The Movie Waffler's picks of the movies coming to UK/ROI cinemas and Netflix in 2019.
In truth, it's always difficult to predict how an upcoming year in movies is going to pan out. At this point we only know a fraction of the movies that will be hitting UK/ROI cinemas or debuting on Netflix in 2019, and it's only really after the first major festivals that the year's roster will really begin to take shape. Putting together a preview for the coming year in late December can be a futile effort.
But, to borrow from Adam McKay's Vice, we did our fucking best!
Here are 50 of the most intriguing movies currently scheduled for a 2019 release in UK/ROI cinemas or on Netflix*.
*UK release dates are correct at time of writing but may be subject to change.
*UK release dates are correct at time of writing but may be subject to change.
3 Faces
Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi continues to defy the filmmaking ban imposed by his country's authorities with 3 Faces, the fourth movie he has managed to direct while under the ban. The film follows Panahi and actress Behnaz Jafari as they seek to help a young girl who wishes to leave her conservative family.
In cinemas March 29th.
Ad Astra
James Gray follows up his exploration epic The Lost City of Z with another tale of exploring new worlds. Ad Astra stars Brad Pitt as an astronaut who heads into deep space in search of his father (Tommy Lee Jones). Gray has said his film will boast "the most realistic depiction of space travel that's been put in a movie," and we wouldn't bet against him.
In cinemas May 24th.
The Aftermath
In director James Kent's adaptation of author Rhidian Brook's novel The Aftermath, Keira Knightley plays the wife of a British colonel (Jason Clarke) involved in overseeing the rebuilding of Berlin in the aftermath of WWII. Alexander Skarsgård is the German widower whose home they share, leading to the forming of a love triangle.
In cinemas March 1st.
Border
The winner of last year's Un Certain Regard at Cannes, Ali Abbasi's Border boasts one of the oddest premises of any movie you'll see in 2019. Under heavy makeup, Eva Melander plays a customs worker with the unique ability to sniff out guilt who meets a mysterious man who shares her odd facial features.
In cinemas March 8th.
Brightburn
What if the infant Superman adopted by the Kents grew up to be a villain? That's essentially the question that appears to be asked by director David Yarovesky's Brightburn. Elizabeth Banks and David Denman play the unwitting couple who adopt an alien child.
In cinemas May 24th.
Burning
Adapted from a Haruki Murakami short story, Lee Chang-dong's Burning stars The Walking Dead's Steven Yeun as a charismatic arsonist who comes between a pair of childhood friends. Few movies received as much acclaim on the 2018 festival circuit.
In cinemas February 1st.
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
When she's not appearing in her signature crude comedies, Melissa McCarthy is a fine actress, and she's won much acclaim for her portrayal of Lee Israel, a struggling writer who took to forging letters purportedly penned by literary greats. Richard E. Grant also stars in this film from Diary of a Teenage Girl director Marielle Heller.
In cinemas February 1st.
Capernaum
This Lebanese drama scooped the Jury Prize at last year's Cannes Film Festival. Written and directed by Nadine Labaki, Capernaum tells the story of a young runaway who befriends an Ethiopian refugee and her infant child.
In cinemas February 22nd.
Captive State
Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt returns to the sci-fi genre with Captive State, in which the residents of a Chicago neighbourhood find themselves on opposing sides of a decade long alien occupation. John Goodman, Vera Framiga and Machine Gun Kelly star.
In cinemas April 12th.
Destroyer
Director Karyn Kusama reteams with her The Invitation writers Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi for Destroyer, which stars a considerably de-glammed Nicole Kidman as a police detective who becomes obsessed with tracking down a figure from her past.
In cinemas January 25th.
Dragged Across Concrete
Is there a more exciting writer/director working in American genre cinema today than S. Craig Zahler? The filmmaker behind TMW faves Bone Tomahawk and Brawl in Cell Block 99 returns with this tale of a pair of suspended cops (Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn) who turn to crime to make ends meet.
In cinemas April 19th.
Everybody Knows
Acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi follows up his Oscar winner The Salesman with Everybody Knows, which sees the director make his Spanish language debut. Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem headline this thriller in which the former's daughter is abducted during a wedding.
In cinemas March 8th.
Eighth Grade
Comedian Bo Burnham makes his debut as writer/director of this high school comedy, which follows the travails of a socially awkward teenage girl. Young actress Elsie Fisher has won much praise at the centre of a movie that won the hearts of US critics on its Stateside release in 2018.
In cinemas April 26th.
Foxtrot
This Israeli military drama from director Samuel Maoz has rubbed up his country's authorities for its cynical portrayal of the Israeli Defence Forces. Foxtrot follows a group of young IDF soldiers who attempt to cover up the killing of four Palestinian children, with Maoz indulging in surreal sequences and even dance numbers to tell his story.
In cinemas March 1st.
Gemini Man
After his experimental flop Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, Ang Lee returns to mainstream filmmaking with this sci-fi thriller. Will Smith plays an assassin who finds himself targeted by a younger version of himself. Clive Owen, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Benedict Wong also star.
In cinemas October 4th.
Girl
Winner of Cannes' Queer Palm and Caméra d'Or awards, this Belgian drama follows a teenage trans girl who pursues her dream of becoming a ballerina. Newcomer Victor Polster has been lauded for his central performance, though the film has come under fire from some queer critics for its portrayal of its issues.
On Netflix January 18th and in cinemas March 15th.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Following on from Godzilla and Kong: Skull Island comes the latest entry in Warner Bros' monsterverse. This one sees Godzilla battle the classic Toho monsters Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah, while the human cast features Millie Bobby Brown, Vera Farmiga, Sally Hawkins and Bradley Whitford.
In cinemas May 31st.
The Goldfinch
A few years ago you couldn't ride public transport without spotting someone reading Donna Tartt's novel The Goldfinch. Brooklyn's John Crowley takes on the inevitable cinematic adaptation with Ansel Elgort in the central role of the survivor of a terrorist attack who enters the world of art forgery. Nicole Kidman and Sarah Paulson also star.
In cinemas October 11th.
Green Book
The director of comedies like Dumb & Dumber and There's Something About Mary, Peter Farrelly may not be the first name you might attach to a civil rights era drama, but he steps outside his comic comfort zone to direct Green Book. The film stars Viggo Mortensen as an Italian-American bouncer hired to drive an African-American pianist (Mahershala Ali) on a potentially dangerous tour of America's racially divided South in 1962.
In cinemas February 1st.
Greta
Director Neil Jordan returns with Greta, his first film since 2012's Byzantium. Like that vampire tale, it's another female led drama, this one starring Chloë Grace Moretz as a young woman who befriends the titular Greta, a lonely French piano teacher (Isabelle Huppert) who may not be all she seems.
In cinemas April 19th.
Grudge
Cult Japanese horror The Grudge gets a second American reboot, this time courtesy of director Nicolas Pesce (The Eyes of My Mother; Piercing). Plot details are scarce but we're promised a new take on the mythology. Andrea Riseborough, John Cho and horror regular Lin Shaye star.
In cinemas June 21st.
Happy as Lazzaro
Writer/director Alice Rohrwacher (Heavenly Body; The Wonders) picked up a Best Screenplay award at last year's Cannes Film Festival for her latest Italian drama, Happy as Lazzaro. Adriano Tardiolo stars as the titular Lazzaro, a peasant recruited by a nobleman (Luca Chikovani) to orchestrate his kidnapping.
In cinemas March 15th.
Happy Death Day 2U
2017's Happy Death Day was an ingenious horror twist on the Groundhog Day template that cleverly subverted the 'Final Girl' trope. The sequel sees Jessica Rothe return as reluctant heroine Tree, who finds herself once again forced to relive her birthday multiple times when a masked slasher kills her over and over again.
In cinemas February 15th.
The House by the Sea
French director Robert Guediguian reunites with the three leads of his 1986 film Ki Lo Sa? - Ariana Ascaride, Gerard Meylan, Jean-Pierre Darroussin - for this tender family drama. With its subtle characterisation and beautifully rendered performances, The House by the Sea is one of the highlights of recent French cinema.
In cinemas January 11th.
The Hunt
Craig Zobel (Compliance; Z for Zachariah) directs this script from writers Damon Lindelof and Nick Cuse, all three having worked on HBO's acclaimed show The Leftovers. Blumhouse have yet to release specific plot details but it's said to be a political thriller inspired by The Most Dangerous Game. We still have no idea who is starring in this.
In cinemas September 27th.
If Beale Street Could Talk
Writer/director Barry Jenkins follows up his Oscar winning Moonlight with If Beale Street Could Talk, an adaptation of the 1974 novel by James Baldwin. In the 1970s set drama, Stephan James plays a young man jailed on a trumped up rape charge, while his pregnant girlfriend (KiKi Layne) and her parents (Regina King, Colman Domingo) attempt to clear his name.
In cinemas February 8th.
It: Chapter Two
Just like the '90s TV mini-series, the cinematic adaptation of Stephen King's tome has been split into two chapters. The upcoming second part sees the central protagonists now grown up but still menaced by Pennywise. James McAvoy, Bill Hader and Jessica Chastain headline, with the child stars of the first chapter returning in flashbacks.
In cinemas September 6th.
John Wick: Chapter Three
John Wick: Chapter Two was one of those rare sequels that bests its predecessor, so can this third instalment top the lot? Picking up form the ending of Chapter Two, this one sees Keanu Reeves' immaculately tailored hitman battling his way out of New York. Ian McShane and Laurence Fishburne return, with Anjelica Huston and Halle Berry joining the cast.
In cinemas May 17th.
Joker
Every mopey 13-year-old boy's favourite villain gets his own movie, with Joaquin Phoenix donning the face-paint. In this version, Phoenix plays a failed stand-up comedian who turns to crime, with Robert De Niro playing a talk show host. Hmm... sounds familiar, doesn't it? The Hangover's Todd Phillips is the left field directorial choice.
In cinemas October 4th.
The Kindergarten Teacher
A remake of a 2104 Israeli film, The Kindergarten Teacher stars Maggie Gyllenhaal as the titular educator, who begins to pass off poems written by a prodigiously talented young student (Parker Sevak) as her own.
In cinemas March 8th.
Knives Out
After helming the most divisive instalment of the Star Wars franchise, The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson returns to more low key fare with this thriller. Just as he updated noir tropes to a modern setting with Brick, Johnson aims to do the same here with the classic whodunit murder mystery format. An all-star ensemble includes Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Lakeith Stanfield, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette and Jamie Lee Curtis.
In cinemas November 29th.
The Lion King
Jon Favreau surprised cynics with his impressive remake of The Jungle Book. Can he repeat the success with his take on this beloved '90s animation? The CG animals look as great as those seen in TJB, and the voice cast includes Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor and James Earl Jones.
In cinemas July 19th.
Lords of Chaos
Director Jonas Åkerlund's film details the notorious story of the deadly rivalry between Norwegian Black Metal bands Mayhem and Burzum. Suicide, murder and church burnings ensue. Rory Culkin and Emory Cohen play the rival band leaders.
In cinemas March 29th.
Loro
Director Paolo Sorrentino continues his collaboration with actor Toni Servillo, the latter portraying infamous former Italian ruler Silvio Berlusconi. Released as two separate instalments in Italy, it's still unclear whether UK/ROI audiences will see it this way or in the condensed single film set for US release.
In cinemas April 12th.
Mektoub, My Love
Five years after scooping the Palme d'Or for his controversial lesbian drama Blue is the Warmest Colour, director Abdellatif Kechiche returns with Mektoub, My Love: Canto Uno, the first instalment in a planned trilogy. The film stars Shain Boumedine as an aspiring filmmaker who returns to his Mediterranean hometown for a life changing summer.
In cinemas February 15th.
Mid90s
Actor Jonah Hill makes his feature debut as writer/director with Mid90s, the story of a young boy (The Killing of a Sacred Deer's Sunny Suljic) who spends a summer in the 1990s hanging out with new friends at a skate park while avoiding his troubled home life. Hill's film also stars Katherine Waterston and Lucas Hedges.
In cinemas April 12th.
The Mule
Clint Eastwood hasn't directed himself since 2009's Gran Torino but he returns to the screen to play the lead role in his latest film, The Mule. Eastwood reteams with Gran Torino screenwriter Nick Schenk to tell the story of an American octogenarian (Eastwood) who becomes an unlikely drug mule for a Mexican cartel.
In cinemas January 25th.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Specifics regarding Quentin Tarantino's latest have proven elusive, but we do know it's a '60s set drama starring Leonardo DiCaprio as an actor and Brad Pitt as his stunt double, with the pair getting caught up with the Manson family. The sprawling cast also includes Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate, Damian Lewis as Steve McQueen and Al Pacino as a talent agent.
In cinemas July 26th.
Out of Blue
Martin Amis’s 1997 novel Night Train gets the cinematic treatment courtesy of director Carol Morley (The Falling). Patricia Clarkson stars in this New Orleans set noir as a cop struggling with alcoholism and who becomes increasingly disturbed while investigating the murder of a young woman.
In cinemas March 22nd.
Pet Sematary
Previously brought to the screen in 1989, Stephen King's 1983 novel Pet Sematary has been adapted once again, this time by the Starry Eyes directing duo of Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer. This version stars Jason Clarke as the grieving father who turns to the supernatural powers of a pet's burial ground in the aftermath of a tragedy. John Lithgow and Amy Seimetz also star.
In cinemas April 5th.
The Rhythm Section
This adaptation of Mark Burnell's novel stars Blake Lively as a woman who conducts her own investigation into the plane crash that killed her family members. Cinematographer turned director Reed Morano (I Think We're Alone Now) helms this one, with Jude Law also starring.
In cinemas February 22nd.
Serenity
Writer/director Steven Knight (Locke; Redemption) takes on the neo-noir genre with Serenity. Matthew McConaughey finds himself weighing up morality when his ex-wife (Anne Hathaway) pleads with him to murder her abusive husband (Jason Clarke).
In cinemas March 1st.
The Sisters Brothers
Acclaimed French filmmaker Jacques Audiard (Rust and Bone, Dheepan) makes his English language debut with an adaptation of Patrick DeWitt's novel The Sisters Brothers. Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly are the titular siblings, a pair of Old West gunslingers. The film also stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed.
In cinemas April 5th.
Spider-Man: Far From Home
As much a teen comedy as a superhero romp, Spider-Man: Homecoming proved a breath of fresh air in the stuffy realm of the comic book movie. This one sees Peter Parker (Tom Holland) holidaying in Europe and teaming up with Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) to battle baddies The Elementals.
In cinemas July 5th.
Stan & Ollie
Director Jon S. Baird's classic Hollywood biopic Stan & Ollie stars Steve Coogan as Stan Laurel and John C. Reilly as Oliver Hardy with Shirley Henderson and Nina Arianda as the comic duo's wives Lucille and Ida. Written by Jeff Pope, Stan & Ollie follows Laurel and Hardy as they embark on a farewell tour of the UK and Ireland.
In cinemas January 11th.
Terminator (Title TBC)
The title for this latest instalment in the Terminator franchise has yet to be unveiled, but we do know it features the return of original stars Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and is directed by Deadpool's Tim Miller. Rumour has it this sequel pulls a Halloween, disregarding any of the films that came after Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
In cinemas October 31st.
Thunder Road
Jim Cummings writes, directs and stars in this indie drama as a cop suffering a breakdown in the wake of a divorce and his mother's death. Few caught this one on its 2018 US release, but those who did raved about Cummings' film.
In cinemas March 8th.
Us
Jordan Peele follows up his acclaimed horror satire Get Out with a movie whose trailer has caused the internet to surmise it may secretly be a sequel to that movie. Lupita Nyong'o stars as a woman who finds herself and her family menaced by their doppelgangers.
In cinemas March 15th.
Velvet Buzzsaw
Writer/director Dan Gilroy reteams with his Nightcrawler stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo. Gilroy has described his supernatural thriller as a "Robert Altman-like" thriller "set in the world of contemporary art in Los Angeles." The Altman-esque ensemble also includes Toni Collette, John Malkovich and Zendaya.
On Netflix February 1st.
The Woman in the Window
Director Joe Wright (Darkest Hour) teams with screenwriter Tracy Letts (August: Osage County) for this adaptation of A.J. Finn's novel. Amy Adams plays a voyeur who witnesses a crime while spying on neighbours, and struggles with how to inform the police. Wyatt Russell, Julianne Moore and Gary Oldman also star.
In cinemas September 27th.