5 Movies To See In December

December is here, the year is coming to an end, and most importantly, this is the last chance for studios to release their 2013 award-contenders. December always means that a ton of great movies hit theaters, and this year is no different, meaning you’ll probably want to spend every second possible watching as many movies as you can. With that said, it probably isn’t realistic for you to spend every day at your local theater watching every single release in hopes of finding the best ones. You likely have a job, and other life commitments besides movies, so you’re faced with the daunting task of deciding which films are worth your time and money this month. In order to help you make up your mind, I’ve put together this list of five must-see films releasing over the course of December. It's an especially good month this year and I had a lot of trouble cutting the list down to just five, but I think the picks that I've chosen will likely please most of you. Out Of The Furnace Starring Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, and Woody Harrelson. Directed by Scott Cooper. Need I say any more? Those are three of the best actors working today, and they also happen to be three of my personal favorites. Affleck rarely chooses a less-than-stellar movie, Harrelson has been better than ever recently, especially as a villain, and when was the last time Bale let you down? With that alone working for it, Out Of The Furnace would probably be a hit, but it's got a heck of a story behind it as well. For those who don’t know, the film is set in Braddock, Pennsylvania and revolves around Russell (Bale) and his younger brother Rodney (Affleck), who have always dreamed of finding better lives despite the fact they live in the depressed Rust Belt. A twist of fate lands Russell in prison, and Rodney is sucked into one of the most violent and ruthless crime rings in the Northeast (led by Harrelson). Once he is released from prison, Russell must choose between the safety of his freedom or risking it all to seek justice for his brother. Early reviews say the movie is brutal, harsh and heartbreaking. This isn't the movie you should take the kids to for a cheerful Saturday afternoon, but it's also not a movie you should miss. Need more proof? Check out the most recent trailer and get ready for what could be the most intense thriller of the year. Or you could check out our exclusive interview with Bale, Harrelson, and Cooper for an inside look at the film. Inside Llewyn Davis People are really excited for Inside Llewyn Davis for a variety of reasons. First of all, it's a Coen brothers film, so you should probably be sold right there. Also, critics have been raving about it since it appeared on the festival circuit a few months back, with the film currently holding down a 93% Tomatometer score. Plus, the cast is phenomenal. What more could you want? Oscar Isaac is a talented actor, that's no secret, but he's yet to have a lead role where he can really showcase what he's capable of. From early reports, Inside Llewyn Davis gives him that chance. There has even been some talk of some awards potentially headed his way. Then there's Carey Mulligan, who I'm willing to watch in absolutely anything. Her scenes with Isaac in Drive were excellent and I'm excited to see the duo working together again here. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey released last December and proved to be a worthy follow-up to The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. Granted, The Hobbit is nowhere near the story that The Lord Of The Rings is, but it's still a great one in its own right, and because of that, I'm pretty excited for The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug. Seeing the first film in IMAX 3D was excellent. There are few films I've watched in the format that rival the effects and full experience of The Hobbit. If for no other reason, it's worth seeing in theaters purely because of how great it looks. But thankfully Jackson is giving us much more than that. The first film was thrilling, but everyone knows the best part of The Hobbit is Smaug. Considering his name is in the title, you can bet we're going to see a lot of Benedict Cumberbatch's dragon this time around. There's also going to be a fair bit of Legolas and Tauriel, and I'll never complain about having more screen-time devoted to the elves. Desolation of Smaug is one I'll be seeing at midnight in IMAX 3D, and you'll want to be there as well. American Hustle So the cast of The Fighter meets the cast of Silver Linings Playbook? You have my attention. I think David O. Russell's last two movies are also two of the best films we've seen in the past couple of years, with gripping stories, incredible performances, and a tone that is neither too heavy or completely lacking in weight. So when I heard that he was merging those two casts for another period piece, well, I couldn't have been more excited. American Hustle has been one of my most anticipated movies of the entire year, and with each preview we've seen, the film looks better and better. Really, the cast alone would be enough to get me into the theater. Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jeremy Renner together in one film means almost too much talent to handle. Bale always morphs into whatever character he's playing, so I'm definitely most excited to see him in this one, but honestly, anyone in this cast has the potential to steal the show. And it makes sense they all want to work with Russell. He's developed quite the reputation for directing actors to Oscar nominations, and I don't think anyone would be surprised if one or more of these actors have their name called in March. For those who aren't familiar, the story centers around brilliant con-man Irving Rosenfeld (Bale) and his seductive partner Sydney Prosser (Adams) who are forced to work for a wild FBI agent (Cooper). That draws them into the world of Jersey brokers and mafia, and things start rolling from there. Bur really, it's the trailers that have me sold, so if you've somehow missed them, check one out and get excited. The Wolf Of Wall Street Of all the movies people have been talking about this year, the best may not be coming until the very end. Christmas Day, 2013 Martin Scorsese's The Wolf Of Wall Street finally hits theaters, and I could not be more excited. It features a phenomenal cast, the previews we've seen so far have been as exciting as any, and, in case you weren't clear, it's a Martin Scorsese film! Some people are turned off by long movies, which is absolutely ridiculous. If something is awesome, why would you not want as much of it as possible? (Assuming of course there's no decline in quality with the additional time.) Scorsese never makes short films, so we knew this was going to be over 2 hours, but a full 2 hours and 59 minutes? If this is as good as I'm hoping, that's going to make it even better. Plus there's the fact this one almost didn't even get an R rating. It looks like Leo can't seem to avoid the party movies this year. Not that I want anything to be close to NC-17 purely for the sake of being promiscuous, but there's obviously some entertainment value in whatever Scorsese has planned, and considering the lifestyle DiCaprio's character lived, the movie just wouldn't be right without it. It's supposed to be a full-on scummy film, and I think that's just about the perfect sort of movie for DiCaprio at this point. Speaking of DiCaprio, many are saying this could be the first time he takes home everyone's favorite little golden statue. I think he's deserved it, or at least deserved to be in the discussion before, so if people are saying this really is his best performance, then the movie is worth seeing for that alone. So those are our picks for movies to see in December. Which ones will you be checking out? Let us know in the comments section below.