Weekend Box Office: December 17-19, 2021
by Emily Nagle
Top 5 Highest Grossing Films for Weekend of December 17-19, 2021
1. Spider-Man: No Way Home
2. Encanto
3. West Side Story
4. Ghostbusters: Afterlife
5. Nightmare Alley
The release of Spider-Man: No Way Home made this past weekend the most profitable for the entire year. The Marvel and Sony co-production grossed $260.1 million in its first weekend, accounting for more than 90% of total box office profits during those 3 days. In “No Way Home”, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) turns to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for help after the whole world discovers his alter ego. Casting a spell in hopes of the world forgetting Peter’s secret identity only creates more problems, unleashing the multiverse and leading to Spider-Man’s greatest challenge yet.
Not only has “No Way Home” become the best-selling movie for the entire year in only a few days, but it’s also been met with glowing reviews from critics and audience members alike. On Rotten Tomatoes, it’s received a 99% audience rating and a 94% on the Tomatometer. IMDb users rated the film 9/10. Among many other aspects, critics praised the film’s story, soundtrack, and action sequences.
Another new arrival to theaters this weekend was psychological thriller “Nightmare Alley”, based on the 1946 novel by William Lindsay Gresham (and a remake of the 1947 film based on the novel). Set in 1940s New York and directed by Guillermo del Toro (“The Shape of Water”, “Pacific Rim”), the film tells the story of Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper), who joins a traveling carnival where he learns the art of swindling. Soon, he hatches a scheme with psychiatrist Lilith (Cate Blanchett) to deceive one of the most dangerous tycoons in the city (Richard Jenkins). It has been praised by critics for its direction, cinematography, and production design, but many have compared it to the 1947 film, arguing that it is inferior.