Along with the new year comes a whole new slate of flicks to fill the movie houses and stream at home. Here are a few films we’re looking forward to in the first four months of the year.
January
There’s no better way to kick off the new year than watching Jason Statham kick ass and take names. If you like the idea of the charming chrome-domed bloke doing these things, you may dig his latest action film, The Beekeeper. If the lovable Statham doesn’t appeal to you, maybe you’d prefer a musical remake of a 20-year-old classic which will be released the same day, Mean Girls. Tina Fey, who wrote and starred in the original film, returns as Ms. Norbury with a cast of new characters including pop sensation Reneé Rapp as Regina George… So fetch.
A week later on Jan. 19, new sci-fi thriller I.S.S. sees its theatrical release. In I.S.S., tensions flare aboard the International Space Station as a conflict arises on Earth. Ultimately, the American and Russian astronauts receive orders from the ground to take control of the station from each other. The film stars Ariana DeBose, an actor known from her role in the original cast of Lin Manuel Miranda’s Broadway show Hamilton (plus the viral moment of the 2023 British Academy Film Awards where she memorably rapped that “Angela Basset did the thing”).
February
February is a month for movie lovers. Writer-director Diablo Cody of Juno and Jennifer’s Body returns to the cinemas with Lisa Frankenstein, a film set in 1989 involving a high schooler reanimating a Victorian corpse on a tanning bed.
On Feb. 14, cinephiles and Valentine’s Day daters have a few titles to choose from: Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s award-winning whimsical romance, Amélie, will float back into theaters for its 20th anniversary. Dakota Johnson walks into the web of Marvel superhero movies with Madame Web. And if you love movies that might be the visual equivalent of Wikipedia entries peppered with needledrops, then Bob Marley: One Love may be the Feb. 14 film for you.
For those who found last year’s Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey entertaining, it’s quite possible you will find Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey 2 equally entertaining. And what do you get when you combine the talents of Margaret Qualley, Pedro Pascal, a Coen brother and Matt Damon? A potentially great comedy thriller like Drive-Away Dolls, coming to theaters Feb. 23.
March
As we march into the third month of the year, we finally see Dune: Part Two, previously delayed due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA/WGA strike. Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) unites with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. In the following week, lovable protagonist Po returns in Kung Fu Panda 4. This time around, Po (voiced by Jack Black) has to fight a sorceress and villains from previous films.
A new Ghostbusters movie also premieres at the end of the month. A couple years ago, this irreverent comedy about schlubs and outcasts busting ghosts was reinvented as a somewhat dour adventure-fantasy. It made enough money to warrant a sequel starring the remaining three original ghostbusters, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
Also in March, Saint Maud director Rose Glass returns to the cinemas with her A24 romantic thriller Love Lies Bleeding starring Kristen Stewart. It’s a romance fueled by ego, desire and the American Dream. In the film, reclusive gym manager Lou (Kristen Stewart) falls for Jackie (Katy O’Brian), a bodybuilder, who ultimately leads them into a world of violence.
April
The deja-vu feelings keep coming in April, starting with a prequel to the ultimate evil kid movie. In The First Omen, a prequel to the 1975 classic The Omen, we follow a young American woman in Rome as she uncovers a dark conspiracy to bring about the birth of the antichrist. And when Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire comes out, we’ll see Godzilla and King Kong again with director Adam Wingard coming back to the fold. It will likely have some gargantuan fighting as well as some useless, boring humans.
For those who loved Christophe Gans’ 2006 cinematic interpretation of the surreal video game Silent Hill, he returns to cinema after a decade-long absence with a film that will Return To Silent Hill.
But if you crave ideas that aren’t based on a 48-year-old mediocre horror movie, a 70-year-old kaiju or a 25-year -old video game, maybe a potentially stressful movie like Alex Garland’s actioner Civil War will pique your interest. In his latest dive into WTF-ery, a team of journalists struggle to survive in the midst of a near future civil war filled with dystopian violence.
The month closes out with a release on April 26: Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers. Based on the trailer, the Call Me By Your Name director focuses on a tennis champion facing off against his wife’s former lover. Suffice to say, things quickly get pretty messy and complicated in this sports drama rom-com.
Whether you’re watching at home or supporting a local cinema like James Island’s Terrace Theatre, we hope you find joy in movies in 2024.
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