2023 gets off to an exciting start with the long-awaited third movie from
actor turned director Todd Field, Mark Jenkin's followup to
his acclaimed debut Bait, a semi-autobiographical drama from Steven Spielberg and
more.
Piggy (Jan 6th, cinemas)
Written and directed by Carlota Pereda, Spanish thriller Piggy
stars Laura Galán as Sara, a teen subjected to constant bullying over
her weight. When she witnesses some of her tormentors being abducted in a
stranger's van, Sara keeps her knowledge a secret from the police.
M3GAN (Jan 13th, cinemas)
Gerard Johnstone, director of the acclaimed New Zealand horror
Housebound, makes his Hollywood debut with this tech-thriller. The film stars Alison Williams as Gemma, the designer of M3GAN, a lifelike
robotic companion for children. When Gemma finds herself the guardian of
her young niece (Violet McGraw), she attempts to pair M3GAN with
the child, with disastrous consequences.
Enys Men (Jan 13th, cinemas)
Writer/director Mark Jenkin drew much acclaim for his lo-fi,
Cornwall-set debut Bait. He now follows up his debut with an entry in the folk-horror genre. Set in 1973,
Enys Men stars Mary Woodvine as a wildlife volunteer
who finds nightmarish new horizons opening up with the discovery of a
mysterious plant on a remote island.
Tár (Jan 13th, cinemas)
Actor Todd Field made a hugely successful transition to directing
with In the Bedroom and Little Children. 15 years after his last movie, he returns with Tár. The film stars Cate Blanchett as a classical music composer who
becomes the first woman to conduct a German orchestra.
More Than Ever (Jan 13th, cinemas)
Phantom Thread
breakout star Vicky Krieps continues her rise with this drama from
director Emily Atef. Upon being diagnosed with a rare lung disease, Helene (Krieps) leaves
behind her husband (Gaspard Ulliel in one of his final screen roles
prior to his death) and travels to Norway to meet a vlogger (Bjørn Floberg) who is similarly ill.
The Substitute (Jan 20th, cinemas)
Directed by Diego Lerman, The Substitute is a school
drama in the tradition of Blackboard Jungle and
Dangerous Minds. The film stars Juan Minujín as a substitute teacher assigned to a
tough Buenos Aires school. There he finds himself making an enemy of a local
gang when one of his pupils lands in trouble.
Alice, Darling (Jan 20th, cinemas)
British actress Mary Nighy makes her feature directorial debut with
this psychological thriller. Cast against type, Anna Kendrick plays a
young woman who reassesses her relationship with a psychologically abusive
boyfriend while on vacation.
Holy Spider (Jan 20th, cinemas)
Denmark’s submission for Best International Feature for the 2023 Academy
Awards comes from
Border
director Ali Abbasi. Inspired by the true story of Iranian serial killer Saeed Hanaei,
Holy Spider stars Cannes Best Actress Award winner
Zar Amir Ebrahimi as the journalist who sets out to expose the
killer, who is targeting sex workers.
Unwelcome (Jan 27th, cinemas)
Grabbers director Jon Wright returns with another
Irish set horror. Unwelcome stars
Hannah John-Kamen and Douglas Booth as a young couple who
move to the Irish countryside in search of a peaceful life. But wouldn't
you know it, they only find themselves menaced by murderous goblins.
The Fabelmans (Jan 27th, cinemas)
Steven Spielberg draws on his own life with his
semi-autobiographical drama The Fabelmans. The film stars newcomer Gabriel LaBelle as Sammy Fabelman, a
16-year-old who dreams of becoming a filmmaker in the Arizona of the 1960s.
Michelle Williams plays his inspirational, artistic mother with
Paul Dano as his engineer father.