This weekend will not be a barnburner at the box office, with many of the biggest films simply holding over from last weekend. The holiday box office begins next weekend, and that will bring many more big films to theaters. But there are plenty of new releases to check out in many different genres, from drama to anime to action, and you can read about those below.
The films listed are from studios other than the “Big Five” – Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Walt Disney Pictures, and Columbia Pictures. Note that some of the movies listed are in their first week or two of limited release in the USA, so it may take them a few more weeks (or months) to show up in your local arthouse theater or on VOD. Check out the posts from the past few weeks for more movies that may have just opened near you: December 5th, November 26th, and November 21st.
Stars: Rohan Campbell, Ruby Modine, David Lawrence Brown, David Tomlinson
Writer/Director: Mike P. Nelson
Genre: Horror, Holiday
Plot: A child witnesses his parents’ murder by a man in a Santa suit. Years later, as an adult, he dons a Santa costume himself and embarks on a violent quest for retribution against those responsible for the traumatic event from his childhood.
What you should know: Second remake of the 1984 film.
Where to watch: In theaters
Stars: Jackson Yee, Shu Qi, Mark Chao, Gengxi Li
Writer/Director: Bi Gan
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
Plot: In a society where people stop dreaming to extend their lifespan, some dangerous individuals still dream, warping the fabric of time. We experience five dreams, for each of the senses, each chronologically representing a period of cinema.
What you should know: Premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
Where to watch: In theaters
Stars: Helen Mirren, Timothy Spall, Johnny Flynn, Kate Winslet
Writer: Joe Anders
Director: Kate Winslet
Genre: Drama
Plot: Follows a group of fractured siblings who must come together under sudden and trying circumstances.
What you should know: Kate Winslet stars and directs in a script written by her son, Joe Anders.
Where to watch: In theaters; on Netflix December 24th
The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo
Stars: Tamara Cortes, Matías Catalán, Paula Dinamarca, Pedro Muñoz
Writer/Director: Diego Céspedes
Genre: Drama
Plot: In 1982, as an unknown disease begins to spread in a small mining town in the Chilean desert, gay men are accused of transmitting it through their eyes. Twelve-year-old Lidia, the only girl in the community, sets out in search of the truth.
What you should know: Official submission of Chile for the Best International Feature Film category of the 98th Academy Awards in 2026.
Where to watch: In theaters
Stars: Sophie Sloan, Mads Mikkelsen, Sheila Atim, Sigourney Weaver
Writer/Director: Bryan Fuller
Genre: Action, Drama, Horror, Thriller
Plot: An eight-year-old girl asks her scheming neighbor for help in killing the monster under her bed that she thinks ate her family.
What you should know: This is writer and director Bryan Fuller’s feature directorial debut.
Where to watch: In theaters
Stars: Alia Shawkat, Zahra Alzubaidi, Callum Turner, Cristian Valle
Writer/Director: Hailey Gates
Genre: Drama, War
Plot: Follows an aspiring actress working on a U.S. military base that simulates an Iraqi war zone
What you should know: Writer and director Hailey Gates is also an actor, recently popping up in small parts in Marty Supreme and Challengers.
Where to watch: In theaters
Stars: Mana Ashida, Masaki Okada, Masachika Ichimura, Kôji Yakusho
Writer/Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Genre: Anime, Action, Adventure
Plot: A medieval princess on a quest to avenge her father’s death awakens in a realm between life and death, where she encounters an idealistic young man from the present day who shows her the possibility of a future free of bitterness and rage.
What you should know: Based in part on William Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
Where to watch: In limited theaters, only in IMAX
Stars: Idan Weiss, Peter Kurth, Jenovéfa Boková, Ivan Trojan
Writer: Marek Epstein, Agnieszka Holland
Director: Agnieszka Holland
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Plot: A biopic of the iconic 20th-century Czech writer Franz Kafka that follows the imprint Kafka left on the world from his birth in 19th-century Prague to his death in post-WW1 Vienna.
What you should know: Poland’s Official Entry to the 98th Academy Award
Where to watch: In theaters
Stars: Shogen Ito, Yayan Ruhian, Rama Ramadhan, Faisal Rachman
Writer/Director: Josh C. Waller
Genre: Action, Drama
Plot: A shipwrecked 13th century samurai considers ritual suicide until captured by cannibals on a seemingly deserted island. His will to live awakens.
What you should know: Director Josh C. Waller was a producer on Mandy (2018).
Where to watch: Available VOD
Stars: Zooey Deschanel, Charlie Cox, Ellyn Jameson, Patricia Heaton
Writer: Dane Clark, Linsey Stewart
Director: Jessica Swale
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Plot: When their beloved dog Merv loses his spark after their split, Anna and Russ are forced into the world’s most awkward co-parenting arrangement.
What you should know: Director Jessica Swale is an Olivier award winning playwright.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
More New Releases
Ella McCay (Trailer)
The Shining (Trailer) Re-release
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Trailer) Re-release
Turbulence (Trailer)
Sense and Sensibility (Trailer) Re-release – Sunday
New to Streaming
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystey (Trailer) on Netflix
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (Trailer) on HBO Max
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What have you been watching lately, ONTD? Seeing anything this weekend?