The month of love is upon us. I have a few romantic films for you, along with some action and horror, so strap in for a group of misfit films that will surely make your Valentine’s dates entertaining.
First up, Dracula: A Love Tale. Starring Caleb Landry Jones (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) as the titular Dracula, the story seems to follow the original 1897 novel by Bram Stoker, albeit with a bit more flare and some dramatic license. The trailer has violence, multiple gorgeous costumes, romance and full on war scenes. Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) co-stars and Luc Besson (Subway) brings his directing and writing style to the proceedings when this releases on Feb. 6.
For some comedy mixed with your horror, don’t miss Cold Storage. When two employees at a self-storage facility realize a sealed parasitic fungus has begun to spread, they must work together with a government agent to contain it before it takes over the minds of every living creature. Joe Keery (Stranger Things), Georgina Campbell (Barbarian) and Liam Neeson (Taken) all star in what looks to be a fun romp through mind-infected zombie murder with a darkly comedic twist. It hits theaters on Feb. 13.
If you want a pure crime thriller, check out Crime 101. Although the concept of “one last heist” seems a bit overplayed, the trailer still seems to show a good amount of fun banter and action with its stars Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Mark Ruffalo (Zodiac) and Halle Berry (X-Men). The writer/director, Bart Layton, has two previous films that are both uniquely made with documentary elements, particularly American Animals, which blended the real life people it was documenting with dramatized elements in a way I found incredibly fun to watch. This film looks to be a more straightforward approach based on a novella of the same name, so we’ll see if he can keep it interesting when it drops on Feb. 13.
For a bit of black comedy thriller, make sure to see How to Make a Killing. Starring Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick) as a disowned son of an obscenely wealthy family, the movie follows his attempts to reclaim his inheritance by any means necessary. The cast includes Margaret Qualley (The Substance), Jessica Henwick (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) and Topher Grace (BlacKkKlansman), and the trailer promises all the charm Powell can bring along with an enticing dark humor. It releases on Feb. 20.
Lastly, get your music documentary fix with Man on the Run. The doc focuses on former Beatles member Paul McCartney from his formation of Wings though the 1970s. It looks to have in-depth interviews with McCartney about his time directly after the Beatles broke up and what was going though his mind as he began his next chapter as one of the world’s most prolific songwriters. We can all look on in awe when it comes to Amazon Prime on Feb. 25.
