By John Corrado

New releases for the week of February 9th, 2024.

Theatrical Releases:

Perfect Days (Limited Release): Wim Wenders’s masterful Tokyo-set character drama, which is nominated for Best International Feature at the Oscars, is finally arriving in theatres after bowing at Cannes last year. I caught this one during TIFF, and it’s a meditative, impactful film carried by Kôji Yakusho’s brilliantly understated performance as a humble janitor going about his days in Japan. One of the best movies of 2023. (TIFF 2023 Review)

Sometimes I Think About Dying (Limited Release): Director Rachel Lambert’s Sometimes I Think About Dying is finally being released after premiering at Sundance in 2023. Lambert’s film works as a quiet, patient character drama, built around a good performance by Daisy Ridley as a disaffected and painfully shy office worker potentially finding love with her new co-worker (charmingly played by Canadian comedian Dave Merheje). (Full Review)

How to Have Sex (Limited Release): Molly Manning Walker’s feature directorial debut, which picked up the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes last year, is an often vibrant mix of party movie and subtle social commentary on the post-#MeToo generation. It’s carried by a strong performance from Mia McKenna-Bruce as a teen girl on vacation with her friends in Malia, facing both the highs and lows of their end-of-school blowout. (Full Review)

The Promised Land (Limited Release): Mads Mikkelsen delivers a quietly intense performance as a retired army captain trying to cultivate the land in this historical drama set in Denmark in the mid-1700s, with director Nikolaj Arcel spinning a near-epic tale out of his rivalry with a villainous landowner (Simon Bennebjerg). It feels like a piece of sturdy, classic moviemaking, with striking cinematography to boot. (Full Review)

Turning Red (Limited Theatrical Release): Pixar’s delightful 2022 film is finally being given a theatrical release this week, as part of the limited rollout for the studio’s three pandemic-era films that got shuffled to Disney+ (Soul, Luca, Turning Red). This Toronto-set banger should have been released in theatres in the first place, but better late than never I guess (and it’s at least playing in a few more theatres than the somewhat paltry rollout for Soul last month). (Full Review)

Anyone But You: The Valentine Encore (Wide Release): The hit romantic comedy Anyone But You is back in theatres this weekend in a new “Valentine Encore” edition featuring some extra footage. I caught this one during its regular run last month, and it’s an enjoyable throwback rom-com that works thanks to having a scenic location and a pair of good looking stars in Sydney Sweeney and the insanely charismatic Glen Powell, who have loads of chemistry together and are fun to watch bouncing off each other. A formula picture, but one that does the formula well.

More Releases: Lisa Frankenstein (Wide), Float (Limited), The Settlers (Limited), Lal Salaam (Limited), Out of Darkness (Limited), Scrambled (Limited)

Streaming Releases:

Float (Digital/VOD), Upgraded (Prime Video), One Day (Netflix)