The best thing about the winter holidays is that no one expects you to play sports after dinner to “burn off some of those calories haha.” No, it’s too cold. You get to go to the movies instead, and even luckier — many of the movies that are in theaters right now are good. You don’t even have to have a family with you! You can go alone. You can go with your gal pals, your significant other, or your anger. You can take a neighbor, a plant, or a quiet pet. There are films for all of these social situations. You can go see something that will expand your mind or something that will make you chuckle or something that will make you weep bitterly and then punch a snow drift. Whatever you want, honestly.

Let’s run down your options and select what is best for your needs.

Just to be part of it all

Rogue One

Nothing sucks up the oxygen like a new Star Wars movie, and you’re more or less obligated to see it if you want to be part of the cultural conversation for the next three months. On the bright side: generally, these movies range in quality from “fine” to “very good,” and there are worse examples of peer pressure to succumb to. If you have $12.50-ish to spare then just go ahead and see the movie everyone else is seeing. It will feel nice! (Although I’ve heard that this movie is very dark, so it might not feel nice immediately.)

In theaters: Now.

Related

Rogue One: our spoiler-free Star Wars review

As a joke

Collateral Beauty

Will Smith stars in this film, which is sort of an updated A Christmas Carol and seemingly very messed up and bad. Terrible movies are great, but terrible movies in which characters reportedly say the title of the movie in reverent awe half a dozen times are better. Go to this one with some pals you need to catch up and giggle with. The movie theater is a better venue than your local bar, where you’re apt to run into your AP history teacher, or the mall food court, where you’re likely go deaf from the ruckus of screaming children. After you’re done, you can just watch a Will Smith movie you actually like, such as Focus.