Aquaman, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Ben Is Back, Thuppakki Munai—Know Your Releases

This week, theatres will be swarmed with a bevy of Hollywood releases, ranging from grand superhero flicks to understated family dramas. Cinegoers would also witness a Marvel-DC showdown with Aquaman and SpiderMan: Into the Spider-Verse clashing at the box office_._ Here are the films that you can catch at the theatres  on 14 December. _**Aquaman**_

What’s it about: The sixth instalment of the of the DC Universe sees Aquaman for the first time since his appearance in Justice League. The film is centred on Arthur Curry/Aquaman, the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis who must step forth to lead his people against his half-brother Orm, who seeks to unite the seven underwater kingdoms against the surface world. Who’s in it: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard , Willem Dafoe , Patrick Wilson , Dolph Lundgren ,Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Kidman Why it may work: The James Wan directorial is the full-length standalone film on the character of Aquaman. Not only that, it also features Games of Thrones fan favourite Jason Momoa in the lead and is being universally appreciated for its light tone and stunning underwater visuals. _**SpiderMan: Into the Spider-Verse**_

What’s it about: In the “classic Spider-Man mold”, Miles Morales, the first black character to don the Spidey suit, must juggle his high school life with his status as a superhero, as he is introduced to the Spider-Verse where there can be more than just one Spider-Man. Who’s in it:  Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Liev Schreiber, Mahershala Ali, Lily Tomlin . Why it may work: Into the Spider-Verse is Sony’s first feature-length animated SpiderVerse film and has as many as six variants of the superhero, from Spider-Gwen to Miles Morales. The film has even garnered 99% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, as per gamespot.com. Fuurther, the late Marvel comic book legend  Stan Lee , who has made brief appearances in many films, will voice himself in the film. Ben is Back  

What’s it about: In this unconventional family drama, a mother fights hard to keep her 19-year-old son off drugs when he unexpectedly comes home on Christmas Eve**.** Who’s in it: Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges, Courtney B. Vance and Kathryn Newton Why it may work: The film revolves round the rather rampant problem of drug abuse, which would strike a chord with audiences. Moreover, critics have unanimously touted Julia Roberts’ performance in Ben is Back as her career best. Thuppakki Munai

What’s it about: The Tamil language thriller revolves around an encounter specialist who is given the responsibility to hunt down and kill a man who may or may not have committed a crime. Who’s in it: Vikram Prabhu, Hansika Motwani, M S Baskar, Vela Ramamoorthy Why it may work: Thuppakki Munai, directed by Dinesh Selvaraj, is a edge-of-seat crime thriller which leaves many loose ends in the film only to tie all back together in the epilogue. Further, Vikram Prabhu, who has proven his acting mettle in such films as  Ivan Veramathiri and Vellaikaara Durai, has been praised by critics for his portrayal of the protagonist.