The start of the year looks different across platforms. From action entertainment like ‘LIFT: First Class Heist’ there are offerings to suit all tastes. Ursula Corbero and Kevin Hart The docking of a plane mid-flight leads to sci-fi overtures of a different nature: the heartfelt (and anticipated) ‘Intruder’ with a stellar lead pair. (Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal) and the social and protest-focused ‘La Cocina’, the directorial debut of actor Daniel Kaluuya. Other offerings coming this January include the latest film from Unclassifiable Quentin Dupieux (‘Yannick’) and the award-winning documentary ’20 Days in Mariupol’ about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
1. ‘Intruder (Foe)’ by Garth Davis (Amazon Prime: January 5)
Inspired by a novel by Iain Reid, this mix of science fiction and romantic melodrama is the film’s long-awaited premiere. Among its main attractions is the cast. The always wonderful Saoirse Ronan (Little Women) and contemporary actor Paul Mescal (Aftersun) star as a pair of farmers whose lives are changed when a stranger arrives with an unexpected offer: He’s been chosen to go on a trip. a space station.
2. ‘Beach House’, Hèctor Hernández Vicens (Movie: January 5)
The third feature film by Mallorcan director and screenwriter Hèctor Hernández Vicens combines tension and black humor and tells the story of a friendship that eventually turns into a nightmare. Three friends are going on holiday to Mallorca for a few days. What was supposed to be a fun few days turns into hell when one of them falls in love with the wrong person.
3. ‘Yannick’, Quentin Dupieux (Movie: January 5)
One of the most personal, inventive and unpredictable directors working, Quentin Dupieux’s latest film featured a unique and infallible sense of humor. The director of The Deerskin Jacket (2019) and Mandíbulas (2020) reflects on the relationship between art and the public, based on the story of a man who decides to stop a theater performance in order to direct it to your pleasure.
4. ‘Life Goes On’, Dan Levy (Netflix: January 5)
Actor and screenwriter Dan Levy, one of the creators of the series Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020), makes his directorial debut with this drama about loss and friendship. He plays the hero himself, a man who, a year after the death of his husband, invites his closest friends on a trip to Paris to thank them for their help in these difficult times. Rounding out the cast are Himesh Patel (Yesterday) and the gorgeous Ruth Negga (Loving).
5. ‘Pauline Kael: The Art of Criticism’ by Rob Garver (Movie: January 5)
Documentary that examines American Pauline Kael, one of the most important names in film criticism, in depth. The film surveys Kael’s career and, among other things, critiques The New Yorker over four decades and explores his approach to films and the reasons for their indisputable importance. Statements from names such as Paul Schrader, Quentin Tarantino, Molly Haskell and Camille Paglia are included.
6. ‘Role Play’ by Thomas Vincent (Prime: January 12)
The protagonist of this action movie with comedy elements is actress Kaley Cuoco, known for her TV series The Big Bang Theory and The Flight Attendant. She plays a woman who lives a quiet and idyllic life with her husband (David Oyelowo) and children. This stability is shaken when, upon her husband’s offer, she reveals her secret: She has a double life as a hired assassin.
7. ’20 Days in Mariupol’, Mstyslav Chernov (Movie: January 12)
One of the most talked about and award-winning documentaries of recent months. The Pulitzer Prize-winning film follows the steps of a group of journalists from the Associated Press news agency in Mariupol, Ukraine, during the first twenty days of the Russian occupation. The images they recorded were spread all over the world. Mstyslav Chernov’s documentary is on the list of possible Oscar nominees this year.
8. ‘LIFT: First Class Heist’ by F. Gary Gray (Netflix: January 12)
A heist movie starring Úrsula Corberó, starring Kevin Hart, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jean Reno and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Directed by veteran F. Gary Gray (The Italian Job, Straight Outta Compton), the film follows a group of robbers ready to pull off the coup of a lifetime: stealing the gold bars they were traveling with mid-flight, 12,000 feet above sea level. In the plane.
9. ‘Shadows of KayYe’, Stefan Mattison (Movistar Plus+: January 19)
BBC documentary about rapper Kanye West, one of the most popular and controversial figures of recent years. Directed by Stefan Mattison, the program uses archival materials in rotation, visits the most important places of the past and present, and interviews people from different fields, discussing their importance in the world of music and fashion, drift politics and other topics. mainly due to its controversial nature.
10. ‘Kitchen’, Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares (Netflix: January 19)
Actor Daniel Kaluuya, who starred in films such as Black Panther (2018) and Let Me Out (2017), makes his directorial debut (partially with Kibwe Tavares) with this hybrid of science fiction and whistleblower film. In a dystopian future London where the rich have taken complete control, the poorest residents struggle to survive in The Kitchen, an impoverished community on the outskirts of the city.