Many folks have family members coming into town for Thanksgiving weekend.
Do you need a good movie to watch on the couch or for a trip to the multiplex?
Below are 10 new movies to watch at the holiday box office or on streaming:
‘Dashing Through the Snow’
Where to Watch: Disney+
Newly released on streaming services is the Disney+ original comedy “Dashing Through the Snow,” following a divorced social worker named Eddie (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) who watches his daughter Charlotte (Madison Skye) on Christmas Eve. When Eddie visits his neighbor’s house, he finds a man named Nick (Lil Rel Howery), who claims to be the real Santa. Eddie is skeptical due to a childhood incident where a mall Santa robbed his home.
‘Good Burger 2’
Where to Watch: Paramount+
A generation raised on Nickelodeon’s “Kenan & Kel” grew up loving the movie “Good Burger” (1997), which began as a sketch on “All That.” For decades, fans have salivated over a potential reunion between Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell, who recently reunited on “SNL” and now deliver “Good Burger 2” on Paramount+. The sequel picks up 26 years after the events of the first film as Dexter reunites with Ed at the fast food joint.
‘The Holdovers’
Where to Watch: In theaters
One of the biggest awards contenders this holiday season is “The Holdovers,” the latest from Oscar-winning writer/director Alexander Payne of “Sideways” (2004), “The Descendants” (2011) and “Nebraska” (2013). He reunites with Paul Giamatti, who plays a curmudgeonly history teacher at a New England boarding school who is forced to chaperone students over Christmas break with major vibes of “Dead Poets Society” (1989).
‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’
Where to Watch: In theaters
The current No. 1 movie in America is the new “Hunger Games” prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” which topped the North American box office in its first weekend in theaters with $44 million in ticket sales. The story is set before Katniss Everdeen as Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth, “The Gilded Age”) mentors Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler, “West Side Story”), a District 12 tribute during the 10th Hunger Games.
‘Leo’
Where to Watch: Netflix
Adam Sandler just received the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize earlier this year, so how do you follow that? By voicing a 74-year-old lizard named Leo in the new Netflix animated original that just dropped on Tuesday. Co-starring Bill Burr, Cecily Strong, Jason Alexander, Jo Koy and Rob Schneider, the story follows Leo as he plots his escape from his cage in an elementary school classroom by talking to the kids.
‘Maestro’
Where to Watch: In theaters
Before hits Netflix on Dec. 20, the Oscar contender “Maestro” opens in select theaters this Wednesday. The film chronicles the relationship between iconic American composer Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) and his wife Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan). Both stars are already top contenders for Best Actor and Best Actress, while Cooper gets to proves his directorial talent again after “A Star is Born” (2018).
‘Napoleon’
Where to Watch: In theaters
If you crave epic battleground action, check out “Napoleon,” which opens in theaters on Wednesday. Directed by the prolific Ridley Scott (“Alien,” “Blade Runner,” “Thelma & Louise,” “Gladiator,” “American Gangster”), the film follows the rise and fall of the legendary French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (Joaquin Phoenix). It’s told through the prism of his volatile relationship with his wife Josephine (Vanessa Kirby) in the early 1800s.
‘Next Goal Wins’
Where to Watch: In theaters
If you miss “Ted Lasso,” there’s a new soccer comedy directed by Taika Waititi, whose “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” catapulted him to Marvel blockbusters (“Thor: Ragnarok) and Oscar winners (“Jojo Rabbit”). Based on the 2014 documentary, Michael Fassbender plays Thomas Rongen, who led D.C. United to an MLS Cup before coaching American Samoa, who had the worst loss in soccer history: 31-0 to Australia in 2011.
‘Trolls Band Together’
Where to Watch: In theaters
Before “Barbie,” DreamWorks’ “Trolls” turned toys into movie magic. Following the events of “Trolls” (2016) and “Trolls World Tour” (2020), the third installment follows Poppy (Anna Kendrick), who discovers that Branch (Justin Timberlake) was once in a boy band called BroZone with his brothers, one of whom is kidnapped. Fittingly, the film features NSYNC’s first original song in 22 years, “Better Place.”
‘Wish’
Where to Watch: In theaters
Opening Wednesday in theaters is Disney’s new animated film “Wish” from the Oscar-winning creators of “Frozen” (2013). Set on an island in the Mediterranean Sea, the story follows Asha (Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story”) who wishes on a star that comes down from the sky to join her. Meanwhile, the island’s sorcerer ruler, King Magnifico (Chris Pine), collects each resident’s wish when they turn 18, granting one a month.
