It's been a quiet couple of weeks in terms of new movies releases, with very little of note hitting theaters since mid-November. But this weekend finally brings us some of the season's biggest movies. The animated adventure Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse arrives in the US and UK on the back of rave reviews, with some critics stating this is the best Spider-Man movie ever made. There's more superhero action in the shape of Once Upon A Deadpool--a specifically re-edited version of this year's smash Deadpool 2, with new footage and a portion of every ticket sold going to the charity F*** Cancer (renamed Fudge Cancer for this more audience-friendly Deadpool).
And that's not all--while DC's much-anticipated Aquaman isn't released in the US until next week, UK audiences can see it seven days earlier from this Friday. Also in UK theaters are a couple of smaller, darker movies--The House that Jack Built and Lizzie--while the Peter Jackson-produced fantasy epic Mortal Engines is also released.
FInally, one of 2018's most acclaimed films arrives on netflix. Alfonso Cuaron's Roma has been picking up acclaim since it premiered at the Venice International Film Festival back in August, and is set to be the streaming giant's first serious Oscar contender. After a limited theatrical release it can be watched worldwide on Netflix from this Friday. So here's the week's new releases in the both the US and UK, in both theaters and on streaming...
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
See it in US and UK theaters on December 14
This spectacular animated Spider-Man adventure has been getting rave reviews and is set to be one of the winter's biggest movies. It features no fewer than six Spideys--including Peter Parker and Miles Morales versions, plus Spider-Gwen and, er, Spider-Ham--and is produced by Lego Movie directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord. In his review, GameSpot's Michael Rougeau called the movie "an instant animated classic, and, with any luck, the first of many of its kind."
Once Upon A Deadpool
See it in US and UK theaters on December 12
The idea of a PG-13 rated Deadpool 2 might seem crazy--how do you reduce the levels of violence and cursing enough to make it teen-friendly but still entertaining? But that's exactly what Once Upon A Deadpool is. Ryan Reynolds and company have filmed new scenes for this version and the movie is set to run until December 24th, with a portion of every ticket sold going to charity. The promos released so far have been very funny, so Deadpool fans will want to make sure they check this out.
Mortal Engines
See it in US and UK theaters on December 14
While Peter Jackson's first post-Hobbit directorial effort is yet to be revealed, he is heavily involved with this sci-fi adventure. Jackson produces and co-writes alongside his regular collaborator Fran Walsh, while Christian Rivers--who has worked with Jackson since his early horror days--makes his directorial debut. Mortal Engines is an adaptation of the first of four YA novels written by Philip Reeve and is set in a post-apocalyptic steampunk world where motorised cities-on-wheels are at war with one another. As you'd expect from Jackson, it looks pretty spectacular.
The Mule
See it in US theaters on December 14
Clint Eastwood might be 87 years old, but his output as a director shows no sign of slowing. We've already had one movie from him this year--the drama The 15:17 to Paris--and The Mule arrives this week. It's another true-life tale, in which Eastwood plays Leo Sharp, who was the world's oldest drug courier, responsible for moving millions of dollars of cocaine across the border for a Mexican cartel. The cast also includes Bradley Cooper as the DEA agent on his trail, plus Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix, John Wick: Chapter 2) and Michael Peña (Ant-Man).
Backtrace
See it in US theaters on December 14
Sylvester Stallone might be enjoying one of the biggest successes of his career with Creed II, but that's not the only movie he has coming out this month. The thriller Backtrace hits selected US theaters and Video on Demand this weekend, and stars Stallone as cop on the trail of a veteran bank robber, played by Stranger Things' Matthew Modine. It sounds like standard stuff for Sly, but 40 decades into his career, he remains a popular star.
Aquaman
See it in UK theaters on December 14
It's been a more than a year since the last DC hit theaters--and frankly, it's best just to forget Justice League ever happened. But there's plenty of movies from the studio on the way over the next couple of years, starting with Aquaman. It's not out in the US until next week, but it arrives in the UK on Friday. Jason Momoa reprises his role as the King of Atlantis, with Amber Heard as Mera, and a cast that also includes Patrick Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Nicole Kidman, and Dolph Lundgren. It's directed by Furious 7 and The Conjuring's James Wan.
The House That Jack Built
See it in UK theaters on December 14
Lars Von Trier remains one of the most provocative directors in the world, best known for such controversial, divisive films as Dogville, Nymphomaniac, Dancer In The Dark, and The Idiots. Von trier has made one horror movie to date--2009's harrowing Antichrist--and he returns to the genre in 2018 with The House That Jack Built. This is a '70s-set serial killer movie that follows the gory exploits of a man named Jack over the course of a decade. Matt Dillon plays the killer, and his victims include characters played by Uma Thurman and Riley Keough.
Lizzie
See it in UK theaters on December 14
Lizzie Borden is one of the most notorious figures in American crime; in 1892 she was tried and acquitted of the axe murders of father and stepfather. Lizzie is based on this case, with Chloe Sevigny as the title character, a young woman who lives in terror under the domineering control of her stepfather, played by Homeland's Jamey Sheridan. Kristen Stewart plays a maid who comes to work at the Borden family home and befriends Lizzie, and it's a safe bet to assume that things get pretty dark from there.
Roma
See it on Netflix on December 14
Alfonso Cuaron is best known for the hugely successful Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Gravity, but his new movie is a world away from those blockbusters. It's a semi-autobiographical story set in Mexico City of the early '70s, and it follows the life of a housekeeper who works for a dysfunctional middle-class family. It's had some the best reviews of any of movie this year, with critics praising both it's beautiful black-and-white photography, ambitious narrative, and powerful performances.
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