All the movies you should see in February

February 5

Hail, Caesar!

What it is: A star-studded farce set in 1950s Hollywood, chronicling the kidnapping of a Hollywood A-lister (George Clooney) and the studio's mad scramble to recover him before the story reaches the gossip rags.

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Why you should care: A new Coen brothers movie is always a reason to celebrate — but even if the duo's pedigree weren't so impeccable, there would be plenty to recommend Hail, Caesar!. The film is set at a strange and fascinating time in Hollywood history, tackling the Hollywood blacklist that received a more straightforward telling in last year's biopic Trumbo. And the sterling cast packs in many Coen alums, including Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men), Tilda Swinton (Burn After Reading), and Scarlett Johansson (The Man Who Wasn't There), alongside new faces who seem perfectly suited to the Coens' distinctive cinematic style, like Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, and Ralph Fiennes.

What else is coming out: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a mash-up of Jane Austen and the undead that's at least five years too late to capitalize on the zombie craze; The Choice, another piece of Nicholas Sparks treacle about happy young lovers (Benjamin Walker and Teresa Palmer) who have a tragic thing happen to them; The Club, a Golden Globe-nominated Chilean drama about a group of cohabiting priests who were ousted from their original congregations due to scandal; Regression, a nasty thriller about a detective (Ethan Hawke) investigating the case of a teenager (Emma Watson) who makes wild claims about being abused by a satanic cult; Misconduct, a thuddingly generic legal thriller that somehow lured Al Pacino and Anthony Hopkins into taking supporting roles; 4th Man Out, a comedy about a small-town dude (Evan Todd) coming out of the closet to his schlubby buddies; Southbound, an anthology horror movie chronicling five nightmarish incidents on the same highway; All Roads Lead to Rome, a rom-com about a woman (Sarah Jessica Parker) finding love with an old flame in Italy; Viva, a Cuba-set dramedy about a drag queen (Hector Medina) reconciling with his bigoted father (Jorge Perugorria); and The Pack, a man-versus-nature flick pitting a rural family against bloodthirsty wolves.

February 12

Deadpool

What it is: After an extremely experimental cancer treatment, a young man (Ryan Reynolds) discovers he has developed extremely accelerated healing powers — but has also gone insane.

Why you should care: I know, I know, another superhero movie — but if you're completely burned out on the genre, Deadpool might actually be the movie you've been waiting for. An unrepentant comedy packed with hard-R gags and copious bloodshed, Deadpool spends much of its runtime thumbing its nose at the self-importance of the superhero genre (including star Ryan Reynolds' previous effort, Green Lantern). Deadpool's snarky irreverence has long made him a cult favorite of comic-book fans, and this film adaptation seems to have defied the odds by bringing him to the big screen intact.

What else is coming out: How to Be Single, a sharp-looking rom-com about a pair of women (Dakota Johnson and Rebel Wilson) navigating single life in New York City; Zoolander 2, a belated sequel to Ben Stiller's 2001 fashion industry comedy; Where to Invade Next, a Michael Moore documentary about foreign ideas that could be brought back to American soil; Remember, a drama about a Holocaust survivor (Christopher Plummer) who resolves to kill the Nazi who murdered his family before he dies; Tumbledown, a rom-dram about a grieving woman (Rebecca Hall) who develops a relationship with the writer of her late husband's biography (Jason Sudeikis); Glassland, a drama about a young man (Jack Reynor) who turns to a life of crime to pay for treatment for his alcoholic mother (Toni Collette); Nina Forever, a pitch-black horror rom-com about a woman (Abigail Hardingham) whose boyfriend is haunted by the chatty, bloody corpse of his dead ex; Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong, a Before Sunset-esque rom-com about a couple of strangers (Jamie Chung and Bryan Greenberg) who spend a night bonding while wandering around a big city; Touched with Fire, a drama about two people diagnosed with bipolar disorder (Katie Holmes and Luke Kirby) whose love affair brings both meaning and danger to their lives; Cabin Fever, a ludicrously unnecessary remake of Eli Roth's 2002 horror hit; and Prayer Never Fails, a Christian drama about a high school basketball coach (Nick Lashaway) who pushes back against administrators who won't let him pray with his players.

February 19

The Witch

What it is: In 1600s New England, a Puritan family confronts the terror of witchcraft when strange things begin happening in and around their farm.

Why you should care: The Witch was one of the buzziest films to come out of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, drawing raves from critics and catapulting first-time writer/director Robert Eggers — who eventually earned the festival's directing award — to Hollywood's hot list. It's been more than a year since that premiere, and the general release of this small, mysterious, and purportedly terrifying film puts it in the conversation with other recent top-tier indie horror films like The Babadook and It Follows.

What else is coming out: Risen, a religious-themed drama about a Roman Centurion (Joseph Fiennes) witnessing Jesus Christ's death and resurrection; Race, an inspirational sports drama about Jesse Owens' (Stephen James) legendary performance at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin; Forsaken, a period western starring father-and-son acting team Donald and Kiefer Sutherland; and The Great Gilly Hopkins, a family-oriented film about a foster child (Sophie Nelisse) building a new life with her eccentric new foster parent (Kathy Bates).

February 26

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny

What it is: The long-discussed sequel to 2000's Best Picture-nominated wire-fu epic, which became an unexpected international hit.

Why you should care: More than 15 years after the original Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon grossed $213 million on a $17 million budget, is there still an appetite for a sequel? Unfortunately, Sword of Destiny lacks much of the creative team from the original film, including director Ang Lee and star Zhang Ziyi. But Sword of Destiny's talent roster is still fairly strong, including returning actress Michelle Yeoh, Ip Man star Donnie Yen, and director Yuen Woo-ping, who choreographed the legendary fight scenes in the original film. The new movie will debut simultaneously on Netflix and in select theaters, but come on — isn't this exactly the kind of movie that deserves to be seen on the biggest screen you can find?

What else is coming out: Gods of Egypt 3D, a supremely cheesy-looking swords-and-sandals action flick; Triple 9, a thriller about a team of police officers (Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson) blackmailed into committing a heist; Eddie the Eagle, an inspirational sports flick about England's first-ever Olympic ski jumper (Taran Egerton); and Standoff, a low-budget action movie about an assassin (Laurence Fishburne) targeting a veteran (Thomas Jane) who's protecting his next target.