"Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" may have owned the summer but they don't have a lock on the holidays.
Oh, sure, they'll probably sell plenty of merch (like the woman of fall, Taylor Swift), but they don't have Oscars in hand. Yet.
Like "Killers of the Flower Moon," there's a lot of quality ready to compete. Between Thanksgiving and New Year's, look for several films that will figure into the end-of-year mix.
Among the ones to watch: "The Color Purple," "Poor Things," "Maestro," "Saltburn," "Napoleon" and "The Iron Claw." For good measure, there's even a "Wonka" prequel with Timothee Chalamet.
By date, here's what to look for:
NOV. 17
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes – Just when you thought you missed “The Hunger Games,” they’re back. This time, it’s an origins story that stars Rachel Zegler.
Thanksgiving – A serial killer makes hay over the holidays dressed as a pilgrim. (Don’t give people ideas.)
Next Goal Wins – Michael Fassbender gets hired by the American Samoa soccer team. Unfortunately, he’s no good and they aren’t either. Taika Waititi directs.
Trolls Band Together – Before Barbie gets all the 2023 toy love, there’s a return from the trolls. This time, there’s a boy band (say what?) and a missing musician. Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake still provide the voices of Poppy and Branch but now Timberlake invites his NSYNC friends.
Rustin – This is a look at Bayard Rustin, the man behind the 1963 March on Washington. Michelle and Barack Obama produced.
NOV. 22
Wish – Disney’s latest features the voice of Ariana DeBose as a girl who discovers the “wishing star” and sets off a battle in King Magnifico’s kingdom. Chris Pine gets the juicy part.
Maestro – Bradley Cooper is Oscar-bound as the star and director of this look at composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia (Carey Mulligan). Early reports say she steals the show.
Napoleon – Joaquin Phoenix plays the French emperor. Ridley Scott directs.
Saltburn – Barry Keoghan turns up as an Oxford student who is invited to spend the summer at a friend’s estate. The friend (Jacob Elordi), however, comes from wild stock. Emerald Fennell directs.
Leave the World Behind – As if vacations aren’t traumatic enough, a couple (Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke) are surprised when the owners of the Airbnb return before a cyberattack.
DEC. 1
Candy Cane Lane – Eddie Murphy goes all Griswold in this holiday romp that finds him making a deal to bring the 12 Days of Christmas to life.
Renaissance – Not one to be out-Swifted, Beyonce lets fans see what her Renaissance tour was all about.
DEC. 8
Poor Things – A Frankenstein-like scientist (Willem Dafoe) brings a woman (Emma Stone) back to life. Expect Oscar attention.
The Boy and the Heron – Like “Coco,” this animated film finds a boy venturing into a world where the living and the dead co-exist.
Eileen – A secretary befriends a psychologist at a prison and, yes, secrets spill out. Anne Hathaway stars.
DEC. 15
Wonka – How did Willy Wonka become the candy man we know and love? The folks behind “Paddington 2” tell all. Timothee Chalamet stars; Hugh Grant gets a great supporting turn as an Oompa Loompa.
Anyone But You – Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell pretend to be a couple at a destination wedding. Guess what happens?
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget – The “Chicken Run” stars break into a farm in order to save their friends.
American Fiction – Jeffrey Wright plays a novelist who tosses wild ideas on paper and discovers success. Unfortunately, those ideas include a bunch of Black stereotypes.
The Family Plan – On a road trip to Las Vegas, a suburban dad’s past comes out – he was an assassin. Mark Wahlberg stars.
DEC. 22
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom – Aquaman’s idyllic life hits a snag when Blank Manta returns. Jason Momoa returns as the water guy.
Freud’s Last Session – Anthony Hopkins plays Sigmund Freud; Matthew Goode is C.S. Lewis in this “what if” about the eve of World War II.
Migration – Mallard ducks head to Jamaica for a vacation and discover a world they never knew. Yup, it’s animated.
The Iron Claw – The Von Erich brothers gained a big following in the 1980s but they also pinned plenty of details about the world of professional wrestling. Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White and Harris Dickinson star.
Rebel Moon – Director Zach Snyder gets philosophical about a stranger on a peace-loving moon looking for help to fight a brutal world.
All of Us Strangers – Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott star as friends who discover strange things about their family trees.
Jason Momoa returns in "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom."
DEC. 25
The Color Purple – The spartan Broadway revival sparked this second look at the Alice Walker story. A musical, it features Fantasia as Celie, Taraji P. Henson as her friend, Shug Avery, Halle Bailey as her sister and Danielle Brooks as the no-nonsense Sofia. Oprah, by the way, is one of the producers.
Ferrari – Adam Driver plays Enzo Ferrari, the racecar driver who yearned to win a race in 1957. Michael Mann directs.
The Boys in the Boat – Like “Chariots of Fire,” this follows a sports team (rowing) as it tries to win Olympic gold in Germany. The year: 1936. The director: George Clooney.
Fantasia stars in the musical version of "The Color Purple."
Sioux City Journal's Top Stories for the Week of Nov. 12, 2023
