12 of the best films to watch this December

Will be released on 25th December in UK and 26th December in UK

searchlight picture

11. Testament of Ann Lee

One of last year’s most acclaimed films was The Brutalist, directed by Brady Corbett and co-written by him and his partner Mona Fastvold. The Testament of Ann Lee is a collaborative work of sorts, directed by Fastvold and co-written by him and Corbett. And, like The Brutalist, it is an ambitious historical epic, shot on 35mm film stock, about a European who brings radical ideas to America. Its heroine is a real person, played by Amanda Seyfried, who rose from a cotton-mill worker in 18th-century Manchester, England, to the leader of the Shakers religious sect in New York. Daniel Blumberg, who composed the Oscar-winning score of The Brutalist, provides the music, which also includes songs sung by Seyfried. Yes, The Testament of Ann Lee is a musical, along with everything else. Radhika Seth in Vogue says, “Its music, cinematography, costumes and production design all deserve attention,” as does Seyfried, who has always been excellent, but has finally found a major big-screen role worthy of her talents.

Released in America on December 25

Venice International Film Festival

12. No other option

Director Park Chan-wook is known for acclaimed works like Oldboy, The Handmaiden, and Decision to Leave, but No Other Choice is the best-reviewed film of his career. Based on a novel by Donald Westlake, Park’s satirical thriller stars Lee Byung-hun (frontman in Squid Game) as a happily married South Korean family man. He believes his life is perfect, but after he loses his job at a paper factory, his savings dwindle, and it looks like he will have to sell his house to a neighbor he hates. Luckily, there’s a job coming up that will be a good fit for him – but to be safe, he decides to kill off all the other qualified candidates. Nick Schager in The Daily Beast says, drawing comparisons to Bong Joon Ho’s Oscar-winning Parasite, No Other Choice is “a masterclass in light, silky, brilliant storytelling”. “Park finds the perfect madness for his semi-parasitic critique of the modern fight for survival, and his command (of tone and narrative) never wavers.”

Released in America on December 25

,

If you liked this story Sign up for the Essential List newsletter – A curated selection of features, videos and can’t-miss news, delivered to your inbox twice a week.

For more culture stories from the BBC, follow us Facebook And Instagram,