The real tragedy that inspired ‘Hamlet,’ the life of a pingpong prodigy and the third ‘Avatar’ adventure in December movies

It’s the year’s last dying breath, which means holiday rush, travel stress and last-minute gift purchases. Two new December films are appropriately inspired by the turmoil of real events: one, a historical fiction based on Shakespeare’s life and the other, a fast-paced sports dramedy inspired by the career of an American table tennis player. This month at the movies also offers a fantastical respite from reality with James Cameron’s return to the lush jungles of Pandora.

‘Hamnet’

No, this title isn’t a clever misspelling: The real William Shakespeare had a son named Hamnet, whose death at the age of 11 provided the inspiration for the playwright’s masterpiece “Hamlet.” This film, directed by Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”), was adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 historical fiction novel of the same name and focuses on both parental grief over the loss of a child and the transformation of tragedy into art. It “plays like a more somber and realistic version of ‘Shakespeare in Love,’” said Justin Chang at NPR. “Call it ‘Shakespeare in Grief.’ The chief focus isn’t really Shakespeare at all, though he is sensitively played by Paul Mescal.” The “heart of the movie” is actually Agnes (also known as Anne Hathaway), Shakespeare’s wife, brought to life by the “extraordinary Jessie Buckley.” (in theaters now)

‘The Secret Agent’

Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho’s “The Secret Agent” is largely set in 1977 during his home country’s military dictatorship. Wagner Moura stars as Marcelo, a research scientist who plans to flee with his young son. “Movies about resisting tyranny rarely inspire mirth,” said Manohla Dargis at The New York Times. But this one “embraces a freewheeling sensibility and finds laughter amid the terror.” It steers mostly “clear of the corridors of political power and instead takes place in the sun and on the ground, where people live in the here and the now.” Life under dictatorship is both brutal and bloody, “but there is also love, song, the hot sun, cold beer and, of course, Carnival.” (in theaters now)

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’

James Cameron’s third entry in the “Avatar” film series isn’t out yet, but it was already nominated for a Golden Globe in the category of cinematic and box office achievement. Although its theatrical release is imminent, the sequel’s projected box office performance is impressive: The original “Avatar” (2009) remains the highest-grossing film of all time, and the 2022 sequel is the third highest-grossing.

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” promises a return to the jungle planet of Pandora and will introduce the “Ash” people, or fire-themed Na’vi clan, who are more aggressive than the oceanic Metkayina clan that took center stage in “Avatar: The Way of Water.” (in theaters Dec. 19)

‘Breakdown: 1975’

1975 was a great year for movies: “Jaws,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” “Taxi Driver,” “Barry Lyndon.” The list goes on. In a new documentary essay film, Academy Award-winning director Morgan Neville (“Won’t You Be My Neighbor”) has gathered a list of talking head experts, including Martin Scorsese and Ellen Burstyn, to “track how the culture of the mid-’70s led to some of our best films,” said IndieWire. “As America faced social and political upheaval, filmmakers turned chaos into art,” the film’s logline adds. (Dec. 19 on Netflix)

‘Marty Supreme’

Director Josh Safdie is best known as one-half of a pair: He and younger brother Benny (aka the Safdie brothers) directed the much-lauded crime thrillers “Good Time” (2017) and “Uncut Gems” (2019). But last year, the two announced their decision to pursue solo careers. “Marty Supreme,” Josh’s first film since the split, stars Timothée Chalamet as Marty Mauser, a character “loosely inspired by Marty ‘The Needle’ Reisman, a real-life U.S. table tennis champ from the 1950s” who had a tendency for “betting, hustling and showmanship stunts,” said Peter Bradshaw at The Guardian. The resulting flick is — much like the brothers’ last two projects — a “farcical race against time,” a “marathon sprint of gonzo calamities and uproar” and a “sociopath-screwball nightmare.” (in theaters Dec. 25)