7 Iconic Movies That Will Transport You To Januaries Of The Past
Ah, January. The holiday lights are down, New Year’s resolutions are already in shreds, and Hollywood gives us…the cinematic leftovers.
It’s the month where movies go to die. Studios excrete their most dubious products into cinemas, hoping nobody looks. But in the pile of forgettable run-of-the-mill rom-coms and action bombs, some January titles manage to shine. Here are seven such movies that not only survived their January opening dates but thrived in them, confirming that sometimes diamonds do come out of the rough.
Taken (January 30, 2009)
Who would have thought that one phone call could make such a difference? Taken introduced the world to Liam Neeson’s Bryan Mills, a former CIA operative with a “particular set of skills” and no mercy for anyone who messed with him. It also laid the template for a thousand dad-vs-the-world action movies. With its taut pacing and endlessly quotable lines (“I will find you, and I will kill you”), Taken also proved that January can be more than a cinematic wasteland; it can also be the perfect time to scare kidnappers out of their day jobs.
M3GAN (January 6, 2023)
January horrors are typically as lifeless as their victims, but M3GAN turned that trope on its head with killer dance moves and a brutal sense of humor. This campy, tech-gone-wrong thriller gave audiences a killer robot doll and viral TikTok star all in one. With a mix of absurdity and real scares, M3GAN made it clear that January movies can be as sharp as the titular robot’s titanium skeleton. It’s a film that poses the question: “What if Alexa but homicidal,” and we love that.
Before Sunrise (January 27, 1995)
January isn’t all explosions and jump scares — sometimes it’s an opportunity for heartfelt connection. Cue: Before Sunrise, the indie romance that paved the way for one of cinema’s most beloved trilogies. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy stroll around Vienna talking about love, life and everything in between, making us all believe in the magic of a fleeting connection. This movie arrived in the dead of winter – a reminder to find a spark of warmth inside you, even when everything outside is frozen.
Paddington (January 16, 2015)
Paddington deserves better than January. This charming story of a marmalade-eating bear who ingratiates himself with a surly Hugh Bonneville and all of London is pure cinematic sunshine. Released to a cold and gray world, Paddington nevertheless warmed hearts, proving that a bear with a duffle coat and the best of intentions can solve pretty much any issue. With its humor, fanciful visuals and limitless heart, Paddington made January feel like a cuddly embrace. He probably also made a lot of British people buy marmalade.
Split (January 20, 2017)
M. Night Shyamalan hit a high note with Split, a psychological thriller that simultaneously acted as a surprise sequel to Unbreakable. James McAvoy’s jaw-dropping performance as Kevin Crumb (and his 23 personalities, ranging from the terrifying to the hilarious) had audiences glued to their seats. Split was both a critical and commercial hit, showing that there could be suspense and substance in January. And big up to January for providing us with a villain who can casually bench-press a car.
From Dusk Till Dawn (January 19, 1996)
Initially, it seems like a crime thriller. Then about halfway through you get vampires. From Dusk Till Dawn is the quintessential January fever dream, brought to us by the madcap combined genius of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. This genre-bending cult favorite also introduced the world to the idea of George Clooney as a rugged antihero. Add to that Salma Hayek as a mesmerizing vampire queen and enough blood to fill a swimming pool, and you have yourself an icon. This was the sort of haywire, high-octane movie that makes the end of January tolerable — or at least diverts attention from the cold for a couple of hours.
Waiting for Guffman ( January 31, 1997)
What better way to end January than by heading to Blaine, Mo.: Home of the quirkiest community theater company of all time? Christopher Guest’s mockumentary Waiting for Guffman pokes fun at small-town ambition through unforgettable performances by Guest, Parker Posey, Eugene Levy, and Catherine O’Hara. Something of an under-the-radar gem, this comedy about earnest mediocrity was released at the very end of January. If January is where movies’ dreams go to die, then this movie’s dreams died laughing.