Movies Not to Miss: February 2018

Writer: Casey Lee

Which of these are you going to watch?

While this month's list could be the shortest for the rest of 2018, but it's only because we had to split all the movies coming in February into different lists. With Chinese New Year coming, you know it's going to be a busy month for moviegoers.

Even with a narrowed down list, many on these lists are strongly recommended and strong candidates to be in the best movies you would see all year, so they are worth to be on your calendar for February.

So if all your angpow money is going to be for buying movie tickets, these are the movies not to miss in February.

First up this February is probably one of the biggest movie of the year in terms of its Oscar prestige. Having received 13 nominations for this year's 90th Academy Awards, it is expected that this phenomenal tale will acquire at least half of that number, therefore it'll be a pity if audiences choose to give this a pass. This Guillermo del Toro film is a fantasy film starring Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon and more and has been touted as del Toro's best film since "Pan's Labyrinth". This unconventional romance revolves around a mute isolated woman who works as a cleaning lady in a high-security government lab when she meets a scaled creature kept in a water tank.

General Release Date: 1 February

Speaking of the Oscars, another nominated film will be showing in cinemas this month! "I, Tonya" a biographical comedy about figure skater Tonya Harding has received three nominations for Best Actress through lead Margot Robbie, Best Supporting Actress for Allison Janney and Best Editing. Told in a narrative format and occasionally breaking the fourth wall, this mockumentary-style film is made even more fun with actors like Sebastian Stan, Caitlin Carver and Bobby Cannavale.

General Release Date: 1 February

Is this the end or a new beginning for Christian and Anastasia? The concluding chapter of the hit romance drama "Fifty Shades Freed" may not be as simple as its title sounds. Since the marriage between the lovestruck pair, there have been too many obstacles following them from their past. There is Ana's former boss Jack Hyde who feels like he is owed something from the pair, and then there is the cunning Elena, Christian's former flame who present her own darkness in the picture. What will the outcome be? Will there be a happily ever after or does that only exist in fairytales?

General Release Date: 8 February

You've seen him in last year's "Justice League" and now before "Aquaman" arrives later this year, check out Jason Momoa in a more down to earth action thriller. Playing a humble logger residing in the mountainous borders of America and Canada, Momoa has to defend his family against a group of deadly drug runners. The movie also stars Garret Dillahunt ("12 Years A Slave"), Stephen Lang ("Don't Breathe") and more in what is surely to be a smart survival movie where the stakes are mighty high.

General Release Date: 22 February

And so the MCU kicks off the superhero brawl and everything that needs to be said about "Black Panther" has already been said. Aside from being the first black superhero, with his own story made up of a mainly black cast, this is the sort of diversity that the MCU has been looking for. Although Marvel was not able to get Ava DuVernay to sit on the helm, they still have a highly competent director in Ryan Coogler to drive the narrative and framing the black agenda. With Chadwick Boseman reprising his role as the King of Wakanda, he is supported by a strong cast of the who's who of working black actors today starting with Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, Forest Whitaker, and Letitia Wright.

General Release Date: 15 February