By Dan Auty on Jan 02, 2019 10:57 pm
The past few weeks have been extremely busy for new movie releases, with the likes of Bumblebee, Mary Poppins Returns, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and Aquaman all competing at the box offices. These films are set to dominate the box office for the next couple of weeks, and as a result the studios are all steering clear of releasing anything particularly notable in the US theaters in early January. This week is particularly quiet, with the horror movie Escape Room and period mystery The Vanishing the only releases of any note in the US. The UK has some more interesting smaller theatrical releases, such as the acclaimed period comedy The Favourite and the Japanese horror comedy One Shot of the Dead, which arrives with plenty of buzz amongst genre fans. While the schedule will be quiet for a few weeks, there are some bigger movies on the horizon, in particular M Night Shyamalan's much-anticipated Glass, which will combine characters from his previous hits Unbreakable and Split. In the meantime, here's the week's new releases in the both the US and UK...
Escape Room
Watch it in US theaters on January 4
This dark thriller kicks off 2018's horror slate. It features Lost in Space star Taylor Russell and Daredevil's Deborah Ann Woll. Both are part of a group who are invited to compete in an escape room challenge. Of course, this being a horror movie, the penalty for being the last to leave each room is death. The movie is directed by Adam Robitel, who helmed last year's Insidious: The Last Key, and has seemingly taken influence from both the Saw series and the Cube movies.
The Vanishing
Watch it in US theaters and on VoD on January 4
Gerard Butler might not star in very many good films, but he certainly keeps busy. Hot on the heels of his submarine flop Hunter Killer we have The Vanishing, which hits video on demand and select theaters this week. It's based on the true story of three lighthouse keepers who vanished in very mysterious circumstances from a Scottish island in 1900. This version throws in murder and stolen gold, and it looks more interesting than Butler's usual brand of mindless action. It also stars Peter Mullan, seen most recently in Westworld and Ozark.
The Favourite
Watch it in UK theaters on January 2 Yorgos Lanthimos has made a name for himself over the past few years as a director of weird, funny, and very dark comedy dramas. Following The Lobster and The Killing of the Sacred Deer, he returns with The Favorite. It's his most accessible film to date, but that doesn't mean Lanthimos has gone mainstream. It's set in England in the 18th century and focuses on the increasingly bitter rivalry between two royal cousins to gain the attention of Queen Anne. Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz play the related royals, while Olivia Colman is Queen Anne--in some ways a dry run for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in the upcoming third season of Netflix's The Queen. The Favorite is absurd and hilarious, and is another winner from this distinctive filmmaker.
Welcome to Marwen
Watch it in UK theaters on January 4
From Who Framed Roger Rabbit to The Polar Express, director Robert Zemeckis has pioneered visual effects and motion-capture in his movies for many years. Welcome to Marwen is his latest mix of live-action and CG animation. It's the real-life story of Mark Hogancamp, a man who emerged from a coma after being savagely beaten with no memory of his former life, and began to create a beautiful and brutal miniature town populated by dolls. The cast includes Steve Carell, Janelle Monáe, and Gwendoline Christie, and while it hasn't exactly gone down well with critics or audiences in the US, UK viewers can check it from Friday.
One Cut of the Dead
Watch it in UK theaters on January 4 Shot in eight days for a tiny budget, this horror comedy was a huge hit in its native Japan. It's a zombie movie that takes place on the set of a zombie movie and mixes gory slapstick and a movie-making satire, plus some impressive technical trickery. One Cut of the Dead was a huge success at genre festivals in 2018, and while a US release is yet to be announced, UK genre fans can experience it in theaters this week.
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