January will come to a close with another relatively quiet release weekend, but I am always an advocate of quality over quantity anyway. I don’t know why the schedule is staggered with only six films coming out, and I won’t be going to the theaters as I plan for a vacation, but let’s get to it.
Compartment No. 6 (Theaters)
Writers: Andris Feldmanis and Juho Kuosmanen (screenplay), Rosa Liksom (novel)
Director: Juho Kuosmanen
Starring: Yuriy Borisov, Seidi Haarla, and Yuliya Aug
Two strangers, on a train headed to the arctic circle, become unexpectedly intertwined as the claustrophobic nature of their encounter forces some unforeseen intimacy. Director and co-writer Juho Kuosmanen earned a Grand Prix award at Cannes in 2021 along with nominations for the Palme d’Or and Queer Palm and this film is Finland’s submission to the Best International Feature category at the Academy Awards so there is some reason to give it a chance as an unknown commodity. The trailer reminded me of something I can’t quite put my finger on but I am curious to see how the film’s visual storytelling works in conjunction with the narrative.
The Fallout (HBO Max Thurs. Jan 27th)
Written & Directed by: Megan Park
Starring: Jenna Ortega, Maddie Ziegler, and Niles Fitch
Two young women are bound together by a world of complex emotions in the wake of a school shooting and form an unlikely friendship as they attempt to heal. It’s wild to think that we’ve reached this point, but it’s reality and it’s an important story to tell. Writer/Director Megan Park certainly jumped into the deep end with both feet for her feature debut but I appreciate the ambition to tackle this subject. Jenna Ortega made a name for herself as a Disney actress before moving into a more mature role in the second season of Netflix’s You where she was a total scene-stealer, so I have confidence that she’s capable of handling the lead role here. We almost put this on last night but added it to the playlist for this weekend instead. I’ll be curious to see how the film is balanced.
Sundown (Theaters Jan28th.)
Written & Directed by: Michel Franco
Starring: Tim Roth, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Iazua Larios
I am always curious to see what Tim Roth is doing and after seeing Michel Franco’s last film, New Order, I’m all the way on board for this. A man is separated from his family while on vacation and the consequences ripple through the family. The trailer does a great job of presenting the tension and mystery in the story without giving much away and I’m very curious to see where it all goes. If I was actually going to go to the movies this week, it would be to see this.
The Beatles: Get Back – The Rooftop Concert (IMAX only Jan. 30th)
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Starring: The Beatles
There have been some fantastic music documentaries over the last year and The Beatles: Get Back docuseries on Disney+ could very well be the best of them. This special 1-hour cut of the docu-series, featuring the band’s entire final live performance together on Savile Row, is reformatted specifically for IMAX screens and getting a limited theatrical run to celebrate. It’s an interesting way to squeeze every last drop out of Peter Jackson’s documentary but the event-based release could really be fun for Beatles lovers and casual fans alike.
What Else is New…
Clean (Theaters + VOD Jan. 28th)
Writers: Paul Solet & Adrian Brody | Director: Paul Solet
Starring: Adrien Brody, Glenn Fleshler, and Richie Merrit
A trash man named Clean, yes you read that correctly, just wants a quiet life where he can do some good but he gets sucked back into his violent past. Originally finished in 2020, this one didn’t hit the Tribeca Film Festival until 2021 and finally made its way to theaters and VOD. I like Adrien Brody, and besides starring and co-writing this one, he produced it too, but I’m having some difficulty looking beyond the obvious. We have seen numerous films where the former enforcer/mercenary/marine/black-ops badass just wants to settle down and live an ordinary life, but some catalyst forces him to return to his violent ways and go on a revenge-based bender. I have watched and enjoyed plenty of those movies but I am just not seeing what’s new.
The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild (Disney+ Jan. 28th)
Writers: RayDeLaurentis, Jim Hecht, Will Schifrin | Director: John C. Donkin
Starring: Utkarsh Ambudkar (voice), Simon Pegg (voice), and Vincent Tong (voice)
Piggy-backing on the success of the Ice Age franchise, this spinoff sees the possum brothers teaming up with a one-eyed weasel named Buck Wild. Action, adventure, and humor have worked well but it sort of feels like this may be the one that goes to the well too many times. It’s a solid option for those with kids who are looking for something.
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