We’ve left another year behind. By the time you read this, we’ll know who has been nominated for the Oscars. Almost all of the films aren’t currently available in theaters, so for the general public it’s time to look ahead.
There are a bunch of movies coming out within the next five months, so below I tried to make a list of everything that you should keep an eye out for if you find yourself near the theater.
January has come and gone, but I would be remiss to exclude the wonderful film Paddington 2, which follows the adventures of the lovely, wholesome Peruvian bear that escapes to England.
The first film, Paddington, was a surprise to me (my little sister coerced me into watching it) and featured lovely performances from Sally Hawkins, Nicole Kidman and Ben Whishaw as the titular bear.
Paddington is one of the films that reminds you what it feels like to be a kid without being condescending or reminding you of traumas, indulging in a time when innocence reigned. So if you find yourself needing to watch something uplifting, then check out Paddington 2. Now onto the list!
February is right around the corner and that means one thing: Marvel’s Black Panther is finally arriving.
The much anticipated film boasts a fantastic cast featuring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o and Daniel Kaluuya (the star from last year’s Get Out).
This isn’t even taking into account the fact that Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station, Creed) is directing and helped write the script.
Black Panther takes the cake for me in February not only because of the movie stars I mentioned above, but also because of what it will bring to the increasingly paint-by-the-numbers superhero genre.
Young creative voices are necessary to continue to remind audiences that these films are worth their while, and a movie that looks like it will break genre tropes — like 2017’s Logan — is a must-watch, even if you aren’t fond of superheroes.
Come March, we’ll all be a little tired with school and anxiously waiting for spring break to arrive.
That being said, there will be plenty to watch, but nothing beats the anticipation for Wes Anderson’s new film Isle of Dogs.
Starring the voices of Ken Watanabe, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton and Greta Gerwig, Isle of Dogsfollows the story of a young boy looking for his dogs in a futuristic Japan.
It’s Anderson’s second venture into animation after his adaptation of Fantastic Mr. Fox, as well as his latest film after 2014’s beloved The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Anderson’s love for pastels seems an ideal fit for animation, and I’m excited to see where this original story will take me.
April means that the weather will be bearable again, and all of us will be ready to get plastered at Homecoming and Spring Fair.
However, that doesn’t mean we should neglect our local theater. I’m not gonna lie, it’ll be a rough month for movies, but April will feature a new Charlize Theron film.
Tully follows the story of the relationship between a mother (Theron) and her babysitter (Mackenzie Davis). The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival’s final weekend and received fantastic reviews from the lucky critics who attended.
Theron is a spectacular actress, and I’m always down for a heartwarming tale of motherhood.
May is commonly the time when we college kids are swamped with finals. Some of you won’t leave the library, and I respect that, but self-care is important, and nothing is better than spending two hours in a dark room watching people punch each other.
I say this because May is the start of the blockbuster season, which often means more superhero movies!
However, this May we will also get to see Solo: A Star Wars Story, the Han Solo origin story we didn’t know we needed. Alden Ehrenreich is portraying everyone’s favorite space badass, while Donald Glover is portraying Lando Calrissian.
The movie’s production has gone through a lot of turmoil, with the firing of directors and the alleged hiring of an acting coach for Ehrenreich.
All in all, it sounds like this movie was a trainwreck. However, Ron Howard, a very safe option, was hired to right the ship and fix whatever the producers thought was going wrong.
Either way, I’m excited to see what’s in store here. Even though we don’t have a trailer yet, odds are we will see one during the Super Bowl.
Overall, the next few months have many exciting films ahead.
