2024 is almost over, but new movies are still making their debuts in theaters worldwide. Indeed, this weekend (December 21 and 22), there are no fewer than four new films to check out in the US. UK and Australian audiences only have two new movies to watch, but they're both family-friendly flicks in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Mufasa: The Lion King. So, we're sure you'll find something worth watching as the holidays officially begin.
We'll be back in 2025 to remind you of all of the new flicks that'll land in cinemas in January and beyond, so keep it locked on TechRadar for all of your big screen entertainment needs. Until then, happy holidays!
New movies: December 2024
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Release date: out now (US); December 21 (UK); December 26 (Australia)
It's CGI lion versus animated hedgehog this festive season as Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is set to go toe-to-toe with Mufasa for in a family-friendly showdown for the ages.
This time around, Team Sonic – the titular blue blur (voiced by Ben Schwartz), Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessy), and Knuckles (Idris Elba) – are forced to team up with Sonic's arch-nemesis Doctor Eggman (Jim Carrey) to tackle Shadow, a bioengineered anthropomorphic hedgehog who's way more powerful than any of the quartet have faced before and who has an ax to grind with the world.
Sonic 3's first trailer confirmed that beloved actor Keanu Reeves will voice Shadow; a move we called "an adventurously great fit". Judging by its 87% critical and 98% audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes, it seems Reeves' star power has made Sonic 3 the film series' best entry yet.
Mufasa: The Lion King
Release date: out now (worldwide)
A prequel to 2019's The Lion King "live-action" remake, Mufasa will see Rafiki recount the story of Simba's father (the titular character, for the uninitiated) to Simba's daughter Kiara, with a little embellishment-based humor from Timon and Pumba.
Aaron Pierre takes over from James Earl Jones on voice acting duties as a younger version of Mufasa, with the big game feline's own film revealing how he came to be King of Pride Rock. It'll also explore his initially strong bond with his brother Scar (he'll be known as Taka in this movie) before the pair's relationship becomes irreparable for reasons yet to be revealed.
Mufasa's first trailer brought thrills and chills upon release in late April, although plenty of people suggest it looks like nothing more than a high tech demo for lifelike visuals. Its second trailer, which debuted at D23 Expo 2024 in mid-August, did little to change our opinion, too. Given its bang average 56% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it appears we were right to be suspicious about this superfluous prequel.
The Room Next Door
Release date: out now (US and UK); December 26 (Australia)
Starring two titans of the industry in Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, The Room Next Door promises to deliver acclaimed Spanish director Pedro Almodovar's deft filmmaking in an English language movie for the first time in his illustrious career.
Based on Sigrif Nunez's novel 'What Are you Going Through', it'll follow Ingrid (Moore), an author and resentful daughter of Ingrid (Swinton), a former war correspondent who didn't go out of her way to win any Mom of the Year awards. Based on its 86% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, it's worth seeing.
The Brutalist
Release date: out now (US); January 23, 2025 (Australia); January 24, 2025 (UK)
Clocking in at a staggering three hours and 35 minutes, this epic historical drama will really test your runtime limits when it lurches into theaters. But, based on its 96% Rotten Tomatoes critics rating and numerous 2025 Golden Globes nominations, it sounds like the Brady Corbet written and directed film is absolutely worth it.
Starring Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, and Joe Alwyn, The Brutalist follows visionary architect László Toth (Brody) who, after escaping post-war Europe, travels to the US to rebuild his life, career, and marriage to Erzsébet (Jones). Expect this one to earn its fair share of prizes on next year's awards circuit.
Nosferatu
Release date: December 25 (US); January 1, 2025 (Australia); January 3, 2025 (UK)
An unusual time of year for a gothic horror film, but Christmas Day will be the first time that viewers (in the US, anyway) will likely be terrified by director Robert Egger's reimagining of Bram Stoker's Dracula novel.
Nosferatu stars Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter, a young woman who the vampiric Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard) becomes infatuated with. As Orlok's obsession grows ever stronger, he begins to leave untold horrors in his wake, leading Hutter and her husband Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) to seek the aid of any and all scientists, bounty hunters, and other individuals who'll stop the terrifying supernatural blood-sucker from tracking her down. Expect this one to be a big hit before 2024 ends, especially in light of its 92% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes.
A Complete Unknown
Release date: December 25 (US); January 17, 2025 (UK); January 22, 2025 (Australia)
Timothée Chalamet will aim to pick up his first Academy Award with A Complete Unknown, the forthcoming biographical drama that charts the rise of (and at-the-time musical controversies surrounding) legendary musician Bob Dylan in 1960s America. Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook, and Scoot McNairy are among its starry cast.
After his latest film – Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – flopped at the box office last year, James Mangold will hope to rebuild his reputation with a flick that feels like a shoo-in for multiple nominations on the 2025 awards circuit. Its 74% Rotten Tomatoes critical score, though, suggests it may not be a multi-award nominated flick.
Better Man
Release date: December 26 (UK and Australia); January 17, 2025 (US)
A biopic unlike you've ever seen before, Better Man will tell the extraordinary story of UK popstar Robbie Williams. From his meteoric rise as a member of '90s boyband Take That, to his playboy lifestyle and fall from grace, and then his career resurrection, this flick from The Greatest Showman filmmaker Michael Gracey is one that Williams fans won't want to miss.
Okay, so what's the catch? Rather than hire an A-lister to portray Williams in this tale inspired by real-life events, the singer-songwriter and UK actor Jonno Davies provided mocap performances that, under the watchful eye of multi-award-winning visual effects studio Weta, have been digitally recreated to turn Williams into a chimpanzee. That's how Williams apparently sees himself, after all. With a surprisingly great 88% Rotten Tomatoes critical rating, don't be surprised if its unique approach to movie biopics is a hit in British, Irish, and Australian cinemas.
A Real Pain
Release date: out now (US); December 26 (Australia); January 10, 2025 (UK)
Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, Batman v Superman) and Kieran Culkin (Scott Pilgrim vs the World, Succession) team up in this Eisenberg-directed comedy-drama that drew plenty of praise the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. In it, the pair play mismatched cousins who reunite to embark on an awkward tour of Poland in honor of their recently deceased grandmother.
Unfortunately for UK and Australian viewers, A Real Pain will arrive after much later than its US debut, so those of us who don't live stateside have got a lengthy wait on our hands. Still, its official trailer makes it look really good, and its 95% Rotten Tomatoes critical rating confirms it is, too. In short: this is one of those new movies that may be worth the wait.
New movies: January 2025
Paddington in Peru
Release date: out now (UK); January 1, 2025 (Australia); January 17, 2025 (US)
The first two Paddington movies are some of the best family movies we've seen in a long, long time. The debuting of the third movie's trailer and confirmation of its release dates (sorry, US and Australia, you've got a longer than expected wait on your hands), then, has been met with celebratory marmalade sandwiches among the movie series' global fanbase.
Unsurprisingly, Paddington In Peru sees the titular bear return to his homeland – with the Brown family in tow – to visit in Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton). However, upon arriving in the South American nation, the group learn that Lucy has gone missing in the Peruvian jungle. Cue a riotously fun quest to find out where she's gone. A movie that's not as good as its predecessors but, with a 92% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it's one that's still absolutely worth seeing.
Conclave
Release date: out now (US and UK); January 9, 2025 (Australia)
From Edward Berger, director of Netflix's harrowing war flick All Quiet on the Western Front, this religious conspiracy thriller – based on Robert Harris' book of the same name – sees Ralph Fiennes play Cardinal Lawrence, who leads the Catholic Church's search for a new Pope when the current incumbent dies. The covert process is made all the more difficult, however, by a power struggle within the Vatican, as well as an unsettling discovery Cardinal Lawrence makes.
With a strong supporting cast including Isabella Rossellini, John Lithgow, and Stanley Tucci among its ranks, and a 93% critical Rotten Tomatoes rating, Conclave is a must-see religion-based mystery thriller that'll keep you guessing throughout its two-hour runtime.
September 5
Release date: out now (US); January 24, 2025 (UK); January 30, 2025 (Australia)
A film that's going to cut a little too close to home due to ongoing events in the Middle East, September 5 is a harrowing drama inspired by true events. Set during the 1972 Olympics in Munich, it tells the tale of a US sports broadcasting team that quickly pivots to live coverage of an unfolding hostage situation involving Israeli athletes in the German capital. John Magaro, Peter Sarsgaard, and Leonie Benesch are among its main cast.
Given its positioning as a late 2024/early 2025 film release, it seems Paramount Pictures is gearing up to put September 5 forward as a contender for next year's awards ceremonies. With an impressive 92% Rotten Tomatoes critical rating, it may just win a gong or two, too.
Saturday Night
Release date: out now (US and Australia); January 31, 2025 (UK)
Saturday Night Live has become a cultural juggernaut since its October 11, 1975 debut, but it was almost a complete failure ahead of its inaugural show. Almost 50 years on from that night, Jason Reitman (2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife) delivers a wild, "inspired by true events" flick that tells the story of the 90 minutes leading up to the sketch/improv comedy series' first-ever showing.
It's got a whole host of big names attached to it, too. Stranger Things' Finn Wolfhard, iconic actors J.K. Simmons and Willem Dafoe, Perry Mason's Matthew Rhys, The Fablemans' Gabriel LaBelle, Bottoms' Rachel Ann Sennott, Dickinson's Ella Hunt, and The Responder's Emily Fairn are just some of its all-star ensemble cast. With a 78% critical and 84% audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, it's one to catch in a theater near you.
New movies: February 2025
Queer
Release date: out now (US and UK); February 6, 2025 (Australia)
Tackling a role that's a complete departure from his James Bond days and current lead status in Netflix's Knives Out film franchise, Daniel Craig could be in the running for Best Actor on the 2025 awards circuit if his outstanding performance in Queer is anything to go by.
Luca Guadagnino's latest feature sees Craig play William Lee, a US expat and loner living in 1950s Mexico. However, when he strikes up an unexpected friendship with former soldier Eugene Allerton, Lee finds that he may finally have found someone to develop an intimate relationship with. With critics already hailing its towering acting performances and unusual visuals, and its largely positive 77% Rotten Tomatoes score, Queer could perform surprisingly well at the box office.
Want more new movies recommendations? Our new Netflix movies, new Max movies, new Prime Video movies, and new Disney Plus movies lists are full of streaming-based suggestions for a night at home instead.
