The best films to see in cinemas in January: from ’Hamnet’ to ‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’

Nomadland’s Chloé Zhao channels all the grace and emotional might of Maggie O’Farrell’s beloved novel into a new kind of Shakespearean drama. Paul Mescal plays the Bard himself, with Jessie Buckley as his wife Agnes, each grappling with love, loss, the natural world and the nature of art. Both are extraordinary, with the Wild Rose star surely a favourite for Best Actress at the Oscars.

In cinemas Jan 8

Strap in for the quickfire follow-up to a Danny Boyle threequel that left everyone’s jaws on the floor with a final scene intro for Jack O’Connell’s Jimmy Savile-alike cult leader Sir Jimmy Crystal. Boyle passes the torch to Candyman’s Nia DaCosta and it’ll be fascinating to see how she handles that archness, and discover what an American filmmaker brings to a franchise that, at its heart, has been a exploration of Englishness in extremis.

In cinemas Jan 16

Besties Matt Damon and Ben Affleck reunite for the first time since, well, 2023’s Air… so not that long but still, nice to see them sharing the screen again. The old buds play a couple of Miami cops who bite off way more than they can chew when they siphon off a stack of cash from a robbery investigation. Director Joe Carnahan (The A-Team, Smokin’ Aces) will be throwing seven shades of action movie mayhem at them.

In cinemas Jan 16

An entire movie about footballer Roy Keane’s falling out with Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy at the 2002 World Cup? Sure, why not. Good Vibrations filmmaking team Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D'Sa will be digging into the complex human and sporting psychology behind this combustible mix. Steve Coogan is playing McCarthy and Normal People’s Éanna Hardwicke is Keane, football’s angriest man. 

In cinemas Jan 23

Park Chan-wook’s answer to Parasite – don’t tell him we called it that – is the late-capitalist parable 2026 is calling for. Lee Byung-hun, Squid Game’s Front Man, is a wealthy family man and loyal executive suddenly cut adrift by his company and turning to extreme measures to regain purchase on the career ladder. Adapted from Donald Westlake’s 1997 novel The Ax, it promises Oldboy violence and blade-sharp satire.

In cinemas Jan 23

Claire Foy is a woman whose deep grief for her dad (Brendan Gleeson) finds voice in her growing bond with a goshawk in this adaptation of Helen Macdonald’s prize-winning memoir. The actress is always a force and she teams up here with one of her directors on The Crown, Philippa Lowthorpe, to explore the nature of loss and the quiet power of the natural world. Bring a hankie. 

In cinemas Jan 23

Josh O’Connor and Paul Mescal’s folk musicologists team up for a ruminative walk across the bucolic New England of the 1910s and ’20s. Oliver Hermanus (Moffie) should bring his delicate, painterly touch to a love story that evokes obvious parallels with Brokeback Mountain. The scenery will have you heading to your nearest brand of Millets.

In cinemas Jan 23

Charlie XCX is having a moment on screen as well as off it. Her latest movie is a self-reflexive mockumentary about a pop star embarking on her first world tour that gives her top billing and a tasty supporting cast (Alexander Skarsgård, Rachel Sennott, Rosanna Arquette). It’s produced by Charli’s Studio’s 365 company and according to the Brit, will be ‘the realest depiction of the music industry that I’ve ever seen’. Yes, Brat is back.

In cinemas Jan 30

‘Marriage Story with jokes’ is the loose premise of Bradley Cooper’s sensitive midlife drama about a long-married couple who fall apart and then find ways to piece themselves back together again. For Will Arnett’s Alex this involves discovering a calling to be a stand-up in New York’s underground comedy scene; for Laura Dern’s Tess, it’s reconnecting with her sporting past. The story is based on Liverpudlian comedian John Bishop’s own life. Awards recognition will surely follow. 

In cinemas Jan 30

Richard Linklater seems to have a new film out nearly every week at the moment, which is nothing but good news. The Texan’s latest is an elegantly crafted homage to Jean-Luc Godard’s influential act of cine-anarchy, Breathless, the 1960 flick that kickstarted the French New Wave. Look out for 1960s film legends galore in this recreation of a pivotal moment in movie history. Film geeks will literally squeal in delight.

In cinemas Jan 30