As we approach the Academy Awards in March, many of the Oscar hopefuls finally start making their way onto UK screens, with distributors looking to benefit from the strong award season word of mouth. Films that may rack up some nominations on 17th January, that are premiering in the UK next month, include: Robert Eggers’ remake of the 1922 classic, “Nosferatu”; RaMell Ross‘ experimental coming-of-age drama “Nickel Boys”; the Nicole Kidman fronted, erotic drama “Babygirl”; Jesse Eisenberg‘s “A Real Pain”; Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown”, starring Timothee Chalamet; major Oscar player “The Brutalist”; real life thriller “September 5”; “Saturday Night”; and Mike Leigh‘s latest drama “Hard Truths”.
As for releases for the new year, January is usually pretty poor in terms of new year releases worldwide, for example, last year saw the likes of “Night Swim” and the god awful “Mean Girls” remake hit cinemas. Things may be looking up in 2025 though with new year releases from acclaimed filmmakers Leigh Whannell, Mel Gibson and Steven Soderbergh. Whannell, who is famous for his horror titles “The Invisible Man” and “Saw”, brings us a modern retelling of the classic monster story “Wolf Man” as the second part of his own classic monster universe.
Mel Gibson’s latest film, “Flight Risk” is an air bound thriller starring Mark Wahlberg, Topher Grace and Michelle Dockery. And Steven Soderbergh takes a rare foray into the horror genre with “Presence”, a POV supernatural chiller that follows a haunted house from the ghosts’ perspective.
Which January release are you most excited for?
Nosferatu (15)
Dir: Robert Eggers
Cast: Bill Skarsgard, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe
Synopsis: In the 1830s, estate agent Thomas Hutter travels to Transylvania for a fateful meeting with Count Orlok, a prospective client. In his absence, Hutter’s new bride, Ellen, is left under the care of their friends, Friedrich and Anna Harding. Plagued by horrific visions and an increasing sense of dread, Ellen soon encounters an evil force that’s far beyond her control.
We Live in Time (15)
Dir: John Crowley
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Florence Pugh
Synopsis: Almut and Tobias are brought together by a surprise encounter that changes their lives. As they embark on a path challenged by the limits of time, they learn to cherish each moment of their unconventional love story.
Nickel Boys (12A)
Dir: RaMell Ross
Cast: Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, Daveed Diggs, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
Synopsis: Elwood Curtis’ college dreams are shattered when he’s sentenced to Nickel Academy, a brutal reformatory in the Jim Crow South. Clinging to his optimistic worldview, Elwood strikes up a friendship with Turner, a fellow Black teen who dispenses fundamental tips for survival.
Babygirl (TBC)
Dir: Halina Reijn
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Sophie Wilde, Antonio Banderas
Synopsis: A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with a much younger intern.
A Real Pain (15)
Dir: Jesse Eisenberg
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy, Daniel Oreskes
Synopsis: Mismatched cousins David and Benji tour Poland to honour their grandmother. Their adventure becomes complicated as old tensions resurface while exploring their family history.
A Complete Unknown (15)
Dir: James Mangold
Cast: Timothee Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook, Dan Fogler, Norbert Leo Butz, Scoot McNairy
Synopsis: In the early 1960s, 19-year-old Bob Dylan arrives in New York with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music. Forming his most intimate relationships during his rise to fame, he grows restless with the folk movement, making a controversial choice that reverberates worldwide.
Here (12A)
Dir: Robert Zemeckis
Cast: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Paul Bettany, Kelly Reilly
Synopsis: Multiple generations of couples and families inhabit the same home over the course of a century.
Wolf Man (TBC)
Dir: Leigh Whannell
Cast: Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Matilda Firth, Sam Jaeger
Synopsis: Blake and his family are attacked by an unseen animal and, in a desperate escape, barricade themselves inside a farmhouse as the creature prowls the perimeter. As the night stretches on, however, Blake begins to behave strangely, transforming into something unrecognizable that soon jeopardizes his wife and daughter.
Back in Action (TBC)
Dir: Seth Gordon
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Andrew Scott, Jamie Demetriou, Kyle Chandler, Glenn Close
Synopsis: Former CIA spies Emily and Matt are pulled back into espionage after their secret identities are exposed.
The Brutalist (18)
Dir: Brady Corbet
Cast: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Emma Laird, Isaach de Bankole, Alessandro Nivola
Synopsis: Escaping postwar Europe, visionary architect László Toth arrives in America to rebuild his life, his career, and his marriage. On his own in a strange new country, László settles in Pennsylvania, where the wealthy and prominent industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren recognizes his talent.
September 5 (15)
Dir: Tim Fehlbaum
Cast: Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, Leoni Benesch
Synopsis: During the 1972 Munich Olympics, an American sports broadcasting crew finds itself thrust into covering the hostage crisis involving Israeli athletes.
Flight Risk (15)
Dir: Mel Gibson
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Topher Grace, Michelle Dockery
Synopsis: A U.S. marshal boards a small plane to transfer a government witness to New York. As they cross the Alaskan wilderness, tensions start to rise as not everyone on the flight is who they appear to be.
Presence (TBC)
Dir: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: Lucy Liu, Julia Fox, Chris Sullivan
Synopsis: A family moves into a suburban house and becomes convinced they’re not alone.
Saturday Night (15)
Dir: Jason Reitman
Cast: Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O’Brien, Emily Fairn, Matt Wood, Lamorne Morris, Kim Matula, Finn Wolfhard, Nicholas Braun, Cooper Hoffman, Andrew Barth Feldman, Kaia Gerber, Tommy Dewey, Willem Dafoe, Matthew Rhys, J. K. Simmons
Synopsis: Tensions run high as producer Lorne Michaels and a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers prepare for the first broadcast of “Saturday Night Live” on Oct. 11, 1975.
Hard Truths (TBC)
Dir: Mike Leigh
Cast: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, David Webber, Tuwaine Barrett, Ani Nelson, Sophia Brown, Jonathan Livingstone
Synopsis: Pansy, angry and depressed, lashes out at family and strangers. Her constant criticism isolates her, except from her cheerful sister Chantal, who remains sympathetic despite their differences.
Companion (TBC)
Dir: Drew Hancock
Cast: Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillen, Rupert Friend
Synopsis: A billionaire’s death sets off a chain of events for Iris and her friends during a weekend trip to his lakeside estate.
Dan Loves Film 
Looking forward to seeing A Real Pain. It’s playing in just one independent theater here (the kind with old-style seating) I’m now so accustomed to being able to fully recline in movie theaters, I can’t go back.
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It is annoying how long I have had to wait for so many films in the UK. It is the same every year
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My sister-in-law is a sound editor and was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences last year. She’s a voting member! She gets a portal to see everything now. So jealous!
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We watched “A Complete Unknown” last night and loved it, and “A Real Pain” is a terrific film with a show-stopping performance by Kieran Culkin! Watching “Babygirl” and “Nightbitch” next! What a great time of year for movie lovers!
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It is indeed. Hopefully I can get to the cinema enough times in Jan to see them all
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I Think Sam Nivola would be great choice as Cyclops/Scott Summers In MCU
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