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15 Films to See in February (what are you watching?)

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It's finally the month of the Oscars, and while you catch up on the best films of last year, there's also a wealth of promising new films to check out in theaters. From horror to action to documentaries to the top Sundance winner to a Polish cannibal horror mermaid musical, there's something for everyone. We should also note that, for those looking to repertory options, Josef von Sternberg’s newly restored final film Anatahan will start rolling out this week.

Matinees to See: Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2/3), Youth in Oregon (2/3), The Space Between Us (2/3), David Brent: Life on the Road (2/10), The Great Wall (2/17), Land of Mine (2/17), Kiki (2/24)

15. XX (St. Vincent, Karyn Kusama, Roxanne Benjamin, Sofìa Carrillo, and Jovanka Vuckovic; Feb. 17)

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Synopsis: An all-female horror anthology.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: After the anthologies V/H/S and The ABCs of Death ran their course, it's time to put horror in the proper hands. XX offers four tales in the genre, all directed by females: Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent), Karyn Kusama (whose The Invitation was one of 2016's best films), Roxanne Benjamin (Southbound), and Jovanka Vuckovic (former editor of Rue Morgue magazine). With a cast including Natalie Brown, Melanie Lynskey, Breeda Wool, and Christina Kirk, reactions from Sundance indicate a hit-or-miss quality, but we're there to see St. Vincent's first effort behind the camera.

14. Imperial Dreams (Malik Vitthal; Feb. 3)

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Synopsis: A 21-year-old reformed gangster's devotion to his family and his future is put to the test when he is released from prison and returns to his old stomping grounds in Watts, Los Angeles.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: In the three years since the Sundance Film Festival premiere of Imperial Dreams, life has greatly changed for John Boyega. He's shot two Star Wars films, he's in the middle of shooting a Pacific Rim sequel, and worked with James Ponsoldt and Kathryn Bigelow on new features. After being in distribution limbo, Malik Vitthal's drama will now get a Netflix release this week and it looks to be a strong drama, which audiences already have embraced as it won the Audience Award in its Next section after its Sundance premiere.

13. A United Kingdom (Amma Assante; Feb. 10)

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Synopsis: Prince Seretse Khama of Botswana causes an international stir when he marries a white woman from London in the late 1940s.

Trailer

Why You Should See ItBelle director Amma Asante has returned with another historical drama, A United Kingdom, starring David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike. Premiering back at TIFF and now set for a release this month from Fox Searchlight, we said in our review, "the production is near flawless in period look and coherence towards what’s a rather complicated political issue consisting of numerous moving pieces. We understand why Britain looks to divide Khama’s family and why he’s desperate to stop them."

12. Kedi (Ceyda Torun; Feb. 10)

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Synopsis: A profile of an ancient city and its unique people, seen through the eyes of the most mysterious and beloved animal humans have ever known, the Cat.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: Shaping up to be the Citizen Kane of cat movies, Kedi follows a few of the hundreds of thousands of Turkish cats in Istanbul. Judging from the trailer, and positive acclaim from its year-long festival run, this will be the most adorable film of 2017.

11. The LEGO Batman Movie (Chris McKay; Feb. 10)

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Synopsis: Bruce Wayne must not only deal with the criminals of Gotham City, but also the responsibility of raising a boy he adopted.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: The self-awareness that was utterly absent from Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is thankfully showing up in The Dark Knight's latest adventure. Before Justice League and his stand-alone movie, another take on the superhero is coming shortly. Led by Will Arnett's angsty, hilarious, and lonely Caped Crusader, the perfecting voice cast includes Alfred (Ralph Fiennes), Dick Grayson/Robin (Michael Cera), Barbara Gordon/Batgirl (Rosario Dawson), The Joker (Zach Galifianakis), and Gotham's mayor (Mariah Carey). We imagine this will be the best DC film of the year.

10. War on Everyone (John Michael McDonagh; Feb. 3)

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Synopsis: Two corrupt cops set out to blackmail and frame every criminal unfortunate enough to cross their path.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: We've been waiting for a long time to see War on Everyone, the next film from The Guard and Calvary writer-director John Michael McDonagh, but finally -- after a Berlin premiere at the start of this year -- it will be landing in theaters this week. Starring Michael Peña and Alexander Skarsgård, we said in our review, "Steering into the frame to the sound of '70s rock music while giving chase in their muscle car to a fully-costumed, on-foot mime, the impeccably dressed, utterly corrupt police duo of Bob Bolaño (Michael Peña) and Terry Monroe (Alexander Skarsgård) initially appear to be running full-speed towards an even wackier version of the Starsky & Hutch movie we got in 2004. Audiences familiar with the work of director John Michael McDonagh (The Guard, Calvary), however, will know something else must be in store with War on Everyone, even if McDonagh himself has made no mystery of the slightly broader canvas he’s working on this time around."

9. The Lure (Agnieszka Smoczynska; Feb. 1)

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Synopsis: In Warsaw, a pair of mermaid sisters are adopted into a cabaret. While one seeks love with humans the other hungers to dine on the human population of the city.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: The Polish cannibal horror mermaid musical you've been waiting for is now in theaters. Following a Sundance premiere last year, Agnieszka Smoczynska's The Lure was picked up by Janus Films (which indicates a likely Criterion release). We said in our review, "Still, there is far too much here not to recommend. This is nothing if not brazen and intriguing filmmaking, and should be sought out and discussed, despite its shortcomings."

8. Dark Night (Tim Sutton; Feb. 3)

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Synopsis: The lives of six strangers intersect at a suburban Cineplex where a massacre occurs.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: Sure to be one of the most controversial films of the year,  we said in our review, "In many ways, writer-director Tim Sutton's third feature, Dark Night, exists in the same world as his first two films, Pavilion and Memphis. As we follow a collection of young men and women drifting through a long day in the American suburbs, many of the themes from his earlier work shine through -- boredom as punctuated by anger, lust, and artistic ambition, to name a few. Where the day will end we already know, thanks to the film's blunt title, a not-so-subtle reference to the 2012 shooting at a showing of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado."

7. I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (Macon Blair; Feb. 24)

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Synopsis: When a depressed woman is burglarized, she finds a new sense of purpose by tracking down the thieves alongside her obnoxious neighbor.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: After working with Jeremy Saulnier in all of his films thus far, Macon Blair premiered his directorial debut at Sundance this year where it picked up the Grand Jury Prize. We said in our review, "He’s got a confident hand here, utilizing his two leads to the maximum along with his own screenplay, which takes most scenes in an unexpected direction. No character is one thing in this film. And for as ridiculous as some of the engages get, most of it feels truer to life than one might expect. Consider one scene in which Ruth and Tony confront the group that now has her laptop. Initially tense, the moment releases into something a bit funny, weird, and refreshing."

6. A Cure for Wellness (Gore Verbinski; Feb. 17)

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Synopsis: An ambitious young executive is sent to retrieve his company's CEO from an idyllic but mysterious "wellness center" at a remote location in the Swiss Alps but soon suspects that the spa's miraculous treatments are not what they seem.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: The nearly 2.5-hour runtime may be daunting, but if it means the return of Gore Verbinski to the horror genre, we're there. After his Johnny Depp collaborations with the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels, Rango, and The Lone Ranger, the director is back with the creepy-looking horror starring Dane DeHaan, Mia Goth and Jason Isaacs. Earning comparisons to Shutter Island and the films of David Fincher and Park Chan-wook, hopefully this'll be a bright (dark) spot this month.

5. My Life as a Zucchini (Claude Barras; Feb. 24)

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Synopsis: Orphans in a children's home discover happiness when they have a gang of friends and learn how to fall in love.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: Earning an Oscar nomination, perhaps edging out Pixar, Sweden's Best Foreign Language Film entry is one to seek out. Scripted by Céline Sciamma (Girlhood), it tells the story of a boy who becomes orphaned after accidentally killing his alcoholic mother. Fear not though as it's not as depressing as that logline suggests, with Barras crafting a deeply felt tale of healing, even if it feels a tad too short at just over an hour. We said in our review, "Orphanages conjure up images of the hard-knock life and servings of gruel. This tough, deeply moving, Céline Sciamma-penned, 66-minute stop-motion gem from France shows the flipside. Sure, harsh realities are inevitably encountered -- sometimes in a more uncompromising fashion than you’ll ever see in what is ostensibly a children’s film -- but Claude Barras’ feature-directing debut has heart enough to show."

4. Get Out (Jordan Peele; Feb. 24)

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Synopsis: A young African-American man visits his Caucasian girlfriend's mysterious family estate.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: A secret screening at Sundance this year turned out to be one of the best films of the festival. We said in our review, "Resisting a deep racial analysis in the vein of I Am Not Your Negro, master satirist Jordan Peele’s horror comedy Get Out requires an audience ready to hoot, holler, yell, and laugh along. In large part, his directorial debut is a success, a rare studio comedy/thriller with a surface-level social agenda. The true test of a film like this is rather simple: are we with it or do we resist? The answer is largely the former and Get Out has a great of fun satirizing our “post-racial” society in a horror comedy of manners, though it never actually tackles the depressing realities of the issue."

3. Lovesong (So Yong Kim; Feb. 17)

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Synopsis: The relationship between two friends deepens during an impromptu road trip.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: It's hard to imagine many more films featuring better (mostly unspoken) chemistry than what Riley Keough and Jena Malone have in Lovesong. We said in our review, "Tender and haunting, So Yong Kim’s Lovesong is a carefully observed, nuanced character study beautifully written, directed and edited. Much of the action, like in her pervious features In Between Days, Treeless Mountain and For Ellen occurs at the edge of the frame. Exploring the bounds of motherhood, childhood and maturity, Lovesong is an impressive and observant feature in which Kim allows the relationships the breathing room they require for authenticity."

2. John Wick: Chapter Two (Chad Stahelski; Feb. 10)

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Synopsis: After returning to the criminal underworld to repay a debt, John Wick discovers that a large bounty has been put on his life.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: If you've seen John Wick, then I can make this quick. Following up one of the slickest action films of the last century, Keanu Reeves is back in the role he was born to play, and judging from early reactions, it's one of the few sequels to actually improve upon its predecessor. Yeah, we're thinking he's back.

1. I Am Not Your Negro (Raoul Peck; Feb. 3)

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Synopsis: Writer James Baldwin tells the story of race in modern America with his unfinished novel, Remember This House.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: One of the most affecting, incendiary documentaries I've seen in the last year, I Am Not Your Negro is an essential watch. Named one of our top 25 films of last year (when it got a qualifying run), we said, "Inspired by James Baldwin’s unfinished manuscript Remember This HouseRaoul Peck creates a sweeping commentary on race through the lens of Civil Rights leaders Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson and featuring an archive of interviews with Baldwin, Peck’s cinematic essay juxtaposes the author's observations and travels with contemporary materials that offer a warning from the past as unresolved racial tensions bubble up, even in a supposed post-racial Obama era."

Full List

• The Lure (Jan.) - 2/1
• Mr. Gaga: A True Story of Love and Dance (Abr.) - 2/1
• The Comedian (SPC) - 2/3
• Eloise (VE) - 2/3
• The Grace of Jake (Indic.) - 2/3
• Growing Up Smith (Good Deed) - 2/3
• I am Not Your Negro (Magn.) - 2/3
• Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (Sony) - 2/3
• Rings (Par.) - 2/3
• The Space Between Us (STX) - 2/3
• The Trouble with Terkel (2017) (Indic.) - 2/3
• Don't Hang Up (VE) - 2/10
• Fifty Shades Darker (Uni.) - 2/10
• Havenhurst (BSM) - 2/10
• John Wick: Chapter Two (LG/S) - 2/10
• Jolly Llb 2 (FIP) - 2/10
• Kedi (Osci.) - 2/10
• The LEGO Batman Movie (WB) - 2/10
• Stray Bullets (Scre.) - 2/10
• A United Kingdom (FoxS) - 2/10
• American Fable (IFC) - 2/17
• A Cure for Wellness (Fox) - 2/17
• Everybody Loves Somebody (PNT) - 2/17
• Fist Fight (WB (NL)) - 2/17
• The Great Wall (Uni.) - 2/17
• Land of Mine (SPC) - 2/17
• Lovesong (Strand) - 2/17
• Bitter Harvest (RAtt.) - 2/24
• Collide (ORF) - 2/24
• Get Out (Uni.) - 2/24
• Pelle the Conqueror (2017 re-release) (FM) - 2/24
• Rock Dog (LG/S) - 2/24
• Tulip Fever (Wein.) - 2/24
• Year by the Sea (Real Women) - 2/24

What are you watching this month?
 

Lan Dong Mik

And why would I want them?
Wow, I had no idea they were making a movie that's based on the theater shooting in Aurora. Not sure how I feel about that. The trailer looked interesting, but idk, seems kind of unnecessary imo.
 
Going to catch some late releases from 2016 like Hidden Figures, Manchester by the Sea, Lion and Love. Maybe Hacksaw Ridge too.

Lego Batman and John Wick 2 are locked as well.

I saw War on Everyone back in October and found it rather dull.
 
Lego Batman and John Wick 2

why the fuuuuuuuuuck is A Cure for Wellness 2 and half hours long?????? Its an asylum thriller Gore, that's 90 minutes top to get to "it turns out the protagonist was crazy all along", man. You'd think after those overlong Pirates films and the Lone Ranger I'd know better...
 

Timeaisis

Member
A Cure for Wellness, Wick 2, and I Am Not Your Negro for sure. Probably Lego Batman, depending.

Get Out looks a little too zany for my taste, but we'll see.
 

Lima

Member
War on Everyone is coming out just now in the US? Saw this last year here in Germany in theaters. It was fucking terrible.
 

overcast

Member
John Wick 2
My Life As A Zucchini
Get Out
I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore
Lego Batman

Think those are the only ones I'll be able to catch in theaters. Zucchini is in doubt though.
 

kunonabi

Member
For Sure:

John Wick: Chapter 2
A Cure for Wellness
I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore
The Lure

I haven't really enjoyed the latest crop of horror anthologies but I might check out XX anyway. Get Out is also a maybe. Not really a fan of Jordan Peele and the first trailer looked pretty bad but for some reason I really dug the latest trailer.
 

Ross61

Member
I was all in on Lego Batman but then I saw a few clips and didn't really laugh at all. Will wait for reviews before I make a decision.

But I'm definitely seeing John Wick and Get Out.
 
Big maybe month for me. I saw trailers for The Lure and The Cure for Wellness last night and both those looked good. Maybe John Wick 2 since I liked the 1st one just fine. Probably playing more catch up on The Salesman and hopefully Toni Erdmann comes to my indie theater soon.
 

kevin1025

Banned
I already have a LEGO Batman Movie ticket (for $3, which makes me feel good), and I'll likely see John Wick 2 if it doesn't have sequel fizz-out. Get Out, if it is a wide release at the end of the month, will definitely get a look-see, too.
 

PillarEN

Member
just looking at the synopses posted here I'm not really dead set on seeing any of these movies. I saw The Founder today and they ran a trailer for A Cure for Wellness. Had you not placed it so high on your list I would have completely dismissed it after it's completely generic trailer full of Inception horns. Hey movie companies, don't turn me off so quickly. But I guess they do it for a reason and it probably appeals to the masses. I'll wait and see for the general consensus there.

Only thing I'd like to see for sure at some point is I Am Not Your Negro.
 
11. The LEGO Batman Movie (Chris McKay; Feb. 10)
2. John Wick: Chapter Two (Chad Stahelski; Feb. 10)
1. I Am Not Your Negro (Raoul Peck; Feb. 3)

Interested:
10. War on Everyone (John Michael McDonagh; Feb. 3) - Hadn't heard about this but I'm interested now.
7. I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (Macon Blair; Feb. 24)

War on Everyone is coming out just now in the US? Saw this last year here in Germany in theaters. It was fucking terrible.

Well, that sucks.
 

Lima

Member
Yeah, it's also on VOD this Friday. I like everyone involved enough that I'm still curious about.

Definitely do. I would like to hear your opinion about it.

I was excited for it. Liked both The Guard and Calvary and Michael Peña is bueno in everything I've ever watched. He was the best part about the movie and some lines did work but on the whole it was quite messy.

"If you ain't got a good script, you ain't got shit" was a line made by one of the characters in the movie. Maybe that was some kind of meta commentary about his own movie but it was definitely true. The script was the weakest part.
 

border

Member
A Cure for Wellness looks like the movie that Shutter Island would have been, if Shutter Island had not attempted The Twist That Everyone Saw Coming.
 

border

Member
Yeah, it's also on VOD this Friday. I like everyone involved enough that I'm still curious about.

Do you know if Kedi is coming to VOD as well next week?

There is a "Pre-Order" link on the film's official website, but it doesn't mention when downloads will actually be available.
 

Rembrandt

Banned
In for Get Out and XX. shit, i forgot John Wick 2. That's an obvious fucking day one.

I'll watch I'm Not Your Negro at home. Probably be a limited release where I'm at and I'm not the biggest fan of watching these types of movies in theaters, though the audience will probably be better than 12 years a slave, django, birth of a nation.
 

FlowersisBritish

fleurs n'est pas britannique
I don't watch a lot of movies, but fuck If I'm not going to see Get Out! Horror needs a bit of revitalization and I love it when comedians branch off to not comedy things. Utter win-win for me. Edit; Holy shit read the synopsis of XX close enough! I <3 horror anthologies! Adding this to the list
 
I didn't realize John Wick 2 was so soon. Can't wait to see it!

I really want Cure for Wellness to be good, but that run time worries me.
 

opricnik

Banned
"12. Kedi (Ceyda Torun; Feb. 10)
"

looks cool , i might watch it if it comes to theaters here.


John Wick 2 is lock.

Review depends on lego batman.

others are home media for me
 
Lego Batman and John Wick 2

why the fuuuuuuuuuck is A Cure for Wellness 2 and half hours long?????? Its an asylum thriller Gore, that's 90 minutes top to get to "it turns out the protagonist was crazy all along", man. You'd think after those overlong Pirates films and the Lone Ranger I'd know better...

Watching all 3 in theaters and a few others in the list later on.

I love lone ranger and most gore movies but lol yeah this dude has not learnt how to cut down on runtimes yet huh

Damn shame about war on everyone maybe being wack. Calvary was one of the best movies of 2014.
 

daffy

Banned
For some reason I thought I Am Not Your Negro was a Netflix release. Guess I'll have to catch it soon then. A lot of this list is like Sundance 2016 screeners.. felt like they took abit longer to release than the year before.
 
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