What to watch in theaters and at home this weekend Dec. 8-10, 2023

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Do you feel like you’re standing on the cusp of a whole new world? Maybe you can see films like “Wonka,” “The Zone of Interest,” “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget,” “American Fiction,” “The Iron Claw,” “Migration,” “Society of Snow,” and “Rebel Moon” are just a week or two away.

It must be the holiday season because it certainly isn’t summer.

That said, don’t sleep on this week’s releases. We have the return of Hayao Miyazaki, the brilliant mind behind “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Princess Mononoke” and so much more. We also have Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro,” a biopic for Leonard Bernstein that is frequently stolen by Carey Mulligan asFelicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein, Leonard’s wife. “Eileen” has been on my watch list since I missed the film at Sundance earlier in the year. I’ll be rectifying that tonight. Anne Hathaway and Thomasin McKenzie? Yes, please.

If you plan on staying in, take a look at “Showing Up,” a wonderful portrait of an artist by Kelly Reichardt starring her frequent muse Michelle Williams.

The Boy and the Heron (Theaters)

Studio Synopsis:Hayao Miyazaki's first feature film in 10 years, The Boy and the Heron is a hand-drawn, original story written and directed by the Academy Award-winning director. Produced by Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki, the film features a musical score from Miyazaki's long-time collaborator Joe Hisaishi. The theme song for the film "Spinning Globe" was penned and performed by global J-pop superstar Kenshi Yonezu.

Maestro (Theaters)

Studio Synopsis:From Director Bradley Cooper, Maestro is the towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between cultural icon Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. A love letter to life and art, Maestro, at its core, is an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love.

Eileen (Theaters)

Studio Synopsis:Set during a bitter 1964 Massachusetts winter, young secretary Eileen becomes enchanted by the glamorous new counselor at the prison where she works. Their budding friendship takes a twisted turn when Rebecca reveals a dark secret — throwing Eileen onto a sinister path.

The Oath (Theaters)

Studio Synopsis:400 A.D., in a forgotten time of Ancient America, a lone Hebraic fugitive must preserve the history of his fallen nation while being hunted by a ruthless tyrant. But rescuing the King's abused mistress could awaken a warrior's past.

John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial (Apple TV+)

Studio Synopsis:John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial” is a deeply researched examination of John Lennon’s 1980 murder, which shocked and saddened the world. The production was granted extensive Freedom of Information Act requests from the New York City Police Department, the Board of Parole and the District Attorney’s office; and the series includes exclusive interviews including Richard Peterson, a taxi driver who was witness to the shooting; Jay Hastings, a doorman at The Dakota who heard Lennon’s last words; David Suggs, Mark David Chapman’s defense lawyer; Elliot Mintz, a confidant to Lennon and Yoko Ono; and Dr Naomi Goldstein, the psychiatrist who first assessed Chapman.

Showing Up (Paramount+)

Studio Synopsis: Written and directed by Kelly Reichardt, this A24 comedy is about a sculptor (Oscar-nominee Michelle Williams) who must balance her creative life with the daily dramas of family and friends while she prepares to open a new show. On the verge of a career-changing exhibition, she finds that the chaos of life becomes the inspiration for great art. In addition to Williams, the film stars Hong Chau, Maryann Plunkett, André 3000, and Amanda Plummer.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever (Disney+)

Studio Synopsis: The winter holidays are turning out to be especially stressful for Greg Heffley this year. After accidentally damaging someone else’s property with his best friend Rowley, Greg worries he won’t get the gift he so desperately wants for Christmas. To make matters worse, a snowstorm hits the town and the entire family is trapped indoors for days. With Christmas right around the corner, will Greg be able to be on his best behavior?

Leave the World Behind (Netflix)

Studio Synopsis:In this apocalyptic thriller from award-winning writer and director Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot), Amanda (Academy Award winner Julia Roberts) and her husband Clay (Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke), rent a luxurious home for the weekend with their kids, Archie (Charlie Evans) and Rose (Farrah Mackenzie). Their vacation is soon upended when two strangers — G.H. (Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la) — arrive in the night, bearing news of a mysterious cyberattack and seeking refuge in the house they claim is theirs. The two families reckon with a looming disaster that grows more terrifying by the minute, forcing everyone to come to terms with their places in a collapsing world.

The Sacrifice Game (Shudder)

Studio Synopsis: It’s bad enough that boarding school students Samantha and Clara can’t go home for the holidays, but things take a deadly turn when a gang of cult killers arrives on their dorstep – just in time for Christmas. Starring Mena Massoud (Aladdin), Olivia Scott Welch (Lucky Hank, The Fear Street Trilogy), Gus Kenworthy (American Horror Story) and Chloë Levine (The Ranger).