Thought all the good movies into hibernation in February, perpetually leaving us with just Gerard Butler throttling terrorist goons and the odd straight-to Netflix romcom? Think again! This month is a feast of cracking new cinema releases that includes everything from acclaimed foreign-language thrillers (The Seed of the Sacred Fig) to gnarly Stephen King creature features (The Monkey). And the queen of London romcoms is tripping back into cinemas this month, too. Yes, Bridge returns in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy and trust us, it’s a Valentine’s (or Galentine's) Day treat.
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Now known as an Oscar winner for Everything Everywhere All at Once rather than just ‘Data from The Goonies’, Ke Huy Quan gets his own star vehicle in an action flick with shades of The Long Kiss Goodnight. He plays an estate agent with a violent past that returns to haunt him.
In cinemas Feb 7
Bookworms of a certain age (ie: 6-9) will need no introduction to the canine hero of Dav Pilkey’s kids’ lit series, He comprises policeman Officer Knight and the quick-witted Greg the Dog, sewn together to form a super cop. If this all sounds like body horror, fear not: it’s likely to be the perfect half-term animation.
In cinemas Feb 7
Boxing has the highest hit rate in the sports canon – with baseball in hot pursuit. This inspiring true-life drama about teen champ Claressa ‘T-Rex’ Shields (Ryan Destiny) and her path to the 2012 Olympics should be another rousing journey onto the canvas. Brian Tyree Henry co-stars as her tough-love coach.
In cinemas Feb 7
Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof made this politically-charged domestic thriller right under the nose of his homeland’s repressive regime. It premiered in Cannes to a standing ovation, hailed as an act of raw courage as well as a striking piece of filmmaking. Check out what all the fuss is about.
In cinemas Feb 7
Barry Keoghan and Wolf Man’s Christopher Abbott star in a rural revenge thriller set in a part of the Irish countryside with plenty of room to bury bodies. Directed with taut control by first-timer Christopher Andrews, it’s a story of feuding families that’s unlikely to have too many winners.
In cinemas Feb 7
Bridge is back! Four years on, Renée Zellweger’s ex-singleton is still grieving her hubbie, and the dad of her two children, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). Enter Shazzer and her posse of mates to persuade her to give Tinder a go. Leo Woodall (One Day) is the hunky toyboy who relights her fire – possibly to ‘Relight My Fire’.
In cinemas Feb 13
Aussie filmmaker Adam Elliot specialises in tragicomic yarns rendered in stop-motion animation and with a slight macabre edge. And as his 2003 short Harvie Krumpet and debut feature Mary and Max prove, he’s really good at it. His latest boasts Sarah Snook as the voice of a foster kid with a snail collection and a tough road ahead of her.
In cinemas Feb 13
It’s a big year for Stephen King fans at the multiplex. Edgar Wright’s new take on The Running Man is out in November and The Life of Chuck, with Tom Hiddleston, should drop into cinemas at some point too. But ahead of those two comes the cursed symbol-banging toy monkey from King’s 1980 short story. It should be toy-rifying.
In cinemas Feb 21
It may be a surprise pick as a Best Picture nominee at March’s Oscars, but it’s definitely a justifiable one. Walter Salles’s family drama, set in Rio during Brazil’s fascistic 1970s military junta, is a classy, emotional affair. It’s built around Fernanda Torres’s magnetic performance as a matriarch trying to hold her family together when her husband is abducted by the army.
In cinemas Feb 21
Pamela Andersonaissance is here! The one-time Baywatch star is a revelation as a 57-year-old Vegas performer whose revue is faced with closure in Gia Coppola’s heartfelt drama. Jamie Lee Curtis and Dave Bautista co-star.
In cinemas Feb 28
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