The holidays [1] are a great time to cross off award season [2] 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 [3]. 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
- 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 [4].
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 [5] in one of his last roles.
- Who to leave: Adults who don't have kids.
- Watch the trailer [6].
Inherent Vice
- Who to take: Your best friend who also loves Joaquin Phoenix [7], 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 [8].
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 [9].
Into the Woods
- Who to take: The whole family; Meryl Streep [10], Emily Blunt [11], Chris Pine [12], 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 [13].
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 [14]) and her glory-seeking husband (Christoph Waltz).
- Watch the trailer [15].
American Sniper
- Who to take: Your older siblings and parents, who've been missing Bradley Cooper [16] this year and want to see Clint Eastwood [17]'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 [18].
The Gambler
- Who to take: Your friends, who all still love Mark Wahlberg [19] — 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 [20].
Annie
- Who to take: Your young family members; they'll love the comedy, the music, and Jamie Foxx [21]'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 [22].
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 [23].