January 2018 Movie Preview

January is quite the eclectic month for film.  Movies that are pushing for Oscars are expanding out into more territories; studios dump less than stellar final products to factor into first quarter financials; unproven products look to avoid serious competition.  These different possibilities make for a hit-or-miss month as a whole, making the January 2018 movie preview key to your entertainment for the month.  Let’s take a look:

January 5th

The obvious wide release to watch out for first in the January 2018 movie preview is Insidious: The Last Key.  The fourth film in the Insidious franchise has actress Lin Shaye returning for a narrative that includes a creepy figure with keys for fingers.  If you enjoyed the first three films in the franchise, this movie appears to be more of the same.

However, those that are looking for Oscar-centric movies can keep an eye out for Molly’s Game, Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut that expands out into more theaters across the United States.

image via Flickering Myth

Here’s a complete list of new movies releasing on January 5th:

Insidious: The Last Key

The Strange Ones

Devil’s Gate

Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel

Madtown

Goldbuster

Stratton

Blame

In Between

January 10th

Coming off of the back of the success of The Disaster Artist, The Room will finally get a wide release fifteen years after it initially premiered.  Tommy Wiseau’s beautiful mess will show in about 500 theaters in the United States, allowing more people to see one of the best bad movies ever made.

image via Facebook

January 12th

The second weekend of the month is easily the most crowded weekend of the January 2018 movie preview.  Aside from Steven Spielberg’s The Post expanding across the country, there are three other films that also have a wide release.  The Commuter appears to have some intrigue as Liam Neeson discovers some twists and turns on a commuter train.  These twists might not make sense in the final product, but the film could still offer some fun.

For counterprogramming, look out for Paddington 2.  The film found a home at Warner Bros. after The Weinstein Company sold it amid Harvey Weinstein’s sexual abuse allegations, allowing the film to premiere in the states without a dark cloud hovering over it.  The continuation of the story of the cuddly bear currently holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, meaning that it should provide quality, family-friendly entertainment.

The last major release is Proud Mary, a throwback to the blaxploitation movies of the 1970’s.  I have concerns about this film since its production company, Screen Gems, has had a less than stellar track record recently, meaning that the film might leave audiences feeling cold.

image via Variety

Here’s a complete list of new movies releasing on January 12th:

The Commuter

Proud Mary

Paddington 2

Saturday Church

Acts of Violence

Wastelander

Inside

Freak Show

Condorito: La Pelicula

Humor Me

Vazante

November

The Polka King

Abe & Phil’s Last Poker Game

January 19th

War movies always have a built-in audience, no matter the time of the year.  12 Strong should perform decently at the box office for this reason.  But, it appears to rely on the usual tropes of war films with its overreliance on heavy-handed sentimentality between soldiers and their loved-ones as well as signs of serious jingoism.

Den of Thieves is a gritty crime thriller that pits a group of money-craving individuals that are planning to break into Fort Knox while a group of dirty cops led by Gerard Butler looks to stop them.  Judging from the promotional material, the films boasts a serious R-rating, meaning that it won’t be for the faint of heart.

The award for the most inventive movie title in the January 2018 movie preview goes to This Giant Papier-Mache Boulder is Actually Really Heavy.  The film is very low-budget, and the story plays into that fact by having the lead characters become trapped in a parallel universe that consists of an old, low-budget sci-fi movie.  The movie originally released at the Boston Sc-Fi Film Festival in 2016, but it’s finally getting a limited theatrical release.

image via Slash Film

Here’s a complete list of new movies releasing on January 19th:

12 Strong

Forever My Girl

Den of Thieves

The Midnight Man

Mary and the Witch’s Flower

Ridge Runners

Mom and Dad

Small Town Crime

The Final Year

The Road Movie

The Leisure Seekers

This Giant Papier-Mache Boulder is Actually Really Heavy

January 26th

Maze Runner: The Death Cure‘s level of quality is up in the air as of now.  It’s never great to see a high-budget movie premiere in January, but this reality is due to a confluence of events.  Production stalled after star Dylan O’Brien broke his ankle on set, forcing Fox to push back the release date of the film.  However, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials performed so-so at the box office, making January an intelligent decision for the last film in the trilogy.

The previous two Maze Runner were mild recommendations at best from critics.  With the same director behind this film, expect similar results unless those production issues caused unforeseen problems.

image via moviequotesandmore.com

Here’s a complete list of new movies releasing on January 26th:

Maze Runner: The Death Cure

Please Stand By

The Competition

The Clapper

Have a Nice Day

The Insult

American Folk

A Ciambra

Thanks for reading!  What are your thoughts on the January 2018 movie preview?  Comment down below!

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