Going out to the movies is an extremely popular activity (and for some a tradition) during the holiday season. But with so many choices, how do you pick what to see?
After years of cancellations, delays and release changes at the multiplex from both COVID-19 pivots and last year’s Hollywood union strikes, Christmas 2024 marks the first time in five years that there’s a normal slate of several new movies to see.
Which new movies are worth your time and money? Which ones are in theatres and which ones are streaming - or both? These are confusing questions, especially with so many films all coming out at once. But everything in this list has been released in the last two weeks, with many of them releasing since Christmas Day.
Each film is organized chronologically and listed with our rating, description and a guide to how you can watch them. There’s also a paragraph or two highlighting our thoughts on each.
This is the busiest movie-watching break in years, and 2024 is going out with a great collection of entertainment for all tastes. So head out and see a movie as a fun end to the year - happy watching!
Carry-On
6 out of 10
PG, 1 hour, 59 minutes. Action Crime Thriller.
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.
Starring Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, Sofia Carson and Danielle Deadwyler.
Released December 13. Now streaming on Netflix for subscribers.
Easily the most talked about streaming film of the year (and the biggest Netflix movie of 2024), Carry-On takes its premise of a TSA agent forced to outsmart a domestic terrorist on Christmas Eve to the extreme, revealing key details of the plot and mystery at exactly the right moments.
Comparing the script and premise to Die Hard, another Christmas action movie, will do no favours. The science behind the story is nonsense, and the plausibility of the antagonists is more silly than scary.
But director Jaume Collet-Serra proved with 2021’s Jungle Cruise he can balance cheap thrills with serious stakes. Add in the best hero vs. villain showdown between Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman’s performances, and you have an easily enjoyable thriller.
Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
4 out of 10
PG, 2 hours, 14 minutes. Animated War Fantasy Epic.
Directed by Kenji Kamiyama.
Starring Gaia Wise, Brian Cox and Luke Pasqualino.
Released December 13. Now in limited release in cinemas.
This was always going to be a high-concept picture, with an anime styling for The Lord of the Rings franchise. While it’s a visual masterpiece, with dazzling designs, the story is overlong and too complicated to appreciate any of the plot’s inter-connectivity.
I have no problem with the basic concept on using anime as a medium for this fantasy - that’s a winning combination. But too much of the understanding for what’s happening relies on audiences having done extensive homework on the books and past movies to follow the war between Rohan and the Dunlendings.
Fans will enjoy this for its sheer existence, but if you don’t already know what those proper nouns are, stay far away from War of the Rohirrim.
A Complete Unknown
8 out of 10
14A, 2 hours, 21 minutes. Music Biography.
Written and Directed by James Mangold.
Starring Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Dan Folger and Scoot McNairy.
Released December 25. Now playing in all major cinemas, and opening at select IMAX locations starting January 3. Streaming on Disney+ beginning late January.
This chronicle of singer/songwriter Bob Dylan’s early career has a brilliant title, referencing song lyrics, the artist’s discovery, and a key decision in his career at the Newport Folk Festival all at once. By focusing on this influential chapter, it’s a stronger film than most musical biopics.
Chalamet is deeply grounded and convincing as Dylan, but Oscar nominee Edward Norton as mentor Pete Seeger steals nearly every scene he’s in. And major points go to the whole cast for really singing and actually playing all these instruments!
Babygirl
5 out of 10
18A, 1 hour, 54 minutes. Romance Drama.
Written and Directed by Halina Reijn.
Starring Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson and Antonio Banderas.
Released December 25. Now in limited release at cinemas.
This was one of the season’s bigger disappointments. Despite a strong acting trio, the story rarely evolves beyond the basic premise of the high-level executive (Kidman) choosing between her husband (Banderas) and her young, attractive new intern (Dickinson).
Watching Kidman and Dickinson is initially interesting as the intrigue of their new relationship simmers. That premise goes too long, however, and instead of evolving becomes uncomfortable to watch.
Stories like this need a clear moral idea, and ultimately there’s nothing learned or depicted that teaches the audience anything. Concise acting and a compelling technical production can’t elevate simple screenwriting.
Nosferatu
7 out of 10
14A, 2 hours, 12 minutes. Horror Fantasy Drama.
Written and Directed by Robert Eggers.
Starring Lily Rose-Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Bill Skarsgård, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson and Willem Dafoe.
Released December 25. Now playing in all major cinemas. Playing in IMAX at select locations.
Horror fans, a vocal group of cinephiles, will have a field day with Nosferatu. This is actually a remake of a 1922 silent film, loosely inspired by the Dracula story. It’s a weaker plot, and the pacing through most of the script is terribly slow. But what the film lacks in engaging tempo it makes up for in endless suspense.
The cast is terrific, as is the production design and cinematography. Lily-Rose Depp especially gives one of the best leading performances of the year. My only critique of the technical work is the lighting is sometimes too dark to appreciate the work every other department did bringing the Gothic 1840s setting to life.
The Fire Inside
9 out of 10
PG, 1 hour, 49 minutes. Sports History Biography.
Directed by Rachel Morrison.
Starring Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry.
Released December 25. Now in limited release at cinemas.
This is my choice for the strongest and most original movie currently playing for the holidays. Telling the true story of women’s boxer Clarissa “T-Rex” Shields (played with fervour by Ryan Destiny), it follows her training to go to the Olympics for the U.S. and her efforts for equal pay between male and female boxers.
It starts as a well done but predictable sports origin story - but once we get to the London Olympics, the screenplay shifts focus to Shields’ battles outside the ring, and that’s when the film really packs a punch.
Destiny and Tyree Henry as her coach James are true stars, working together flawlessly to bring this sports drama to a knockout finish. Kudos also to first-time director Rachel Morrison for her clear hand in leading this film, finding authenticity in telling what could have been a by-the-book motion picture.
In addition to the above, there have been some other terrific movies released in the month of December all playing in theatres now, with stories available to read by clicking on the links here:
- The Piano Lesson, which began streaming November 27
- Kraven the Hunter, which opened December 13
- Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which opened December 20
- Mufasa: The Lion King, which opened December 20
No matter what you go see, happy new year and happy movie-going!
