A list of all the new movies released on digital and VOD in December 2023: the films to watch this month, out right now or coming soon!
December 2023 is here, and it’s time to think of all the new movies out on digital and VOD this month, from anticipated releases to lesser known watches! We made a list of all the films out right now or coming soon to digital platforms and on demand this month.
The new movies on digital and VOD out in December 2023 are below, and you’ll find them in order of release and divided by films out in the US and in the UK. Read our list of new movies to watch in theaters in December 2023 and enjoy!
- December 2023: On Digital & On Demand – U.S. Releases
- December 2023: On Digital & On Demand – U.K. Releases
1. DECEMBER 2023: NEW ON DIGITAL & VOD – U.S. RELEASES
EVERYONE WILL BURN
Director: David Hebrero
U.S. Release: December 5
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: Plagued with a darkness of the heart, María José is prepared to face the end of her life when she is visited by a strange girl. As residents in her village begin to suffer horrific deaths, María José is accused of summoning an evil that has been whispered as local legend for generations and must confront her own past or risk fulfilling a prophecy that would bring about the end of the world.
HOW THE GRINGO STOLE CHRISTMAS
Director: Angel Gracia
U.S. Release: December 1
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: Meet the Fockers meets All About My Father in this irresistibly funny holiday comedy. George Lopez stars as Bennie, eagerly anticipating the arrival of his daughter Claudia (Emily Tosta) at his Mexican-Hispanic-American-Chicano Christmas party in East L.A. But Bennie gets a heart attack of a surprise when Claudia appears from New York with her new boyfriend, Leif (Jack Kilmer) — an uninvited gringo. As cultures clash, Bennie’s holiday party becomes a dysfunctional family Christmas to remember!
HOW TO RUIN THE HOLIDAYS
Director: Arlen Konopaki
U.S. Release: December 1
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: Amber Nash stars as Michelle, a struggling comedian who is lured home for the holidays. While her sister Andrea claims it’s an emergency, their doomsday prepping dad (Colin Mochrie) and freewheeling brother Mark aren’t so sure. As they prepare for a final Christmas together in their family home, Michelle works to redefine her relationships with her father and siblings. When her dad’s unconventional lifestyle comes to light, she must face a life-changing decision about caring for her brother with disabilities.
LOOP TRACK
Director: Thomas Sainsbury
U.S. Release: December 1
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: Ian, a man on the verge of a nervous breakdown, disappears from the world and takes a hike in the New Zealand wilderness. His efforts to avoid other hikers are futile and he is drawn into their worlds, but he can never shake the feeling that they are being stalked by someone, or something, sinister. As Ian’s paranoia grows, the other hikers become wary of him. He’s cagey about his past, he never sleeps, and his anxiety leads him to make concerning claims. Far from society, Ian starts to question his own sanity before plunging into a bloody battle for survival.
VENGEANCE: RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER
Director: Nick Nevern
U.S. Release: December 1
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: ate goes on a rampage to avenge his loyal and trusted foot soldier’s violent death. To track down the villain responsible, Tate ventures beyond his comfort zone of Essex and into the dark side of 90s Soho. He squares up against violent kingpins and negotiates his way through treacherous backstreets with sheer brutal force. Set to execute his revenge, Tate will stop at nothing even as the world around him starts to explode.
A DISTURBANCE IN THE FORCE
Director: Jeremy Coon & Steve Kozak
Global Release: December 5
Official synopsis: From the filmmakers behind NAPOLEON DYNAMITE and RAIDERS! THE STORY OF THE GREATEST FAN FILM EVER MADE, comes A DISTURBANCE IN THE FORCE, the documentary about the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. In 1977, “Star Wars” became a cultural phenomenon that single-handedly revitalized a stagnant film industry, and forever changed how films were sold, made, and marketed. In 1978, filmmaker George Lucas was talked into cashing in on the Star Wars craze by producing a holiday variety TV special. What could possibly go wrong? ANSWER: Everything…
ABIGAIL
Director: Melissa Vitello
U.S. Release: December 5
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: In 1976, troubled teen, Abigail and her mother move to a small Alabama town in hopes of escaping the girl’s violent past. She befriends the boy next-door, Lucas, who is mercilessly bullied by a group of kids at school. Determined to help him seek revenge, Abigail takes matters into her own hands, but quickly spirals out of control. As Lucas begins to uncover the dark and twisted nature of his new friend, things take a deadly turn. Now, he must choose between standing by her side or stopping her before it’s too late.
BETRAYAL
Director: Dennis Bots
U.S. Release: December 5
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: Betrayal tells the story of the German-Dutch Ludwig Mengelberg, an officer in the German army who holds the nickname of ‘Der Fliegende Holländer’. Mengelberg finds it increasingly difficult to cope with the horrors of the war and when his wife and daughter are killed in a bombing, he makes a drastic decision. When he is transferred to the Netherlands, he decides to help a Dutch farm family covering up people in hiding. In doing so, he commits high treason against his own men. When the SS becomes suspicious and the resistance advances, Mengelberg not only puts his own life in danger, but also those of the people he aims to help.
BETTER DAYS
Director: Joan Carr-Wiggin
U.S. Release: December 5
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: After her husband dies, a woman starts to do whatever she wants. When her children order her to go back to being her old self, she must decide whose happiness matters most in a delightful comedy about starting over before it’s too late.
FIRELINE
Director: Tylor Norwood
U.S. Release: December 5
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: Enter the spectacle and drama of a megafire, alongside a firefighting team struggling to save anything they can while protecting each other. FIRELINE takes audiences into the firescape, to feel for the first time what those fighting these blazes face, especially as climate change makes megafires larger and more frequent. It’s an intimate portrait of a system stretched to its breaking point, revealing the friendship, heartbreak, and exhilaration experienced by those who go to war against this elemental force.
SUBJECT
Director: Camilla Hall
U.S. Release: December 5
U.K. Release: out now on digital and VOD!
Official synopsis: In the golden age of documentaries, who benefits? SUBJECT reveals the unintended consequences – good, bad, and complicated – of having your life shared on screen. Featuring the protagonists of acclaimed documentaries The Staircase, Hoop Dreams, The Wolfpack, Capturing the Friedmans, and The Square, as well as the filmmakers of Minding the Gap, Cameraperson, An Inconvenient Truth, and more.
WERNER HERZOG: RADICAL DREAMER
Director: Thomas von Steinaecker
U.S. Release: December 5
U.K. Release: January 19, 2024
Official synopsis: A comprehensive portrait of the iconic German filmmaker. With exclusive behind-the-scenes access into Herzog’s everyday life, rare archive material and in-depth interviews with the man himself and celebrated collaborators – including Christian Bale, Nicole Kidman, and his wife Lena Herzog – we are given an exciting glimpse into his work process and personal life. Also appearing in the film are Joshua Oppenheimer, Robert Pattinson, Patti Smith, Carl Weathers, Wim Wenders and Chloe Zhao.
FAST CHARLIE
Director: Phillip Noyce
U.S. Release: December 8
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: Charlie Swift (Pierce Brosnan), aka “Fast Charlie,” is a fixer with a problem: the target he’s whacked is missing his head. And he must prove it’s the intended target to the man who paid for the hit – New Orleans’ most prominent and most ruthless mobster, Beggar Mercado (Gbenga Akinnagbe). Charlie enlists Marcie Kramer (Morena Baccarin), the victim’s ex-wife and a woman with the backbone and skillset Charlie needs. Dragging Marcie back into a past she was determined to escape sends the two of them on a wild and unpredictable odyssey that’s unexpectedly amusing, action propelled, and ultimately heartfelt. Along the way, Charlie and Marcie fight to protect the legacy of Charlie’s best friend and mentor, Stan Mullen (James Caan in his final performance), while bringing down Beggar and his entire operation.
LORD OF MISRULE
Director: William Brent Bell
U.S. Release: December 8
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: Directed by William Brent Bell (THE BOY, ORPHAN: FIRST KILL), LORD OF MISRULE follows Rebecca Holland (Tuppence Middleton), who has recently taken over as priest of a small town. When her young daughter Grace (Evie Templeton) goes missing at the local harvest festival, a desperate search begins. The closer they edge towards finding Grace, the more secrets emerge from the town’s dark past. Soon, Rebecca must decide just how much she is willing to sacrifice to rescue her daughter from the grip of evil.
THE PORTRAIT
Director: Simon Ross
U.S. Release: December 8
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: In the wake of her husband’s devastating accident, a devoted wife becomes consumed by a mysterious portrait that resembles him in his happier days. However, as her obsession intensifies, the painting starts to unleash terror upon her life, leading her to question whether it is possessed by a malevolent force or if she is losing her sanity. Caught between the haunting unknown and her own fears, she must confront her deepest fears and unravel the unsettling truth before it’s too late.
RAGING GRACE
Director: Paris Zarcilla
U.S. Release: December 8
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: Joy (Max Eigenmann) is an undocumented Filipino immigrant struggling to do the best she can to support her daughter, Grace (Jaeden Boadilla). Soon she secures the perfect job: taking care of an extremely wealthy but terminal old man. The new position pays well and guarantees a roof over their heads, but very soon, Joy and Grace start to realize everything is not as it seems. Something is festering beneath the surface, threatening all they have worked for.
THE THREE MUSKETEERS: D’ARTAGNAN
Director: Martin Bourbulon
U.S. Release: December 8
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: In Part I of the two-part epic adaptation of the beloved classic by Alexandre Dumas, D’Artagnan arrives in Paris trying to find his attackers after being left for dead, which leads him to a real war where the future of France is at stake. He aligns himself with Athos, Porthos and Aramis, three musketeers of the King.
A CREATURE WAS STIRRING
Director: Damien LeVeck
U.S. Release: December 12
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: Faith (Chrissy Metz) keeps her troubled teenage daughter (Annalise Basso) on a tightly controlled regimen of experimental drugs, their only means of fending off a mysterious, terrifying affliction. But after two burglars (Scout Taylor-Compton, Connor Paolo) attempt to rob the home on Christmas, they stumble upon a long-kept family secret—with monstrous consequences.
FAMILY GAME
Director: Rafaël Ouellet
U.S. Release: December 12
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: The Arsenaults, a tight-knit family profiting from illegal hunting, have ruled for generations in a small village in Quebec. Anthony’s return to the fold, the impetuous youngest of the family, and then the arrival of Emilie, a radio host exercising an influence over Anthony and his older brother Adam, will come to test the harmony of the clan. and the future of their operations.
THE SMELL OF MONEY
Director: Shawn Bannon
U.S. Release: December 12
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: “The smell of money”—that’s what Big Pork calls the stench of pig waste in the air in eastern North Carolina, where much of the world’s bacon and barbecue is made. But to Elsie Herring and others who live near the state’s giant pig factories, the revolting odor is a call to battle against generations of injustice.
CONCRETE UTOPIA
Director: UM Tae-hwa
U.S. Release: December 15
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: After a massive earthquake, Seoul has swiftly been reduced to rubble. Everything in the city has collapsed, except for one building. Hwang Gung Apartments remains standing, as it was before that day. When survivors from the outside hear of this, they begin to gather at Hwang Gung Apartments. However, the original residents of the building start to feel threatened. Banding together for the sake of their survival, they elect ‘Young-tak’ as their Resident Delegate. Under his leadership, they strictly ban entry by outsiders and draw up a new set of Resident Regulations. Thanks to this, in contrast to the hellish nightmare outside, Hwang Gung Apartments stands as a safe and peaceful utopia for its residents. But amidst the continual threats to their survival, unexpected conflicts begin to arise among them…
IMMEDIATE FAMILY
Director: Denny Tedesco
U.S. Release: December 15
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: IMMEDIATE FAMILY tracks the rise and collaborations of a group of legendary session musicians Danny Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel, and Waddy Wachtel through the 1970s and onward, chronicling their illustrious partnerships and their formidable record of hit-making. Directed by Denny Tedesco, whose documentary THE WRECKING CREW followed the first wave of studio musicians in the 60s, the film reveals the machinery behind the booming era of the singer-songwriter, when the talents of these four musicians were in furious demand.
The foundations of their enduring friendship, formed on the road and in studios, is recalled with dynamite clarity —reminisced with fondness through intimate interviews with the guys themselves, as well as the memories of some of rock’s most iconic voices including Carole King, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Keith Richards, Don Henley, Stevie Nicks, David Crosby, Jackson Browne, Lyle Lovett, Phil Collins, and more. IMMEDIATE FAMILY is a backstage tour spanning multiple eras of musical history.
OUR SON
Director: Bill Oliver
U.S. Release: December 15
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: Nicky (Luke Evans), a book publisher devoted to his work, lives with his husband Gabriel (Billy Porter), a former actor and stay-at-home dad, and their eight year-old son, Owen. Gabriel loves Owen more than anything; Nicky loves Gabriel more than anything. Despite appearances, Gabriel has been dissatisfied with their marriage for some time and files for divorce, leading to a custody battle that forces both of them to confront the changing reality of their love for each other and for their son.
RUTHLESS
Director: Art Camacho
U.S. Release: December 15
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: Harry (Dermot Mulroney) is a high school wrestling coach recovering from the loss of his daughter who was murdered in a brutal attack. When one of his students disappears under conditions eerily similar to his daughter’s, Harry takes matters into his own hands to hunt down the men responsible for her kidnapping and will stop at nothing to rescue her from their human trafficking operation.
THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Director: Jonathan Glazer
U.S. Release: December 15
U.K. Release: February 2, 2024 (theatrical)
Official synopsis: The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig, strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp.
KARAOKE
Director: Moshe Rosenthal
U.S. Release: December 19
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: Meir (Sasson Gabay of The Band’s Visit and Shtisel) and Tova (Rita Shukrun) are a long-married couple living in an upscale high-rise in Tel Aviv. Itsik (Lior Ashkenazi) is their new neighbor, a worldly modeling agent and bachelor. The couple attend Itsik’s karaoke parties and soon become obsessed with him, competing with each other, and other residents of the building, for his attention.
MERRY GOOD ENOUGH
Directors: Caroline Keene & Dan Kennedy
U.S. Release: December 19
U.K. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: Ah, the holidays. Lucy Raulie (Raye Levine Spielberg) has always had a complicated relationship with her dysfunctional family, but when her mother disappears on Christmas Eve (and it’s maybe Lucy’s fault…) it’s going to be up to Lucy to bring her family back together again, whether she knows it or not.
2. DECEMBER 2023: NEW ON DIGITAL & VOD – U.K. RELEASES
THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE BARN
Director: Magnus Martens
U.K. Release: December 1
U.S. Release:
Official synopsis: When an American family fulfil their dreams of moving back after inheriting a remote cabin in Norway, it’s not long before they encounter the legendary Nordic Barn Elf next door and learn the importance of respecting one’s neighbours – the hard way!
TRAMPS!
Director: Kevin Hegge
U.K. Release: December 11
U.S. Release: out now on Netflix!
Full Review: TRAMPS! (BFI Flare Review): All Hail The New Romantics!
Official synopsis: A decade in the making, this groundbreaking film follows how the New Romantics – AKA the Blitz Kids – became one of the most iconic cultural movements. Now, this radically important new documentary makes its UK debut on digital on 11 December 2023, courtesy of Bohemia Media.
THE LOST BOYS
Director: Zeno Graton
U.K. & Irish Release: December 15
U.S. Release: TBA
Official synopsis: Khalil Ben Gharbia (Peter Von Kant) and Julien De Saint Jean (Lie with Me) star in the story of a burgeoning relationship between two young men in a detention centre.
JULES
Director: Marc Turtletaub
U.K. Release: December 29
U.S. Release: out now on digital and on demand!
Official synopsis: Milton lives in a small town and is getting more forgetful and isolated with age. When an extraterrestrial crash lands in his backyard, destroying his beloved birdbath, the two form an unlikely bond.
MIRANDA’S VICTIM
Director: Michelle Danner
U.K. Release: December 29
U.S. Release: out now on digital and on demand!
Full Review: Miranda’s Victim Film Review
Official synopsis: In 1963. eighteen-year-old Patricia Weir is kidnapped and raped. Committed to putting her attacker, Ernesto Miranda, in prison, Trish’s life is destroyed by America’s legal system as she triggers a law that transforms the nation and impacts the international legal system.
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