While some spend Christmas Day at home around the tree, many head straight to the movies. Fortunately, whether you want to watch a family-friendly movie or want to get a head start on awards season, there are plenty of movies to watch in theaters. on December 25.
Kid-friendly options were released earlier (more on those later), so the Christmas Day release list largely consists of R-rated flicks starring major A-Listers.
Babygirl (right): Nicole Kidman plays a businesswoman who turns out to have it all with a husband (Antonio Banderas) and two children at home, while she is the CEO of her technology company. However, he risks it all when he indulges his submissive fantasies and has an affair with his young intern (Harris Dickinson). Kidman nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the erotic thriller.
A Complete Unknown (R) – Timothée Chalamet plays 19-year-old Bob Dylan as he arrives in New York City and begins his meteoric rise to fame. Edward Norton, Elle Fanning and Monica Barbaro also star in this biopic, which is up for three Golden Globes.
Nosferatu (right): Real estate agent Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) searches for a house for the wealthy Transylvanian count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) in this remake of the 1922 short film. Thomas discovers that Orlok is a vampire and likes Orlok’s wife. Thomas. , Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp). Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin and Willem Dafoe also star in the title role.
The Fire Inside (PG-13) – This biopic follows professional boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (Ryan Destiny) as she trains for the 2012 Summer Olympics with coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry). She becomes the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the sport.
While some cinemas will bring beloved Christmas classics like Love Actually and The Grinch back to theaters, there is only one new holiday film on the big screen in 2024: Red One. After Santa Claus is kidnapped, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson plays an E.L.F. (Extremely Large and Formidable) operative who joins forces with a bounty hunter and perpetual naughty lister (played by Chris Evans) to track down St. Nick. Lucy Liu, J.K. Simmons, Bonnie Hunt and Kiernan Shipka also star in the flick, which is also available to stream on Prime Video.
There’s no time like Christmas vacation to catch up on your moviegoing — or to see Wicked for the third time. No judgement.
Mufasa: The Lion King (PG) – This prequel follows a young Mufasa as he befriends Taka, who fans know better as Scar. The photorealistic animated film features an all-star cast: Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr. , Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Tiffany Boone, Blue Ivy Carter, and Beyoncé.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (PG): Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz), Knuckles (voiced by Keanu Reeves), and Tails (voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessey) combine to battle Shadow (voiced by Idris Elba) in this trio. Jim Carrey also returns as Dr. Ivo Robotnik, while Krysten Ritter, James Marsden, Shemar Moore and Tika Sumpter round out the live-action cast.
Kraven the Hunter (PG-13) – Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Marvel villain Nikolai Kravinoff in this origin story, which explains how his own father sets him on a path of revenge. Ariana DeBose and Russell Crowe also star.
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Queer (R) – Daniel Craig won a Golden Globe for his role as an American veteran who escapes drug charges by fleeing to Mexico in the 1950s. He falls in love with a handsome young fellow American (Drew Starkey), who shows the elder what he is missing. The film, based on William S. Burroughs’ 1985 short story, is generating a lot of Oscar buzz.
Wicked (PG-13) – Let’s make room for this epic origin story of The Wicked Witch of the West. Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey and Michelle Yeoh star in the blockbuster that won 4 Golden Globes and is expected to gain more popularity in awards season.
Gladiator II (R): Set 16 years after Maximus’ death in 2000’s Gladiator, the sequel follows Lucius (Paul Mescal), who saw his uncle kill Maximus. After his wife is killed, he is taken prisoner of war and forced into the Colosseum. Not only will he have to fight against his conflicting parties, but also fight to bring real support to Rome. Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn and Denzel Washington also star.
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