What is the holiday season if not familiar faces and comfort food? Presenting this week’s best new movies in one movie, George Clooney and Julia Roberts (a pair he’ll never get sick of, like the best leftovers) meet up to go to Bali. They are not there as a married couple, but as divorced parents trying to stop their daughter from marrying.
Also this week, we have a big swing from Netflix. Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio has strong chances of ending up on two big lists: Best Netflix Movies and Best Family Movies on Netflix. Not only does it come from a beloved creator, but it’s an adaptation of one of the most iconic children’s stories of all time.
Back on HBO Max, you have Amsterdam, which is getting the second chance it probably needed, as the David O. Russell movie seemed to be in and out of cinemas. Meanwhile, Disney Plus has its latest revival with Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again, and Hulu is offering a sequel to the holiday with It’s A Wonderful Binge.
Finally, we can’t ignore Will Smith’s return, as Emancipation drops to Apple TV Plus. While the headlines may be more about his apology tour than the movie, it’s certainly an interesting film. But it’s one of the few big entries in Apple’s month of releases, and it’s a offering that risks putting it on our list of top streaming services.
Amsterdam (HBO Max)
When you can’t say “based on a true story,” you do what David O. Russell in Amsterdam, saying “a lot of this has already happened”. In the film, we meet Bert Berndsen (Christian Bale) and Harold Woodsman (John David Washington), soldiers stationed in France who were reformed by Valerie Fawzy (Margot Robbie). While they remain friends years after the war, they soon find themselves caught up in a plan to stop the Council of Five, a group shrouded in mystery they believe wants to take over the American government. Seem far fetched? Well, that’s some kind of magic.
The Amsterdam mold is also piled to the rafters. On top of the starring trio, you have Chris Rock playing the boyfriend of the main three, Anya Taylor-Joy as Valerie’s sister-in-law and Zoe Saldana as the paramedic. Mike Myers is also on as the MI6 spy who makes glass-eyes with Michael Shannon’s character, while Timothy Olyphant plays a hitman. Even Taylor Swift showed up in Amsterdam.
Stream it HBO Max (Opens in a new tab) Starting today (Tuesday 6 December)
Emancipation (Apple TV Plus)
I don’t need to explain why this Will Smith movie will get more attention than some of the others – headlines about the “Smith Apology Tour”. Instead, let’s talk about why director Antoine Fuqua’s latest film helps us understand how society’s views change from a naturalistic point of view that we can’t imagine today.
Peter (Smith) is on the run after running away from ranchers and trying to make his way through the swamps of Louisiana. Before he can get to his family at home, Peter has to escape from Jim Vassell (Ben Foster), who brutally flogs him and tracks him down.
Emancipation is based on the true story of a man named Gordon, whose mutilated back was seen in photographs that would fuel the abolitionist movement after they were published in Harper’s Weekly.
See Apple TV Plus (Opens in a new tab) Starting Friday (9 December)
Pinocchio from Guillermo del Toro (Netflix)
The second Pinocchio movie of the year bears an attention-demanding vibe and erases Disney memories by adapting to numbers. That’s because Netflix has partnered with genre creator Guillermo Del Toro on a stop-motion animated take on the puppet-turned-boy. While this tale is still full of whimsy and fantasy, every Pinocchio detail makes him look more handmade than ever. And, by the way, more humane and fragile than before.
This is Pinocchio (voiced by Gregory Mann) dealing with his ambitions as a performer and the feelings of his maker Geppetto (David Bradley), who is still mourning his son, Carlo, who passed away at a young age. Soon, Pinocchio decides he doesn’t want to be a burden, and when he strikes out on his own, local ringmaster Count Volpe (Christoph Waltz) is all too eager to turn the ‘boy’ into a star. Pinocchio also features the voices of Ewan McGregor as Sebastian G. Cricket and Tilda Swinton as a magical horsewoman.
Stream it Netflix (Opens in a new tab) Starting Friday (9 December)
Ticket to Heaven (Peacock)
The Danny Ocean Multiverse is back in action, as George Clooney and Julia Roberts reunite on Ticket To Paradise. Here, they play David (Clooney) and Georgia (Roberts), a married ex-couple whose divorce is still fresh in their heads — despite it happening 20 years ago. Now, they have to manipulate each other’s company for the greater good: convincing their daughter Lily (Kaitlin Dever) not to give up her burgeoning legal career to move to Bali to marry and live with a local seaweed farmer named Jedi.
But this barely scratches the surface. Georgia’s friend Paul joins the family for the big occasion, and tries to make sure Lily isn’t the only one planning to walk down the aisle. And while David and Georgia present a supportive front, they also attempt to sabotage Lily’s wedding. So yeah, if you missed this show in theaters, you can now get a prescription dose from George & Julia using just your Peacock account.
Stream it peacock (Opens in a new tab) Starting Friday (9 December)
Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again (Disney Plus)
This isn’t your average night at the museum. For starters, Ben Stiller is no longer, and so is Hank Azaria, who played the titular villain Kahmonrah in Night at the Museum 2. However, we’re still excited — not just because the remake’s animation style will unlock a whole load of visual flair that you can’t In the same way with live-action and CGI, but because it’s got a solid cast behind it. When you have the likes of Steve Zahn (The White Lotus), Gillian Jacobs (Community), Bennet Yang (SNL), and comedian Jack Whitehall, laughs should come in handy.
Zachary Levi (Chuck) voices Larry Daly (Steller’s character), the father of Nick (Joshua Bassett), who took over his father’s watch as a summer job. There, he’ll have to tangle with Teddy Roosevelt (Thomas Lennon of Reno 911), among others, as Kahmonrah (Joseph Kemal) seeks world domination.
Stream it Disney Plus (Opens in a new tab) Starting Friday (9 December)
Something Tiffany’s (Prime Video)
Another week, another holiday movie. Zoey Deutch (Not Okay, Vampire Academy) stars as Kendrick Sampson (Insecure, How To Get Away With Murder) in this adaptation of Melissa Hill’s novel of the same name.
Rachel (Dutch) gives Gary (Ray Nicholson) another chance, and one of her friends doesn’t believe in him. Ethan (Sampson) is about to propose to his special lady. And then, a case of errant boxes from Tiffany’s in New York City throws their relationship into jeopardy.
Stream it Prime Video (Opens in a new tab) Starting Friday (9 December)
It’s a great party (Hulu)
It’s Season of Overdose, and it’s a great sequel that you probably didn’t see coming. Hags (Dexter Darden) and Andrew (Eduardo Franco, who played Argyle in Stranger Things 4) are back in this dystopia where alcohol and drug consumption is illegal 364 days a year. On that 365th day? This year, it takes place on Christmas Eve. And while Hugs tries to propose to his girlfriend, Andrew needs to reconnect with his estranged (and very strange) family.
Yes, that’s the weirdest premise this side of Bullet Train, but this sequel is chock-full of celebrity and comic favorites. So, when you’re not looking, Danny Trejo, Tim Meadows, and Paul Scheer are sneaking around to steal scenes, while Patty Guggenheim (She-Hulk), Tony Cavalero (Righteous Gems), and Kaitlin Olson (It’s Always Sunny) are here to make things weirder.
See Prime Video (Opens in a new tab) Starting Thursday (December 1)
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