February is usually a brilliant movie month. All the movies going for Oscars seem to come out at the cinema, love stories for Valentines Day and all sorts. This month, we’re actually excited to see all of the below. Especially 50 Shades Darker – who’s already got their ticket?
Gold: 3rd Feb
Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey is unrecognisable as a devious prospector in this gripping, cautionary tale of greed and excess, inspired by true events.
Kenny Wells (Matthew McConaughey) is a prospector desperate to strike it rich. He then gets wind of a potential gold deposit in the remote Indonesian jungle. Teaming up with geologist Michael Acosta (Edgar Ramirez), he makes the journey and stumbles across an extraordinary seam of treasure, one that he swiftly exploits to make a gargantuan fortune on Wall Street when back home in America. But he soon finds out that success and ambition have a dangerous price.
Sporting an unflattering comb over, Dallas Buyers Club star Matthew McConaughey completes another remarkable transformation in this sprawling drama from Stephen Gaghan, writer of the acclaimed Traffic. Jurassic World’s Bryce Dallas Howard co-stars as Wells’ girlfriend, Kay.
Loving: 3rd Feb
“Loving” celebrates the real-life courage and commitment of an interracial couple, Richard and Mildred Loving, who married and then spent the next nine years fighting for the right to live as a family in their hometown. Their civil rights case, Loving v. Virginia, went all the way to the Supreme Court, which in 1967 reaffirmed the very foundation of the right to marry – making their love story an inspiration to couples everywhere.
Fences: 10th Feb
Denzel Washington stars and directs this compelling drama about a black family in 1950s Pittsburgh.
In 1950s Pittsburgh, Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) once dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player. Nowadays, he’s a sanitation worker with a wife and a teenage son, who dreams of playing football. But Troy remains bitter about the missed opportunities of his past, while at the same time trying to cope with the pressures of being a husband and father.
Denzel Washington and Viola Davis reprise their roles from the award-winning revival of August Wilson’s acclaimed play. The movie is tipped for Oscar greatness, having picking up nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Washington), Best Supporting Actress (Davis) and Best Adapted Screenplay.
50 Shades Darker: 10th Feb
Ana Steele and Christian Grey continue their steamy relationship in this eagerly awaited follow-up to the 2015 erotic smash.
At the end of blockbusting E.L. James adaptation Fifty Shades of Grey, it seemed as if the relationship between naďve Anastasia (Dakota Johnson) and mysterious, kinky billionaire Christian (Jamie Dornan) was over. However, the two are drawn back towards each other – but not like before. The more assertive Ana is now setting the terms of their relationship whilst Christian has some dark secrets of his own, which manifest in the form of a dangerous old flame and the influence of one Elena Lincoln (Kim Basinger). Can they make it last?
Adapted from E.L. James’ sexy, barnstorming bestseller, Fifty Shades of Grey was one of the biggest hits of 2015. With its two attractive stars back for more, expectations are high for Fifty Shades Darker to exceed its predecessor.
Hidden Figures: 17th Feb
An uplifting true-life drama about the African-American women who played a key role in US space missions.
It’s 1962 and the space race is on. NASA is determined to beat the Russians in putting a man into orbit around the Earth. But behind the scenes, a trio of pioneering African-American women are responsible for the calculations that will launch John Glenn into space. These “human computers” have to battle against deeply engrained racism and sexism to secure their place in history. Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) is a brilliant maths prodigy. Team supervisor Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer) is kept in her place by a condescending boss (Kirsten Dunst). And Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) endures an uphill struggle to train as NASA’s first black female engineer.
From the director of ‘St. Vincent’, this is an inspirational, feelgood true story of unsung heroes who dared to dream big and refused to be intimidated by the obstacles placed in their way.
John Wick: Chapter 2 17th Feb
Keanu Reeves’ legendary hitman takes on the world’s deadliest killers in this thrill-packed sequel.
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) isn’t having much luck staying retired. Now a former associate of the unstoppable hitman is planning to take over the shadowy international assassins’ guild. John is bound by a blood oath to assist him and reluctantly travels to Rome to fulfil this obligation. Matters are complicated by the fact that someone has ‘opened an account’ on John himself, which means that every badass on the planet is now closing in! It’s not long before the bullets start flying in this explosive sequel to the 2014 hit that reignited Keanu Reeves’ action career with the biggest bang imaginable. That stylish spectacle’s co-director, former stuntman Chad Stahelski, is back behind the camera for this second magnificent blend of superbly choreographed breathtaking action and witty one-liners. Common and Laurence Fishburne are among those joining the cast.
