Yesterday afternoon a friend texted and invited me to the movies. It was a last-minute thing that normally would have been impossible for me. But I actually found a babysitter in a matter of minutes, dinner was already in progress, and I didn’t have anything pressing on my planner for the evening. So I picked up the house, fed my kids and myself, and hopped in the car.

I mean, once the babysitter arrived. I didn’t drive away before that. In case you were confused.

ANYWAY. Though we’ve lived in our house (and town) for two and a half years now, I still forget just how long it takes to get places. So I pulled into the theater parking lot with about 87 seconds to spare before the movie started. Luckily, it was a Tuesday night and, despite the $5 ticket special my friends and I were taking advantage of, it wasn’t busy. So I found a primo parking spot, walked right up to the counter, and sped walked to the theater showing our movie.

I slid into my seat (FINE. I plopped down onto my seat.) mere seconds before the first preview started. PERFECT TIMING.

Previews are one of my favorite parts of seeing a movie, and last night’s experience did not disappoint. It also reminded me that I need to write a Winter Movie Preview, both for you and for myself, to make sure we don’t miss anything coming out in the next few months. So, without further ado (did you want to know what snacks we ate during the movie? how comfy the seats were? No? Just get to the important stuff? Okay, all right, fine!), here are all the movies I’ve heard about that are coming out soon.

A few things to keep in mind: This may not be every single movie coming out. It’s the big ones I’ve heard of, minus a few horror movies I have less than zero interest in. I haven’t seen any of these movies, but I’ve watched the trailers. You can watch the trailers, too, by clicking on the movie title. You might like different types of movies than I do, so I have included some that I will not see and will not recommend. As we say in my house, different people like different things — and that’s okay.

Early 2019 Movie Preview | marycarver.com
 

JANUARY

  • Close (Jan. 18) – Noomi Rapace plays a counter-terrorism expert working as an heiress’s bodyguard. The two women have to work together after a kidnapping attempt. Looks intense.
  • Egg (Jan. 18) – Two frenemies and their husbands get together to talk about marriage and parenting and life. Stars Christina Hendricks and Anna Camp. Looks … not great.
  • The Kid Who Would Be King (Jan. 25, rated PG) – Modern-day retelling of The Sword in the Stone. Looks adorable and fun.
  • Serenity (Jan. 25, rated R) – A woman in a violent marriage asks (or doesn’t? it’s confusing) her ex-husband to kill her new husband. Stars Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway. Looks confusing. Or intriguing? I can’t tell.
  • Polar (Jan. 25, Netflix, probably rated MA) – Mads Mikkelsen plays a retired assassin who befriends his neighbor (Vanessa Hudgens). Then lots of other assassins try to kill him. Based on a comic book. Looks good, although violent.
  • King of Thieves (Jan. 25, R) – Michael Caine and other old thieves pull one last heist. Based on true story. Looks good, like an old, British version of Ocean’s 11.


 

FEBRUARY

  • Arctic (Feb. 1, rated PG-13) – Mads Mikkelsen’s plane crashes in the Arctic, and he tries to survive. Looks like my nightmare and I couldn’t even finish the trailer because it stressed me out so badly.
  • Miss Bala (Feb. 1, rated PG-13) – Gina Rodriguez plays a woman who gets caught in cross-border crime and violence. In an attempt to rescue her friend she has to go undercover; it’s possible the bad guys treat her better than the good guys, so things will probably get complicated. Looks really good.
  • Then Came You (Feb. 1) – Teen girl with terminal illness befriends teen hypochondriac boy. Basically, dying girls helps boy learn to live. Stars Maisie Williams and Asa Butterfield. Looks like it will make me roll my eyes.
  • Everybody Knows (Feb. 8, rated R) – A woman returns to her hometown in Spain for a wedding, and her daughter is abducted. The trailer implies a lot of secrets that everybody knows but sure doesn’t explain them. Stars Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. Looks too intense for me.
  • The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part (Feb. 8, rated PG) – LEGO action movie; does the plot matter? Main characters voiced by Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks. Looks funny and I’m definitely taking my kids to see this.
  • What Men Want (Feb. 8) – Taraji P. Henson stars in a gender-reversed mind-reading movie. The first one was both hilarious and horrifying. This one? Looks about the same.
  • Isn’t It Romantic (Feb. 13, rated PG-13) – Rebel Wilson hits her head and wakes up in a romantic comedy world. I get it; this will not be good. I don’t even care. Looks like I’m already planning to see this with friends.
  • Happy Death Day 2U (Feb. 14, rated PG-13) – College girl relives the same day over and over again in this sequel. She and her friends have to stop a killer. Creepy and violent and not my kind of movie at all, but the trailer is actually funny, too. Looks like it might give me nightmares, so I’ll pass. But I did laugh at the trailer.
  • Alita: Battle Angel (Feb. 14) – Cyborg girl finds herself and saves the world. Looks good, actually.
  • How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Feb. 22, rated PG) – Dragons. Vikings? Hidden worlds and epic adventures and that Ed Sheeran song. Animated. Looks like I should have watched the first two movies.


 

MARCH

  • A Madea Family Funeral (Mar. 1, rated PG-13) – A reunion turned funeral reveals family secrets. And hijinks. Many hijinks seem to ensue. Looks like all the other Madea movies.
  • Captain Marvel (Mar. 8, rated PG-13) – Aliens are trying to take over the world, and Carol Danvers is a noble warrior hero who can save us. Part of the Marvel Universe. Looks amazing!
  • The Mustang (Mar. 15) – A man in prison begins working with wild horses as part of a rehabilitation program. Looks gut-wrenching and possibly inspiring.
  • The Aftermath (Mar. 15, rated R) – Historical drama set in postwar Germany in 1946 about a British couple sharing a home with a German man and his daughter. Stars Keira Knightley, Alexander Skaarsgard, Jason Clarke. Looks good.
  • Wonder Park (Mar. 15, rated PG) – Animated. Girl’s imaginary amusement park comes to life. Looks adorable.
  • Where’d You Go, Bernadette? (Mar. 22, rated PG-13) – Based on the book about a wife and mom who disappears. Her daughter (and friends and family) look for her. Stars Cate Blanchett. Looks great.
  • Dumbo (Mar. 29) – Live action version of the Disney classic. Stars Colin Farrell, but even that will not convince me to watch this one. Looks like a hard pass for me.
  • Captive State (Mar. 29, rated PG-13) – Aliens have taken over Earth. Some people are going along with it, and some are not having it. John Goodman stars. Looks like not my thing, but it might be good.


 

APRIL

  • The Best of Enemies (April 5, rated PG-13) – A civic rights activist and Ku Klux Klan leader are forced to co-chair a committee about desegregation of schools in North Carolina, 1971. Based on a true story. Stars Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell. Looks incredible.
  • Teen Spirit (April 5) – Shy, small-town girl enters singing competition. Cinderella meets American Idol, with a great soundtrack. Stars Elle Fanning. Looks like it has potential.
  • Shazam! (April 5) – A teenager in foster care gets super powers and turns into a grown man. Stars Zachary Levi. Looks hilarious and awesome.
  • Little (April 12) – Issa Rae, Taraji P. Henson, and Marsai Martin star in this gender-swapped version of Big. Looks super funny!

I want to see all four of those movies coming out in April. My husband and I will definitely be seeing Captain Marvel (and possibly Miss Bala, although I might wait for reviews to decide for sure). I wasn’t kidding about planning a girls night out to see Isn’t It Romantic, and I will probably ask another friend to see Where’d You Go, Bernadette? with me. I’m sure I’ll take my kids to see the LEGO movie and Wonder Park, and I might find an excuse to take my oldest to see The Kid Who Would Be King. Other movies might have to wait for Redbox, like Alita, What Men Want, King of Thieves, and — depending on reviews — The Aftermath.
 

Which movies are YOU looking forward to seeing?

What should you watch next?

 

Every month, we are bombarded with new TV series and movies—and it can be overwhelming to figure out what to watch! (I know, I know, what a problem to have!) I'm here to help. My monthly Watch Guides list out all the returning series, new series, and new movies, along with premiere dates and where to watch them. Plus, I tell you my personal picks for the month to help you narrow it all down.

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