Boxing Day movies: Which new release should you watch?

As is the tradition, Boxing Day is a big day for new release movies. Let us help you sort which of the seven flicks you should book tickets for.

When you’re too stuffed to eat any more Christmas leftovers and it’s too hot to bake in the sun at the beach, there’s only one option.

Go to the movies.

The annual tradition of Boxing Day releases is finally upon us, with a mixed bag of seven new flicks to devour or reject.

Let us help you decide which film is worth the price of admission and which one you could leave until you’re on a long-haul flight, if even that.

RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET

What: A sequel to the popular Disney movie Wreck-It Ralph, this movie sees Ralph and Vanellope travel inside the World Wide Web, looking for a steering wheel to save Vanellope’s game from being permanently unplugged.

Who: Voice cast that includes John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Gal Gadot, Taraji P. Henson and Alan Tudyk

Why you should see it: A clever and fun adventure movie, Ralph Breaks The Internet vividly renders and skewers internet culture, from games, memes, going viral and those pesky pop-up ads, underpinned by a nuanced story about being a good friend.

Rating: ★★★★

Full review for Ralph Breaks The Internet

The internet broke a long time ago.

MORE: What to Watch — Your must-see TV and movies guide

THE FAVOURITE

What: Set in the court of Queen Anne, The Favourite is a bonkers story about the jostling for power and position between two ladies-in-waiting, Lady Marlborough and Abigail Hill, for the emotionally erratic Queen’s favour.

Who: Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone, Nicholas Hoult, Joe Alwyn and Mark Gatiss

Why you should see it: Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, the eclectic filmmaker behind The Lobster and Killing Of A Sacred Deer, The Favourite ticks all the boxes for being completely captivating, sharp and strange. Best of all, it features three insanely excellent, prickly performances from its leading women.

Rating: ★★★★★

Full review for The Favourite

The Favourite is the best new movie out on Boxing Day.

AQUAMAN

What: Half-human/half-Atlantean superhero Aquaman/Arthur Curry must stop his half-brother from waging war on the surface-dwelling humans. In order to do so, he must find the lost trident of Atlantis while fighting off assassins both on land and underwater.

Who: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe and Temuera Morrison

Why you should see it: Aquaman is completely over-the-top, unapologetically madcap and highly entertaining. It’s much more fun than other DC comic book movies and it features some imaginative underwater visual sequences. Oh, and sharks come attached with what could be laser beams.

Rating: ★★★

Full review for Aquaman

Unapologetically mad.

VICE

What: A comedic biopic of former US Vice President Dick Cheney and his journey from drink-driving Yale dropout to pulling the strings of the most powerful man in the world, amassing power and fortune along the way.

Who: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell and Tyler Perry

Why you should see it: It has a snap-fast rhythm and infectious energy, and it entertainingly details the litany of crimes Dick Cheney got away with, especially in this age when Donald Trump’s malfeasance has distracted us from the transgressions of past administrations.

Rating: ★★★½

Full review for Vice

Vice is directed by Adam McKay (The Big Short). Picture: Matt Kennedy/Annapurna Pictures via AP

COLD WAR

What: The epic and tempestuous love story of two Polish musicians, Wiktor and Zula, that spans decades and the repressive politics of Soviet communism and the Iron Curtain.

Who: Joanna Kulig, Tomasz Kot

Why you should see it: Anyone who loves a beautiful and complex romance will fall for Cold War and its charismatic leads’ magnetic performances. It’s a vivid movie, gorgeously composed by Oscar-winning director Pawel Pawlikowski, with striking black-and-white visuals.

Rating: ★★★★

Full review for Cold War

Joanna Kulig is incredible in Cold War. Picture: Amazon Studios via AP

HOLMES & WATSON

What: Sherlock Holmes and John Watson get the comedic treatment in this take on the famed detectives. Here, they must stop arch-nemesis Moriarty’s assassination plot against Queen Victoria.

Who: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Ralph Fiennes, Rebecca Hall, Hugh Laurie and Kelly Macdonald

Should you see it? We don’t know. Sony didn’t screen Holmes & Watson for critics before its release (and not in the US either), which tends to be an ominous sign.

Because apparently we’ll never be sick of Sherlock Holmes adaptations?

KUSAMA: INFINITY

What: Yayoi Kusama is the biggest-selling living artist in Japan, famed for her pop art and colourful polka dot works. Kusama: Infinity is a documentary on the life and work of the 89-year-old, and how her claims of a fear of sex may have resulted in Kusama channelling that sexual energy into her art.

Why you should see it: The film has garnered good reviews on the festival circuit for its celebration of an intriguing artist and woman.

Yayoi Kusama.

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