We’re living in the middle of a pandemic, nearly every theatrical release has vacated the 2020 hellscape, but somehow, as the year comes to a close, we’re offered, an overwhelming number of films worth exploring (isn’t film over?). Some have been celebrated since January of this year at Sundance, while others made their festival arrivals later but stunned nonetheless. Others, such as “Soul” and “Wonder Woman 1984,” will experiment with just how much success a typical tentpole film can have at home. These hardly cover all the great and notable films debuting this month, but it’s a start and plenty to peruse as the winter kicks into high gear and we bunker down for more distractions.
“Small Axe” Films: “Red White & Blue,” “Alex Wheatle,” “Education“
Cast: John Boyega, Sheyi Cole, Kenyah Sandy
Synopsis: An anthology comprising five original films telling personal stories from London’s West Indian community.
What You Need To Know: Though some sites are considering Steve McQueen‘s “Small Axe” anthology as a TV mini-series, the filmmaker himself has called this a series of films, so we’re counting it as such. A new McQueen film is always worth checking out, but to get five of them all in one package makes this a must-see. Reviews for the films have praised McQueen’s intimate storytelling, particularly the stellar performances by Letitia Wright in “Mangrove,” and John Boyega in “Red, White, And Blue,” which our review called unafraid and challenging. Two have already made their debut with the invigorating “Mangrove” and sensational “Lovers Rock” – both wildly different in tone – and there are three that will make their premiere in December with “Red, White and Blue,” on December 4, “Alex Wheatle” on December 11 and “Education” on December 18. While the three haven’t garnered the same level of glowing reviews as the prior two, they’re no less exciting entries into a director’s already fantastic career and, it’s always nice to see a director allow Boyega to truly shine.
Release Date: Begins December 4 on Amazon Prime Video.
“Mank”
Cast: Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Charles Dance, Lily Collins
Synopsis: 1930s Hollywood is reevaluated through the eyes of scathing wit and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish “Citizen Kane.”
What You Need to Know: Due to his short-lived time as the creator of the Netflix series “Mindhunter,” it’s surprising to remember that the last film David Fincher directed was six years ago with the pulpy “Gone Girl.” He’s returning this year in a big way with “Mank,” a film that details the screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he wrote, “Citizen Kane” and the troubles that arose between him and Orson Welles, as well as problems he faced in his own personal life. The first reactions have been positive so far, especially for the look of the film and sound design, along with a surprise standout performance by Amanda Seyfried as Marion Davies.
Release Date: December 4 on Netflix.
“Nomadland”
Cast: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May
Synopsis: A woman embarks on a journey through the American West after losing everything during the recession.
What You Need to Know: Chloé Zhao has been telling intimate stories for years. From the raw “Songs My Brother Taught Me” to 2018’s superb “The Rider,” one of the past decade’s very best, Zhao has found unexplored pockets of America and created wonders with them. In “Nomadland,” the first that stars a Hollywood known actress, the filmmaker once again is seeking to explore the United States through hidden moments of beauty and pain that have begun to define her. Frances McDormand stars in what at times amounts to a one-woman show, and the film left viewers starry-eyed at its premiere earlier in the fall and has gone on to be one of the most celebrated films of the year. Our critic saw it at the Venice Film Festival and wrote, “To regard all the things you’ve seen and felt and thought as worth the high cost of experiencing them is the gentle nudge of “Nomadland” – a wise, beautiful film summoned up entirely from things authentically seen, felt, and thought.”
Release Date: December 4 in select theaters.
“Sound of Metal”
Cast: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Mathieu Amalric, Paul Raci
Synopsis: A heavy-metal drummer’s life is thrown into freefall when he begins to lose his hearing.
What You Need to Know: Riz Ahmed has been an actor that has been described as “on the rise” for a while now. From his head turning and empathetic performance in “Nightcrawler” that would have been eaten up by Jake Gyllenhaal’s larger than life turn by any lesser actor to his leading role in the HBO drama “The Night Of,” Ahmed has slowly been making a name for himself in Hollywood as a major talent. “Sound of Metal” allows him to deliver his strongest and most visceral performance yet in one of 2020’s best films to date. Directed by Darius Marder and co-written by Marder and Abraham Marder, “Sound of Metal” is an uncompromising look at loss, as well as an enormously confident debut by a first-time narrative feature-length director, whose other directing credit, goes to a 2008 documentary “Loot.” The film has been gaining buzz as it’s circled the festival circuits. Our critic saw it at the 2019 Toronto Film Festival and wrote, “…Marder believes devoutly in the power of actors and acting, preferring to get out of the way and let them show their stuff. Ahmed returns the favor by delivering career-best work by a wide margin, letting out all his ferocity and vulnerability as if from a freshly lanced boil.”
Release Date: December 4 on Amazon Prime Video.
“The Prom”
Cast: Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Jo Ellen Pellman
Synopsis: To support a high school girl who wants to bring her girlfriend to the prom, a group of self-obsessed theatre stars goes to a small conservative Indiana town.
What You Need to Know: There are a few divisive factors on how much you’ll be able to enjoy the latest Ryan Murphy directed venture, “The Prom.” There will be those who are simply looking to enjoy a musical with a heartfelt message, those who are exhausted by Murphy’s oversaturation in pop-culture and, then, most significantly if early responses are to be trusted, those of us who are ready for Hollywood to stop casting James Corden in their films. The hope is that the central storyline that focuses on the high school student looking to bring her girlfriend to prom, along with the committed performance by Kidman, will be enough to ease frustrations at Corden’s presence. Our critic wrote, “One could call “The Prom” a kind of “Glee”-redux, shorn of its sharp bite, more chaotic inconsistency, and backstage drama.”
Release Date: December 4 on Netflix.