2020 is primed to be a big year for cinema, both in the realm of big-budget blockbusters and under-radar indies. Each month we’re going to be taking a look at five upcoming films that you need to see in cinemas, encouraging Aussies to get out and experience these stories on the big screen.
February brings a slew of variety to the table, from the fantabulous emancipation of Joker’s ex-girlfriend to a thriller that’s literally out of sight.
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (Released 6th February 2020)
Say what you will about Suicide Squad but it’s hard to deny the cultural impact Margot Robbie‘s turn as the unhinged Harley Quinn had. Free from Jared Leto’s Joker and headlining her own squad, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) looks to bring all the kinetic colour and humour we’d expect from Miss Quinn, alongside some Deadpool-level violence. Consider us emancipated and ready!
The Lighthouse (Released 6th February 2020)
Given that The Lighthouse comes courtesy of director Robert Eggers, whose last cinematic venture was the divisive horror film The Witch, audiences should be prepared for an experience like no other. Hypnotic and hallucinagetic, this dark tale surrounding Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson as a duo of lighthouse keepers stranded on a remote island where they are posted is sure to be a trip whose effects will linger long after you’ve exited the theatre.
Emma (Released 13th February 2020)
Jane Austen’s classic Emma is given another retelling, this time with Anya Taylor-Joy at the helm as the titular queen bee. With both a female writer and director on board, now seems like the perfect time for this deliciously empowering story to be reborn for a modern audience.
Fantasy Island (Released 13th February 2020)
The classic fantasy drama series that ran from 1977 to 1984 is given the Blumhouse treatment and updated as a more sinister, supernatural horror film where a group of guests on a luxurious island are promised their every fantasies will come to life. Those pesky terms and conditions get in the way though when the enigmatic Mr Roarke (Michael Pena) twists his lucky guests’ dreams into nightmares.
The Invisible Man (Released 27th February 2020)
Australia’s own Leigh Whannell returns to the horror genre that he so famously made his own with the original Saw with The Invisible Man. A loose adaptation of H.G. Wells’ classic novel, Whannell’s vision promises to be a more haunting, psychological affair painting the titular character as an unseen, inescapable villain.
