There was some welcome news for movie fans last weekend as it was announced that cinemas will be able to reopen in Ireland from December 1st.

You may be wondering, but what new movies will actually be showing in Irish cinemas? Surely it will be the same as before where classic films were screened in lieu of there being no big studio releases?

Given the time of year, there are plenty of Christmas classics programmed to show the big screen. But additionally there is a big variety of quality new movies to see in cinemas from this weekend.

Here are the titles and their release dates we recommend you check out.

 

Wolfwalkers - 4 December

One of a number of new movies opening this Friday is 'Wolfwalkers', the latest animated feature from Cartoon Saloon. 'Wolfwalkers' has received incredible reviews and deservedly so, as it's absolutely stunning. It follows the daughter of a hunter (Sean Bean) as she meets and befriends a mysterious girl living among wolves in the forest. Together they fight to protect the last wolf pack from being wiped out.

 

Pixie - 4 December

If you're in the mood for a laugh, 'Pixie' is worth checking out. The film has traces of Coen brothers and Taratino as it follows three youngsters on the run from gangsters. Pixie (Olivia Cooke) is determined to outwit them all. But this gang of priests and nuns, led by Father Hector McGrath (Alec Baldwin), are well-equipped for war. Colm Meaney, Dylan Moran, Chris Walley, Ben Hardy and Daryl McCormack co-star.

 

Crock of Gold: A Few Pints with Shane MacGowan - 4 December

'Crock of Gold' is a music documentary with a difference, for as well as tracing the life and career of Shane MacGowan, it depicts the music legend having the bants with friends and contemporaries over some rounds at the local pub. Even the biggest Pogues fans will learn something new about the punk poet from this doc. And of course a bright light gets shone on that Christmas classic tune - 'Fairytale of New York'.

 

Saint Maud - 4 December

There's something for horror fans this Christmas too as the acclaimed 'Saint Maud' is screening. Maud (Morfydd Clark) a former nurse and now a troubled private carer is sent to look after the terminally ill Amanda (Jennifer Ehle). Quickly a love-hate relationship establishes between them which tests Maud’s newly developed Christianity as she spirals further into mental illness.

 

A Girl from Mogadishu - 4 December

This harrowing drama is based on a true story that perhaps not a lot of Irish people know about. After fleeing war-torn Somalia in 2006, Ifrah Ahmed travels to Ireland and seeks asylum. Traumatised by the memory of having been mutilated as a child, she makes the decision to become a force for change. She eventually emerges as a formidable campaigner against Female Genital Mutilation.

 

The Racer - 11 December

Intense, thrilling, humourous and action-filled, Kieron J. Walsh's ('Jump') latest feature dramatises the sporting highs and lows of Le Tour de France. It follows a rider who, after being dropped from the team, is reinstated following a doping error. Now with the years of doping having taken a toll on his body, the racer may pay the ultimate price for a final shot at the glory that has eluded him his entire career…

 

Dreamland - 11 December

Two-time Oscar nominee Margot Robbie and 'Peaky Blinders' star Finn Cole star in this 'Bonnie and Clyde'-esque love story. Eugene Evans (Cole) dreams of escaping his small Texas town when he finds a wounded, fugitive bank robber (Robbie). Growing ever fonder of the seductive criminal, Eugene will be forced to make decisions that affect everyone he holds dear.

 

Wonder Woman 1984 - 16 December

Many studio tentpoles got pushed to next year but 'Wonder Woman 1984' (having been postponed from last summer) clung in there. It's the perfect offering for those who need their superhero movie - and '80s nostalgia - fix. Gal Gadot returns as our heroine, as does Chris Pine as Steve Trevor. Joining them is Pedro Pascal and Kristen Wiig as the antagonist, Cheetah.

 

Let Him Go - 18 December

The ever fabulous Kevin Costner and Diana Lane lead the crime drama-thriller 'Let Him Go'. The film follows a retired sheriff and his wife who, in grief over the death of their son, set out to find their only grandson. They find the boy has been living in the dangerous clutches of a family who are off the grid in the Dakotas. Blanche Weboy (Lesley Manville - the next Princess Margaret in 'The Crown') leads the clan. Thomas Bezucha, known as the writer-director of 'The Family Stone', directs.

 

Freaky - 26 December

You may have seen comedy-horror 'Freaky' get much praise over in the US in the aftermath of Halloween and now the film makes its way to our shores. The premise will undoubtedly make many recall the Rob Schneider flick 'The Hot Chick'. It sees Vince Vaughn, a deranged murderer, swap bodies with a high school student (Kathryn Newton from 'Big Little Lies' and 'Pokémon: Detective Pikachu').

 

Phil Lynott: Songs For While I'm Away - 26 December

We're being treated to not one but two documentaries examining the lives and careers of two Irish music legends, this month. Aside from 'Crock of Gold', we'll be able to see 'Phil Lynott: Songs For While I'm Away' from St. Stephen's Day. It's a doc that takes your breath away, directed by Emer Reynolds, who was also behind the stunning space doc 'The Farthest'. Lynott's daughters appeared on 'The Late Late Show' last month to discuss the feature.

 

Other new movies showing in cinemas (on limited release):