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Anyone who can tear themselves away from Christmas movies this month will have a lot of promising-looking offerings to choose from, both on television and at the movies. Sure, none of them imagine what might happen if Frosty the Snowman came alive and was a total hunk, but how many times can you watch Hot Frosty anyway? This month sees Nicole Kidman starring in A24’s Babygirl and Timothée Chalamet‘s highly anticipated turn as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. Let’s get things started with a new Star Wars series.
What to Watch December 2024: Best Movies, Shows
From Disney+ to Prime Video to the theater, here’s (almost) everything worth watching this month.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Disney+, December 3)
Where Andor and other series have been exploring the more thematically complex corners of the Star Wars universe, this latest offshoot looks like an old-fashioned space adventure throwback. Set in the period after Return of the Jedi, Skeleton Crew tells the story of four kids who discover a spaceship, head for the stars, and get in trouble. Jude Law co-stars as the man who can get them back home safely. Maybe. Stream on Disney+
Nightbitch (Theaters, December 6)
Based on a 2021 novel by Rachel Yoder, Nightbitch stars Amy Adams as a suburban mom frustrated with the expectations of motherhood. Also, she sometimes turns into a dog. Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) directs. Get Tickets on Fandango
The Sticky (Prime Video, December 6)
Inspired by a true story, this six-episode series stars Margo Martindale as a maple syrup farmer driven by desperation to plot a heist. Any series that puts Martindale front-and-center is always worth a look and the premise sounds intriguing if only because stealing syrups sounds really difficult. Stream on Prime Video
Dream Productions (Disney+, December 11)
Both Inside Out and Inside Out 2 provided some brief glimpses at some parts of the human psyche that might bear further exploration. Dream Productions focuses on one of them, specifically the part of protagonist Riley’s brain in which dreams get made. Paula Pell and Richard Ayoade provide the voices of a pair of dream creators, one who works the day shift, the other the night shift. Expect some familiar emotions to drop by for cameo appearances, too. Stream on Disney+
No Good Deed (Netflix, December 12)
Dead to Me creator Liz Feldman returns to Netflix with another dark comedy, this one based on a real estate deal. Chaos ensues when three family’s desperately want to buy the same house. The star-filled cast includes Lisa Kudrow, Ray Romano, Linda Cardellini, Luke Wilson, Teyonah Paris, and Abbi Jacobson. Stream on Netflix
September 5 (Theaters, December 13)
Directed by Tim Fehlbaum, September 5 dramatizes the hostage crisis at the Munich Olympics on September 5, 1972 from the perspective of the ABC Sports team determined to cover the story, despite it being well outside their usual purview. Peter Sarsgaard and John Magaro lead the cast. Get Tickets on Fandango
Dexter: Original Sin (Paramount+ with Showtime, December 13)
We’ve learned a lot about Dexter, the serial killer-killing serial killer, over the course of eight proper seasons and a revival series (with another revival on its way). But what about his early years? Dexter: Original Sin fills in that gap via a prequel series starring Patrick Gibson as Dexter. Original Dexter Michael C. Hall serves as narrator. Stream on Paramount+
Laid (Peacock, December 19)
Described by its creators as “a f*cked up rom-com,” this new series stars Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once) as Ruby, a single woman whose search for love hits a pretty serious speed bump when she discovers that her old boyfriends have all started to die off. Zosia Mamet co-stars as her true crime-loving friend determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. Stream on Peacock
The Brutalist (Theaters, December 20)
Directed by Brady Corbet, The Brutalist is epic in both size and ambition. Adrien Brody stars as László Tóth, a renowned Hungarian-Jewish architect trying to start over in America after surviving the Holocaust. Guy Pearce co-stars as Harrison Lee Van Buren, a Pennsylvania millionaire who commissions an ambitious new building, a partnership that will have unforeseen consequences. Get Tickets on Fandango
Mufasa: The Lion King (Theaters, December 20)
This follow-up to the photorealistic 2019 remake of The Lion King takes place both before and after the events of the film, unfolding as a story told to the children of Simba and Nala who are eager to learn their grandfather’s origin story. Aaron Pierre (Rebel Ridge) provides the voice of Mufasa opposite Kelvin Harrison Jr. as his brother Taka. (You know where that story’s headed, right?) Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) directs while Lin-Manuel Miranda provides the songs. Get Tickets on Fandango
The Fire Inside (Theaters, December 25)
Barry Jenkins scripts this biopic about Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, the Flint, Michigan-born boxer who won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics at the age of 17. Ryan Destiny stars as Shields, Brian Tyree Henry co-stars as her trainer, and the great cinematographer Rachel Morrison (Mudbound, Black Panther) makes her feature debut as a director. Get Tickets on Fandango
Babygirl (Theaters, December 25)
Nicole Kidman has taken on a fair number of risky roles over the course of her career and Babygirl, in which she plays Romy, a high-powered CEO on the verge of blowing up her life, is no exception. The peril comes in the form of Samuel, an intern with whom Romy begins a sadomasochistic extramarital affair. Halina Reijn directs. Get Tickets on Fandango
A Complete Unknown (Theaters, December 25)
Based on Elijah Wald’s book Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties, Timothée Chalamet stars in this James Mangold-directed biopic, which depicts Dylan’s early years, when he emerged from the New York folk scene only to leave it in dramatic fashion. Edward Norton co-stars as Pete Seeger. Get Tickets on Fandango
Better Man (Theaters, December 25)
Dylan’s not the only musician to get a biopic this month. Better Man retells the life of British pop star Robbie Williams but with a bizarre twist: Williams is portrayed by an animated chimpanzee (voiced by Jonno Davies, with the singing by Williams). If nothing else, it won’t be like all the other biopics. Get Tickets on Fandango
Nosferatu (Theaters, December 25)
Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Northman) directs this remake of the grandaddy of all vampire films, F.W. Murnau’s 1922 classic Nosferatu. It takes a lot of confidence to take on such a famously scary movie, but Eggers’ past work suggests he’s up to the task. Bill Skarsgård stars as the vile Count Orlok, an undead fiend obsessed with Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp), a woman he’s haunted for years. Get Tickets on Fandango
