19 Films To See In December: ‘Nightmare Alley,’ ‘Don’t Look Up,’ ‘Tragedy Of Macbeth’ & More

“The Lost Daughter“
It’s a big year for longtime actresses making their stellar directorial debuts. Rebecca Hall has already had her debut with the Netflix film “Passing” and now comes Maggie Gyllenhaal’s turn with the adaptation of the book of the same name from author Elena Ferrante, “The Lost Daughter.” Starring Olivia Coleman, Dakota Johnson, and Jessie Buckley, the story follows a college professor who must reconcile with her complicated past after an incident while vacationing in Italy. Our critic praised the film, writing, “‘The Lost Daughter’ leaves you haunted, shaken, and crushingly scarred like only the best of films are capable of doing.”
Release Date: December 17 in limited theaters and then streaming via Netflix.

“The Tender Bar“
Unable to sit still, it would seem, director George Clooney’s latest following last year’s “The Midnight Sky” changes gears into a coming-of-age drama. “The Tender Bar,” based on the 2005 memoir of the same name from J.R. Moehringer, recounts Moehringer’s life is growing up in Long Island as he seeks a replacement for his father, who disappeared shortly after his birth. Daniel Ranieri, Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, and Lily Rabe star. Our critic praised the performances, calling Affleck “comfortably settled into his role.” 
Release Date: December 17 in limited theaters via Amazon Studios.

“The Tragedy Of Macbeth“
There have been plenty of adaptations of Shakespeare “Macbeth,” but none has starred Denzel Washington and Francis McDormand. As the titular character and Lady Macbeth, respectively, the two lead the latest iteration from director and writer Joel Cohen with supporting turns from Corey Hawkins and Brendan Gleeson. Our critic who saw the film at the New York Film Festival called it “…the kind of visionary art that happens when a group of artists, at the top of their game, assemble to work on a legacy that’s near to their hearts because of the challenge, not in spite of it.”
Release Date: December 25 in limited theaters via Apple TV+.

“Memoria“
As one of our most beguiling directors working today, filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul (“Tropical Malady,” “Cemetery of Splendor“) looks to once again challenge viewers with “Memoria.” Starring Tilda Swinton, the film follows a Scottish woman who, after hearing a loud bang at daybreak, begins to experience a mysterious sensory syndrome while traversing the jungles of Colombia. A rewarding endurance test of a film, our critic, wrote, “‘Memoria’ is unlike any other, a vague, unsettling dream of a film that feels at first impenetrable and then oddly moving.”
Release Date: December 26 in theaters via NEON.