Going forward, I’ll be previewing notable movies to be (wide) released within the next 30 days at the beginning of each month. I’ve always found it to be a bit of a hassle to keep track of movies that I’d like to see and when they actually get released, so hopefully this will be a helpful tool for everyone. My “intrigue” rating is on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being a hard pass and 10 being a must-see.
Birds of Prey: The Emancipation of Harley Quinn – Friday February 7th
Intrigue: 5.5
Trailer is colorful but I still think the most fascinating thing about this movie right now is its title. It’s more of a spinoff than sequel of the dreadful Suicide Squad, though, so I guess that’s a small positive. Margot Robbie is a fantastic actress and she alone might make it salvageable, but I’m also looking forward to seeing Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim), Jurnee Smollett-Bell (Gridiron Gang), and Ali Wong as fellow female superheroes. Ewan McGregor is also playing the baddie.
Fantasy Island – Valentine’s Day
Intrigue: 5
Blumhouse films are typically pretty boom or bust, and looks like that could very well be the case again here. It’s based on the TV show of the same name from the 1970s and looks like a heavy mix of humor and twisted horror. Lucy Hale (Scream 4) is in the spotlight alongside Michael Peña (who plays the owner of the island). Other names include Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy), Jimmy O. Yang, Charlotte McKinney, Portia Doubleday and Maggie Q. There’s certainly some potential in this one, just not sure how well it’ll be harnessed.
The Photograph – Valentine’s Day
Intrigue: 5
Trailer makes the plot a little unclear, though it seems to involve a romance that’s centered around a photograph belonging to the mother of Issa Rae’s character (LaKeith Stanfield also stars and should give some added juice). Not a whole lot else to add here, though Chelsea Peretti (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Courtney B. Vance (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) make for some interesting co-stars.
Sonic The Hedgehog – Valentine’s Day
Intrigue: 7
I’m probably far more intrigued by this than I should be (mostly thanks to the bananas initial trailer, which then led to the creators redesigning Sonic himself and pushing the release date back multiple months). Ben Schwartz stars as Sonic, with James Marsden as his friendly acquaintance and Jim Carrey as the evil Dr. Robotnik. Some will say we don’t need this movie but I firmly disagree – it’s primed for a beautiful trainwreck.
The Call of the Wild – Friday February 21st
Intrigue: 6.5
Obviously based on the iconic Jack London novel, it’s the story of an Alaskan sled dog and his master (Harrison Ford) as they brave the frightening terrain. Little surprised Ford is doing this, as he’s been pretty selective with his roles in recent years and they’re using a CGI dog (which makes it even harder to act) but I’m fairly interested in this thanks to him and director Chris Sander (How to Train Your Dragon, Lilo & Stitch). Hope it turns out well.
The Invisible Man – Friday February 28th
Intrigue: 6
A remake based on the classic from 1933 of the same title. Elisabeth Moss has been on a role lately and it’ll be interesting to see if she can continue that here. Oliver Jackson-Cohen (The Haunting of Hill House) plays her abusive husband who suddenly (apparently) kills himself, leaving Moss’ character to try to prove her sanity as she’s stalked by his “ghost.” Directed by Leigh Whannell (Upgrade) so it’s certainly in capable hands, and the trailer definitely helps build the hype. Could be an early season surprise.