For the first time in almost three years, most of the world will be relishing the prospect of finally enjoying Christmas with their loved ones unimpeded by lockdown, or partial lockdown restrictions. While Netflix certainly got the memo with their scheduled output of exciting original movies set to keep us entertained throughout the festive period, there is a certain sense that the streaming service is averse to us having our cake and eating it (or Christmas pudding), since it’s December… with their releases of older films resembling more of an appetizer than a Christmas feast. Nevertheless, let’s take a look at some of the older films coming to Netflix in December 2022…
21 Jump Street (Dec. 1)
In one of the best comedies of the 2010s, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum team-up in this buddy cop-comedy flick. High school best friends, Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum), rather insipidly graduate from their police academy are thrown into an undercover mission to uncover an underground drug-ring conspiracy at a local college. Hill and Tatum are on exhilarating comedic form, and the addition of rapper-turned-actor Ice Cube is hysterical for his portrayal of the brutal Captain Dickson complements Hill and Tatum’s depiction of two out-of-their-depth idiots beautifully.
Coach Carter (Dec. 1)
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The Christmas period is feasibly the most feel-good time of the year, and what better way to celebrate that than by watching a serotonin-boosting zero-to-hero biographical sports movie? Coach Carter, based on the true story of basketball coach Ken Carter and the Richmond High School basketball team, is a compelling tale of commitment, dedication, and acting in the best interests of others.
Samuel L. Jackson stars as Coach Carter, a shop owner who his former high school recruits to become their promising young team’s new basketball coach. Alarmed by the stark lack of educational discipline, Ken Carter takes an unconventional approach to ensuring his players prioritize their studies while excelling on the court.
Troy (Dec. 1)
Brad Pitt stars alongside Eric Bana, Diane Kruger, and Orlando Bloom in 2004’s Troy. Based on Ancient Greek author Homer’s work, Iliad, the film recounts the Trojan War and the story of the legendary warrior, Achilles (Pitt). Set during 1250 B.C.E., the movie chronicles the feud between two warring factions the Trojans, and the Spartans, with King Menelaus of Sparta out to exact his revenge on the Trojan Prince Paris (Bloom), who persuades Menelaus’ Queen Helen to run away with him to Troy.
Bullet Train (Dec. 3)
David Leitch’s Bullet Train is a major coup for the streaming giant and signifies a shift in the direction of the swift acquisition of recent blockbusters. Bullet Train is a full-blown, full-bodied action movie that combines comic-strip-like sequences with sharp, comedic dialogue. It follows the story of a trainload of assassins and hired killers, all with their own motives and intentions. Ladybug (Brad Pitt) an unfortunate hitman, is simply seeking an easy ride with his latest mission, though unbeknownst to him, he is walking into a cesspit full of serpentine killers.
Emily the Criminal (Dec. 7)
Aubrey Plaza puts in an emphatic performance as Emily Benetto, a former student, drowning in debt who resorts to an elaborate credit card fraud. Emily the Criminal documents an increasingly concerned, jobless Emily whose desperation leads her down an illegal, and fateful path.
Prisoners (Dec. 13)
Director Denis Villeneuve’s 2013 thriller Prisoners is an intense, suspense-filled picture that demonstrates a father’s anguish and despair when his daughter goes missing. Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) becomes increasingly frustrated with the police force’s investigators as their hunt to find his young daughter and her friend after a suspected kidnap proceeds at a disconcertingly slow pace. While Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his colleagues explore alternative avenues, Keller begins to take the law into his own hands, determined to uncover the mystery of the missing girls by himself, jeopardizing both his own safety and the fruitfulness of the operation.
Critical Thinking (Dec. 16)
Directed by and starring John Leguizamo, 2020's Critical Thinking is a biographical drama that concerns the story of teacher Mario Martinez and his school’s chess team. Inspired by the true story of a motivational chess teacher, Mr. T. (Leguizamo), at Miami Jackson High School, who takes a group of underprivileged misfit pupils with troubled home lives under his wing, and turns them into a promising, nationally-regarded chess team.
Critical Thinking is a moving illustration of the power of sport, it challenges the stereotype surrounding those that play chess as just nerdy white males from rich prep schools, and reinforces the fact that those who may not have been typically associated with the historic game due to various barriers such as class and race are just as likely to excel in the sport.