All of the focus on catching up with the holiday releases and awards contenders at the top of the calendar relegates the first crop of films actually releasing in the new year to second class status. While I'm not trying to pretend that the majority of the best film-watching experiences that are had during this time don't involve seeing movies that nobody outside of LA and NYC were able to see until after New Year's Day, this pretty widespread notion that the early months of the year are nothing more than a shallow dumping ground for the titles that couldn't cut as a prime summer or fall release is kind of ridiculous. In fact, a handful of my favorite films of 2024 (Challengers, Abigail, Civil War, Monkey Man, Snack Shack) were released in January-April and there's another 10-12 titles from this stretch of the calendar that I found to be quite enjoyable. And all of this came in a year where the release output was down as a residual effect from the strikes!
When it comes to potential winners among the winter/spring 2025 slate, there's plenty to be found. There's some exciting original projects of varying scales (Sinners, Companion, Love Hurts), long-gestating sequels (Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, The Accountant 2, Paddington in Peru) to films that really resonated with audiences and the return of Bong Joon-Ho (Mickey 17) a full 5+ years after Parasite made Oscar history. Given all of the gaps in calendar that exist at the moment, there's also plenty of opportunities for this slate to beef up in the coming weeks-especially on the streaming side of the coin where next to no release dates beyond January have been revealed at this point. As of right now, here are the 10 films I'm most looking forward to watching from January-April.
10.One of Them Days (January 17):
Friday-esque hangout buddy comedies have basically gone extinct over the past 10-15 years and the pairing of Keke Palmer and SZA-making her acting debut-as best friends scrambling around LA to make $1,500 in order to avoid eviction from their crappy apartment is one that feels like it could properly honor the easygoing roots of this classic subgenre.
9.Novocaine (March 14):
A regular guy who can't feel pain (Jack Quaid) electing to put his life on the line when his girlfriend (Amber Midthunder) gets taken hostage by bank robbers is an inherently fun premise for an action comedy and Quaid getting the opportunity to lead a movie on his own is long overdue given his lengthy history of stealing scenes.
8.Presence (January 24):
Neon is finally liberating Presence from their vault nearly a full year after they bought it out of Sundance following its buzzy premiere. While I'm not fully confident I'll be able to get on its wavelength, a haunted house movie shot from the POV of the ghost is a nutty, original idea and Steven Soderbergh movies are always worth rolling the dice on.
7.The Monkey (February 21):
There are little slices of black comedy poking through all of the ominous dread in Longlegs and it's exciting that Osgood Perkins will be further examining those impulses with The Monkey. The campy splatter vibe that the trailer gives off is one that I can fully get behind and the clip that was released on Christmas Day provided further optimism that it's going to fully embrace that fun B-movie direction.
6.Companion (January 31):
All of the rumblings I've heard online about this one over the past few months have been overwhelmingly positive and I love the fact that we're basically a month away from release and still know basically nothing about it other than it's a twisted love story at its core.
5.Mickey 17 (March 7):
Look, this could end up being a huge of piece shit as its release date has been moved around 62 times over the past year. However, there are no amount of release date shuffles in the world that can deny the power of what Bong Joon-Ho and Robert Pattinson in full weirdo sicko mode are capable of when they're really cooking and the hope that brings is enough to solidify Mickey 17's spot on this list.
4.Wolf Man (January 17):
Have the trailers for this been impressive? No, not particularly. But Leigh Whannell has earned too much good will from his past 2 directorial efforts (Upgrade, The Invisible Man) and the lead acting duo of Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner are too strong as performers to not give Wolf Man the benefit of the doubt.
3.Love Hurts (February 7):
Jonathan Eusebio has been one of the most in-demand stunt coordinators in Hollywood for the better part of a decade now and with Love Hurts, he finally gets his crack at directing. This R-rated action comedy is also notable for being Ke Huy Quan's first lead role following his Oscar win for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Watching these two action movie vets finally get the chance to head up their own project is a true feel-good moment and I'm really excited to see what kind of madness they cooked up.
2.Den of Thieves 2: Pantera (January 10):
Den of Thieves is one of the greatest January movies in recent memory as it provided Gerard Butler with the best role he's had in ages as sweaty, alcoholic dirtbag cop "Big" Nick O'Brien and reminded the world of just how good heist movies can be when they're executed with swagger and energy. 6 years later, Butler, O'Shea Jackson Jr. and writer/director Christian Gudegast are returning to this world-only this time O'Brien is joining up with Jackson Jr's team of thieves to rob the World Diamond Exchange in London. Having O'Brien flip sides is a genius sequel hook that also makes total sense for the character and Butler and Jackson Jr.-who had a great combative rapport in the original-sharing more scenes this time around opens the door for even more exhilarating hardo fireworks to be set off.
1.Sinners (April 18):
An action horror flick about vampires terrorizing Jim Crow-era New Orleans shot completely on IMAX 65 mm film is a hell of a way for Ryan Coogler to return to original filmmaking after spending the last 8 years working in the safe confines of the MCU. While Coogler's inexperience in the horror genre naturally casts some doubt around the project, he's one of the finest filmmakers that's emerged in the past 15 years and I have enough faith in his skill to believe that he'll able to pull this off, especially with the fine group of actors (his longtime collaborator Michael B. Jordan in a dual role as twin brothers, Hailee Steinfield, Jack O'Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Li Jun Li, Delroy Lindo, Omar Benson Miller, Lola Kirke) he's assembled to tell this story.
Also Plan on Watching:
The Damned (January 3)
Back in Action (January 17)
Flight Risk (January 24)
You're Cordially Invited (January 30)
Dog Man (January 31)
Becoming Led Zeppelin (February 7)
Heart Eyes (February 7)
Captain America: Brave New World (February 14)
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movies (February 28)
Last Breath (February 28)
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl (March 7)
Black Bag (March 14)
Ash (March 21)
The Friend (March 21)
Magazine Dreams (March 21)
The Woman in the Yard (March 28)
A Working Man (March 28)
Freaky Tales (April 4)
The Amateur (April 11)
Drop (April 11)
The Accountant 2 (April 25)
Until Dawn (April 25)
The assortment of 2024 titles that have yet to release in my area including Nickel Boys, The Brutalist, The Room Next Door, The Last Showgirl and Better Man
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