Awards season is the happiest time of year for the avid cinephile. Unfortunately, the Oscars mark the end of awards season, and the Feb. 26 ceremony is fast-approaching. But a host of promising films are coming to Columbia soon, and MOVE Magazine has the lowdown on the most anticipated titles.
_Get Out_, coming Feb. 24, is a horror film, with racial themes, written and directed by Jordan Peele of comedy duo Key and Peele. Although it is not Peele’s usual territory, the film received favorable reviews at Sundance. Matt Singer of ScreenCrush said the film “does what all great horror movies do: turn real world anxieties into the stuff of nightmares.” _Get Out_ will screen at Goodrich Forum 8 and Regal Columbia Stadium 14.
_Logan_, coming out March 3 at Goodrich Forum 8, is the newest addition to Marvel’s X-Men series. It follows Wolverine as he aids a sickly Professor X near the Mexican border. Everything changes for the duo when a new mutant, a young girl, steps into the picture. Over the past decade, movies about the adamantium-clawed mutant have gotten better and better. _Logan_ is likely to follow the pattern.
_Elle_, coming out March 10 at Ragtag Cinema, is a sexually-charged psychological thriller coming from the mind behind _Total Recall_ and _Basic Instinct_, director Paul Verhoeven. Isabelle Huppert won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of a video game executive caught in the middle of mysteries at work and at home. Enigmatic and riveting, _Elle_ is a truly unique moviegoing experience that should not be missed.
_Beauty and the Beast_, coming out March 17, is Disney’s newest live-action pursuit. Starring Emma Watson as Belle, the film has already created quite a stir among excited Disney fans. It’s an almost assured spring box office success. A quick glance at the trailer reveals that the all the hype may not be in vain. _Beauty and the Beast_ will be released at both Goodrich Forum 8 and Regal Columbia Stadium 14.
_Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2_, coming out May 5 at Goodrich Forum 8, will be the first of many summer Hollywood blockbusters to get to theaters in Columbia. Chris Pratt returns to the screen as Peter Quill, also known as Star-Lord, with his adventurous group of intergalactic misfits, including a talking raccoon and moving tree. If nothing else, _Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2_ is sure to feature a stellar soundtrack.
_Alien: Covenant_, coming out May 19 at Goodrich Forum 8, is Ridley Scott’s attempt at bridging the gap between two of his most popular films: _Alien_ (1979) and _Prometheus_ (2012). As a result, this film has garnered both critical and commercial attention, making it one of the most anticipated movies of 2017. Expect an immersive thrill ride that blends the best of past and present. Ridley Scott will not let down.
There are a host of movies not mentioned that might find their way into local theaters. Ragtag Cinema has expressed interest in screening the celebrated German film, _Toni Erdmann_; an adaptation of the English novel _The Sense of an Ending_; and a convent drama starring Alicia Vikander called _Tulip Fever_.