Here Are All the Movies Opening Today, January 23; What Will You See?

Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, January 16th. (Synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise.)

Wide

The Boy Next Door
Director: Rob Cohen
Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Guzman, John Corbett, Kristin Chenoweth
Synopsis: “A psychological thriller that explores a forbidden attraction that goes too far.”

Cake
Director: Daniel Barnz
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Sam Worthington, Jennifer Aniston, William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman, Adriana Barraza
Synopsis: “While struggling with her own trauma, a woman in a chronic-pain support group begins to investigate the suicide of a fellow group member and develops an unexpected relationship with the woman’s husband.”
Criticwire Grade Average: B- (16 reviews)

The Loft
Director: Erik Van Looy
Cast: Karl Urban, James Marsden, Wentworth Miller, Eric Stonestreet, Matthias Schoenaerts, Isabel Lucas, Rachael Taylor, Rhona Mitra
Synopsis: “The story of five guys who conspire to secretly share a penthouse loft in the city–a place where they can indulge in their deepest fantasies. But the fantasy becomes a nightmare when they discover the dead body of an unknown woman in the loft, and they realize one of the group must be involved. Paranoia seizes them as everyone begins to suspect one another. Friendships are tested, loyalties are questioned and marriages crumble as the group is consumed by fear, suspicion and murder.”

Mortdecai
Director: David Koepp
Cast: Johnny Depp, Olivia Munn, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor, Guy Burnet, Jonny Pasvolsky, Alec Utgoff, Aubrey Plaza, Jeff Goldblum, Oliver Platt
Synopsis: “Art dealer, Charles Mortdecai, searches for a stolen painting rumored to contain a secret code that gains access to hidden Nazi gold.”
Criticwire Grade Average: C- (4 reviews)

Strange Magic
Director: Gary Rydstrom
Cast: Alan Cumming, Evan Rachel Wood, Kristin Chenoweth, Maya Rudolph, Sam Palladio, Alfred Molina, Elijah Kelley, Bob Einstein, Peter Stormare, Meredith Anne Bull
Synopsis: “A madcap fairy tale musical inspired by ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ with popular songs from the past six decades used to help tell the tale of a colorful cast of goblins, elves, fairies and imps, and their hilarious misadventures sparked by the battle over a powerful potion.”

Limited

Americons
Director: Theo Avgerinos
Cast: Beau Martin Williams, Matt Funke, Trai Byers, Sam McMurray, Jon Gries, Tim Griffin
Synopsis: “A broken down collegiate football hero gets a shot at stardom during the eleventh hour of LA’s nihilistic sub-prime mortgage boom.”
Theatrical Release: New York and Los Angeles, Austin, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, Phoenix, San Diego and San Francisco

Black Sea
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Cast: Jude Law, Jodie Whittaker, Scoot McNairy, June Smith, Konstantin Khabenskiy, Karl Davies, Grigoriy Dobrygin, Daniel Ryan
Synopsis: “In order to make good with his former employers, a submarine captain takes a job with a shadowy backer to search the depths of the Black Sea for a sub that’s rumored to be loaded with gold.”
Criticwire Grade Average: C+ (4 reviews)
Theatrical Release: Various (including New York and Los Angeles, Dallas, Detroit, San Diego and Seattle)

The Duke of Burgundy
Director: Peter Strickland
Cast: Sidse Babett Knudsen, Chiara D’Anna
Synopsis: “In a crumbling European estate, butterfly researcher Cynthia (Sidse Babett Knudsen) and her lover Evelyn (Chiara D’Anna) repeatedly enact a sadomasochistic role-playing game, with Cynthia as the stern mistress and Evelyn her subservient sex slave. But as the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur, and Cynthia grows increasingly uneasy with Evelyn’s insatiable appetite for punishment, their relationship is pushed to the limit.”
Criticwire Grade Average: B+ (16 reviews)
Theatrical Release: New York and Los Angeles

The Humbling
Director: Barry Levinson
Cast: Al Pacino, Greta Gerwig, Dianne Wiest
Synopsis: “The story of aging, suicidal stage actor Simon Axler and his struggles to find passion for life again. Near his breaking point, he finds motivation in the form of a young and lustful lesbian, Pegeen Stapleford, who has had a crush on Simon since childhood. As their relationship heats up, Simon has a hard time keeping up with the youthful and exuberant Pegeen. He feels more alive than ever before but with many disapproving people protesting their relationship, Simon must decide where his true passion lies.” 
Criticwire Grade Average: C (9 reviews)
Theatrical Release: Various (including New York and Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit and Phoenix)

Killers
Director: Timo Tjahjanto and Kimo Stamboel
Cast: Rin Takanashi, Ray Sahetapy, Kazuki Kitamura, Luna Maya, Mei Kurokawa, Oka Antara, Tara Basro
Synopsis: “Mr. Nomura is an eerily handsome, sharply dressed, sociopathic serial killer who preys on the women of Tokyo. In Jakarta, a world-weary journalist named Bayu finds himself unexpectedly falling into vigilantism after brutally killing two sadistic robbers. When each posts videos of their violent sprees online, the pair find one another on the Internet and begin a toxic and competitive duel. While Bayu clings to the hope that he can resume a normal life, Nomura continues to spill blood without remorse. Killing, advises Nomura, is something everyone ought to consider.”
Theatrical Release: New York and Los Angeles, Philadelphia and San Francisco

Manny
Director: Leon Gast & Ryan Moore
Cast: Liam Neeson, Manny Pacquiao, Jinkee Pacquiao, Freddie Roach, Mark Wahlberg, Jeremy Piven, Alex Ariza, Jimmy Kimmel, Larry Merchant, Bert Sugar
Synopsis: “From abject poverty to becoming a ten-time boxing world champion, congressman, and international icon, Manny Pacquiao is the true definition of a Cinderella story. In the Philippines, he first entered the ring as a sixteen-year-old weighing ninety-eight pounds with the goal of earning money to feed his family. Now, almost twenty years later, when he fights, the country of 100 million people comes to a complete standstill to watch. Regarded for his ability to bring people together, Pacquiao entered the political arena in 2010. As history’s first boxing congressman, Pacquiao now fights for his people both inside and outside of the ring. Now at the height of his career, he is faced with maneuvering an unscrupulous sport while maintaining his political duties. The question now is, what bridge is too far for Manny Pacquiao to cross?”
Theatrical Release: Various (including New York and Los Angeles, Chicago, Columbus, Houston, Las Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco and Toronto)

Miss Hill: Making Dance Matter
Director: Greg Vander Veer
Synopsis: “The inspiring and largely unknown story of a woman whose life was defined by her love for dance. Martha Hill emerges as dance’s secret weapon, someone who fought against great odds to establish dance as a legitimate art form in America. Through archival footage, lively interviews with friends and intimates, and rare footage of the spirited subject, the film explores Hills’s arduous path from a Bible Belt childhood in Ohio to the halls of academe at NYU and Bennington College to a position of power and influence as Juilliard’s founding director of dance (1952-1985). Peppered with anecdotal material delivered by dance notables who knew her, this revelatory story depicts her struggles and successes, including the battle royal that accompanied her move to the Lincoln Center campus.”
Theatrical Release: New York

Mommy 
Director: Xavier Dolan
Cast: Anne Dorval, Antoine-Olivier Pilon, Suzanne Clément
Synopsis: “A widowed single mom finds herself burdened with the full-time custody of her explosive 15-year-old ADHD son. As they try to make ends meet and struggle with their impetuous and unpredictable ménage, the new girl across the street, Kyla, benevolently offers needed support. Together, they find a new sense of balance, and hope is regained.” [Cannes Film Festival]
Criticwire Grade Average: A- (37 reviews)
Theatrical Release: New York and Los Angeles

R100
Director: Hitoshi Matsumoto
Cast: Nao Ohmori, Mao Daichi, Shinobu Terajima, Matsuo Suzuki, Atsuro Watabe, Nao Omori, Hairi Katagiri, Ai Tominaga, Naomi Watanabe, Gin Maeda, Suzuki Matsuo, Lindsay Hayward
Synopsis: “A lonely father with a secret taste for S&M hires a boutique dominatrix agency that specializes in guerilla acts of public degradation. Although the rough treatment and humiliation Takafumi Katayama receives from these leather-clad women––in cafés and on the street––drives him to ecstatic pleasure, he soon finds himself over his head during a surprise house call by one of the mistresses. After a freak and fatal accident, Takafumi is forced into action with a slew of vengeful dominatrices chasing him down. With the help of his son, he’ll have to devise a plan to take on the relentless femmes fatales, who each possess a unique S&M talent by which to exact painful revenge.”
Criticwire Grade Average: B (10 reviews)
Theatrical Release: Various (including New York and Los Angeles, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Kansas City and Phoenix)

Red Army
Director: Gabe Polsky
Cast: Vyacheslav Fetisov, Vladislav Tretiak, Scotty Bowman, Vladimir Pozner
Synopsis: “‘Red Army‘ highlights the Soviet Union’s legendary and enigmatic hockey training culture and world-dominating team through the eyes of the team’s Captain Slava Fetisov, following his shift from hockey star and celebrated national hero to political enemy. The film turns a unique lens on the social and cultural transformation of the Soviet Union leading up to the fall of Communism, mirroring the rise and fall of the Red Army team.”
Criticwire Grade Average: B+ (19 reviews)
Theatrical Release: New York and Los Angeles (expands across the country through March)

Son of a Gun
Director: Julius Avery
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Brenton Thwaites, Alicia Vikander, Nash Edgerton
Synopsis: “Locked up for a minor crime, 19 year old JR quickly learns the harsh realities of prison life. Protection, if you can get it, is paramount. JR soon finds himself under the watchful eye of Australia’s most notorious criminal, Brendan Lynch. But protection comes at a price.”
Criticwire Grade Average: B- (4 reviews)
Theatrical Release: Various (including Birmingham, Denver, Fort Wayne, Helena, Jacksonville, Louisville, Memphis, Portland, Santa Fe and Tuscon)

Song One
Director: Kate Barker-Froyland
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Johnny Flynn, Mary Steenburgen, Ben Rosenfield
Synopsis: “Estranged from her family, Franny returns home when an accident leaves her brother comatose. Retracing his life as an aspiring musician, she tracks down his favorite musician, James Forester. Against the backdrop of Brooklyn’s music scene, Franny and James develop an unexpected relationship and face the realities of their lives.”
Criticwire Grade Average: B- (10 reviews)
Theatrical Release: Various (including New York and Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Houston, Miami, Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington, DC)

We’ll Never Have Paris
Director: Simon Helberg & Jocelyn Towne
Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Maggie Grace, Simon Helberg, Zachary Quinto, Jason Ritter, Alfred Molina
Synopsis: “Quinn has been in a devoted relationship with Devon for several years, and is ready to propose marriage until a gorgeous blonde co-worker reveals her love for him. Quinn immediately has second thoughts about matrimony and ends up terminating his relationship with his long-time better half. After a brief relationship with the blonde, Quinn quickly realizes he’s made the mistake of a lifetime, so he sets off to Paris, where his one and only true love has moved, to win her back.”
Theatrical Release: Various (including New York and Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Seattle)

Missed last week? Here are all the releases from the weekend of January 16th.