New Year's Weekend Movie Guide: What to See and Who to Take

The holidays are a great time to cross off award season contenders from your must-see list, catch a family-friendly flick, or see a franchise finale you've been looking forward to all year. If you have time to duck into a theater this final holiday weekend, we have 10 great suggestions on what to see, who to see it with, and who to leave at home — unless you've been hoping to see The Interview, in which case, you get to stay home. Whether you need the scoop on American Sniper, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, or The Hobbit: The Battle of the Fives Armies, we're here for you. Take a look below to find out what you should be checking out over the holidays!

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Warner Bros.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

  • Who to take: Your friends and family who have seen all The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings movies.
  • Who to leave: Anyone who's never liked the aforementioned movies.
  • Watch the trailer.
Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb
20th Century Studios

Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb

  • Who to take: The whole family; the kids will love the humor, the teens might like the addition of Rebel Wilson to the cast, and the adults might want to come along to see Robin Williams in one of his last roles.
  • Who to leave: Adults who don't have kids.
  • Watch the trailer.
Inherent Vice
Warner Bros.

Inherent Vice

  • Who to take: Your best friend who also loves Joaquin Phoenix, especially if they read Thomas Pynchon's psychedelic novel that the movie is based on.
  • Who to leave: Children and anyone who might be offended by foul language, drug use, and sexual content.
  • Watch the trailer.
Unbroken
Universal Pictures

Unbroken

  • Who to take: Your grandparents, who will appreciate a biopic about an Olympic runner who ends up in a Japanese prison camp during WWII.
  • Who to leave: Anyone below high school-age; the action is intense, and there's violence throughout.
  • Watch the trailer.
Into the Woods
Disney

Into the Woods

  • Who to take: The whole family; Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Chris Pine, and more stars show off their singing skills in the adaptation of the off-Broadway hit.
  • Who to leave: Anyone who doesn't love musicals; much of the film's dialogue is sung, à la Les Misérables.
  • Watch the trailer.
Big Eyes
The Weinstein Company

Big Eyes

  • Who to take: Your friends, especially if they love Tim Burton and want to see how different this biopic is from his usual style.
  • Who to leave: Kids who might get bored by the story of painter Margaret Keane (Amy Adams) and her glory-seeking husband (Christoph Waltz).
  • Watch the trailer.
American Sniper
Warner Bros.

American Sniper

  • Who to take: Your older siblings and parents, who've been missing Bradley Cooper this year and want to see Clint Eastwood's latest directorial feature.
  • Who to leave: Again, children. It's a war drama about a sniper, so there's a ton of realistic violence and swearing.
  • Watch the trailer.
The Gambler
Paramount Pictures

The Gambler

  • Who to take: Your friends, who all still love Mark Wahlberg — even though he plays a gambling addict in over his head here.
  • Who to leave: The kiddos and maybe grandparents, who might be appalled by the profanity, nudity, and of course, gambling.
  • Watch the trailer.
Annie
Columbia Pictures

Annie

  • Who to take: Your young family members; they'll love the comedy, the music, and Jamie Foxx's wide variety of funny faces.
  • Who to leave: Anyone who grew up on older versions of the classic musical and aren't excited to see it revived.
  • Watch the trailer.
A Most Violent Year
FilmNation Entertainment

A Most Violent Year

  • Who to take: The older members of your family who would like to see a good award season contender (Jessica Chastain was nominated for a Golden Globe!). Bonus points if they lived through 1981, the year the film takes place.
  • Who to leave: Children; this drama has some moments of violence, as the title suggests.
  • When it's out: Dec. 31
  • Watch the trailer.