The best new movies to see this Christmas

TESTIMONY 

Aoife Kelleher is known for her work on One Million Dubliners and Mrs. Robinson, but her new documentary shows how the director can bring empathy, insight and justified outrage to one of Ireland’s shameful stories. This documentary gives centre stage to survivors of Ireland’s Mother and Baby Homes and Magdalene Laundries, allowing their accounts to build into a stark portrait of institutional cruelty and the long fight for recognition.

Interviews with women put into laundries at 14, separated from their babies, and lied to about where their children were buried make for devastating viewing, while accounts about the fight for survivors’ recognition and rights show how institutional silence operates as complicity. The result is a gripping and compassionate piece of national reckoning, the kind of film that lingers in the body. Humane and vital viewing.

Testimony.

BLUE MOON 

Richard Linklater condenses the life of lyricist Lorenz Hart into one smoky night in 1943, set in a corner of famous Broadway restaurant and hangout Sardi’s, which feels halfway between confession booth and theatrical limbo.

In this charming dramedy, Ethan Hawke delivers a beautifully bruised performance as Hart, wrestling with fading relevance, heartbreak and the looming success of Oklahoma! that his former creative partner, Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott), has written without him, instead pairing up with Oscar Hammerstein II (Simon Delaney). The dialogue glows with Linklater’s signature conversational rhythm, as Hart grapples with his bruised ego, infatuation and unrequited interest in 20-year-old Elizabeth (Margaret Qually).

If you are drawn to talky, charming, atmospheric dramas steeped in old showbusiness myth, this is unmissable.

JAY KELLY (December 5)

Noah Baumbach brings his trademark combination of sharp humour and melancholy meditation to this film, starring George Clooney as the eponymous, once-untouchable movie star, drifting through Europe on a carefully choreographed press tour that has started to feel like a farce.

Adam Sandler plays his long-suffering manager, guiding his client through mishaps both comic and surprisingly vulnerable. Beneath the glamorous settings lies a sly meditation on ego, authenticity and the hollowness that can follow decades of fame. Clooney leans into self-parody with impressive finesse, and the two leads create a lived-in dynamic that carries the film, supported by Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, and a host of celebrity cameos.

ETERNITY (December 5)

Irish director David Freyne (Dating Amber) and co-writer Pat Cunnane are behind this sweet film that is part romance, part metaphysical puzzle. Eternity imagines an afterlife where the newly dead have one week to choose the person they will spend forever with.

Elizabeth Olsen’s Joan finds herself split between the partner who shaped her adult life, played by Miles Teller, and the first love she lost far too young, played by Callum Turner. One is familiar and irritating, while the other offers passion, spark, and the chance to live the life they never had. The film moves through richly imagined bureaucratic realms that resemble celestial waiting rooms, blending gentle comedy with emotional stakes that gradually tighten.

It is warm, inventive and sneakily philosophical, ideal for viewers who want their holiday outings to deliver both escapism and something to chew on afterwards.

Eternity

HORSESHOE (December 5)

This Irish dramedy gathers the estranged Canavan siblings after the death of their cantankerous father, only for the reading of the will to ignite old rivalries and new alliances. Set against the rugged charm of the west of Ireland, the film balances family chaos with genuine affection, revealing layers of resentment, nostalgia and reluctant loyalty.

The ensemble cast plays beautifully off one another, capturing the way families can drive you mad while reminding you who you are, and the film features an original score by acclaimed Irish composer Anna Mullarkey and music from John Francis Flynn.

Horseshoe

WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY (December 12)

Detective Benoit Blanc returns, once again sporting an accent that sounds like it was polished in a bourbon barrel, as he unravels a case involving a tight-knit religious community, featuring a young priest (Josh O’Connor), a charismatic Monsignor (Josh Brolin), a devout church lady (Glenn Close), and a death that may be miracle or murder.

Rian Johnson escalates the theatricality and sly humour that defined the earlier entries while giving Daniel Craig room to have quite obviously enormous fun. The ensemble, including our own Andrew Scott and Daryl McCormack, all play both earnestness and duplicity, keeping every scene humming with both humour and tension.

Fans of clever dialogue, intricate plotting and glossy whodunit spectacle will find this installment especially satisfying.

AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH (December 19)

James Cameron expands the world of Pandora once more, pushing the environmental and political storylines established in Avatar and The Way Of Water into even grander territory. The film shifts between lush natural landscapes and escalating interplanetary conflict, offering an intensity that feels designed for the largest screen available. If you want a holiday outing that prioritises immersion, awe and unapologetically big feelings, this is the blockbuster you save for the premium showings.

ANACONDA (December 25)

There’s been a dearth of ’90s-style, genuinely fun family adventure films, and as ever, Jack Black is here to deliver. Rather than simply reviving the 1997 creature feature, this cheeky reboot turns the concept inside out by following a film crew making an Anaconda remake, who end up encountering the real thing.

Jack Black and Paul Rudd lead a cast that leans into the absurdity with gusto, creating a blend of monster mayhem, industry satire and chaotic adventure. A Christmas treat for viewers who prefer their holiday entertainment loud, silly and proudly unserious.

Anaconda

SENTIMENTAL VALUE (December 26)

Whose family doesn’t send them into an existential tailspin over the holidays? And no better director than Joachim Trier to explore the deep wounds, differing memories and unique connections of family life. This richly observed family drama centres on two sisters and their once-legendary director father, played with subtle force by Stellan Skarsgård.

When their mother dies, unresolved tensions rise to the surface, stirring memories both tender and raw. Renate Reinsve continues her streak of luminous performances, grounding the story in emotional truth, even as it grapples with the slipperiness of memory and art.

SONG SUNG BLUE (January 1)

Opening the new year with a burst of nostalgia, this musical drama recounts the true story of a Neil Diamond tribute act, whose personal lives are just as dramatic as their on-stage personas. Hugh Jackman brings trademark charisma to the lead role, while Kate Hudson adds warmth and spark as his musical partner and foil.

The film blends big performance numbers with moments of self-doubt, ambition and unexpected tenderness. It’s glossy without being shallow and sentimental without losing its sense of humour, while of course featuring an endless array of Diamond hits.

Song Sung Blue