The only month of the year that has a day dedicated to aggressively force-feeding us the ideas of commercialised love (Valentine’s Day), being stuck in a time loop (Groundhog Day), and of course, pancakes, February is a peculiar month as we test our mental math and memory to determine whether it is a leap year or not (Shrove Tuesday).
If the groundhog has any mercy, the so-called “month of love” heralds the end of the cold, dark, and gloomy winter and the arrival of spring’s fresh hope, light, and warmth. Since February slowly sees the arrival of several eagerly awaited, intriguing films that, at their finest, we’ll be talking about for the rest of the year, January is frequently referred to as a “dump month” for theatrical releases. Let’s look at some intriguing films scheduled for release in theatres in February 2023.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Feb. 17)
Following Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) and Ant-Man (2015), Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly return as Ant-Man and Wasp in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. With Jonathan Majors, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, William Jackson Harper, Bill Murray, and the comic Gregg Turkington, they have an outstanding supporting ensemble.
In the most recent episode, Scott Lang, Hope Van Dyne, Hank Pym (Douglas), and Janet Van Dyne (Pfeiffer) explore the Quantum Realm and face up against some cunning adversaries, including the much anticipated Kang the Conqueror. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is set to make an outstanding premiere this year with the release of 2023’s first MCU film, which also marks the start of Phase 5.
Cocaine Bear (Feb. 24)
This 2023 comedy, which has the most accurate title since Snakes on a Plane, is about a bear that unintentionally consumes cocaine. The hilarious (and ostensibly “true”) story of a black bear who consumes one of Colombia’s finest exports in a sizeable and potent quantity before going on an epic rampage that requires serious intervention is told in Elizabeth Banks’ upcoming film, Cocaine Bear, which is set to make its global cinematic debut next month.
Jesus Revolution (Feb. 22)
The more traditionalist conservatives in the US started to express unhappiness during the Charles Manson era of the 1960s, when the seeds of the hippie movement started to sprout. The Manson murders added gasoline to the fire as the 1960s gave way to the 1970s, and those hippie flowers blossomed into something altogether different. Jesus Revolution, a movie based on a true incident and starring Kelsey Grammer, depicts a national spiritual awakening in which a gang of hippies invade a Christian church in 1970s California and effect change.
Knock at the Cabin (Feb. 3)
Knock at the Cabin is a film created by M. Night Shyamalan, a proponent of the supernatural twist. The horror-mystery, which is expected to give Dave Bautista one of his few leading roles outside of meaty action movies on the big screen, centres on a family that must make a crucial choice after a group of four armed strangers show up at their vacation cabin and issue an ultimatum and announce the impending end of the world. This intriguing film has a premise that is reminiscent of Haneke’s Funny Games coupled with Dan Trachtenberg’s 2016 psychodrama 10 Cloverfield Lane.
Magic Mike’s Last Dance (Feb. 10)
Salma Hayak joins the cast of Magic Mike’s Last Dance, the third and apparently final entry in the series, when it premieres on February 10. In this conclusion to a trilogy that we probably didn’t think we needed, Steven Soderbergh and Channing Tatum return in their respective capacities as director and star of the films that brilliantly explored economic instability. Soderbergh will undoubtedly try to make up for the sins of his predecessor now that he’s back in the director’s chair after missing out on the sequel Magic Mike XXL, which felt lost without his influence.
This is essentially a comeback story about Mike Lane (Channing Tatum), who is broke and working as a bartender in Florida due to a botched business venture, as he tries to restart his career. His career appears to be on the mend when he is flown to London and presented with an intriguing offer.
Marlowe (Feb. 15)
This historical drama starring Liam Neeson investigates the mystery of a well-known heiress’s vanished ex-lover against the backdrop of 1930s Bay City (Raymond Chandler’s frequent stand-in for Santa Monica). Diane Kruger plays glamorous housewife Claire Cavendish, who enlists the aid of down-and-out detective Phillip Marlowe to search for her missing husband (the iconic character from so many Chandler adaptations, such as The Big Sleep, Lady in the Lake, and The Long Goodbye). Well-kept secrets start to come to light as Marlowe does everything in his power to solve the puzzle. The Black-Eyed Blonde, a novel by John Banville, is the source material for the legendary Neil Jordan’s screen adaptation, which is tipped to become the nexus of current film noir wonders.
Of an Age (Feb. 17)
The Australian arthouse film Of an Age, an LGBTQ+ love drama that had its global premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival, is set in part in the warm Summer of 1999. The movie tells the tale of two young men who fall in love for a day before breaking up—one is an amateur ballroom dancer from Serbia and the other is his friend’s older brother. After ten years apart, they reunite and discover that a lot has changed since they last spoke. This tender, contemplative love story is written and directed by Goran Stolevski.
Seriously Red (Feb. 10)
Seriously Red is a musical comedy that was directed by Gracie Otto. What Mamma Mia is to ABBA, the Australian independent film is to Dolly Parton. The movie tells the tale of vivacious real estate agent Red (Krew Boylan), who after losing her job decides to follow her passion of performing Dolly Parton impersonations. This eccentric film, which stars Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale, is about self-discovery and really understanding one’s own nature.
