December 1
All movies are 2014/15 releases unless otherwise noted. Availability: 
DVD | 
Blu-ray | 
Both Blu-ray and DVD
85 Amy Watch Trailer
In his second documentary, director Asif Kapadia (Senna) profiles Grammy-winning singer Amy Winehouse, who died in 2011 at the age of 27. Critics found the film gripping and powerful, making it one of the best-reviewed music biopics in recent decades.
81 Goodnight Mommy Watch Trailer
The latest indie horror hit comes from the writer-director team of Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala (the wife and nephew of Paradise trilogy director Ulrich Seidl). Brothers Elias and Lucas Schwarz star as nine-year-old twins who welcome their mother home after facial reconstruction surgery. With her face completely bandaged, the inseparable brothers begin to suspect she is not their mother. The result is "brilliantly sinister" “squirm-inducing stuff."
77 Mississippi Grind Watch Trailer
In the newest film from the writing-directing team of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Half Nelson), recent Emmy nominee Ben Mendelsohn (Netflix’s Bloodline) stars as Gerry, a gambler who doesn’t know when to fold ‘em. But when he teams up with Ryan Reynolds’ Curtis, Gerry is convinced that he’s found his lucky charm. Together, they ramble down the Mississippi to a legendary high stakes poker game in New Orleans, where Gerry hopes he’ll win enough to clear his debts.
75 Mistress America Watch Trailer
The second film written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach and directed by Baumbach (their first, Frances Ha, was a hit with critics in 2013) follows Tracy (Lola Kirke), a lonely college freshman in New York who is seduced by the increasingly crazy schemes of her soon-to-be stepsister, Brooke (played by Gerwig). The farce earned more strong reviews for Baumbach, giving him his second critical success in 2015, following While We’re Young earlier in the year.
| More movie releases on December 1, 2015 | ||
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| 28 | 90 Minutes in Heaven DRAMA | Hayden Christensen |
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| 64 | Assassination FOREIGN/DRAMA/THRILLER |
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| 72 | Being Evel DOCUMENTARY |
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| 49 | Cooties COMEDY/ACTION/SCI-FI/HORROR | Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, Alison Pill |
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| Desert Dancer DRAMA | Freida Pinto |
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| Downhill Racer (1969) Criterion Collection Blu-ray release |
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| 21 | Grace of Monaco DRAMA | Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth |
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| 77 | The Hunting Ground DOCUMENTARY |
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| 53 | The Immortalists DOCUMENTARY |
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| L.A. Slasher HORROR/COMEDY | Andy Dick, Mischa Barton |
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| 34 | Lost in the Sun ACTION/THRILLER | Josh Duhamel, Josh Wiggins |
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| 23 | Return to Sender THRILLER | Rosamund Pike, Shiloh Fernandez, Nick Nolte |
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| SlingShot DOCUMENTARY |
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| 11 | Some Kind of Beautiful ROM-COM | Pierce Brosnan, Jessica Alba, Salma Hayek |
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| 64 | Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans DOCUMENTARY |
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| 58 | Tokyo Tribe ACTION-ADVENTURE/SCI-FI |
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| War Pigs ACTION/DRAMA | Luke Goss, Dolph Lundgren |
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| 62 | Yakuza Apocalypse ACTION/HORROR/COMEDY | Directed by Takashi Miike |
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| TV on DVD/Blu-ray | ||
| 77 | Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo HBO special |
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| 66 | Fear the Walking Dead Season 1 |
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| Mystery Science Theater 3000 Vol. XXXIV |
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| 80 | The Walking Dead Season 5 (Limited edition Blu-ray) |
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| 55 | Zoo Season 1 |
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December 8
64 Ant-Man Watch Trailer
After Edgar Wright departed as director, fans feared the worst for Ant-Man. But this somewhat lightweight (or at least more comedic) final installment of Marvel’s Phase Two isn't a trainwreck, though critics also find it inferior to other recent Marvel films. Paul Rudd stars as Scott Lang, a con man asked by Michael Douglas’ Dr. Hank Pym to protect the secrets of the Ant-Man suit from a new threat led by Corey Stoll’s Yellowjacket. Directed by Peyton Reed (whose fairly unimpressive filmography is topped by Bring It On) and scripted by Adam McKay (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy) and Rudd after Wright and Joe Cornish took a first crack at it, Ant-Man also stars Judy Greer and Evangeline Lilly.
83 Blind Watch Trailer
This award-winning debut feature from Norwegian writer-director Eskil Vogt (who co-wrote Joachim Trier’s Reprise, Oslo, August 31st and Louder Than Bombs) follows Ingrid (Ellen Dorrit Pettersen), a woman who recently lost her sight. In trying to learn how to navigate the world anew, she retreats to the safety of her home, a place where she can feel in control, alone with her husband and her thoughts. But when Ingrid begins to imagine what her husband does when she’s not around, real life and fantasy become confused in surprising ways.
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Two Collection
Ant-Man (above) marks the final installment in Phase Two of the new wave of interconnected Marvel films, which means that it's time for another collector's edition box set. The $220 Phase Two Collection includes six films (dating back to Iron Man 3) on Blu-ray in standard and 3D versions, adds a replica of the Guardians of the Galaxy orb (and other memorabilia), and also features previews of the Phase Three films.
56 Minions Watch Trailer
This first spinoff from the Despicable Me franchise serves as an origin story for the titular yellow creatures. It’s 1968, and the Minions are headed to Villain-Con in hopes of finding a new master. They do—in the form of Scarlett Overkill (voiced by Sandra Bullock), the first ever female super-villain. With a plan to obtain Queen Elizabeth’s crown, she leads three Minions to London, where they face their biggest challenge to date: saving all of Minionkind from annihilation. That Metascore might be Minion-yellow, but somewhat middling reviews didn't stop the film from grossing over $1.1 billion worldwide this summer amidst a formidable marketing push.
| More movie releases on December 8, 2015 | ||
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| The Crooked Way (1949) DRAMA/THRILLER | John Payne |
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| Emptying the Skies DOCUMENTARY |
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| The Garbage Pail Kids Movie (1987) COMEDY | Mackenzie Astin |
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| 34 | Jellyfish Eyes Criterion Collection release |
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| 58 | Jobriath A.D. DOCUMENTARY [out Friday 12/11] |
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| 68 | The Kindergarten Teacher FOREIGN/DRAMA |
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| 53 | Knock Knock HORROR/THRILLER | Keanu Reeves |
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| 47 | One & Two DRAMA/THRILLER/FANTASY | Kiernan Shipka, Timothée Chalamet |
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| 52 | Partisan DRAMA/THRILLER | Florence Mezzara, Jeremy Chabriel, Vincent Cassel |
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| Speedy (1928) Criterion Collection release |
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| Tabu (1931) DRAMA | Directed by F.W. Murnau |
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| 32 | The Transporter Refueled ACTION/THRILLER | Ed Skrein, Ray Stevenson |
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| 62 | Xenia FOREIGN/DRAMA |
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| You Can't Take It With You (1938) COMEDY | James Stewart, Jean Arthur |
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| TV on DVD/Blu-ray | ||
| Doc Martin Season 7 |
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| Family Guy Season 13 |
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| 84 | Hannibal Season 3 |
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| The Mind of a Chef Season 4 |
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| 34 | The Unauthorized Full House Story TV movie |
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| Under the Dome Season 3 |
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| The Wild Thornberrys Complete series set |
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| The X-Files Complete series collector's edition Blu-ray set (also available as individual seasons on Blu-ray) |
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December 15
27 Fantastic Four Watch Trailer
Looking for some post-Thanksgiving turkey? Despite its lackluster predecessors, this franchise reboot from Chronicle director Josh Trank somehow managed to become the worst Fantastic Four film to date. (Roger Corman's 1994 effort never reached theaters, so it doesn't have a Metascore, but even that film has some cheesy low-budget charm.) Wasting a talented cast that includes Miles Teller (Whiplash), Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station), Kate Mara (House of Cards), and Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot) as the titular heroes, the film is plagued by poor special effects and a much-maligned screenplay (from five writers, three of whom are credited) that borrows from the original comics as well as the more modern Ultimate Fantastic Four series.
75 Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation Watch Trailer
The fifth film in the Mission: Impossible franchise didn't quite meet the high bar established by Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, the most critically acclaimed and financially successful installment in the series. But Rogue Nation is another solid entry in the series, and it's certainly not without action. Screenwriter-turned-director Christopher McQuarrie (Jack Reacher) is the fifth director in five films, working from a script by Drew Pearce and Will Staples that pits the IMF against the Syndicate—an international rogue organization as highly skilled as they are. Tom Cruise (once again doing many of his own stunts), Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, and Ving Rhames all return, joined by Alec Baldwin, Rebecca Ferguson, and Simon McBurney.
48 Ted 2 Watch Trailer
After taking a drubbing from critics (and at the box office) for A Million Ways to Die in the West, writer/director/star Seth MacFarlane returned to the more comfortable, modern confines of talking teddy bears, porn, and weed with this sequel to Ted that finds the titular character hoping to become a father. Mark Wahlberg returns as Ted's best buddy (and sperm donor) Johnny, while newcomers include Amanda Seyfried and John Slattery, plus Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, and Dennis Haysbert. Like many sequels, it's inferior to the original.
75 Time Out of Mind Watch Trailer
Writer-director Oren Moverman's (The Messenger, Rampart) latest drama stars Richard Gere as a homeless man struggling to reconnect with his daughter (Jena Malone). Gere actually panhandled on the streets of New York in preparation for his role in the film, and it paid off in the form of good reviews.
| More movie releases on December 15, 2015 | ||
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| Blood Rage (1987) HORROR |
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| Burroughs: The Movie (1983) Criterion Collection release |
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| The Car (1977) HORROR | James Brolin |
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| Drown DRAMA |
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| Eugenie (1970) HORROR |
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| 61 | He Named Me Malala DOCUMENTARY |
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| The Last Horror Film (1982) HORROR/THRILLER/COMEDY |
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| 43 | Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials ACTION/SCI-FI/THRILLER | Dylan O’Brien |
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| Sex, Death and Bowling DRAMEDY | Adrian Grenier |
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| 51 | Slow Learners ROM-COM | Adam Pally, Sarah Burns |
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| 39 | The Strongest Man FOREIGN/COMEDY |
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| 81 | Top Spin DOCUMENTARY |
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| What Have You Done to Solange? (1972) FOREIGN/HORROR/THRILLER |
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| 58 | Wolf Totem FOREIGN/ADVENTURE |
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| Zombie High (1987) HORROR/COMEDY | Virginia Madsen, Sherilyn Fenn, Paul Feig |
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| TV on DVD/Blu-ray | ||
| A Chef's Life Season 3 |
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| CSI Finale (TV movie) |
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| 63 | Extant Season 2 |
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| 48 | Marco Polo Season 1 |
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| Teen Wolf Season 5 Part 1 |
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| Vet School Season 1 |
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December 22
64 Nasty Baby Watch Trailer
Writer-director Sebastian Silva (Crystal Fairy & The Magical Cactus) impressed critics at Sundance with this story of a gay couple (Silva and TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe) who try to help their friend (Kristen Wiig) have a child. Alia Shawkat, Mark Margolis, and Reg E. Cathey also star.
36 Pan Watch Trailer
If the reborn Mystery Science Theater 3000 needs new subject matter, it may want to start here. The previously unimpeachable Joe Wright (Anna Karenina, Atonement) directs this original story by Jason Fuchs that imagines the beginnings of J.M. Barrie’s classic character, Peter Pan. Levi Miller plays Peter, a 12-year-old boy who is whisked away from his orphanage to a world of pirates, fairies and mermaids called Neverland. With the help of Tiger Lilly (Rooney Mara) and James Hook (Garrett Hedlund), he battles the feared Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman). The result—easily one of 2015's biggest box office flops—looks something like Tim Burton at his most overindulgent, and critics interpreted the title as a command.
65 Pawn Sacrifice Watch Trailer
Tobey Maguire stars as legendary American chess genius Bobby Fischer, while Liev Schreiber plays his Russian rival Boris Spassky, in this biopic from director Edward Zwick and screenwriter Steven Knight (Locke) that focuses on their famous 1972 "Match of the Century."
78 Queen of Earth Watch Trailer
The latest from writer-director Alex Ross Perry (The Color Wheel, Listen Up Philip) stars Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) and Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice) as best friends who escape to a quiet country retreat, only to slip into hysteria. Critics have mentioned Bergman’s Persona and Polanski’s Repulsion as touchstones.
| More movie releases on December 22, 2015 | ||
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| xx | 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown ACTION/THRILLER | Dean Ambrose |
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| The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962) HORROR |
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| 41 | Dragon Blade ACTION-ADVENTURE | Jackie Chan, John Cusack |
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| Nightmares (1983) HORROR |
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| 26 | War Room DRAMA |
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| TV on DVD/Blu-ray | ||
| Defiance Season 3 |
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| Dominion Season 2 |
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| First You Dream: The Music of Kander & Ebb TV special |
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| The Nanny Season 5 |
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| The Wiz Live! TV special |
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December 29
28 Hitman: Agent 47 Watch Trailer
"Finally, a great video game adaptation!" is what precisely no one is saying about this misguided attempt to reboot the movie franchise based on the Hitman games. Rupert Friend (replacing the late Paul Walker) takes over the role of Agent 47 from Timothy Olyphant, who played the anonymous assassin in 2007’s Hitman. Along with Hannah Ware, he faces off against Zachary Quinto and a seemingly endless supply of soldiers.
51 A Walk in the Woods Watch Trailer
Great cast, best-selling source material. But a look at that Metascore confirms what the end-of-summer release date already suggested: it's a disappointment. Robert Redford and Nick Nolte star (with Emma Thompson, Mary Steenburgen, Nick Offerman, and Kristen Schaal in support) in an adaptation of Bill Bryson’s best-selling memoir of the same name, which humorously recounts the author's struggles to hike the 2,200-mile trail in its entirety. Redford spent a decade attempting to bring the book to the big screen, and as recently as last year it looked like Larry Charles (Borat) would direct from a script by Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine). Charles dropped out and was replaced by fellow TV veteran Ken Kwapis, while the final script is credited to newcomers Rick Kerb and Bill Holderman. Their take is stale, sitcom-y, and tiresome, according to critics. But it's still better than the Hitman movie.
| More movie releases on December 29, 2015 | ||
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| 71 | Bone Tomahawk WESTERN/HORROR | Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson |
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| 37 | Heist ACTION/THRILLER | Robert De Niro, Dave Bautista |
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| 33 | Jenny's Wedding DRAMEDY | Katherine Heigl |
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| 36 | The Perfect Guy DRAMA/THRILLER | Michael Ealy, Morris Chestnut, Sanaa Lathan |
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| 28 | Some Kind of Hate HORROR/THRILLER | Ronen Rubinstein |
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| TV on DVD/Blu-ray | ||
| Live Free or Die Season 2 |
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| 71 | Ray Donovan Season 3 |
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| Shameless Season 5 |
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More on home video
View DVD releases from previous months, or take a look at the latest titles just added to stream on Netflix and Amazon Instant Video.
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