It’s been a quiet week for new releases, with the most notable title being Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Elena Ferrante adaptation “The Lost Daughter,” which is out on Netflix. That makes it the perfect time to catch up on the various other films that came out in December, from big budget blockbusters to award contenders. Here are the highlights of this week.
1. ‘The Prodigal Daughter’
Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal makes her feature film debut with this adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s novel after following a summer vacation woman (Olivia Colman) who is obsessed with a young mother (Dakota Johnson) and reminiscent of her own past. With an excellent cast that includes stellar I’m Thinking of Ending Things stars Jessie Buckley and Peter Sarsgaard, The Lost Daughter has garnered extensive acclaim, recently winning four Gotham Awards including Best Feature and two Golden Globe nominations for Gyllenhaal and Colman.
Where to see: Netflix on Friday
2. ‘Liquorice Pizza’
The latest film from writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson is about a high school and child actor (Cooper Hoffman, son of Anderson’s late longtime collaborator Philip Seymour Hoffman) and a young woman (Alana Haim of the band Haim) who walked the San 1970s Fernando cruising Valley, with a supporting cast that includes Bradley Cooper, Sean Penn and Tom Waits. “Licorice Pizza” has received strong reviews and awards, including four Golden Globe nominations and the National Board of Review’s Best Picture of the Year nomination, and could finally earn Anderson his first Oscar.
Where to see: theatre
3. ‘West Side Story’
Steven Spielberg directs this latest adaptation of the classic musical with Ansel Elgort and newcomer Rachel Zegler as Tony and Maria, who have connections to the opposing Jets and Sharks street gangs in New York in the 1950s but still fall in love. Spielberg’s version stands out as a stand-alone film alongside the 1961 Oscar-winning film, with stunning directors and cinematography and outstanding supporting acts by Ariana DeBose and Mike Faist, and has won awards including 11 nominations for a Critics’ Choice Award.
Where to see: theatre
4. ‘The Matrix Resurrections’
Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss repeat their roles as Neo and Trinity in the fourth live-action film in the science fiction franchise – the first since The Matrix Revolutions in 2003 – with new cast members like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (playing). another version of Morpheus), Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff and Neil Patrick Harris. Lana Wachowski, co-director and writer of the original trilogy, also returned for this sequel, which has been labeled as unconventional by critics but warranted a return to the franchise.
Where to see: Theater and HBO Max
5. “Spider-Man: No Way Home”
The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe movie follows the title superhero (played by Tom Holland) who enlists the magical help of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) in restoring his secret identity, but the spell goes wrong and allows super villains from other universes to enter their to arrive. With ties to not just the Marvel Cinematic Universe but previous Spider-Man films as well, with Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus among the villains returning, Spider-Man: No Way Home has positive reviews and is by far the biggest box office on Opening weekend received from 2021.
Where to see: theatre
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