18 new films to know for January, including a JLo rom-com, a promising cringe-comedy, and multiple horror offerings

Theaters everywhere January 20Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut is finally hitting theaters exactly a year to the day after it premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews. Eisenberg also adapted the screenplay based on an audio drama he wrote for Audible back in 2020. is a darkly comedic look at the clash between Ziggy, a young rock-star wannabe with an online following (Finn Wolfhard), and his do-gooder mom Evelyn (Julianne Moore), who’s somehow altruistic and narcissistic at the same time. Though they constantly fail to connect, the two are more alike in their self-absorption than either of them would care to admit. Sharply funny and keenly observant, this portrait of the generational divide features nuanced performances that make you feel for the characters, even if you don’t always like them. [Cindy White]

Paramount+ January 26Just to get it straight: is a movie that’s a sequel to a series based on an older movie. And it’s directed by Highlander’s Russell Mulcahy, who was in his prime when the original 1985 Michael J. Fox comedy (co-written by Jeph Loeb!) came out. The show, which ended in 2017 after six seasons, is a more serious and mythology-heavy take on the notion of werewolves in a high school. (For an actual, albeit unauthorized remake of the original, try Pixar’s Turning Red.) This 2023 movie will introduce a new supernatural threat, and reunite most of the cast, except Dylan O’Brien, Arden Cho, and Cody Christian. Direct to Paramount+, it’s also designed to kick off a new spin-off series, Wolf Pack, starring Buffy The Vampire Slayer herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar. [Luke Y. Thompson]

Prime Video January 27We’re officially in the midst of a Jennifer Lopez rom-com renaissance, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Her latest outing is a sort of action-rom-com mashup with a simple premise that’s also kind of genius: in , she teams up with Josh Duhamel to play Darcy and Tom, a couple whose gorgeous destination wedding is plagued by prenuptial jitters, meddling parents (Jennifer Coolidge plays the mother of the groom), and the arrival of a hot ex-boyfriend (Lenny Kravitz). Oh, and their big day is also hijacked by pirates who take all their guests hostage. Together, they spring into action together to save the day, rekindling their romance through an adrenaline-fueled adventure. Sounds fun! The film is coming exclusively to Prime Video, so it’s a perfect opportunity to curl up with a loved one or invite some friends over for a cozy night in. [Cindy White]

Theaters everywhere January 27Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile directors Will Speck and Josh Gordon take to outer space in their next collaboration, , starring Anthony Ramos and Naomi Scott as astronauts who encounter great peril. He crash lands on an alien planet, and must contend with the excessively articulate AI (Zachary Quinto) in his spacesuit. Meanwhile, she is somewhere else trapped inside her escape pod. Can he find her before his own air supply runs out? And even if he does, what then? In theory, this sounds a lot more serious and suspenseful than the comedies (Office Christmas Party, Switch, Blades Of Glory) the directors are known for. A lot depends on how they play the material here. And, perhaps, whether or not Quinto sings. [Luke Y. Thompson]

Netflix January 27What’s wild about the teaser trailer for Kenya Barris’ , which includes a nervous white man (Jonah Hill) telling his girlfriend’s Black parents (Eddie Murphy and Nia Long) his proposal plans, is that it’s only the tip of this movie’s iceberg. Playing the parents of Hill’s character are none other than Julia Louis-Dreyfus and David Duchovny, while the great Lauren London rounds out the cast as the proposee. It sounds like a mash-up of Meet The Parents and Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, and we can’t wait to squirm at what is surely two hours of cringe comedy. [Jack Smart]

Select theaters January 27Belgian director Lukas Dhont follows up his acclaimed yet divisive trans ballerina drama Girl with , a tale of two 13-year-old boys. Initially the best of friends, they begin to drift apart after classmates accuse them of being gay. As Léo (Eden Dambrine) pulls away from Rémi (Gustav de Waele) and begins acting more pointedly macho, a tragic event shakes everyone’s lives up even further. The co-winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes (along with Claire Denis’ Stars At Noon), Close is this year’s Oscar submission by Belgium for Best Foreign Language Film. For anyone who has ever been bullied or felt the pain of leaving childhood behind, Close is apparently quite the tearjerker. If that’s your thing. [Luke Y. Thompson]