Good Grief
Daniel Levy’s feature directorial debut is a tribute to friendship. He stars as Marc, a man grieving the sudden loss of his husband (Luke Evans), who embarks on a trip to Paris with his two best friends (played by Ruth Negga and Himesh Patel) for a change in perspective.
Now streaming on Netflix
Mean Girls
We won’t be the ones to say “this is not you mother’s Mean Girls” (how old are these mothers exactly??), but we can agree that this is a new take on the beloved teen comedy, 20 years later. Based on the 2018 Broadway production, this movie musical also comes from Tina Fey and stars Reneé Rapp as Regina George, Auli’i Cravalho as Janis Ian, Spider-Man’s Angourie Rice as Cady Heron, and The Summer I Turned Pretty’s Christopher Briney as Aaron Samuels.
In theaters January 12
The Book of Clarence
Jay-Z produced this biblical epic comedy from The Harder They Fall director Jeymes Samuel. LaKeith Stanfield stars as Clarence, a man on the outskirts of Jesus’ life, seeking the same glory and recognition as him. But Clarence’s desperate pursuit of greatness leads him down a questionable path. The cast includes Omar Sy, Anna Diop, David Oyelowo, Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, and Caleb McLaughlin.
In theaters January 12
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Origin
Ava DuVernay takes on an ambitious project, adapting Isabel Wilkerson’s Pulitzer-winning Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents for the screen, by interweaving her rich research with a human story. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor plays the author as she endures a personal tragedy, travels the globe, and turns her discoveries into a groundbreaking book.
In theaters January 19
Totém
Tótem tells the story of a family over a single day, through the eyes of 7-year-old Sol, as she watches her mother and relatives organize her father’s birthday party. It’s Mexico’s official submission to the Oscars.
In theaters January 26
Shayda
Shayda (Holy Spider’s Zar Amir Ebrahimi) and her 6-year-old daughter, Mona, are living in a women’s shelter, hoping for a fresh start after leaving her husband and filing for divorce. But he re-emerges when he’s given visitation rights, and Shayda worries he’ll take their daughter back to their native Iran. Stirring yet hopeful, the film is partially based on the life of Iranian-Australian director Noora Niasari and her mother.
In theaters in New York and Los Angeles on March 1, before expanding to more cities
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Argylle
Dua Lipa makes her acting debut in this flashy spy flick following Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard), the author of a wildly popular espionage series. Things start to get out of hand when Elly learns that the events in her book are actually predicting spy activity in real life—and some people are out to get her for it. The bonkers cast includes Sam Rockwell, Henry Cavill, John Cena, Ariana DeBose, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, and Samuel L. Jackson. Somehow, a cat in backpack has something to do with all of this too.
In theaters February 2
How to Have Sex
This film by British director Molly Manning Walker has been gathering buzz since debuting at Cannes last year. A raw look at young adulthood, friendship, and consent, it follows a group of British teens on a debaucherous girls trip to Greece, during which one friend, Tara, is set on losing her virginity.
In theaters February 2
Lisa Frankenstein
She was a girl. He was a corpse. Kathryn Newton stars as a high schooler who brings her undead crush (Cole Sprouse) back to life in this bloody, totally ’80s love story. Zelda Williams (daughter of the late Robin) makes her feature directorial debut from a script by Diablo Cody.
In theaters February 9
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Upgraded
This rom-com stars Riverdale’s Camila Mendes as Ana Santos, an aspiring art gallerist who’s currently working a lowly auction house job without pay. When she accidentally gets seated in first class on a work trip, she gets mistaken for her powerful boss (Marisa Tomei) and ends up in a whirlwind romance (with Shadow and Bone’s Archie Renaux) and a much-needed career boost. She just needs to keep from getting caught.
On Amazon Prime Video February 9
Drift
Cynthia Erivo stars in, produces, and wrote an original song for this film, which follows Jacqueline, a Liberian refugee recovering in Greece. Among the ruins, she befriends an American tour guide (Alia Shawkat) and, in their own ways, they help each other survive.
In theaters in New York February 9 and in theaters nationwide February 16
The Taste of Things
France’s submission to the Oscars will have your mouth watering right at the opening scene. Rich with delicious shots of food, this film from Trân Anh Hùng follows chef Dodin Bouffant (Benoit Magimel) and his personal cook and lover Eugénie (Juliette Binoche) in 1889 France. It’s a heartwarming portrayal of love in the autumn years.
In select theaters February 9, then expanding on February 14
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Bob Marley: One Love
Kingsley Ben-Adir plays reggae icon Bob Marley and Lashana Lynch is his wife Rita in this long-awaited biopic from King Richard director Reinaldo Marcus Green. The film follows Marley’s life and career, including the One Love Peace Concert, which he held in Jamaica shortly after surviving an assassination attempt. As his son Ziggy Marley, also a producer on the film, said at CinemaCon, “This message of unity and love is as urgent as ever.”
In theaters February 14
Madame Web
The spider-verse keeps growing with Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb, a clairvoyant paramedic working in Manhattan. Her mysterious visions of the future connect her with three young women, all of whom will become different iterations of Spider-Woman (or Spider-Girl, depending on the comics). But in the meantime, they’re pursued by a dangerous villain—who was in the Amazon with Cassandra’s mom, researching spiders right before she died.
In theaters February 16
This Is Me...Now: The Film
The long-awaited follow-up to Jennifer Lopez’s This Is Me...Then album finally arrives, with an accompanying film to boot. It’ll not only bring her songs to life in a visual way, but also offer a “reimagining of her publicly scrutinized love life,” according to a press release. We smell a Ben Affleck cameo.
On Amazon Prime Video on February 16
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Drive-Away Dolls
Jamie (Margaret Qualley) is fresh off a breakup from her girlfriend (Beanie Feldstein). Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) is a goody two shoes who needs to loosen up. Together, the two friends take off on a road trip to Tallahassee, but become unknowingly involved in some bizarre criminal activity along the way. The cameo-filled comedy is directed by Ethan Coen, who wrote the script with Tricia Cooke.
In theaters February 23
Fall Guy
Ryan Gosling is busting out of the Mojo Dojo Casa House for this big, ballsy action flick. He plays a stuntman, Colt, who gets cast in a film directed by his ex, Jody (Emily Blunt), much to her chagrin. When her leading man (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) goes missing, Colt goes on a mission to bring him back, save the film, and win back Jody’s love. Partially based on the ’80s TV series of the same name, it’s directed by IRL stuntman and filmmaker David Leitch, with actual stunt people in supporting roles.
In theaters March 1
Damsel
Millie Bobby Brown is Elodie, a damsel who agrees to marry a handsome prince, only to find the royal family has agreed to sacrifice her. In fact, she’s told she joins “long line of women who have helped to build this kingdom.” And so, she’s cast into a pit with a fire-breathing dragon—can she make it out alive? Angela Bassett and Robin Wright also star.
On Netflix March 8
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Love Lies Bleeding
Kristen Stewart stars as Lou, a gym manager who falls for Jackie (Katy O’Brian), a bodybuilder with dreams of making it big in Vegas. Things get bloody when they become entwined with Lou’s criminal family. Expect guns, mullets, and milkshakes in this A24 thriller from Rose Glass (Saint Maud). Jena Malone, Dave Franco, and Ed Harris are also in the cast.
In theaters March 8
Dune: Part Two
Timothée Chalamet will trade in Wonka’s top hat for Arrakis armor. In this second half of Denis Villeneuve’s saga, Paul Atreides seeks to avenge his father’s death with his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), Chani (Zendaya), and the Fremen. Austin Butler joins the cast as his nemesis Feyd-Rautha of House Harkonnen, along with Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan. And Zendaya finally gets more screen time!
In theaters March 15
Watch Next
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
