With an uplift in family outings to the cinema, December can always be relied upon to bring some major blockbusters as well as a rush of awards-worthy films to sink your teeth into. This month has a wide selection, from a murky submarine thriller to a biblical epic.
But if you don't have time, or money, to go and see everything, what should you prioritise? Here's our pick of the five films you should rush out to catch this month.
Black Sea
We're a sucker for a submarine-set thriller. In fact, we'd probably be just as giddy as a submarine-set romantic comedy. We just love submarines. The claustrophobia is put to good use in this new film from director Kevin Macdonald, of Last King of Scotland fame. It's a tense nail-biter which boasts a cracking central performance from an against-type Jude Law who plays a sub captain who assembles a team to steal a U-Boat's worth of gold from the bottom of the Black Sea. But greed and paranoia take over and things get rather nasty. It's a gripping old-fashioned suspense film with a compelling antihero at its dark centre.
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 78%
Released: December 5
The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies
At this stage, you're either in or you're out. The sixth and final film based on the works of JRR Tolkien, the latest Hobbit adventure will hopefully serve as a satisfying conclusion to one trilogy that leads in perfectly to another trilogy. As you may have guessed from the title, there's one hell of a battle on the way. As unnecessary as this trilogy may have originally seemed, we'll be rather sad to see the back of it. The quality has been improving with each film and we're expecting big things from the final chapter. Peter Jackson claims that it's his favourite of the three and has "a nice thriller pace" to it .
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 77%
Released: December 12
Big Eyes
It's been a tough few years for Tim Burton. The bigger his films have got, the less we've actually wanted to go and see them (take Planet of the Apes or Alice In Wonderland). But when the scale is reduced, we're allowed a glimpse of what made him so loved in the first place (take Frankenweenie). So, after the failure of Dark Shadows, it's a relief to see Burton returning to something closer to Ed Wood in tone, albeit a bit less leftfield. Big Eyes tells the fascinating true story of Margaret Keane, played by Amy Adams, who finds her unique paintings become hugely popular, yet only because it's her husband, played by Christoph Waltz, who is taking the credit. There's some serious Oscar buzz around Adams, five times the nominee but never the bride.
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 73%
Released: December 26
Exodus: Gods And Kings
After Noah proved that biblical epics can still pack 'em in ($362 million worldwide), there's a lot riding on this $140 million-budgeted adventure this Christmas. With Ridley Scott also in need of a hit after The Counsellor, all eyes are firmly locked on Christian Bale & co. Bale stars as Moses who finds himself locked in a deadly battle with his brother Ramses. Cue fighting, shouting and plagues. The trailers promise a visual treat and the perfectly timed release should attract crowds. Early word suggests that while the acting might verge on camp, the effects are worth catching on a very large screen.
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 46%
Released: December 26
Unbroken
While her first film as a director, In the Land of Blood and Honey, failed to really make an impression, Angelina Jolie is ensuring that the same won't happen again with her Oscar-friendly follow-up. It tells the incredible life story of Louis Zamperini who went from Olympic track star to WW2 bombardier to prisoner of war. It promises to be stirring stuff and apparently much grittier and more violent than the trailers suggest. It also promises to make an international star out of Jack O'Connell, who comes off the back of a stellar year with acclaimed turns in Starred Up and '71.
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 50%
Released: December 26
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