The Movie Waffler 10 Movies You Must See in January | The Movie Waffler

10 Movies You Must See in January

10 Movies You Must See in January
Our guide to the most exciting movies coming to UK/ROI screens in January.

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

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

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

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

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

More Than Ever (Jan 13th, cinemas)
Phantom Thread breakout star Vicky Krieps continues her rise with this drama from director Emily AtefUpon 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

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

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

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

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

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.