Thanksgiving has officially come and gone, and the raging tides from the Black Friday rush has finally receded. With the conclusion of Thanksgiving, many are turning their focus to the Christmas holiday season. Not only does the Christmas season bring holiday cheer, but the winter season also brings happiness for movie-lovers far and near. Any well versed movie-goer knows that the best movies are saved for the conclusion of the year. Keeping this in mind, here are the five most anticipated movies of the winter season from least to most anticipated.

1. A Monster Calls is based off of a bestselling novel rendered by Patrick Ness. Originally intended as a children's novel, this tale proves to be more mature than initially observed. Primarily, A Monster Calls is a coming of age story about a boy who is learning to cope with his mother's illness. Conor finds himself stuck in an emotional loop as he struggles to return to normalcy. As his mother's condition worsens, his life takes a strange turn when a monster appears outside his window. This monster will take Conor on a journey he will never forget, and will help him face his greatest fears as well as grow more as an individual. The visual effects of this film are projected to be purely marvelous, and the star-studded cast promises lively characters involved in an enriching story. Starring Felicity Jones, Liam Neeson, Sigourney Weaver, and Lewis MacDougal, this movie is projected to release on December 23.

Photo Credit: IMDb

2. Passengers, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt, is a tale of romance and survival. A colony of people is getting transported from Earth to another planet, and all of them are put in a deep sleep in order to survive the trip. Unfortunately, Aurora Lane and James Preston find themselves as the first and only passengers awake. This becomes problematic in the sense that they discover something is awfully wrong with this occurrence, and they work together to discover why they woke so soon. Promising the comedic charm of Pratt and Lawrence, as well as a Sci-Fi thriller edge, Passengers is set to debut on December 21.

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3. Rogue One is the newest addition to the StarWars universe. Starring Felicity Jones and Mads Mikkelsen, Rogue One focuses on the Rebel attempt to steal the plans to the Death Star. Rogue One is set in the time period of the original films, and is anticipated to be more of a war film than any of the other StarWars movies. The success of this franchise is paramount to that of other franchises, and continues to hold a great deal of influence in this day and age. Not only is this a completely new story, but it also continues to carry the brushstrokes of the original canvas. James Earl Jones is also contributing his voice to his most iconic role, Darth Vader. The story of the most heroic act in StarWars history is coming to a theater near you on December 16.

Photo Credit: IMDb

4. Silence, one of the most anticipated films among the moviebuff community, is directed by the legendary Martin Scorcese. Not a great deal has been revealed about this particular film but, knowing Scorcese, Silence promises to be an intense thriller with superb camerawork. Essentially, Silence takes place in seventeenth century Japan, and follows two Jesuit priests on their search for their mentor as well as spread the influence of Christianity. Scorcese's newest film stars Liam Neeson, Adam Driver, and Andrew Garfield. Silence releases on December 23 in select theaters, and has a wide release for some time in January.

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5. Finally, one of the most anticipated movies of the winter season, is Damien Chazelle's La La Land. Starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, this movie promises to return audiences to the older times of movies. Despite this film taking place in the modern day, it still maintains to have a vintage feel. La La Land follows the life of jazz musician Sebastian as he finds true love with aspiring actress, Mia. Sebastian is stuck in the old times of jazz music and struggles with playing as he wishes, and playing what people around him expect him to play. Mia, on the other hand, is struggling with finding her way in living her dream of becoming an actress. Many have cited this film to be a love letter to Hollywood, but this is more so a love letter to those who have the capacity to dream. Not only does La La Land promise a timeless love story, but it also has revolutionized the way musicals are carried out on the big screen. La La Land will be dancing and singing its way into the hearts of Americans in select theaters on December 9, and everywhere December 16.

Photo Credit: IMDb

Honorable Mention

One last film, that is greatly anticipated on my part as a fan of the game franchises, is Assassin's Creed. Starring Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, and Jeremy Irons, Assassin's Creed intends to bring the Assassin's Creed universe to life on the big screen. A completely new story has been created based on the game franchise, and has great potential to break the forboding video game curse. The Assassin's Creed follows Callum Lynch as he explores the memories of Aguilar, in order to gain the skills of a master assassin.

Photo Credit: IMDb