Christmas Day saw a host of new auteur-driven releases land in theaters just in time for an awards-qualifying run. They joined holdover hits such as Moana 2, Wicked, Gladiator II, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and the slightly less successful Mufasa: The Lion King in a marketplace with something for everyone. Among the most prominent Christmas Day releases are A Complete Unknown, Nosferatu, and Babygirl. Each film is aimed at a different demographic, and has received a generally positive response from critics. But now, the audiences have spoken as well.
According to CinemaScore — a polling platform that gauges how likely viewers are to recommend movies to others — the three new movies have been rather hit-or-miss with crowds. While the musical biopic A Complete Unknown, based on the early career of Bob Dylan, earned an A grade from opening day audiences, the Gothic horror film Nosferatu scored an underwhelming B-, which happens to be the same grade as the one earned by the erotic drama Babygirl.
Directed by James Mangold, A Complete Unknown stars Timothée Chalamet in the lead role, and is poised to generate over $15 million across the five-day extended Christmas weekend. The movie holds a 79% approval rating on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with an even better audience score of 96%. In his review, Collider’s Ross Bonaime praised Chalamet’s central performance, and described the film as “bold and captivating.”
The Christmas Frame Has Something for Everyone
Babygirl is directed by Halina Reijn, and stars Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Sophie Wild and Antonio Banderas. The movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where Kidman won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress. Babygirl is eying under $10 million across the five-day frame, on the back of mostly positive reviews. It holds a “fresh” 77% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but the film’s audience score currently sits at an underwhelming 56%.
Director Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu is expected to generate $25 million over the extended weekend, despite the lackluster B- CinemaScore. While this is par for the course for horror titles, it isn’t exactly encouraging, especially for Eggers. His breakout film, The Witch, earned a C- CinemaScore, but went on to gross $40 million worldwide. Nosferatu’s RT rating currently rests at 86%, with Collider’s Jeff Ewing describing it as “the best horror film of the year.” You can watch all three films in theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
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In Nosferatu, a reclusive vampire's presence disrupts a small European village, drawing an unsuspecting young couple into a battle against an ancient evil. As fear spreads, the villagers must confront the terrifying legend and their own beliefs, leading to suspenseful confrontations and chilling revelations.
English (US) ·