Film Film & Television

gXp Top 5 Anticipated Films of February 2018

*Synopses provided by Metacritic.com and Wikipedia.org.

A Fantastic Woman

Directed by: Sebastián Lelio
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Classic
Genre: Drama, Foreign
Starring: Daniela Vega, Francisco Reyes, Luis Gnecco, Aline Küppenheim, Amparo Noguera, Nicolás Saavedra, Antonia Zegers, Trinidad González, Néstor Cantillana, Alejandro Goic
Release date: February 2, 2018

Synopsis: A Fantastic Woman is the story of Marina, a waitress and singer, and Orlando, an older man, who are in love and planning for the future. After Orlando suddenly falls ill and dies, Marina is forced to confront his family and society, and to fight again to show them who she is: complex, strong, forthright, fantastic.

I’ve heard a lot of good things about A Fantastic Woman, a lot of it from people in the industry and from trade papers that I highly respect. So, with all this good word of mouth, it certainly piqued my interest to watch this for myself.

Winchester

Directed by: The Spierig Brothers
Distributed by: Lionsgate & CBS Films
Genre: Horror, Supernatural
Starring: Helen Mirren, Jason Clarke, Sarah Snook, Angus Sampson, Laura Brent, Tyler Coppin, Thor Carlsson
Release date: February 2, 2018

Synopsis: On an isolated stretch of land 50 miles outside of San Francisco sits the most haunted house in the world. Built by Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester fortune, it is a house that knows no end. Constructed in an incessant twenty-four hour a day, seven day a week mania for decades, it stands seven stories tall and contains hundreds of rooms. To the outsider it looks like a monstrous monument to a disturbed woman’s madness. But Sarah is not building for herself, for her niece or for the brilliant Doctor Eric Price whom she has summoned to the house. She is building a prison, an asylum for hundreds of vengeful ghosts, and the most terrifying among them have a score to settle with the Winchesters.

Aside from starring the incredible Helen Mirren, I’ve been fascinated by the lore that is behind the fabled Winchester Mansion near San Jose, California. To know that Sarah Winchester was so afraid of the evil spirits that her family’s legacy has claimed is nothing short of incredible.

The 15:17 to Paris

Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Entertainment
Genre: Biographical, Drama
Starring: Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos, Judy Greer, Jenna Fischer, Ray Corasani, Tony Hale, Thomas Lennon, Sinqua Walls, Victoria Cyr, P.J. Byrne, Jaleel White, Robert Pralgo
Release date: February 9, 2018

Synopsis: In the early evening of August 21, 2015, the world watched in stunned silence as the media reported a thwarted terrorist attack on Thalys train #9364 bound for Paris—an attempt prevented by three courageous young Americans traveling through Europe. The film follows the course of the friends’ lives, from the struggles of childhood through finding their footing in life, to the series of unlikely events leading up to the attack. Throughout the harrowing ordeal, their friendship never wavers, making it their greatest weapon and allowing them to save the lives of the more than 500 passengers on board.

I’m not completely sold on the idea of the actual people who lived through these events portraying themselves in this film (Act of Valor, anyone?), but I do love the idea that Clint Eastwood is behind the camera on this one as director and I am sure if anyone can get the best out of them it would be him.

Black Panther

Directed by: Ryan Coogler
Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Genre: Action, Superhero
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis
Release date: February 16, 2018

Synopsis: After the events of Captain America: Civil War, King T’Challa returns home to the reclusive, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to serve as his country’s new leader. However, T’Challa soon finds that he is challenged for the throne from factions within his own country. When two foes conspire to destroy Wakanda, the hero known as Black Panther must team up with C.I.A. agent Everett K. Ross and members of the Dora Milaje, Wakanadan special forces, to prevent Wakanda from being dragged into a world war.

1. It’s another Marvel film. 2. It brings back Chadwick Boseman as The Black Panther. 3. The story and setting seem completely insane. 4. This ties into the main MCU and possibly lead directly into Avengers: Infinity War. Oh yeah, I am so totally there for this one.

Annihilation

Directed by: Alex Garland
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Fantasy, Science
Starring: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny, Oscar Isaac, Benedict Wong
Release date: February 23, 2018

Synopsis: A group of soldiers enters an environmental disaster zone and only one soldier comes back out alive, though he is grievously injured. In an attempt to save his life, his wife Lena, a biologist, volunteers for another expedition into the zone to figure out what happened to him.

Admittedly, I haven’t read the book that is the source material for this film, but the premise of the film and the people set to star in Annihilation just has really got me totally interested in this film.