Everything on NEON this December, including Cold Pursuit and Destroyer

NEON boasts some truly superb films this December (as well as the Sharknado films). See our six highlights below followed by the complete schedule for the month.

Cold Pursuit

Liam Neeson gives his usual man-out-for-revenge role a darkly comedic twist in this thriller, playing a humble snowplough driver who seeks to murder the drug dealers he thinks killed his son. Based on director Hans Petter Moland’s 2014 Norwegian film In Order of Disappearance, who returns to helm this English language remake.

We held preview screenings of Cold Pursuit earlier this year and according to the feedback we got, it took the audience by surprise. “Like an intentionally funny version of the Taken films” one user wrote. “In the vein of Fargo” claimed another. “Gruesomely funny,” user ‘Wwimsett’ concluded, “thoroughly enjoyed it.”

Cold Pursuit streams from 12 December

Destroyer

Nicole Kidman plays a police detective, broken and battle-hardened, who attempts to reconnect with the members of a gang she infiltrated as a young undercover cop—a past that continues to haunt her. From director Karyn Kusama, reuniting with the writers of 2015’s The Invitation.

“A fascinating character study that does more for Kidman than it does for the genre. But then, on this kind of form, she deserves it.” -Matt Glasby, FLICKS

Destroyer streams from 2 December

Lean On Pete

A 15-year-old homeless teen (Charlie Plummer, The Dinner) goes in search of his only known relative in this A24 drama co-starring Steve Buscemi and Chloë Sevigny. On his journey, he saves and befriends a former racing horse from being disposed of.

“A favourite of many who saw it at [the] New Zealand International Film Festival, Lean on Pete is well worth seeking out” -STUFF

Lean on Pete streams from 2 December

She Shears

This Aotearoa documentary follows five women with a passion for sheep shearing—two of whom are legends, three of whom are stars on the rise—as they compete in the world’s top shearing competition.

“An illuminating celebration of what it means to rise to one’s own expectations.” -Katie Parker, FLICKS

She Shears streams from 2 December

Yellow is Forbidden

New Zealand documentarian Pietra Brettkelly (A Flickering Truth) chronicles designer Guo Pei’s attempt to break into the exclusive and mostly European club of elite fashion designers.

“Truly beguiling… You have to be impressed with the pure artistic enterprise, drive (and yes, major financial investment) it takes to bring to fruition such a jaw-dropping collection, of which some of the garments may not even be purchased.” -Sarah Voon, FLICKS

Yellow is Forbidden streams from 2 December

Every single Sharknado film

Like straight-to-streaming Christmas rom-coms, the Sharknado series managed to capture the hearts of a specific cult audience hungry for incomparably crap-tastic movies. With the release of the sixth and final film, fans of sharks or tornados or Tommy Wiseau’s The Room can now dedicate an entire day to watching the saga.

Sharknado, Sharknado 2: The Second One, Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!, Sharknado: The 4th Awakens, Sharknado 5: Global Swarming, and The Last Sharknado: It’s About Time stream from 4 December

Full December release schedule:

Available 1 December

Andy’s Wild Adventures [series]
Baby Jake [series]
Catie’s Amazing Machines [series]
The Furchester Hotel: Season 3
Go Jetters [series]
Hey Duggee [series]
My Pet & Me: Season 1 & 2
My World Kitchen [series]
Sarah & Duck [series]
Swashbuckle: Season 1 & 2
Thomas & Friends: Season 15
Yakka Dee [series]

Available 2 December

12 Days Of Giving
A Storybook Christmas
At Eternity’s Gate
Border
Christmas Chalet, The
Christmas Cure, The
Christmas Hero, A
Christmas In The Highlands
Christmas On Holly Lane
Destroyer
Family For The Holidays, A
Forever Christmas
Gift For Christmas, A
Gift To Cherish, A
Her Magical Christmas
Lean on Pete
Looks Like Christmas
Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.
Merry & Bright
Pick of the Litter
Saving Santa
Serenity
She Shears
Song For Christmas, A
Vox Lux
Yellow is Forbidden

Available 3 December

A Day in the Life of Earth [series]
African Empires [series]
Age of Big Cats [series]
Amazing Dinoworld [series]
Ancient Earth: Season 1 & 2
Classic Cars [series]
Deep Ocean [series]
Deep Time History [series]
Digits [series]
Dream The Future [series]
Hi$tory [series]
On The Edge [series]
Planet of Treasures [series]
Sacred Spaces [series]
Secret Lives of Big Cats [series]
Secret Migrations [series]
Speed [series]
Stephen Hawking’s Favourite Places [series]
The Body [series]
The History of Food [series]
The History of Weapons [series]
The Secret History of our Evolution [series]
Walks with My Dog [series]
Wild Chile [series]
Wild Galapagos [series]
Wild Italy [series]
Black Market [series]
Black Market Dispatches [series]
Bong Appetit: Season 1, 2 & 3
The Dark Side of the Ring [series]
Dead Set On Life: Season 1, 2 & 3
F*ck That’s Delicious: Season 1, 2A & 3
Gaycation: Season 1 & 2
Jasper & Errol’s First Time [series]
King of the Road: Season 1, 2 & 3
Most Expensivest: Season 1, 2 & 3
Needles and Pins [series]
Nuts + Bolts [series]
The Wrestlers [series]
Weediquette: Season 1, 2 & 3
What Would Diplo Do? [series]
Woman [series]
Kids Christmas Songs: Kiboomers [series]
Vice World of Sports: Season 1 & 2

Available 4 December

Sharknado
Sharknado 2: The Second One
Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!
Sharknado 5: Global Swarming
Sharknado: The 4th Awakens
The Last Sharknado: It’s About Time

Available 5 December

Welcome to Marwen

Available 8 December

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Los Espookys [series]
The Amazing World of Gumball: Season 6

Available 9 December

Tradezone Addicted To Fishing [series]

Available 10 December

Buzz

Available 11 December

Uncle Grandpa: Season 3 & 4
The L Word: Generation Q [series]

Available 12 December

Cold Pursuit
Work in Progress [series]