Skip to main content
Games Radar Newsarama Total Film Edge Retro Gamer SFX
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The smarter take on movies
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best Netflix Shows
Don't miss these
Final Destination Bloodlines
Streaming Services 6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (August 1 - 3)
The Monkey
Streaming Services 6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (August 8 - 10)
Michael B. Jordan as 'Smoke' and Miles Caton as 'Sammy' in Ryan Coogler's new vampire horror Sinners
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
Frist look at Marvel show and Black Panther spin-off Eyes of Wakanda
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
Paul Rudd as Elliot and Jenna Ortega as Ridley during the upcoming horror movie Death of a Unicorn.
Streaming Services 6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (July 25 - 27)
Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Adams in Wednesday season 2, see here holding an eyeball with tweezers.
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
Freddie Stroma as Vigilante in Peacemaker season 2.
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max, and more
Stitch relaxes in Lilo & Stitch.
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, and more
The cast of Gen V season 2
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, and more
Charlize Theron as Andy in The Old Guard 2.
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
Wednesday season 2 part 2 Gwendoline Christie
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Disney Plus, Paramount Plus, and more
Wednesday season 2 part 2 Gwendoline Christie
Streaming Services 6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (September 5 - 7)
Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
Michael B. Jordan as 'Smoke' and Miles Caton as 'Sammy' in Ryan Coogler's new vampire horror Sinners
Streaming Services 6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (July 4 - 6)
Jess Bush as Christine Chapel and Ethan Peck as Spock in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3.
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Crunchyroll, Disney Plus, and more
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

Movies to watch this week at the cinema: Coco, The Post, and more

Features
By Total Film Staff published 15 January 2018

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Out on Friday January 19

Out on Friday January 19

Pixar return with their best film in ages. Spielberg delivers a timely movie with Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep.

Yes, here's this week's new releases. Click on for our reviews of Coco, The Post, The Commuter, Lover for a Day, The Final Year, and Suggs: My Life Story.

For the best movie reviews, subscribe to Total Film.

Page 1 of 7
Page 1 of 7
Coco

Coco

Pixar’s once-peerless reputation has of late taken a knock thanks to a string of so-so sequels and the transparently commercial Cars trilogy. But anyone who’s been keeping the faith will feel richly rewarded by this exquisitely rendered musical fantasy set in the Land of the Dead. The studio’s finest feature since 2015’s Inside Out, Coco is a return to the conceptually brilliant adventures that powered the studio’s pre-Toy Story 3 output, even if the rigorous adherence to a well-worn formula means it’s not quite top-tier Pixar.

Living in a small Mexican village, 12-year-old Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming a musician, but is forbidden by his family. Sensing a chance to prove his talent during the Day of the Dead show, Miguel borrows the guitar of legendary performer Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt) – a man Miguel believes to be the father of his great-grandmother Coco – but is cursed and sent to the Land of the Dead for his troubles.

Returning home requires his family’s blessing, so with the help of skeletal stranger Hector (Gael García Bernal) Miguel sets off in search of Cruz before he’s trapped for good. 

Already Mexico’s highest grossing film of all time, Coco’s depiction of a culture largely neglected by mainstream Hollywood strikes an enchanting chord. Ofrendas – shrines dedicated to the memory of deceased loved ones – take on mythical importance; while alebrijes – eye-popping neon spirit animals – are a continual source of amusement and amazement.

As for the all-important music, Coco’s ditties don’t disappoint. Written by co-director Adrian Molina and Frozen duo Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, the songs are a delight, particularly the dangerously addictive ‘Un Poco Loco’.

More dazzling than delightful is Coco’s gorgeous underworld. Spooky but not scary, the city is one of Pixar’s most visually astonishing creations. Populated by oddly adorable goofball skeletons, the bags of bones are entertaining company, and personable enough that they’re unlikely to frighten young ’uns.

More conceptually terrifying is the idea that in the Land of the Dead, continued existence depends on being remembered. Fade from memory in the real world and you disappear into nothingness on the other side – a fate literally worse than death.

Coco’s world is built on a series of interlinking rules like this that just about cohere, but its script strains against its own internal logic. Miguel’s entire family, for example, have an implausible zero-tolerance policy on even listening to music. And though impeccably constructed, the story feels so comfortably within Pixar’s wheelhouse that it borders on the mechanical, hitting all the expected beats precisely when you expect them.

Whether intentional or not, Coco also remixes several of the studio’s greatest hits. Miguel pursuing his dreams against his family’s wishes echoes Ratatouille’s desire to cook, while his ritual of retiring to the attic to watch Ernesto de la Cruz films is a straight lift of WALL•E’s nights in with Hello, Dolly!

But there’s no question these devices work, Coco hitting emotional highs that rival Up and Toy Story 3 for Kleenex count. If Inside Out’s message to embrace sadness felt powerful and profound, Coco opts for a more conventional lesson – family first – but one that’s no less moving.

THE VERDICT: It may lack the ingenuity of their finest outings, but this is Pixar’s best film in ages. Visually splendid, frequently emotional and culturally nourishing.

Directors: Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina; Starring: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach; Theatrical release: January 19, 2018

Jordan Farley

Page 2 of 7
Page 2 of 7
The Post

The Post

A president with designs on muzzling press criticism. A brave woman speaking out in a man’s world. Journalists battling to uphold the First Amendment… Centred on The Washington Post’s struggle to publish the leaked ‘Pentagon Papers’ amid threats from the Nixon White House, The Post’s key themes are as vital today as they were in 1971.

While all of the above gives this pre-Watergate tale engaging pertinence, Steven Spielberg’s bio-drama does fall foul of occasional uncanny prescience – one that walks a delicate line between smugness and authentic emotion.

That’s not to say that The Post isn’t accomplished, finely crafted, wonderfully cast and worthy of your cash. Headed up by Tom Hanks (as legendary Post exec editor Ben Bradlee, who later exposed the Watergate scandal) and Meryl Streep (as his privileged publisher, Katherine ‘Kay’ Graham, the first woman to hold the job), a veritable who’s who of an ensemble make paper-shuffling, phone calls and legalese compelling.

With no enlivening ‘deep throat’ dramatics on offer, this is essentially the story of a news team deciding whether to risk imprisonment and ruin in the service of journalistic integrity and public interest. Cue payphone exchanges, newsroom powwows and characters running around waving documents.

That all of this thrills is thanks to the assured performances and Spielberg’s infectious passion for the process of old-school printing (“My God, the fun!” Bradlee whispers in glee as typewriters clack and typesetters rally). Bruce Greenwood nails Secretary of Defence Robert McNamara’s slick-haired gravitas; Jesse Plemons aces it as a company lawyer and Bradley Whitford is an entertainingly odious misogynist. That said, Hanks and Streep do rely on sometimes distracting character tics (him: feet up on furniture, her: fussing with glasses).

While documenting an historical turning point in press and government relationships – both personal and state (Bradlee and Graham’s social closeness with political figures is examined) – the era also allows a secondary theme of gender equality to be explored.

Graham has inherited her role from her father, then husband, and is talked over, ignored, underestimated and patronised by male board members, employees and acquaintances. She recalls Benjamin Johnson’s famous quote when summing up the patriarchal view of her running a newspaper, “Like a dog walking on its hind legs – it is not done well, but you are surprised to find it done at all.”

These and other light-touch moments will resonate with viewers in today’s world of battles for gender parity. But Spielberg cannot resist a detracting sledgehammer scene as Graham exits the supreme court, which strives for moving solidarity but merely plays soapy. 

THE VERDICT: A timely look at a fight to be heard – in the boardroom or the press – that’s elegant without being electric.

Director: Steven Spielberg; Starring: Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Matthew Rhys, Bruce greenwood, Jesse Plemons; Theatrical release: January 19, 2018

Jane Crowther

Page 3 of 7
Page 3 of 7
The Commuter

The Commuter

“Hey, Goldman Sachs. On behalf of the American middle class: fuck you!” As Liam Neeson quotes go, this testy riposte to a train-travelling banker isn’t up there with his “I will find you” speech from Taken. But at least it shows Michael McCauley – a New York cop turned businessman who gets an offer he can’t refuse while riding home from work – is cut from the same cloth as Bryan Mills, with all the growly heroics that entails.

Said offer comes from Vera Farmiga’s mysterious Joanna, who promises Michael a wad of cash if he agrees to identify an FBI informant who’s somewhere on this suburbia-bound service. Newly fired with bills to play, Michael reluctantly complies, only to find himself up to his neck in corruption, conspiracy and corpses.

Basically a ground level re-run of 2014’s Non-Stop, Neeson’s latest collaboration with Jaume Collet-Serra (The Shallows) serves up pulse-quickening action, improbable story developments and a climax straight out of a disaster picture in easily digestible chunks.

The presence of Jonathan Banks, Florence Pugh and others as fellow passengers, meanwhile, lends the film a vague whiff of Murder on the Orient Express, albeit with more fisticuffs.

THE VERDICT: A solid if far-fetched thriller that still entertains, even as it goes off the rails. Terrible title, mind.

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra; Starring: Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson; Theatrical release: January 19, 2018

Neil Smith

Page 4 of 7
Page 4 of 7
Lover for a Day

Lover for a Day

Veteran director Philippe Garrel revisits his New Wave roots with this effervescent story about a twentysomething woman (Garrel’s daughter, Esther) who discovers dad (Éric Caravaca) has shacked up with a student (Louis Chevillotte) the same age as her.

With its monochrome stylings and a plot laced with ennui, it might be the most French film ever made, but there’s no denying Garrel’s craft.

Director: Philippe Garrel; Starring: Éric Caravaca, Esther Garrel, Louise Chevillotte; Theatrical release: January 19, 2018

Simon Kinnear

Page 5 of 7
Page 5 of 7
The Final Year

The Final Year

Here’s a docu-study of something that feels a lifetime ago: the final 12 months of Barack Obama’s administration, as seen through the eyes of his foreign policy team.

The shadow of subsequent events looms oppressively large, but Greg Barker’s film still speaks eloquently for diplomacy and selfless public service. Obama himself appears only fleetingly, but essays an articulate, example-setting empathy.

Director: Greg Barker; Theatrical release: January 19, 2018

Neil Smith

Page 6 of 7
Page 6 of 7
Suggs: My Life Story

Suggs: My Life Story

Graham McPherson – aka Madness frontman Suggs – proves he’s still the consummate performer with this hilarious doc anchored in his stand-up show.

Director Julien Temple uses dramatisations and archive footage to add visual breadth, but keeps Suggs’ charisma front and centre. It’s surprisingly intimate and effortlessly charming.

Director: Julien Temple; Starring: Suggs; Theatrical release: January 17, 2018

Tim Coleman

Page 7 of 7
Page 7 of 7
Total Film Staff

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

See more Movies Features
Read more
Final Destination Bloodlines
6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (August 1 - 3)
 
 
The Monkey
6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (August 8 - 10)
 
 
Michael B. Jordan as 'Smoke' and Miles Caton as 'Sammy' in Ryan Coogler's new vampire horror Sinners
The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
 
 
Frist look at Marvel show and Black Panther spin-off Eyes of Wakanda
The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
 
 
Paul Rudd as Elliot and Jenna Ortega as Ridley during the upcoming horror movie Death of a Unicorn.
6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (July 25 - 27)
 
 
Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Adams in Wednesday season 2, see here holding an eyeball with tweezers.
The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
 
 
Latest in Movies
Ryan Gosling and Flynn Gray in Star Wars: Starfighter
Deadpool and Wolverine director's Star Wars movie Starfighter shares new look at Ryan Gosling "somewhere in the Mediterranean sea" as filming is underway
 
 
Paul Walter Hauser as Mole Man in The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Weapons director's Resident Evil movie adds Fantastic Four's Mole Man actor to cast
 
 
Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob in One Battle After Another
One Battle After Another review: "One of the best studio movies in years and an instant classic"
 
 
Insidious
Arrowverse and Knight of the Seven Kingdoms stars to venture into The Further for upcoming horror sequel Insidious 6
 
 
Jack Black and Paul Rudd in Anaconda
Jack Black and Paul Rudd head out into the jungle to find a giant killer snake in meta first trailer for Anaconda
 
 
Huntrix onstage in KPop Demon Hunters
After becoming Netflix's most popular release ever, KPop Demon Hunters seems to be getting a short film – and it might be a prequel
 
 
Latest in Features
Super Mario Sunshine screenshot of Mario striking a post with the FLUDD tool on his back
After 23 years, I've officially beaten Super Mario Sunshine, and now I need a Switch 2 remaster to teach you youngins why the GameCube years really were a golden era for Nintendo
 
 
Chance Perdomo in Gen V
Is Chance Perdomo in Gen V season 2? How The Boys spin-off pays tribute
 
 
Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows' new DLC weapon transforms Naoe into a samurai-bashing machine, and I'll never use anything else
 
 
Asa Germann as Sam Riordan in Gen V season 2
Gen V season 2 proves you can go bigger and bolder without relying on shock value, and The Boys' final season could learn a lot from the spin-off
 
 
Borderlands 4 tips picture showing enemies drawn into a singularity vortex while the player watches
Borderlands 4 does what Destiny couldn't: I'm finally back on the looter shooter train, and it feels like reliving my 60 hours in Borderlands 2
 
 
The key art for Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight showing a shadowed Batman superimposed in front of a neon and spotlight lit Gotham City
I briefly mistook the new Lego Batman for modded Arkham footage, genuinely bamboozling me while making me more excited for the game than ever
 
 
  1. Key art for Lego Voyagers showing the two lego heroes with red and blue brick eyes near a rocket
    1
    Lego Voyagers review: "A carefully crafted, playful, and earnest adventure"
  2. 2
    There's now a real version of the Witcher Gwent card game, and it's just as engrossing as the original
  3. 3
    Borderlands 4 review: "Undeniably an excellent looter shooter, but one that requires a bit of tunnel vision to fully enjoy"
  4. 4
    This enormous exploration board game won't be for everyone, but it's a masterclass in narrative and sandbox gameplay
  5. 5
    Hollow Knight Silksong review: "Worth the wait and then some, this isn't just more Hollow Knight but an evolved, spindly beast all its own – even if it's fiddly at times"
  1. Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob in One Battle After Another
    1
    One Battle After Another review: "One of the best studio movies in years and an instant classic"
  2. 2
    The Conjuring: Last Rites review: "Not bold or memorable enough for the Warrens' final chapter"
  3. 3
    Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle review: "Roars past Mugen Train as Demon Slayer's best adventure yet"
  4. 4
    The Long Walk review: "One of the best Stephen King adaptations ever made"
  5. 5
    Frankenstein review: "A classy, if somewhat safe, adaptation"
  1. The cast of Gen V season 2
    1
    Gen V season 2 review: "As strong as the first season, if not stronger"
  2. 2
    Wednesday season 2 part 2 review: "Ortega shines, but it's a zombie who steals the entire show"
  3. 3
    Peacemaker season 2 review: "Darker and sadder than the first year, but there's still a lot of fun to be had with the 11th Street Kids."
  4. 4
    Wednesday season 2 part 1 review: "Complex and exciting but weighed down by too many subplots"
  5. 5
    Alien: Earth review: "Arguably the franchise's strongest outing since James Cameron's Aliens"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...