January will usher in the premieres of some exciting new films, including the new Anthony
Mackie-led action movie Outside the Wire and the book-to-screen adaptation of The White
Tiger.
But in addition to these buzzy new Originals, you'll also have the chance to catch some
amazing films that might have slipped under your radar during their initial releases.
Even if you missed them the first time, they're definitely worth the watch when they arrive
next month.
Let's take a look at some of the best hidden gems coming in January 2021.
If you've ever wondered what it might be like to relive your high school years with the
acquired wisdom and maturity of adulthood, well, 17 Again makes it look pretty great.
The 2009 comedy, which arrives on January 1st, introduces us to Matthew Perry's Mike,
a 37-year-old whose struggling marriage and floundering career make him yearn for the
old days when he was young and carefree.
After a couple strange encounters with a magic janitor, Mike gets a chance to do it all over
again when he finds himself back in his 17-year-old body - this time, played by Zac Efron.
With the help of his friend Ned, he re-enrolls in the same high school as his two teenage
kids and gets to see himself and the people he loves from a very different vantage point.
Not only is the movie a fun and vicarious little body-swapping adventure, but it also
has a lot of heart, as Mike learns just how lucky he is - at any age.
Martin Lawrence has starred in a lot of unforgettable films, and on January 1st you can catch him
in the buddy cop comedy Blue Streak.
The 1999 pic features Lawrence as a jewel thief named Miles Logan who's forced to hide
his diamond heist score in the air conditioning ducts of a construction site as the police
move in on him.
After spending two years behind bars for the robbery, Miles is horrified to discover that
the building where his loot is stashed away has since become an LAPD station.
"Hi, how you doing?
Is this really a police station?"
"Of course."
Determined to get his loot back, Miles infiltrates the building as a fake cop - and inadvertently
earns a new partner in the gullible Detective Carlson, who gets him right to work.
Miles' quick thinking and familiarity with the criminal underbelly of the city make him
a convincing enough detective at first, but the complications continue piling up in hilarious
and unexpected ways.
"Cool.
Cool is good."
"Hold on, Miles?"
"Charlie!"
"Ahh, man."
For comedian Chris Rock, the subject of his 2009 documentary Good Hair wasn't a laughing
matter at first.
After his own daughter approached him and asked why she didn't have, quote, "good hair,"
Rock decided to take a deeper dive into the world of Black hair.
In the documentary, Rock highlights the expertise of people like barbers as well as production
plant workers who mix dangerous chemicals for a range of hair products - all to get
a full understanding of how "good hair" happens.
Rock also features commentary from an all-star list of fellow Black celebrities who talk
about their relationships with their own hair and the pressure to conform to society's expectations
of beauty.
"But usually if you're really trying to relax your hair, it's kind of like a torture session.
It's like you want it to get as straight as possible, so you feel it burning but you'll
be like, 'Just a little longer.
Just a little longer.
A little bit longer… wash it out!'"
Good Hair is both entertaining and informative, and the film is full of important perspectives
about this aspect of the African American experience.
You can catch it on January 1st.
In the 1988 romantic comedy Mystic Pizza, Julia Roberts stars as Daisy, a young woman
who works alongside her sister Kat and best friend Jojo at a local pizza parlor named
- you guessed it - Mystic Pizza.
In addition to being a must-see for Julia Roberts fans, the movie also marked the big-screen
debut of director Donald Petrie, who went on to helm many other beloved comedies, including
Miss Congeniality, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
Make sure to order a slice of Mystic Pizza when it premieres on January 1st.
"Bon appetit!"
Spring break is a notoriously raucous affair, but even the most extreme parties are rarely
as wild as what happens to the characters in Spring Breakers.
The 2012 dark comedy was written and directed by Harmony Korine and follows a group of college
students who are desperate to go on spring break and commit a drug-fueled robbery to
come up with the money for their trip.
That brush with crime is just the start of their misadventures, though.
Once they make it to Florida, the four friends are soon arrested and befriend a local dealer
named Alien, who takes them down an even messier path within his crime ring.
Some critics dubbed the film "Scarface meets Britney Spears" to capture its jarring mix
of chipper characters with such hardcore circumstances.
Pretty much everyone can agree it is an absolute thrill to watch - which you can do on January
10th.
Be sure to have your tissues nearby when you press play on this heart-swelling French dramedy,
which arrives on January 11th.
The Intouchables tells the story of a wealthy quadraplegic businessman named Philippe who
hires the reluctant Driss to become his live-in caregiver.
Despite Driss' extremely unconventional methods, he flourishes in the role and develops a sincere
friendship with Phillippe.
Together, the two embark on a journey to find joy and challenge one another with good humor.
The movie was a major box office hit in France and notched several other accolades, including
a Golden Globe nomination for Best Foreign Language Film and an NAACP Image win for Outstanding
International Motion Picture.
Another tearjerker you might've missed during its initial run is A Monster Calls, which
J.A. Bayona adapted from the bestselling fantasy book of the same name by Patrick Ness.
The story follows 13-year-old Conor O'Malley, a boy who faces one of life's most difficult
developments, as his mother begins to fade from a terminal illness.
As Conor dives into his drawings to cope, he finds another unexpected avenue of escape
from the harshness of his reality when he's visited by the tree-like Monster, voiced by
Liam Neeson.
The Monster introduces him to three fantastical stories that ultimately intertwine with his
own real-life narrative in some heartbreaking ways.
"Let me tell you a tale of when I came walking.
Let me tell you of the end of a wicked queen, and how I made sure she was never seen again."
A Monster Calls offers dazzling visuals as Conor and the Monster explore these fictional
realms, but it's also grounded in certain immovable truths about the human condition.
This monster will come calling on January 16th.
Thanks for watching.
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