Winter officially starts on December 21, but as the daylight gets shorter and the nights get colder, here are a few movies released in the past five years to get you in the mood for celebrating winter.
Grab a bowl of popcorn and your favorite drink, have a blanket handy in case the scenery gives you a chill, and enjoy some of the following:
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024, Blu-Ray)
“The Spengler family returns to where it all started, the iconic New York City firehouse, to team up with the original Ghostbusters gang, who have developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient relic unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.”
The Winter House (2023, DVD)
“Eileen is grieving. She needs to get away. She rents a house in a remote corner of New Hampshire, in the dead of winter, where no one is likely to bother her. But wouldn’t you know it? Someone does. Jesse is young, impetuous, charismatic, and evasive. He claims to be the son of the couple who own the house, but Eileen isn’t inclined to believe him. She’s a brilliant writer with her own demons and secrets; she knows a fellow lost soul when she sees one. As winter wears on in the lonely house at the edge of nowhere, Eileen and Jesse try to offer each other salvation both knowing full well that the opposite is far more likely.”
God’s Country (2023, Blu-Ray)
“When a college professor in the remote mountains of the American West confronts two hunters she catches trespassing on her property, she’s drawn into an escalating battle of wills with catastrophic consequences.” “Based on the short story “Winter Light” by James Lee Burke.”
Frost (2022, DVD)
“A young woman, Abby, and her estranged father Grant fight to survive after being stranded on a remote mountainside during a winter storm in this gripping thriller from writer James Cullen Bressack and director Brandon Slagle.”
Hearts of Winter (2021. DVD)
“An interior designer brings new life to the house of a widower and his daughter and finds love in the process.”
Abandoned: Angelique’s Isle (2021, DVD)
“A harrowing tale of perseverance and survival that unfolds during the great copper rush of 1845, when newlyweds Angelique, a young Ojibway, and Charlie, her voyageur husband, are left stranded throughout a brutal winter on Lake Superior’s Isle Royale where Angelique is ultimately forced to face her inner demons and beliefs as the unbelievably beautiful, yet treacherous wilderness threatens to claim her.”
Centigrade (2021, DVD)
“In 2002, a young American couple, Matthew and Naomi, travel to the arctic mountains of Norway. After pulling over during a snowstorm, they wake up trapped in their SUV, buried underneath layers of snow and Ice. As if the stakes aren’t high enough, it is revealed that Naomi is eight months pregnant in their frozen prison. With few resources, a dwindling food supply, and nothing but time, tension, blame, and personal secrets bubble to the surface.”
Frozen II (2020, Blu-Ray)
“Why was Elsa born with magical powers? The answer is calling her and threatening her kingdom. Together with Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven, she’ll set out on a dangerous but remarkable journey. In the first film, Elsa feared her powers were too much for the world. Now she must hope they are enough.”
Battle of the Bulge: Winter War (2020, DVD)
“Lt. Robert Cappa and his platoon of 2nd Infantry Division soldiers must defend a vital supply depot from being captured by attacking German soldiers. With enemies all around him and allies who are not what they seem, Lt. Cappa must make combat ready decisions to halt the advancing German onslaught of tanks, infantry and artillery.”
One Winter Weekend, One Winter Proposal (2020, DVD)
“Cara, a women’s magazine writer who gets burned by her boyfriend on New Years’ Eve, decides to go on a dating detox. Challenged by her employer to write about it, she hopes a spontaneous ski getaway with her best friend will spark inspiration. — One winter proposal: Old flames are reignited, and current flames burn brighter when the foursome return to the ski resort where it all happened.”
The Lodge (2020, Blu Ray)
“During a family retreat to a remote winter cabin over the holidays, the father is forced to abruptly depart for work, leaving his two children in the care of his new girlfriend, Grace. Isolated and alone, a blizzard traps them inside the lodge as terrifying events summon specters from Grace’s dark past.”
Winter Castle (2020, DVD)
“Born and raised in sunny California, Jenny is thrilled when her sister Meg decides to have a destination wedding at an ice hotel. Jenny is immediately entranced by the magical dečor of the hotel and also finds herself instantly smitten with Craig, the handsome best man. Will the romance of the gorgeous wintry hotel bring them together?”
Winter in Vail (2020, DVD)
“Chelsea inherits a house in Vail. She meets Owen and gets a much needed break. Together, they put on Strudelfest to highlight the charm of Old Vail.”
Winter Love Story (2020, DVD)
“When author Cassie’s first novel isn’t selling, she is paired on a book tour with author Elliot to boost her sales – but along the way, a romance starts to blossom.”
And even if it doesn’t fit the ‘past five years’ parameters, who can resist a winter story featuring puppies?
“A boy befriends a litter of homeless Golden Retrievers. Together, they help stop a bank robbery just in time.”
Golden Winter (2012, DVD)
Enjoy a night at the movies at home and stay warm at the end of a cold winter day.
(Unless otherwise noted, all summaries come from COSMOS).
