Happy New Year! I’m still working on a ‘Year In Review’ for my 2022 recommendations, but I wanted to make sure that I continued with the new picks for January 2023. For what started as a New Years resolution of sorts, I have really enjoyed picking out movies over the past year. In addition to continuing with my monthly posts, I also plan to try to read more books this year. The goal is just 12 books. Just 12. I imagine it will be easily attainable, but will hopefully putting a number on it will help steer some of my free time.

Those that follow the yearly movie cycle will know that January is usually a very lean month, and this year seems to be no different. The only movie that many folks will even be talking about in a few months is either M3GAN or Women Talking, the latter of which is sure to see some attention at this year’s Oscars. Despite the limited releases, there are still a few that caught my eye, so on we go!

Plane – Theaters, January 13th

I will be the first to admit that calling a movie Plane just seems lazy, but for a January action flick no one is going to complain. Gerard Butler and Mike Colter (from Marvel’s Luke Cage) play a pilot and a convict in transport respectively. When the plane is forced to land on a war-torn island, Colter’s Louis Gaspare is called upon to help rescue the passengers that have been taken hostage.

Women Talking – Theaters, January 20th

As I mentioned above, this is one of the only movies coming out this month that has what might be called “cultural relevance”. The stacked cast include Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, and Frances McDormand. Set is 2010, it follows the women of an isolated religious community as they grapple with their faith and the decision to stay and fight or remain silent.

JUNG_E – Netflix, January 20th

We don’t get nearly enough non-IP SciFi (ie not superhero or Star Wars), so when a new film drops in the genre, I’m always interested in learning more. JUNG_E comes to us from South Korea, distributed in the US by Netflix. One of the real boons of the streaming age has been the accessibility of foreign cinema, which, in turn, has led to more theatrical runs for movies like Decision to Leave and Brahmastra. JUNG_E is set in the 22nd century, after humanity has had to abandon earth do to extreme climate conditions. A brain cloning program attempts to take the tactical mind of one of the allied military leaders to create a robot army.

Shotgun Wedding – PrimeVideo, January 27th

I’m not sure what the narrative drive for this movie will be, other than save the hostages, but an action comedy starring JLo and Josh Duhamel just sounds fun. The supporting cast includes some new and old faces that many will recognize led my Jennifer Coolidge as Duhamel’s mom. Being released directly on PrimeVideo is a little bit of a red flag, but that also means it’s a very low barrier for entry. Let me know what you think!