This January, Robert Eggers delivers a horror for the ages with Nosferatu, RaMell Ross makes his fiction feature debut with the compelling drama Nickel Boys and Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson provide the thrills in Babygirl. Plus, Timothée Chalamet amazes as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown and Mike Leigh presents the heartfelt Hard Truths. If that wasn’t enough, London Short Film Festival returns for another year of phenomenally curated short film programming.

‘Nosferatu’ Image courtesy of Universal Pictures.

We opened the new year with Nosferatu, the latest creation from renowned filmmaker Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse, The VVitch).

A remake of the legendary 1922 silent horror of the same name, we are again invited to the Manor of Count Orlok as he looks to relocate to the sleepy German town of Wisborg. There resides Ellen Hutter, a woman bound to him via dark magic, and it’s up to her and the other unfortunate residents of Wisborg to stop Orlok and save their town. Lily Rose-Depp provides a scintillating performance as Ellen, while Bill Skarsgård’s Orlok steals every scene he is in as one of the most atmospheric and chilling villains in recent memory. With Nosferatu, Eggers has provided us with a gothic horror for the ages – rich in atmosphere, style and his trademark historical accuracy. Horrors are also always best in a crowd, so don’t miss out of this one while it’s in cinemas.

Take a look at Little White Lies’ glowing review and see the chilling trailer for Nosferatu.

‘Nickel Boys‘ Image courtesy of Curzon.

Also currently showing is RaMell Ross’ critically-acclaimed historical drama Nickel Boys.

Based upon the 2019 novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead, the film centres upon two African American boys, Elwood and Turner, who are sent to a reform school in 1960s Florida, inspired by the real-life Dozier School for Boys, notorious for its abusive treatment of students.

Masterfully directed by RaMell Ross in his narrative feature debut, Ross utilises his past work as a photographer to provide a unique cinematic experience with the film being shot entirely in first person, lending to a staggeringly beautiful and timely story of resilience. Pushing boundaries and utilising the medium to its fullest extent, Nickel Boys is a must-see in cinemas this January.

Read IndieWire’s glowing review and watch the moving trailer for Nickel Boys.

‘Babygirl‘ Image courtesy of Entertainment Film.

Then from Fri 10 Jan, Bodies Bodies Bodies director Halina Reijn returns with her newest outing – Babygirl.

Nicole Kidman won the Volpi Prize for Best Actress at Venice Film Festival for her role as a high-powered CEO, who puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid love affair with her much younger intern Samuel, played by Harris Dickinson. A rare film in that it is genuinely thrilling throughout, in an era where Hollywood has largely abandoned sexuality as a topic of serious discussion, Babygirl can easily lay claim to the title of top dog.

Check out A.V Club’s glowing review and take a look at the scintillating trailer for Babygirl.

‘A Complete Unknown‘ Image courtesy of Searchlight.

Next up, Timothée Chalamet gives an award–worthy performance as Bob Dylan in arresting biopic A Complete Unknown, directed by James Mangold.

Arriving in New York in the early 1960s with nothing but his guitar, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota starts his journey to change the course of American music. You don’t have to be a fan of Dylan to appreciate the infectious artistry on show in A Complete Unknown – as electricity flows through each scene like a guitar plugging in to an amplifier, all while loss permeates the film as Dylan drifts away into the lonely mists of talent and fame. Make sure you watch this on the big screen (with a good sound system) from Fri 17 Jan.

Check out The Guardian’s five star review and the electrifying trailer for A Complete Unknown.

‘Hard Truths‘ Image courtesy of StudioCanal.

Rounding out the month, the legendary Mike Leigh returns to direct the phenomenal Hard Truths, in our screens from Fri 31 Jan.

Marianne Jean-Baptiste gives an unforgettable performance as Pansy Deacon, a depressed middle-aged woman battling through relationships with her loved ones, including her optimistic sister Chantelle. A mesmerising tragi-comedy character study, Leigh has crafted one of the sincerest slice of life films to come out of British cinema – and proves that, at the age of 81, he still has that magical ability to make the everyday captivating to watch.

Have a read of RogerEbert.com’s adoring review where they label it ‘one of the great films to come out in 2024’ and view the trailer for Hard Truths.

Image courtesy of London Short Film Festival.

Outside of the main film release programme, from Fri 17 – Sun 26 Jan we welcome London Short Film Festival with a celebration of of independent, boundary-pushing short filmmaking. This year’s theme, Spaces, will explore the creative, social, and political landscapes of the spaces we inhabit and the cost of their loss. Make sure you don’t miss out on the UK’s leading short film festival this month! Check out our full LSFF programme here.