Every Movie Releasing In January 2020

2019 has come and gone, and it brought some big cinematic events along with other interesting, funny, terrifying, and entertaining movies, many of which help set up some of the movies coming up in 2020. Last year was marked by franchises (supposedly) coming to an end, as was the case with Avengers: Endgame, Toy Story 4, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, but it also saw the arrival of some highly anticipated horror movies, like Midsommar, IT: Chapter 2, and Doctor Sleep.

The live-action trend continued with Aladdin, Dumbo, and The Lion King, and Frozen 2 arrived to add more family-friendly content to the mix. The final months of 2019 welcomed some of the best films of the year, such as Joker, Knives Out, The Irishman, and Marriage Story. All in all, it was a good year in terms of movies, and although 2020 doesn’t have as many or big releases as 2019, it has some interesting and fun titles lined up.

The first month of 2020 isn’t bringing any big franchise entries, but it does have movies for everyone, with a very generous dose of horror and suspense with remakes, adaptations, and more. Here are the biggest January 2020 movies.

The Grudge – January 3

The Grudge is getting the “remake” treatment, 16 years after the American remake of the Japanese horror movie Ju-On: The Grudge (both directed by Takashi Shimizu). The Grudge follows a single mother and detective (Andrea Riseborough) who discovers that a suburban house is cursed by a vengeful ghost that dooms those who dare enter it with a violent death. Not only will she have to save herself, but also her son, as those demonic spirits will follow her even outside the house. This new version is the fourth entry in the Grudge movie series, and it’s not properly considered a “remake”, but more like a “sidequel”, as the events in this one take place at the same time as those in the 2004 version.

Underwater – January 10

Underwater is a sci-fi horror movie directed by William Eubank and starring Kristen Stewart, Vincent Cassel, John Gallagher Jr., and Jessica Henwick. It follows a crew of underwater researchers who are terrorized by mysterious creatures while at their station at the bottom of the ocean. After an earthquake devastates the station, they must scramble to safety, while also avoiding all the dangers that hide in the darkness of the ocean. And no, it’s not a Cloverfield movie.

Like A Boss – January 10

For those in the mood for some comedy, comes Like a Boss. Directed by Miguel Arteta, the movie follows two friends, Mia Carter (Tiffany Haddish) and Mel Paige (Rose Byrne), with very different ideals who decide to start a beauty company together – but things take a turn when industry titan Claire Luna (Salma Hayek) shows interest in the company and offers to buy it out to get them out of debt. Like a Boss was initially scheduled for a June 2019 release but was pushed back to January 2020 (and it’s releasing for real this time).

Dolittle – January 17

A new adaptation of Doctor Dolittle is arriving this month, and this one has Robert Downey Jr as the title character – and a lot of well-known actors voicing different animals. Following the death of his wife, Dr. John Dolittle has been living in solitude behind the walls of his manor in 19th-century England, his only companion being an array of exotic animals that he speaks to every day. When Queen Victoria (Jessie Buckley) falls ill, Dolittle is forced to go on an epic adventure to a mythical island in search of a cure – a journey that will help him regain his wit and courage while also encountering all types of creatures. Dolittle’s voice cast includes Emma Thompson, Tom Holland, Rami Malek, John Cena, Kumail Nanjiani, Octavia Spencer, Ralph Fiennes, and many more.

Bad Boys For Life – January 17

Seventeen years after Bad Boys II was released, comes a third Bad Boys movie with Martin Lawrence and Will Smith back as the detective duo Burnett and Lowrey. Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, Bad Boys For Life sees Burnett and Lowrey parting ways: Burnett has become a police inspector, and Lowery is assigned to head a “young guns” group of millennial cops. However, they join forces one last time after a mob boss looks for revenge against them, just as they are about to officially retire.

The Last Full Measure – January 24

January will also have its dose of war drama thanks to The Last Full Measure. It tells the true story of Vietnam War hero William H. Pitsenbarger (Jeremy Irvine), who saved over sixty men before making the ultimate sacrifice in one of the most hardcore battles of the war. Thirty-two years later, Pentagon staffer Scott Huffman (Sebastian Stan) investigates a Medal of Honor request for Pitsenbarger. Huffman then seeks out the testimony of veterans who witnessed Pitsenbarger’s actions, but he also uncovers a high-level conspiracy behind the long denial of the medal.

The Gentlemen – January 24

Guy Ritchie returns to the action crime genre with The Gentlemen, starring Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Michelle Dockery, Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant, and Henry Golding. The Gentlemen follows American immigrant Mickey Pearson (McConaughey) who became rich by building a marijuana empire in London – but when word gets out that he’s trying to sell off his company, a number of plots and schemes from those who want his fortune start to emerge. It’s the type of action and humor you would expect from a Guy Ritchie movie.

Color Out Of Space – January 24

Color Out of Space is a horror film based on the short story “The Color Out of Space” by H.P. Lovecraft and starring Nicolas Cage (yes, really). The story follows the Gardner family, who move out of the city after inheriting a rural family estate near Arkham, Massachusetts. After a meteorite lands in their front yard, the Gardners find themselves battling a mutant extraterrestrial organism that can infect their minds and bodies too. It’s as crazy and twisted as you would expect from a Lovecraft story.

Gretel & Hansel – January 31

The horror continues on the last days of the month with Oz Perkins’ Gretel & Hansel. Based on the German folklore tale of Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm, the movie follows Gretel (Sophia Lillis), who leads her little brother Hansel (Sam Leakey) into a dark forest in order to look for food – but the woods hide a lot of dark secrets. There is a creepy witch, yes, but her house is definitely not made of candy. It’s a much darker take on the famous tale, and perhaps that’s exactly how the story should be in the first place.

The Rhythm Section – January 31

If you’re not in the mood for horror movies, you can check out Reed Morano’s action drama The Rhythm Section. Based on Mark Burnell’s novel of the same name, it follows Stephanie Patrick (Blake Lively), a woman seeking to uncover the truth behind a plane crash that killed her family. Patrick eventually finds out that the crash was not an accident and goes on a mission to track down those responsible for it. Also starring are Jude Law, Sterling K. Brown, and Max Casella.