February is going to be quite the month for releases in UK cinemas. Whilst the States have already been lucky enough to see some Oscar-nominated movies, such as Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water and Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird, us Brits have been sitting patiently, sipping our tea and eating our crumpets (because that’s what we do), in anticipation of these widely talked about films.
Below is a list of releases to watch out for in February, plus a recommended top three:
The Shape of Water (14th, wider release 16th)
Guillermo del Toro’s alternative water-based love story has had people incredibly hyped for months; even the trailer alone has caused a ripple (pun intended) through cinema-goers. It is hardly surprising that del Toro’s latest offering has thirteen Academy Award nominations to its name, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress. Even if the hype was down to just word of mouth, this movie would have to be at the top of the to-see list. It’s definitely time to revisit the del Toro back catalogue in preparation.
Lady Bird (16th)
Many people may know of actress Greta Gerwig as an indie movie darling, but now she makes her directorial debut wih Lady Bird, a coming-of-age dramedy also penned by Gerwig. Lady Bird has five Academy Award nominations, one of which being Best Director, making Gerwig only the fifth woman in the awards’ 90-year history to be nominated in this category. If that, along with rave reviews the world over, isn’t a definite sign that this film is a must-see, then nothing is.
Black Panther (13th)
Finally, a superhero movie with some true diversity. Based on the Marvel comic of the same name and directed by Creed: The Rocky Legacy‘s Ryan Coogler, Black Panther continues the story of T’Challa, a character we were first introduced to in Captain America: Civil War. As exciting as it is to see the first black superhero onscreen, it’s even more exciting to finally see an almost entirely black cast in a potential blockbuster, and to see how Coogler has delved into the African mythology to stay true to the story’s cultural roots. It’s not only one to see, it’s one for the history books, as it should have been a long time ago.
Other February releases:
Winchester (2nd)
Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2nd)
Den of Thieves (2nd)
Journey’s End (2nd)
Phantom Thread (3rd)
The Cloverfield Paradox (5th) (Netflix)
The 15:17 to Paris (9th)
The Mercy (9th)
Fifty Shades Freed (9th)
I, Tonya (23rd)
Finding Your Feet (23rd)
Dawn of the Tapes 