We love Christmas as much as the next person, but come January we’ve usually had our fill of festive TV and family board games, and are itching to watch something decent on the big screen.
Well, luckily, there are some enthralling movies to look forward to at Cineworld in the new year, including a very belated third film in the smash-hit Bad Boys series; a star-studded dramatisation of a three women taking on their corporation; and an endearing biopic of one of America’s best-loved TV stars, with Tom Hanks in the lead role.
Diaries at the ready, then – here’s what's in store at Cineworld…
1. Jojo Rabbit
Taika Waititi’s canon of work is nothing if not eclectic. The New Zealand filmmaker directed the chortlesome cult thriller What We Do In The Shadows in 2014, before helming the Marvel blockbuster Thor: Ragnarok in 2017 – and now he turns his hand to satirical black comedy in this loose adaptation of Christine Leunens’ book Caging Skies.
The story revolves around Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis), a member of the Hitler Youth who discovers that his mother Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding Jewish girl Elsa (Thomas McKenzie) in their loft, forcing him to question his beliefs.
With the cast also including Rebel Wilson, Sam Rockwell and Waititi himself as Jojo’s imaginary friend Adolf Hitler, Jojo Rabbit is sure to put bums on seats when it lands at Cineworld on the 3rd of January.
2. The Lighthouse
What do The Artist, Schindler’s List and The Elephant Man all have in common? They were all brilliant films, yes, but they were also all shot in black and white. And you can now add The Lighthouse to that list of monochromatic movies.
A hit at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Robert Eggers’ follow-up to his acclaimed debut The Witch stars Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson as a pair of New England lighthouse keepers who begin to lose their sanity when they become stranded by a storm.
Shot in the style of an early sound movie, framed by a claustrophobic 'Academy' aspect ratio, the film is set to be completely different from any other release in 2020. The Lighthouse will illuminate Cineworld cinemas from the 31st of January.
3. 1917
Sam Mendes’s eighth film as a director – and his first since the 2015 James Bond flick Spectre – is reportedly based on a yarn that his grandfather once told him.
Set during the First World War, 1917 follows two British soldiers (George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman) as they embark on a daring mission to deliver a message to their comrades, warning of a deadly ambush. Astonishingly, the movie is captured in one shot by Mendes and Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins.
With Mendes being an Oscar-winning director, the film was always going to attract big names, and Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch and Mark Strong all join the aforementioned leads. The movie is released on the 10th of January.
4. Bad Boys for Life
It's been 16 years since Bad Boys II (don't tell us you ain't seen it), and Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reunite for a third instalment in the buddy-movie franchise.
Why the delay? While there’s never been an official reason, the answer may lie in comments made by Bad Boys/Bad Boys II director Michael Bay during an interview with HeyUGuys in 2016: "I don’t know why they can’t get a script together," he conceded. "There’s a point where [you think] life’s too short."
Well, clearly ‘they’ did eventually manage to write a script, and the film has been made, with relative unknowns Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah taking over directorial duties. Bad Boys For Life (in Cineworld cinemas from the 17th of January) sees Smith and Lawrence’s characters under threat from a Romanian mob boss just as they’re about to retire. And it must be fairly good, as El Arbi and Fallah are now being linked with the forthcoming Beverly Hills Cop 4, starring Eddie Murphy.
5. The Personal History of David Copperfield
No, nothing to do with the American illusionist who made the Statue of Liberty disappear. The Personal History of David Copperfield (at Cineworld from the 24th of January) is a British-made comedy-drama based on Charles Dickens’ semi-autobiographical novel.
Directed Alan Partridge and The Thick Of It creator Armando Iannucci (who won plaudits for his 2017 comedy The Death of Stalin), it stars Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) as the titular protagonist, along with a stellar supporting cast that includes Peter Capaldi, Hugh Laurie, Tilda Swinton and Ben Whishaw.
Dickens once revealed that, out of all of his works, David Copperfield was the one he had the most affection for, describing it as his "favourite child". No pressure then, guys.
6. Bombshell
Best-known for directing the Austin Powers movies and first two Meet the Parents films, Jay Roach takes on an altogether more thorny topic in his 11th movie outing.
Starring Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie, Bombshell focuses on the allegations of sexual misconduct made by several women against former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes (played here by John Lithgow) – accusations that led to Ailes’ resignation in 2016.
With the whole #MeToo movement being a hot topic at the moment, Bombshell should be an explosive watch when it arrives at Cineworld on the 24th of January.
7. Waves
Trey Edward Shults follows up his acclaimed 2017 horror film It Comes At Night with another low-budget offering. Waves follows a dysfunctional suburban family as they navigate a series of difficult challenges: illness, loss, jealousy and an unwanted pregnancy.
Beautifully shot and featuring a cracking soundtrack that includes music from Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor, it’s an emotional rollercoaster with its fair share of twists and turns. Waves is released in Cineworld on the 17th of January.
8. Just Mercy
Compared to the 1990s, when we had The Firm, The Rainmaker, A Few Good Men and The Pelican Brief, there’s been a dearth of quality legal dramas recently. So we welcome Just Mercy with open arms.
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton – probably best known for 2013 Brie Larson film Short Term 12 – it tells the true story of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), an Alabama man who, with the help of a young attorney (Michael B Jordan), fights to overturn his conviction for murder.
Just Mercy lands in Cineworld cinemas on the 17th of January, and if the early reviews are anything to go by, there’s a very good case to see it.
9. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Much like James Stewart before him, Tom Hanks brings a warmth to the screen that’s hard to resist. So who better to portray the late Fred Rogers, one of America’s best-loved TV personalities?
Inspired by a 1998 Esquire article, the Marielle Heller-directed A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood tells the story of a journalist (Matthew Rhys) who’s assigned to profile Rogers, then a massive star in the States due to his long-running children’s TV series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
Fred’s widow Joanne has reportedly stated that Hanks was the perfect actor to play her husband. And after seeing him in this funny and poignant biopic (in Cineworld cinemas from the 31st of January), we can’t help but agree.
Of course, if you become a Cineworld Unlimited member, you can watch all of these movies and many more, as well as getting invites to preview screenings and money off food and drink, all for just £18.40 per month (there's a higher fee for cinemas in London’s West End). To find out more, watch our video below.
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