Watch List

December Watch List
Hi Everyone,

We have reached the last month of the year, and after what felt like an underwhelming November, I think there's going to be a little bit of something for everyone come December.

For my fellow Korean film/drama lovers I highly recommend going out to see Concrete Utopia, starring Park Seo-joon in an incredible drama about the rebuilding of a society after a natural disaster. Then we have May December, which gives us a jaw-dropping, tension packed story of an unraveling romance - with a top tier Natalie Portman performance. Last but definitely not least is Poor Things, a burton-esq case study on the female journey of self-discovery starring Emma Stone - its one of the most uniquely artistic ways to breakdown the female gaze - loved it!

Those are a few I've already seen, but there's always more to watch. I've listed the ones I'll be covering, and some I might not get around to but stories I still think are worth bringing to your attention.

Let me know what you're most excited for on the Instagram page!

Now let's get started...

I missed Eddy Murphy's heyday of comedy so for me he's always best when he's in a family-comedy like Daddy Day Care, Shrek, and hopefully this. Also tis the season, if you've been keeping up with the page long enough you know if it's December and its Christmas themed I'm in. 

Summary:
Eddie Murphy stars in this holiday comedy adventure about a man on a mission to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest and inadvertently makes a deal with a mischievous elf that brings the 12 Days of Christmas to life. 

Starring:
Eddy Murphy, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Jillian Bell

Runtime:
1hr57mins

This is a jaw-dropping, tension packed story of an unraveling romance - with a top tier Natalie Portman performance. And I've never seen Charles Melton in anything before this but man did he bring his A-game, one of the most on point performances of the year. My full review will be up November 30th. 

Summary:
Decades after their scandalous relationship made headlines, a couple starts to unravel when a famous actor arrives to research them for her new film. 

Starring:
Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton,

Runtime:
1hr57mins

The twitter buzz on this one has my expectations way too high, but Gareth Edwards outwardly expressing his jealously for how good this film is doesn't hurt. My full review will be up December 1st. 

Summary:
Post war Japan is at its lowest point when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster, baptized in the horrific power of the atomic bomb. 

Starring:
Minami Hamabe, Sakura Ando, and Ryunosuke Kamiki.

Runtime:
2hrs05mins

Not sure if I'll get the chance to review this but the summary peaked my interest because of a death close to the family that happened last year, and all the strange family dynamics that surrounded it. I feel it would be worth seeing someone's perspective on a similar (obviously more outlandish) situation.  

Summary:
After learning of his estranged father's sickness, a scheming middle-aged man assembles a fake family to reunite with him for one last time. 

Starring:
Nopachai Jayanama, Namfon Kullanat, Krissanapoom Pibulsonggram

Episodes:
N/A

Runtime:
N/A

This is a burton-esq case study on the female journey of self-discovery. It's one of the most uniquely artistic ways to breakdown the female gaze, that will work for those with a wild enough imagination, and not - for those who prefer a more grounded story.

Full review will be up December 4th.

Summary:
The incredible tale about the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter. 

Starring:
Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, and Ramy Youssef

Runtime:
2hrs21mins

"This is a wonder-filled, inspiringly crafted tale of the eternal battle one has with Father Time, the legacy we leave behind, and coming to the realization that you may have no control over how much time you have left - but what you can control is how you use that time."

Check out my full review for Studio Ghibli's The Boy and the Heron here.

Summary:
A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning. 

Starring:
Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Christian Bale, Robert Pattinson, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Willem Dafoe, and Mark Hamill.

Runtime:
2hrs04mins

Concrete Utopia is cut from the same cloth as Triangle of Sadness, Menu, and Parasite - stories that all capture the humanizing defeat of being relegated to your social class, then "lucking" out when the world gets turned upside down - giving those a new lease on life for better, or for worse.

Park Seo-joon stars in what I feel is his strongest, most complex performance yet.

My review will be up December 3rd. 

Summary:
The world has been reduced to rubble by a massive earthquake. While no one knows for sure how far the ruins stretch, or what the cause of the earthquake may be, in the heart of Seoul there is only one apartment building left standing. It is called Hwang Gung Apartments. As time passes, outsiders start coming in to Hwang Gung Apartments trying to escape the extreme cold. Before long, the apartment residents are unable to cope with the increasing numbers. Feeling a threat to their very survival, the residents enact a special measure. 

Starring:
Park Bo-young, Park Seo-joon, Lee Byung-hun, Park Ji-hu, and Kim Sun-young.

Runtime:
2hrs10mins

Not sure if/when I'll get the chance to watch this but it's one that I think will appeal to a large audience. 

Summary:
A family's getaway to a luxurious rental home takes an ominous turn when a cyberattack knocks out their devices — and two strangers appear at their door. 

Starring:
Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, and Ethan Hawke

Runtime:
2hrs21mins

We all have guilty pleasure watches, and this is mine. Rumor has it that Song Ji-a from Season 1 will be returning this season, what's not to be excited about. 

Summary:
Stranded and ready to mingle, flirty singles search for love on a deserted island they can only escape as couples for romantic date nights in paradise. 

Starring:
N/A

Episodes:
N/A

Runtime:
N/A

 After what I felt was a successful adaption of One Piece, I'm curious how Netflix will fair with their next entry in live-action anime. I never got into the anime or manga enough to finish the series, but this looks as good as a live-action adaption of anime can be. Stay tuned for my coverage of Yu Yu Hakusho. 

Summary:
After a selfless act costs him his life, teen delinquent Yusuke Urameshi is chosen as a Spirit Detective to investigate cases involving rogue yokai. 

Starring:
Takumi Kitamura, Jun Shison, and Kanata Hongo

Episodes:
N/A

Runtime:
N/A

This is the one movie I missed during the festival circuit, that I've been dying to see! 

Summary:
The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig, strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp. 

Starring:
Sandra Hullerr. Christian Friedel, and Freya Kreutzkam.

Runtime:
1hr45mins

December has blessed us with a double-dose of Park Seo-joon. 

Summary:
Gyeongseong, 1945. In Seoul's grim era under colonial rule, an entrepreneur and a sleuth fight for survival and face a monster born out of human greed. 

Starring:
Park Seo-joon, Han So-hee, and Claudia Kim

Episodes:
N/A

Runtime:
N/A

I'm always in for a good Rom-Com but definitely lukewarm on this pairing. Not sure if I'll get the chance to watch this in theatres, but will give this the time when it hits streaming. 

Summary:
After an amazing first date, Bea and Ben's fiery attraction turns ice cold - until they find themselves unexpectedly reunited at a destination wedding in Australia. So they do what any two mature adults would do: pretend to be a couple. 

Starring:
Sydney Sweeney, and Glen Powell.

Runtime:
1hr40mins

Inject this move into my veins. I can't freaking wait!

My full review will be up December 19th. 

Summary:
The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. 

Starring:
Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Lily James, Harris Dickinson, and Holt McCallany.

Runtime:
2hrs12mins

Before Disney bought Lucasfilms, Zack Snyder was in talks to make his own Star Wars movie.
This is that story. 

Summary:
When the ruthless forces of the Motherworld threaten a quiet farming village on a distant moon, a mysterious outsider becomes its best hope for survival. 

Starring:
Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, and Ed Skrein

Runtime:
2hrs15mins

The story is intriguing but it's coming out during a busy time of the year so I'm not sure if I'll get the chance to catch it until after the new year.  

Summary:
Set in the summer of 1957, with Enzo Ferrari's auto empire in crisis, the ex-racer turned entrepreneur pushes himself and his drivers to the edge as they launch into the Mille Miglia, a treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy. 

Starring:
Adam Driver, and Shailene Woodley.

Runtime:
2hrs10mins

Post-Loki multiverse storylines are going to get a lot more interesting. Marvel hype has died, but my excitement for what's to come has not. 

Summary:
Season two of “What If…?” continues the journey as The Watcher guides viewers through the vast multiverse, introducing brand new and familiar faces throughout the MCU.

Episodes:
9

Runtime:
20mins