With wet weather for much of the country this Boxing Day, there’s no better time to escape the shopping crowds and find solace at the cinema with a great film.
From singing chimpanzees to videogame heroes and awards season favourites, the Herald’s
Boxing Day movies: What’s screening in NZ cinemas on December 26?
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Mark Eydelshteyn, Mikey Madison and Anton Bitter star in Sean Baker's Palme d'Or-winning film Anora, which is in New Zealand cinemas December 26.
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This unconventional Robbie Williams biopic has taken the world by storm, particularly due to the fact it features the former Take That singer as a CGI chimpanzee.
Directed by Australian director Michael Gracey in his second musical biopic after The Greatest Showman, the film highlights the highs and lows of Williams' phenomenal career.
From struggles with drug addiction and mental health, to finding joy in his family and creating music, the film tracks the Rock DJ singer’s journey from childhood through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist.
Williams told Newstalk ZB’s Francesca Rudkin he was “over the moon” with the final product and couldn’t wait for Kiwi audiences to experience it.
Early reviews have been promising, and people should expect to witness high-energy performances of Williams' classic songs as well as some heartfelt moments.
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Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (PG, Dir. Jeff Fowler)
Runtime: 1h 49m
Everyone’s favourite blue hedgehog returns to the big screen this Boxing Day for the third film in this based-on-the-videogame franchise.
Kid-friendly and packed with action and humour, the movie follows Sonic (Ben Schwartz), Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) as they reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow (Keanu Reeves).
With their abilities outmatched and the forces of evil against them, the group must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet.
Cinemagoers can also expect to see the return of the menacing Dr Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik, with comedic legend Jim Carrey coming out of retirement to reprise his role as mad scientist.
Fans of the franchise also need not be worried about previous issues with “creepy” looking characters with shiny white human teeth.
Judging by the trailer, plenty of work has been done to remedy the animation over the past two movies to make them appear more natural.
Anora (R16, Dir. Sean Baker)
Runtime: 2h 19m
A hotly tipped favourite for the Oscars and Golden Globes next year, Sean Baker’s newest film was met with rave reviews and a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival and continues to dominate the awards circuit.
Starring rising star Mikey Madison, the film tells the tragicomic story of sex worker Anora who falls in love with Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of a Russian oligarch.
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Once word reaches Russia that the pair have married in Las Vegas, Ivan’s family set in motion events to try to get the marriage annulled, sending his godfather, Toros, to find the couple.
Described as a “tough, terrific working-girl saga,” by acclaimed critic Ty Burr, Anora has been praised for its performances, acting and cinematography that culminated in it being nominated for five Golden Globes.
It was also named one of the top 10 films of 2024 by the National Board of Review, critics highlighting Madison’s performance as one of the standouts of the year.
Baker’s no stranger to feature films about the lives of marginalised people, especially immigrants and sex workers, and Anora follows other successful indie films like Red Rocket and Tangerine.
A Real Pain (R13, Dir. Jesse Eisenberg)
Runtime: 1h 30m
Most well-known for playing Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in David Fincher’s The Social Network, Jesse Eisenberg showcases his dramedy directing chops with another awards-season favourite.
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A Real Pain stars Eisenberg and Succession star Kieran Culkin as two Jewish-American cousins who travel to Poland to retrace their family lineage following their grandmother’s death.
Turning the buddy comedy genre on its head, the film sees the pair butt heads at their different ideals while taking part in a Holocaust tour, exploring themes of guilt, trauma, loss and redemption.
Featuring dark humour and standout performances for the two lead actors, the film has been described as powerful, funny and emotionally resonant.
New York Times critic Manohla Dargis called it a “finely tuned, melancholic and at times startlingly funny exploration of loss and belonging”.
For those unsure of Eisenberg’s comedy-directing style, checking out his 2022 debut When You Finish Saving the World would be a good place to start.
Wicked: Sing-Along Version (PG, Dir. Jon M. Chu)
Runtime: 2h 40m
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Those who want to belt out Defying Gravity again without fear of having the whole cinema stare at them are in luck, because select cinemas are putting on a special karaoke version of the hit film starting December 26.
Based on the wildly popular stage musical, Wicked: Part 1 acts as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz and details the university friendship between Elphaba (who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West) and Galinda (who becomes Glinda the Good).
Pop star Ariana Grande and stage actress Cynthia Erivo play the title roles, and comedy king Jeff Goldblum appears as the menacing and mysterious Wiz.
Also receiving multiple award nominations, the film has made hundreds of millions at the box office so far and continued to draw crowds of adults and children in New Zealand and abroad.
In these special screenings, viewers can expect to be able to sing along to favourite songs like Popular, The Wizard and I, and I’m Not That Girl with other like-minded fans.
Don’t forget to bring your witch hat and wand.
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All We Imagine As Light (M, Dir. Payal Kapadia)
Runtime: 2h 3m
Touted as one of the big frontrunners for Best Foreign Language film at the Golden Globes, All We Imagine As Light follows the lives of three Malayali nurses living in Mumbai as they navigate their professional and personal lives.
Said to blur the lines between fiction and documentary, the Payal Kapadia-directed film won the Grand Prix prize at Cannes and wowed audiences with its realistic take on issues that face India’s 1.4 billion people.
“As a slice of life, it feels caught on the fly, hardly striking a false note; as social drama in the tradition of Satyajit Ray, it’s gentle, unforced, and tenderly protective of the three women it revolves around,” critic Tim Robey of The Daily Telegraph UK said.
Besides the directing and cinematography, the heartfelt and raw performances from Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha and Chhaya Kadam are also said to be some of the best of the year.
Still in cinemas
If you’re not a fan of any of the new releases, there are plenty more movies still in cinemas that you may have missed and can still get to.
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Disney animated films are still dominating the box-office, with Moana 2 and The Lion King: Mufasa screening at selected times on Boxing Day.
Hugh Grant horror Heretic is also still showing in certain cinemas, as is the new Lord of the Rings anime film The War of the Rohirrim.
Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.
