2019 | 30 Films to Look Forward to This Year – Part 1
We here at Headstuff provide a guide for the films to look forward to in 2019, complete with the dates you should expect to see them.
January
Glass – Jan 18
The conclusion to one of the most surprising film franchise/marketing stunts ever, Glass completes M. Night Shyamalan’s superhero trilogy following Unbreakable and Split. Read more about it here.
Cellar Door – Jan 25
Winner of the Best Irish First Feature award at the Galway Film Fleadh last year, this mystery thriller follows Aidie (Karen Hassan), a woman with Memento-style amnesia. She feels a need to search for her son she barely remembers, whose disappearance is linked to the Church.
Destroyer – Jan 25
From Karyn Kusama (Girlfight, The Invitation) comes this gritty crime thriller centring on an undercover LAPD officer who must take out members of a gang, years after her case was blown. Nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance, an unrecognisable Nicole Kidman stars.
The Mule – Jan 25
Rumoured to be the Hollywood legend’s last film, Clint Eastwood directs and stars in this true story about a 90 year old who became a drug mule for the Mexican cartel. Bradley Cooper also features.
February
Burning – Feb 1
Based on a short story by Haruki Mirakami, this South Korean mystery finally gets an Irish release following raves since its premiere at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. Steven Yeun stars.
Velvet Buzzsaw – Feb 1
Writer-director Dan Gilroy returns to the LA setting of his debut Nightcrawler for this Netflix horror-thriller about a supernatural force enacting revenge on those who have allowed their greed to get in the way of art. Reteaming Gilroy with Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo – Toni Collette, John Malkovich, Natalia Dyer, Billy Magnussen and Zawe Ashton are part of the ensemble cast.
High Flying Bird – Feb 8
Also on Netflix, Steven Soderbergh directs from Moonlight scribe Tarell Alvin McCraney’s script. Andre Holland and Zazie Beetz star in this sports drama where a sports agent pitches a rookie basketball client on an intriguing and controversial business opportunity.
If Beale Street Could Talk – Feb 8
Speaking of Moonlight, its director Barry Jenkins directs this adaptation of James Baldwin’s romantic drama about a black couple in early 1970’s Harlem. Their relationship is put under pressure when the husband is falsely accused of a crime.
The Rhythm Section – Feb 22
Blake Lively stars in this partially Irish set spy thriller about a woman who seeks to uncover the truth behind a plane crash that killed her family. The Handmaid’s Tale’s Reed Marano directs.
March
Chaos Walking – Mar 1
Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley star in this Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow, American Made) directed adaptation of Patrick Ness’ novel The Art of Never Letting Go. Charlie Kaufman co-writes this sci-fi tale set in a world without females and featuring constant noise where a young boy discovers a patch of silence linked to a young woman.
The Hole in the Ground – Mar 1
The debut of Lee Cronin, the Irish writer-director behind fantastic 2013 short Ghost Train, this horror stars Seana Kerslake as a mother to a young son who discovers an ominous sinkhole buried deep in the forest that borders their home. Distributed by the prestigious A24, The Hole in the Ground reaches its home country following its Sundance premiere January 25.
Us – Mar 15
Arguably the most anticipated film of the year, Get Out’s Jordan Peele follows up his 2017 masterpiece with this thriller about a black family (Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke) terrorised by doppelgangers of themselves. Read our thoughts on the trailer here.
April
The Sisters Brothers – Apr 5
John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix star as two notorious Western gunslinger brothers who get caught up in the California Gold Rush. It is A Prophet director Jacques Audiard’s first English language film and also features Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed.
Loro – Apr 12
Italian writer-director Paolo Sorrentino helms this drama about media tycoon and politician Silvio Berlusconi and those who surround him between 2006 and 2009.
Greta – Apr 19
Neil Jordan directs this cat and mouse thriller about a young woman (Chloe Grace Moretz) who befriends a mysterious older widow (Isabelle Huppert) with dark intentions. Although set in New York, Greta was partly shot in Dublin.
Avengers: Endgame – Apr 26
The climax to 22 films of world building, Endgame will focus on the aftermath of last year’s Infinity War and its shocking cliffhanger.
