I think we can officially say the new year is back in full swing. After all, on the new cinema releases front this week, we have FOUR notable new movie releases, in addition to a handful of special big screen offerings.

The latter includes an IMAX re-release of Se7en, David Fincher’s chilling serial killer tale (to celebrate the film’s 30th anniversary), and another re-release in the form of last year’s Hong Kong action comedy Rob N Roll (presumably to tie into Lunar New Year festivities). Meanwhile, the Coen Brothers’ Oscar-winning No Country For Old Men is this week’s Throwback returnee, while opera lovers in Cape Town can check out a recording of Verdi’s Aida at The Met, the New York company’s first take on the classic in 37 years.

Now let’s unpack everything else hitting South African movie houses this week.


Your top pick for the week is Better Man, a musical biography with a difference. Under the direction of Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman), the film tracks the rise, fall, and resurgence of British pop superstar, and former Take That member, Robbie Williams. Except, throughout the movie Williams appears as… a motion-captured CGI chimp. Don’t worry, we have questions too.

Look out for our review of Better Man soon.


Even though Coyote vs. Acme was controversially shelved as a tax write-off last year, audiences are still getting a big screen Looney Tunes movie in the form of animated sci-fi comedy The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tune Movie. Daffy Duck and Porky Pig discover a secret alien plot to take over the Earth via mind-control, forcing the duo to work together to save the day. Originally set for HBO Max and Cartoon Network, the film is the first fully animated Looney Tunes film to get a a worldwide cinema release.


Actor Jesse Eisenberg steps into the role of director and screenwriter for his filmmaking debut A Real Pain, which he also stars in alongside Kieran Culkin. Mismatched Jewish-American cousins David and Benji tour Poland to honor their grandmother. Except their adventure becomes complicated as old family tensions resurface. Comedy drama A Real Pain has been racking up nominations this award season, especially for Culkin, who won Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globes.


Sounding like it should appeal to fans of the After film series and Beautiful Disaster is romantic drama Marked Men: Rule + Shaw. It’s got The Notebook’s Nick Cassavetes behind the camera for a bit more pedigree, but this tale of passion from different social circles sees pre-med student Shaw Landon (Sydney Taylor) finally act on her feelings for fiery-tempered tattoo artist Rule Archer (Chase Stokes), complicating their friendship. The film adapts Jay Crownover’s 2012 novel Rule, which is part of the Marked Men series.