January used to be the "dump month." You know the vibe—studios would sweep their tax write-offs and weird horror experiments into the first few weeks of the year just to get them over with. But honestly? Looking at the new movies out in the movie theater right now, that old rule is basically dead.
Maybe it’s because Avatar: Fire and Ash is still eating everyone’s lunch at the box office, or maybe directors are just getting weirder. Either way, if you walk into a cinema this weekend, you aren’t just looking at leftovers. You’re looking at a bizarre mix of high-stakes sequels, niche indie experiments, and some surprisingly heavy-hitting drama.
The Big Hitters: Zombies and Blue People
It is Sunday, January 18, 2026, and James Cameron is still the king of the world. Avatar: Fire and Ash has held the number one spot for five weeks straight. Five. At this point, it feels like we’re all just living in Pandora’s backyard. But the real story this week is the "disappointment" that isn't actually a disappointment.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple just landed. People expected it to finally knock Avatar off its perch, but it fell slightly short with a $15 million opening. Critics are calling it the first big surprise of 2026. Directed by Nia DaCosta, this isn't your standard "run from the fast zombies" flick. Ralph Fiennes plays Dr. Ian Kelson, and let’s just say his "discovery" in the film changes the entire lore of the franchise. It’s bleak. It’s moody. It’s exactly what you want from an Alex Garland-penned universe.
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If you’re wondering why you should bother with a sequel to a sequel to a movie from the early 2000s, it’s the cast. Cillian Murphy is back. Seeing him on a massive IMAX screen again feels like a weird time loop, but in the best way possible.
What’s Actually Worth Your $15 Right Now?
Look, I get it. Popcorn is expensive, and your couch is comfortable. But there are a few new movies out in the movie theater that lose all their magic on a small screen.
- Primate: This one is a sleeper hit. Directed by Johannes Roberts, it’s basically a "chimp gone wrong" horror movie. Think Cujo but with a chimpanzee named Ben in Hawaii. It’s brutal. The gore is... a lot. But it’s the kind of communal theater experience where everyone jumps at the same time.
- Greenland 2: Migration: Gerard Butler is back doing what he does best: surviving things that would kill any other human. It’s a solid sequel. The Garrity family leaves the bunker and heads across a frozen wasteland. It’s efficient action. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but sometimes you just want to see things explode while you eat Milk Duds.
- Dead Man's Wire: This is the one for the "prestige" crowd. Gus Van Sant directed this true-crime story about the 1977 Tony Kiritsis kidnapping. Bill Skarsgård and Al Pacino together? It’s as chaotic and electric as it sounds. It just expanded into more theaters this weekend, so it’s finally easy to find.
The Weird, The Indie, and The "Wait, That's Out?"
If you want something that isn't a franchise, look for OBEX. It’s a "retro-tech" adventure set in 1987. It’s basically about a guy and his dog (Dorothy, who is a very good girl) lost in slow-rendering computer graphics. It’s DIY, it’s nostalgic, and it’s honestly one of the most creative things playing right now.
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Then there’s The Chronology of Water. Kristen Stewart directed this, and Imogen Poots is getting some serious awards buzz for her role as Lidia Yuknavitch. It’s a biographical drama that’s pretty heavy—dealing with trauma and swimming—but the cinematography is gorgeous.
Why You Might See These Titles Everywhere
- Limited Expansions: Movies like A Private Life (starring Jodie Foster!) started in New York and LA but are finally hitting suburban malls this week.
- The "Oscar Tail": Because it’s January, theaters are still holding onto the heavy hitters from December like Hamnet and Wuthering Heights.
- The Markiplier Factor: Keep an eye out for Iron Lung coming on January 30th. The hype for that is already starting to bleed into ticket presales.
Coming Up Next Week
If nothing on the marquee today grabs you, just wait five days. The January 23rd slate is actually kind of insane.
We’re getting Mercy, which stars Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson in a sci-fi thriller where an AI judge decides his fate. It sounds like Minority Report meets Black Mirror. We’re also getting Return to Silent Hill. If you played the games, you know the pressure is on for this to not suck. Director Christophe Gans is returning to the franchise, which is a good sign for the atmosphere, if nothing else.
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Actionable Tips for Your Movie Trip
Don't just wing it. If you're heading out to see the new movies out in the movie theater this weekend, do these three things:
- Check the Format: 28 Years Later and Avatar are shot for big screens. If you have the option for Dolby Cinema or IMAX, take it. The sound design in The Bone Temple is half the experience.
- Look for Re-Releases: Believe it or not, some theaters are running 20th-anniversary screenings of Madagascar and the extended editions of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Sometimes the "new" thing to do is watch an old favorite.
- Skip the Digital Buy for Now: A lot of these films, specifically Mercy and The Rip, have weirdly short theatrical windows before hitting streaming (Netflix/MGM+). If you want the "big" experience, see them now. In three weeks, they'll be on your phone.
Go see Dead Man's Wire if you want acting, Primate if you want to scream, and Avatar if you're the last person on Earth who hasn't seen it yet.