Polar
Hard to say if this looks good or not, I can honestly see it going both ways. At the very least, it should be enjoyable just on the basis of seeing Mads Mikkelsen kill a bunch of people for a couple hours. I haven’t even heard of the graphic novel this is based on, but I like the way it looks, I like how vibrant and saturated the colors are. Almost seems like something that would’ve come out around the time where you’d see movies like Smokin’ Aces or Lucky Number Slevin in theaters.
Polar will begin streaming on Netflix on January 25th.
Arctic
Cool, another Mads Mikkelsen movie set in a cold environment. This looks really good! Sure, survival stories are basically a dime a dozen, but there’s just something alluring and endlessly captivating about seeing a character face against the elements under harsh, unforgiving conditions. It’s primal, it’s raw. This looks like it taps into that kind of energy, so I hope this one turns out well.
Arctic hits theaters on February 1st.
Little
I can’t remember the last good “young-old switcheroo” comedy, but this looks like it could be a lot of fun. I’m particularly impressed with what Marsai Martin is able to pull off here. It does have that kind of standard, studio comedy lighting and cinematography, but as long as it’s funny, I won’t mind it, and I did get some laughs from this trailer, which is a pretty good sign.
Little opens in theaters on April 12th.
IO
I love that Netflix is willing to drop some serious cash on original sci0fi and genre films…I just wish they were good most of the time. This doesn’t look bad, necessarily, but it looks very underwhelming. A movie about a future where people have evacuated Earth to live on a distant planet, and the story itself is just about two people who are basically rushing for the last flight out. I don’t know, just doesn’t grab me. I hope I’m surprised, though.
IO will be available on Netflix on January 18th.
Velvet Buzzsaw
I think this trailer might have given away just a bit too much, but it’s sudden turn from oddball riff of The Square into a full blown horror is something that is just wonderful to behold. Dan Gilroy’s Nightcrawler was fantastic, and while I didn’t completely dislike his follow-up Roman J. Israel Esq., it was an overall disappointment. This is a pretty unexpected turn since it seems to embrace its genre elements in a fairly broad way, at least, in the way it’s advertised here, and that could make for a really fun flick. I’m definitely excited for this.
Velvet Buzzsaw will stream on Netflix on February 1st.
Gully Boy
More like “8 Kilometer,” amirite? Right? By this point you know I’d like to shine a light on some Indian films every now and then, and while I haven’t even heard of this on, it’s easily become something I’m highly anticipating. It’s loosely inspired by the lives of rap artists Divine and Naezy in a period when hip hop is slowly becoming a bigger platform for younger artists in Mumbai. Sorry for the lack of subtitles, but I think the actions really speak for themselves. I think it looks interesting. This is definitely something I’ll check out once it comes here.
Gully Boy will open in theaters in India in February 14th, and there’s no US release date from what I could find.
The Punisher: Season 2
Let’s get this out of the way, Jigsaw’s look sucks. It barely registers as Jigsaw, his face barely looks scratched, he’s still reasonably handsome looking. Aside from that, this looks good. I liked the first season quite a bit, I love Jon Bernthal just in general, and it was a show that had something to say. This doesn’t seem to be as substantial upon first glance, but I’m up for what is likely going to be one last adventure with this character before Netflix eventually cancels it.
The Punisher: Season 2 will begin streaming on Netflix on January 18th.
Fosse/Verdon
Yeah, I know there isn’t much shown here, but it’s a miniseries about Bob Fosse and his relationship with Gwen Verdon, so there’s no way I’m not going to be excited about this. Add to that fact that Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams, tow of my faves, will play the title roles, and you’ve got yourself a committed viewer. I’ll probably have more to say once a more substantial trailer gets released, but I am very excited already.
Fosse/Verdon will begin airing on FX on a currently unspecified date in April.
Thoughts on any of the trailers? Feel free to discuss in the comments!