The holiday season is officially here. The nights are darker and very much colder, so what’s better than staying in and firing up Netflix. Here, we look at six of the very best films to watch on the streaming service in the month of December.
A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby
I’m sure that I will come under fire for this one but after checking out the previous two movies in this festive series over the last two holiday breaks, I might as well complete the trilogy. The film, a Netflix original, lands on the streaming service in the first part of the month and sees a new addition to the Aldovia. After last year’s royal wedding, this year’s installment revolves around another royal family coming to town to renew a truce. However, the treaty goes missing and the Amber and Richard’s world is thrown into turmoil and an ancient curse threatens them all. These movies are harmless fun and just one of many Netflix releases with the holiday theme. See also the likes of Holiday In The Wild, Let It Snow and last year’s The Christmas Chronicles with Kurt Russell for more festive fun.
Marriage Story
After debuting at some of the late 2019 film festivals all over the world, Marriage Story is being hailed as one of the best films of the year and tipped for awards glory, predominantly for the performances of its two lead actors, Scarlett Johansson, and Adam Driver. Directed by Noah Baumbach, the film revolves around a marriage break-up and the impact it has on a family. The film originally debuted at the 2019 Venice Film Festival where it received huge acclaim. It will arrive on Netflix after a short run in cinemas on 6th December.
The Irishman
Released this very week, Martin Scorsese’s crime epic The Irishman is one of the most expensive movies ever released on the streaming service. After focussing on the world of gambling in the 1995 movie Casino, a film shot and set in Las Vegas in the world of poker, slot machines and blackjack, Scorsese reunites with some of its stars, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci for another crime epic based on true events. The film is based on the book ‘I Heard You Paint Houses’ and brings together a stellar cast for a 3 and a half hour epic. Widely regarded as Scorsese’s best work for years, The Irishman is a must-see on the streaming service.
6 Underground
The man responsible for some of the biggest movies ever made makes his Netflix debut with this action movie which is up there with The Irishman for one of the most expensive films ever to hit the streaming video on-demand platform. Starring Ryan Reynolds, 6 Underground revolves around six unique people from around the world who are willing to bury their pasts in order to alter their future. The screenplay is written by none other than Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, the duo behind the Deadpool movie and Zombieland, so as well as high-octane action and explosions, expect lots of laughs and tons of fun, too. 6 Underground hits Netflix on 13th December.
The Two Popes
A change of pace for the next recommendation, a film revolving around two popes, hence the title. Sir Anthony Hopkins appears as Pope Benedict, while Jonathan Pryce is Cardinal Bergoglio in a feature written by Anthony McCarten and directed by City Of God filmmaker Fernando Meirelles. According to the official blurb, the feature focusses on a historic turning point in the Catholic Church with both Hopkins and Pryce praised for their excellent performances. Like The Irishman and Marriage Story, The Two Popes has also achieved acclaim from the world’s most prestigious film festivals and hits Netflix on 20th December after a cinema run that begins this week.
The Witcher
If you’re looking for a series to sink your teeth into over the festive break then look no further than The Witcher, a new fantasy production led by Henry Cavill. The new show is based on the series of books of the same name and is described as an epic tale of fate and family involving humans, elves, witchers, gnomes, and monsters, all of who battle to survive in a world known as The Continent. The Witcher has already been commissioned for a second season, so expect more where this came from in the near future.
