema here at HorrorGeekLife, which includes independent titles like The Eyes of My Mother. This film features the directorial debut of Nicolas Pesce, who tells an ultra-violent, twisted story of a troubled girl growing into a remorseless woman. Already, its presence at film festivals like Sundance have garnered polarizing reactions, with criticisms levied against the heavy brutality in the movie, but praising the general execution of the picture. “Polarizing” is a key buzzword forever present in the horror genre, so our attention is definitely grabbed and we can’t wait to see what the fuss is about.
– Jackie –
I wouldn’t anticipate Jackie in your local theaters immediately, as December 2nd is likely a limited release date, but still be on the lookout for this captivating, artful film before the year ends. Among all the December 2016 films cited, this trailer is definitely the most beautiful to look at from a cinematic perspective. Director Pablo Larrain (also responsible for another biographical picture titled Neruda coming in December) makes every shot in this 2 minute trailer feel like a painting come to life. The consistent film festival buzz is that Natalie Portman is practically a lock for a Best Actress nomination at the next Oscars for her vulnerable portrayal as Jackie Kennedy. I consider myself somewhat of a history buff too, which is just another reason for my hype levels to rise.
– Things to Come –
In an unconventional move, I chose 2 foreign language pictures for this list of must-see December 2016 films; the first being the French Things to Come, starring Isabelle Huppert. Huppert, fresh off of a riveting performance in last month’s Elle, plays a woman feeling the world around her start to crumble. All at once, she encounters the death of her mother, the loss of her job, and the discovery of her cheating husband. I wouldn’t call this a feel-good comedy for the family, but during this title’s festival run, the unanimous praise towards Things to Come has inspired its mention in my list and should likely be caught by everyone somehow.
Opening December 9th
– Nocturnal Animals –
We’ve covered fashion designer-turned-director Tom Ford‘s second outing Nocturnal Animals on HorrorGeekLife before, but finally the nation is bequeathed this fantastic psychological thriller! Fortunately, I reside in a city that scored a showing of Animals early November limited run, so having seen it, I assure you this recommendation comes fully informed. Amy Adams is fantastic as anticipated, but the real show-stealing surprises are Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. I’ll have more to say in next month’s “best December 2016 films” article, but rest assured, this film should absolutely have a spot in your “must” list.
Opening December 16th
– La La Land –
The weekend of a December 16th consists of two features in my most anticipated list of 2016 films. First up, since I like going alphabetical, we have writer/director Damien Chazelle‘s 2nd full-length picture, La La Land. I could have selected the full first trailer for this compilation, but the song in the above teaser gets stuck in my head all the time quite randomly. Positive festival buzz aside, I’m anxious for an original musical brought to life on screen, capturing both the romance and heartache of Los Angeles with Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone acting as our charismatic vessels. What we have here already is another lock for an Oscar next year in the category of Best Picture. As it stands now, La La Land is the clear frontrunner to win the trophy. I literally can’t wait for this film that I’ll likely double-feature this movie on opening night along with the next mention.
– Rogue One: A Star Wars Story –
I mean…it’s Star Wars, you guys.
Opening December 21st
– Assassin’s Creed –
Many are understandably hesitant for another video game movie adaptation. It wasn’t even 6 months ago that Warcraft disappointed many critics and moviegoers alike. Sure, Warcraft‘s movie has its vocal fans, but they come in small numbers. However, considering the crew behind Assassin’s Creed, I’m 100% on board with this picture and willing to accept the burn if it even comes. Michael Fassbender not only stars but produced and put together this feature for years. He aided in selecting 2015’s Macbeth director Justin Kurzel and bringing Macbeth co-star Marion Cotillard on board. From those name-drops alone, I become more certain the skills the director and cast possess will translate to the movie’s quality. Also, the action just looks utterly insane and gratifying.
– Passengers –
Recent bizarre Imagine Dragons mashup trailer aside, the first trailer above for Passengers still grabbed my attention. I’m a hardcore sci-fi fan, and the casting of Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt is an ingenious move considering these are 2 of the most charismatic actors in the business off-camera. We’ll see how that’s mirrored on-screen in their chemistry which is hopefully as magnetic as expected. Another notch of hype is added for director Morten Tyldum, who last worked on The Imitation Game and Headhunters, both outstanding films in their own right. If we’re prioritizing movies with the December 21st release date, Passengers comes first.
Opening December 25th
– Fences –
Yep, Hollywood still believes releasing movies on Christmas day itself is a smart marketing decision, regardless of Christmas falling on a Sunday this year. Nonetheless, watching the Fences trailer linked above still evokes so much emotion from me. There’s a lot of spectacular acting happening in just 2 minutes, and considering the early overwhelmingly positive reviews centered on Denzel Washington and especially Viola Davis‘s performances, I’m 100% sold on this film. Beyond that, I expect a ton of attention from the Oscars heaped on the Denzel-directed picture as well.
– Toni Erdmann –
This is the second of the foreign language films I felt deserved mentioning in this can’t-miss December 2016 films list: Toni Erdmann. The movie includes some parts in English, but mostly occurs in German or Romanian, and wholly occurs in the realm of dry humor. Erdmann follows a father who attempts to lovingly prank his overly serious daughter, and judging from the trailer, there’s a lot of awkward laughs likely to take place. What really inspired this recommendation though is, again, the staggering amount of great reviews for this picture when it was screened at film festivals.
Opening December 28th
– Paterson –
“Profound” is a word I see often when reading reactions to director Jim Jarmusch’s latest, Paterson, starring Kylo Ren himself, Adam Driver. The film revolves around Paterson, his marriage, his passion for poetry, and his otherwise menial, inconsequential existence. I’m unsure of what to take away from the trailer above, but anyone that’s seen it is so passionate on how much this movie affected them. That is more than enough motivation for me to see the flick for myself.
