7 Upcoming Winter Movies to Look Forward to ...

By Treva

You definitely should check out some of the best upcoming winter movies over the next few weeks. Oscar season will soon be here, and going to the theater is a great way to escape the house on a chilly winter day (just be sure to bring your Snuggie). Taking a little break to watch a movie is also a good idea during the hectic holiday season—it will temporarily make you forget about shopping, dealing with the in-laws, and making travel plans. When you manage to find time to get out, here are a few upcoming winter movies to check out:

1 "Frozen"

This animated flick is one of the best upcoming winter movies for the whole family. But you definitely don't have to have kids to be a fan of Disney princesses and fairytales. "Frozen" tells the story of a brave girl named Anna who sets out to find her Snow Queen sister named Elsa. Elsa's icy powers have left her family's kingdom trapped in eternal winter, but she's not around to fix the problem—she's exiled herself from the kingdom. Of course Anna doesn't set out to search for her sister alone—she gets a little help from a mountain man, his reindeer, and a talking snowman. The movie is loosely based on a Hans Christian Anderson fairytale titled "The Snow Queen," so you might want to check it out before watching the movie (you can find the fairytale for free online).

2 "inside Llewyn Davis"

This Coen brothers movie will probably be an Oscar contender, so it's definitely worth checking out. It's set during the 1960s, which is one of the best time periods, and it's about a singer-songwriter navigating the folk music scene in New York. Oscar Isaac plays the movie's titular star, and the cast also includes Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, and Garrett Hedlund. If you're a fan of music, you'll definitely want to check this one out—it features live performances of old folk songs. The character-driven flick is also a comedy, and one of the stars is a cat (I'm talking about a furry feline, not a "cool cat" who moved and grooved to beatnik tunes during the '60s).

3 "Anchorman 2: the Legend Continues"

This comedy is a great date night pick. You might not be a big Will Ferrell fan, but maybe your significant other is one of those guys who just has to watch this movie so that he can endlessly quote the funnyman. Obviously it's a sequel, so you might want to catch up on the first one before going to see it. It follows misogynistic, narcissistic newscaster Ron Burgundy as he makes the move from local news to a 24-hour news network called GNN. So watch out, Anderson Cooper—you might be a silver fox, but Ron is a fox with a sweet '70s 'stache. The movie also stars Christina Applegate, Steve Carell, Harrison Ford, Kristen Wiig, Paul Rudd, Sacha Baron Cohen, and a slew of other stars.

4 "American Hustle"

And here's another movie set during the '70s. If you enjoyed "Silver Linings Playbook," you'll definitely want to check this one out—Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and director David O. Russell reunited for this crime drama about a con man who gets forced to help the FBI. And what would a '70s crime drama be without political corruption and mafia ties? The stellar cast also includes Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Jeremy Renner. The movie might sound too much like the countless other crime dramas about criminals working for cops, but here's one really good reason you should check it out: Bradley Cooper rocks a perm.

5 "Her"

This Spike Jonze joint is definitely one of the most intriguing upcoming winter movies, and it's already gotten plenty of positive film festival buzz. In the futuristic love story, Joaquin Phoenix stars as a man who falls in love with the female voice produced by a computer operating system. The system is so advanced that the guy and the OS actually fall in love. Scarlett Johansson voices the intelligent OS, and the strong female cast also includes Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, and Olivia Wilde. The plot might seem like a wacky premise for a movie, but there are probably already guys out there who think of Siri as their girlfriend.

6 "the Wolf of Wall Street"

This is a Martin Scorsese movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio, so it's definitely deserving of a viewing. It's also probably going to be another big Oscar contender. The movie is based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, a New York stockbroker whose lavish lifestyle was funded by deception (he served time in prison for his "pump and dump" scheme). It might leave you hating Leo, so if you can't stand the thought of the actor playing an asshole, then you might want to skip this one. I'm just relieved that it's going to be a dark comedy—the movie would probably be too infuriating if it wasn't infused with a little humor. It also stars Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, Jon Favreau, and Cristin Milioti (she's the actress playing the mother on "How I Met Your Mother").

7 "That Awkward Moment"

If you want to see Zac Efron's butt, then you'll definitely want to check out this bromantic comedy that also stars Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller. The internet went a little crazy over a red-band trailer that features Zac naked on top of toilet, and apparently his character got in this precarious position by popping "boner pills" and attempting to pee. The movie is basically about dudes and dating, and it looks very "American Pie"-esque to me. It's also rated R, so it's the perfect flick for those who enjoy raunchier comedies. But obviously it's really all about the Efron butt (just don't tell your boyfriend about that scene if you want to see it as a date night movie).

So from animated movies to raunchy comedies and Oscar contenders, there should be at least one winter movie on here that you'll want to see. Just be sure to bundle up since theaters can be almost as cold as the chilly weather outside. So which of these movies are you looking forward to seeing the most?

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