“Wonder Woman 1984”
Cast: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal
Synopsis: Wonder Woman squares off against Maxwell Lord and the Cheetah, a villainess who possesses superhuman strength and agility.
What You Need to Know: At long last, we will get to see the return of Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman – even if it’s not quite in the arena we were expecting. Regardless of having to watch the sequel in our own living rooms as opposed to a packed audience, there’s plenty to be excited about. From the promised return of Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor to Kristen Wiig trying on a more villainous role along with the technicolor vibrancy and fun that the promo material and trailers have promised, “Wonder Woman 1984” at this point looks like it will be with the wait. Patty Jenkins returns as director, and, considering the wild success of the first one, both commercial and critical, we can only hope that the team involved managed to meet the bar they set last time. For once in a very long while, we haven’t been oversaturated with superhero material this year, and considering “Wonder Woman” was a relief compared to some of its more self-serious counterparts, the follow up might be the breath of fresh air we’re all waiting for. At the very least, it will provide a welcome colorful and action-packed distraction.
Release Date: December 25 on HBO Max.
“One Night in Miami…”
Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr.
Synopsis: On the night of Feb. 25, 1964, in Miami, Cassius Clay joins Jim Brown, Sam Cooke, and Malcolm X, and they discuss the responsibility of being successful black men during the civil rights movement.
What You Need to Know: Regina King is proving she can do it all. Already a highly acclaimed actress and Oscar winner for her supporting role in “If Beale Street Could Talk,” she now has turned her eye to directing. While she’s directed a few television episodes in the past, the ambitious “One Night in Miami…” is her first foray into directing film. Written by Kemp Powers (who is having a stellar month between this and his co-directing/co-writing credits on “Soul) and adapted from his own stage play, the film follows four larger than life personalities and still manages to bring forth an unexpected intimacy. It’s a beautifully choreographed production that easily calls to mind the one-room play it’s based on. Our critic found it a “flawed” but “promising” debut for King, calling it “a film with the potential to do more, push further and explore and maybe even in some ways explode those legacies to get at the men underneath them, it feels too timid, too talky, too conceptual in content for being so classical in form.”
Release Date: December 25 in a limited release followed by a digital release on Amazon Prime Video in January.
“News of the World”
Cast: Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel
Synopsis: Five years after the end of the Civil War, Capt. Jefferson Kyle Kidd crosses paths with a 10-year-old girl taken by the Kiowa people. Forced to return to her aunt and uncle, Kidd agrees to escort the child across Texas’s harsh and unforgiving plains. However, the long journey soon becomes a fight for survival as the traveling companions encounter danger at every turn — both human and natural.
What You Need to Know: For a moment, it felt as if this would be one of the films pushed back by the pandemic but, it would seem, the release date will stick for the last Tom Hanks feature. Re-teaming with his “Captain Phillip” director, Paul Greengrass, Hanks will hopefully be given the same amount of room to shine as he did in their previous work together. Based on the 2016 novel of the same name by author Paulette Jiles, the story was adapted by Greengrass and Luke Davies (“Lion.”). The film will play heavily into the themes of surviving against the odds and lean on Hanks pushing himself into grittier material, especially following his 2019 nuanced performance in “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.” Having been oddly overlooked for some of his most recent efforts, perhaps this will be another chance for the actor to demonstrate his unwillingness to rest on his laurels.
Release Date: December 25 in theaters.
“Promising Young Woman”
Cast: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Allison Brie
Synopsis: Nothing in Cassie’s life is what it appears to be — she’s wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she’s living a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs from the past.
What You Need to Know: Almost determined to be divisive, “Promising Young Woman” celebrates and honors female rage while rightfully holding accountable all the “nice guys” in the world who have hurt women, and the rigid and toxic “boys will be boys” mentality that has kept them all protected for so long. Even with the blistering anger at its core, the film is also funny – though it’s certainly dark humor. Directed by Emerald Fennell, who is best known for being the showrunner for the second season of “Killing Eve,” “Promising Young Woman” is a confident debut as writer and director. Carey Mulligan leads the cast in a role that pushes her outside the bounds of what we typically expect from her, proving her versatility again. Our critic reviewed the revenge thriller/comedy at Sundance and wrote, “…there’s no denying that Fennell is playing with dynamite here, and knows it; the brashness of her approach and style is welcome, and her work is often riotously funny (especially when edging into darker territory).
Release Date: December 25 in theaters.
“Sylvie’s Love”
Cast: Tessa Thompson, Nnamdi Asomugha, Aja Naomi King
Synopsis: Sylvie has a summer romance with a saxophonist who takes a summer job at her father’s record store in Harlem. When they reconnect years later, they discover that their feelings for each other have not faded with the years.
What You Need to Know: Sometimes, all we need is a well-intentioned and earnest love story. “Sylvie’s Love” appears to deliver on that need for melodrama. The forever watchable Tessa Thompson leads the way in this stylish period piece. Written and directed by Eugene Ashe (“Homecoming”), it would seem the film works best when it’s focused solely on Thompson’s character. Our critic wrote, “ …the most distressing aspect of the picture is that every time the film turns away from Sylvia’s life, it’s hard not to lose interest.” That said, “Sylvie’s Love” still looks to be lush in a way that films trying to capture the era try to be, which is enough for certain fans looking for a specific genre of film.
Release Date: December 25 on Amazon Prime Video.
“Pieces of a Woman”
Cast: Vanessa Kirby, Shia LaBeouf, Ellen Burstyn
Synopsis: A grieving woman embarks on an emotional journey after the loss of her baby.
What You Need to Know: As is the case with the work of director Kornél Mundruczó, (“White God”), there will be plenty of audience members who find “Pieces of a Woman,” especially it’s first thirty minutes, too punishing to be worth watching. That said, for those who manage to stick through it, they’ll be able to see one of the most lauded performances of the year with Vanessa Kirby. Kirby has been making a name for herself since she stole scenes in Netflix’s “The Crown” and with “Pieces of a Woman” establishes herself further as a force to be reckoned with. Our critic wrote of the films ability to connect, writing that the “…locations and lifestyles it depicts are very far from my own experience, and yet in a quietly momentous way that is extraordinarily fulfilling despite the often devastating turns its story takes, “Pieces of a Woman” happened to me.”
Release Date: December 30 in select theaters before being released digitally on Netflix on January 7.