Our guide to the most enticing films coming to UK/ROI cinemas in February.
February sees two of 2019's most acclaimed movies - Bong Joon-ho's Parasite and CΓ©line Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire - finally arrive in UK/ROI cinemas. We also get new works by acclaimed filmmakers like Michael Winterbottom, Takashi Miike and Todd Haynes, not to mention the long awaited return of Richard Stanley.
Here are the 10 UK/ROI cinema releases we believe are most worthy of your attention this February.
Daniel Isn't Real
Like a horror riff on Fight Club, Daniel Isn't Real stars Miles 'son of Tim' Robbins as a troubled young man who unleashes his imaginary friend (Patrick 'son of Arnold' Schwarzenegger) when he struggles to cope with adult life. The movie shares so many striking similarities with Todd Phillips' Joker that you'll come away wondering if Phillips was influenced by its source, author Brian DeLeeuw's novel 'In This Way I was Saved'.
In cinemas February 7th.
Parasite
Winner of the Palme d'Or at last year's Cannes Film Festival, a surprise hit in US cinemas, and nominated for Best Picture at this year's Oscars, Bong Joon-ho's Parasite sees the Korean filmmaker return to his native land following a stint in English language filmmaking with Snowpiercer and Okja. Parasite explores South Korea's class divisions through a story of two families - one working class, one middle class - who form a symbiotic relationship that becomes threatened by the arrival of an interloper.
In cinemas February 7th.
First Love
The prolific Japanese shockmeister Takashi Miike returns with this crime thriller/love story. Two young people fall in love while getting caught up in Tokyo's underworld over the course of a night that takes in brain-damaged boxers, underwear clad ghosts and an amputee mobster.
In cinemas February 14th.
End of the Century
Drawing comparisons with Andrew Haigh's Weekend and Luca Guadagnino's Call Me by Your Name, writer/director Lucio Castro's feature debut End of the Century is an intimate love story focussed on two gay men who bond over the course of a day in Barcelona. They come to realise that they had an encounter two decades earlier, when both men were still in the closet.
In cinemas February 21st.
Greed
Writer/director Michael Winterbottom collaborates with Steve Coogan once again for this mockumentary. Coogan plays a British fashion mogul (said to be inspired by TopShop's Philip Green) planning an elaborately tasteless 60th birthday party on a Greek island in this satire of the excesses of the super wealthy.
In cinemas February 21st.
Little Joe
Austrian filmmaker Jessica Hausner makes her English language debut with this sci-fi drama. The title refers to a plant developed by scientists Emily Beecham and Ben Whishaw, which possesses the power to fill its owner with feelings of contentment. However, those exposed to the plant begin to exhibit strange and disturbing behaviour.
In cinemas February 21st.
Color Out of Space
Richard Stanley was one of the hottest genre filmmakers of the '90s before his career was derailed by his disastrous time working on the ill-fated The Island of Dr. Moreau. Stanley finally makes his return with this John Carpenter influenced HP Lovecraft adaptation. Nicolas Cage delivers a typically manic turn in this tale of a small town subjected to dark forces following the crash landing of a meteorite.
In cinemas February 28th.
Dark Waters
A change of pace for a filmmaker known for his unique brand of cinematic nostalgia, Todd Haynes' Dark Waters is a political drama based on true events. Mark Ruffalo plays Robert Bilott, a lawyer who exposed chemical company DuPont's poisoning of the water supply in rural West Virginia. Anne Hathaway and Tim Robbins also star.
In cinemas February 28th.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Winner of Best Screenplay and the Queer Palm at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, writer/director CΓ©line Sciamma's period romance Portrait of a Lady on Fire stars NoΓ©mie Merlant as a painter hired to paint a secret portrait of a young society woman (AdΓ¨le Haenel) who is destined to enter into a loveless marriage. Romance blossoms between painter and subject in this intoxicating drama set in 1760 France.
In cinemas February 28th.
True History of the Kelly Gang
Australian director Justin Kurzel (Macbeth; Assassin's Creed) returns home to tell the story of his country's most infamous outlaws. Based on Peter Carey's 2000 novel, the film stars George MacKay as Ned Kelly, with Russell Crowe, Thomasin McKenzie, Nicholas Hoult and Charlie Hunnam also starring.
In cinemas February 28th.
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