January is always a busy time for Hollywood – awards season is well and truly underway, and studios are hoping to make a big impression at the Golden Globes and the Oscars.
There’s more than one film released in January with one eye on sneaking a late nomination for Best Picture – and no, we’re not talking about Bad Boys For Life.
For film fans, it all makes for an exciting few weeks. From adrenaline-inducing war epics to moving character studies and irreverent comedies, these are the must-see films arriving in UK cinemas in January.
1917 – January 10
Sam Mendes’s war epic 1917 is being hailed as a “masterpiece” by critics, and it’s already being slated as a possible contender for the Best Picture at the Oscars. The film – which came out in the US over Christmas – follows two British soldiers posted in northern France during the First World War, who embark on an ambitious mission to deliver a message that could save 1,600 men from an enemy ambush. It’s all ostensibly taking place in one shot too, and already shaping up to be one of the films of the year.
Bad Boys for Life – January 17
Buddy cops Will Smith and Martin Lewis are back in the driving seat one last time as Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, 17 years after Bad Boys II. This time around they’re on the brink of retirement but, just before they can leave the line of duty, find themselves targeted by a mob boss dead set on revenge. It certainly won’t be subtle or cerebral, but you can bet this s*** is about to get real all over again.
Dolittle – January 17
We’ve had Eddie Murphy’s version of Dr Dolittle, and now we’re getting Robert Downey Jr’s own inimitable take on the character. This new film follows the eccentric doctor and his animal friends as they set off on an adventure around the world, attempting to find a cure for a mystery illness in order to save an unwell Queen Victoria. Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen and Jim Broadbent all appear in live action roles, while the bumper voice cast features the likes of Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, John Cena, Octavia Spencer, Tom Holland and Ralph Fiennes.
A Hidden Life – January 17
Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life is being hailed as his best in years by critics, with the Standard’s David Sexton calling it “a work of genius, at last a justification of Malick’s late style.” The moving drama tells the story of the Austrian farmer Franz Jägerstätter (August Diehl), who was a conscientious objector in the Second World War and later beatified by the Catholic Church.
Bombshell – January 17
The new drama from director Jay Roach tells the story of Fox News and the women who exposed CEO Roger Ailes for sexual harassment. The movie features an stellar cast, starring Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson, Margot Robbie as the fictional Kayla Pospisil and John Lithgow as Ailes.
