While the streaming services are still taking it relatively easy after the big holiday offensive in January, the cinema year 2024 will welcome you with half a truckload of highlights on the big screen: like every year, there are several titles that will be released in the near future. The Oscar season is guaranteed to play a role, but action fans will also get their money’s worth!
To ensure that you don’t lose sight of all the new cinema releases, we have listed the highlights of the coming month for you.
“The Boy and the Heron”
Anime fans have certainly marked January 4 in red in their calendars: Because with “The boy and the heron“Not only has the latest highlight from the famous Studio Ghibli been released, but also the new film from the living anime legend Hayao Miyazaki, responsible for masterpieces such as ‘My Neighbor Totoro’, ‘Princess Mononoke’ and ‘Spirited Away’.
Nearly ten years after his last film to date, ‘As the Wind Rises’, he captivates audiences with the story of twelve-year-old Mahito Maki, who loses his mother in an air raid on Tokyo. After reluctantly moving to the countryside with his father and new wife, he encounters a talking heron who claims his mother is still alive – and being held captive in a mysterious tower. This begins a truly magical adventure for the boy…
Our author Jochen Werner gives “The Boy and the Heron” no less than 4.5 out of 5 stars and writes in the conclusion of the official FILMSTARTS review: “[…] If you fully immerse yourself in your own rules and logic, a cosmos rich in ideas and emotions will be revealed to you.”
“Priscilla”
Baz Luhrmann’s exciting biopic ‘Elvis’ did not successfully hit theaters until 2022. While the legendary singer was played by Austin Butler, “Euphoria” star Jacob Elordi now steps into the shoes of Elvis Presley. But this time it’s not primarily about him, but about his wife Priscilla (Cailee Spaeny, “The First Lady”), to whom he was married for six eventful years. Director Sofia Coppola (“Marie Antoinette”) does not let the pop icon get off the ground very well…
According to our editor Björn Becher: “Priscilla“She is mainly seen as a ‘control-addicted monster who molds his ‘little girl’ according to his ideas,” and in the conclusion of his 3.5-star review he also confirms: “Elvis fans may be shocked by their favorite’s portrayal, but Sofia Coppola won’t care much. Because ‘Priscilla’ is first and foremost a strong film about a lonely woman.”
“The Beekeeper”
Jason Statham already had a permanent presence in cinemas in 2023 (with ‘Operation Fortune’, ‘FastThe beekeeper“, the 56-year-old helps a professional group previously underrepresented in the action films they deserve – he plays the beekeeper Mr. Clay, who begins a bloody campaign of revenge after his neighbor falls victim to phone fraud and then takes her own life.
Of course, this doesn’t just happen out of nowhere: Mr. Clay not only keeps bees, he is also a former special agent and has at least as much knowledge about weapons as he does about making honey. ‘The Beekeeper’ is directed by David Ayer, who already proved that he is anything but prudish with films such as ‘End Of Watch’ (2012) and ‘Suicide Squad’ (2016).
“Poor Things”
Yórgos Lánthimos has traveled an unusual path: from the figurehead of the so-called ‘new Greek wave’, an art film movement that is especially appreciated by connoisseurs, to the globally celebrated maker of potential Oscar hits, with which he nevertheless makes no compromises.
But with “Poor thingsLánthimos seems to have outdone himself after the idiosyncratic costume film ‘The Favorite – Intrigue and Madness’ (2018): Not only the feminist ‘Frankenstein’ variant with Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe won the Golden Lion at the International Film Festival Venice also recently nabbed the film seven Golden Globe nominations – and it’s a safe bet that the film will be well received at the upcoming Academy Awards as well.
For FILMSTARTS editor-in-chief Christoph Petersen, “Poor Things” is an almost perfect five-star masterpiece. In the conclusion of his criticism he writes: “Yórgos Lánthimos’ lustfully perverse steampunk update of ‘Frankenstein’ delights – as expected – with beautifully twisted sets and costumes and an excellent performance from Emma Stonewhich will be tough to take away from her second Oscar.” Furthermore, as a “truly hilarious sex satire,” the film takes everything Greta Gerwig initiated with “Barbie” to a “much more consistent (and funnier) extreme.” .” […]”In brief: For us, ‘Poor Things’ is THE film you need to see in January 2024!
German cinema does [doch] great!: “Home Sweet Home – Where evil lives”
“Home Sweet Home – Where evil lives“ is the film we chose in December for our title “German cinema [doch] awesome!” series. Month after month we introduce you to a film from Germany that we are particularly fond of and that you should definitely enjoy in the cinema.
This time, with ‘Home Sweet Home’ we have opted for a thriller that contains no visible cuts. The focus is on Maria (Nilam Farooq) and Viktor (David Kross), who are expecting their first child together and move into the old country house where Viktor grew up. But Maria isn’t entirely comfortable with the property – and she has every reason to be…
What else is starting?
Naturally, in this article we can only offer you a small fragment of the highlights of the cinema in January 2024. Still, at this point we would like to mention a handful of other films that are also worth watching: This is how the football comedy beginsNext goal wins” (2.5 out of 5 stars at FILMSTARTS) also the new film from “Jojo Rabbit” and “Thor 3 & 4” director Taika Waititi, while “The Big Bang Theory” stars Kaley Cuoco in the action film “Role play“plays her first leading role in the cinema. Furthermore, starting with “The palace“ the controversial new work by old master Roman Polanski (2 stars), the cult film by Lindsay Lohan “Mean girls“ gets a musical update and indie hero Alexander Payne sends his new tragicomedy “The survivors(4 stars) in the race.
We have summarized all the cinema highlights of January 2024 for you here:
January 4: The anime highlight of the year
- “The boy and the heron“
- “Next goal wins“
- “The Pact of the Wolves” (already on January 2: revival as part of the Best-Of-Cinema series)
- “Priscilla“
- “Role play“
January 11: Action with Jason Statham
- “The beekeeper“
- “Baby to take with you”
- “The royal hotel”
January 18: 5-star masterpiece with Emma Stone
- “Poor things“
- “The palace“
- “Where Lies Fall”
January 25: German cinema is [doch] cool!
- “Home Sweet Home – Where evil lives“
- “The survivors“
- “Mean Girls – The Girls Club“
Finally, an important note: This list is based on the current information about cinema releases in December 2023. However, it is always possible that a title is removed from the program at short notice or that another film starts on one of these dates.