January at The Globe Theatrette
After a pretty light-hearted December line-up, we’re starting off the New Year much darker – and we're excited about it! A well-crafted, atmospheric thriller is a thing to behold and doesn’t come along very often, so to have a couple of these in January when the cool, dark realms of the movie theatre form a nice contrast to the sweltering heat outside is just delicious.
Speaking of sweltering heat: THE DRY (M, 1 Jan) is set in a small Australian town where a decade-lasting drought has slowly driven its inhabitants to the brink of madness – and perhaps to murder. Based on the bestselling novel, the thriller stars Eric Bana as a federal agent investigating a tragic crime that seems linked to his own past in this town. Dark, brooding and mysterious!
Equally dark, but decidedly less brooding is candy-coloured thrill-ride PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN (R18, 14 Jan). It comes with a whopping 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and stars the scarily good Carey Mulligan as the titular young woman – and she’s out for blood. Called “so razor sharp you'll have to check yourself for wounds” (Collider), this revenge thriller already received heaps of awards buzz – we can’t wait!
Women on a different kind of mission are the ladies of A CALL TO SPY (M, 7 Jan). Set during WWII, the film tells the true story of a special unit within Britain’s spy agency that trained women as spies tasked with sabotage and resistance. Shedding light on the little-known exploits of the diverse group of “Churchill’s wonder women” (Irish Times), this is our kind of historical drama.
While SUMMERLAND (PG, 28 Jan) is also set during WWII, its idyllic East Sussex setting and romantic storyline make for a cosier experience. Gemma Arterton plays Alice, a curmudgeonly recluse burdened with the task of looking after Frank, a young evacuee from London. As the two grow closer, Alice gets haunted by a love from the past (played by the wonderful Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and begins to soften up. A love letter to second chances (and rural England), this is truly lovely.
Finally back in feel-good territory is Australian film PENGUIN BLOOM (PG, 21 Jan). Based on the bestselling book, it tells the true story of the Bloom family. When vivacious mum Sam (Naomi Watts) loses her ability to walk after suffering an accident, her world falls apart - it takes the arrival of an injured baby magpie named Penguin for the Blooms to find back together and heal. If you’ve seen the real story on 60 Minutes, you know this’ll be a tear jerker – but in the best possible way!
