Prepare Your 2021 Watchlist
Graphic by Mikayla Alpert
2021 is a year for new experiences and new memories. Here is a list of films set to come out in each month of this year. Each movie poster is linked to the films’ trailer, and each title is linked to their IMDb pages, in case you’re interested in learning more. Of course, this list is not exhaustive; there are some honorable mentions at the end of the article. Each description also includes how the film will be released, either in theatres and/or streaming online.
January
Title: Promising Young Woman
Release Date: Friday, January 15th
Rated: R - Thriller/Dark comedy
Synopsis: Nothing in Cassie's life is what it appears to be - she's wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she's living a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs from the past.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Youtube, Google Play, Vudu, and Amazon Prime
Title: The Little Things
Release Date: Friday, January 29th
Rated: R - Thriller/Crime
Synopsis: Deputy Sheriff Joe "Deke" Deacon joins forces with Sgt. Jim Baxter to search for a serial killer who's terrorizing Los Angeles. As they track the culprit, Baxter is unaware that the investigation is dredging up echoes of Deke's past, uncovering disturbing secrets that could threaten more than his case.
Where to Watch: Coming to theatres and exclusively streaming on HBO Max
February
Title: Malcolm & Marie
Release Date: Friday, February 5th Malcolm & Marie
Rated: R - Drama/Black and white
Synopsis: A filmmaker and his girlfriend discuss their past relationships while returning home from a movie premiere, as he awaits what's sure to be an imminent critical and financial success. The evening suddenly takes a turn, as revelations about their relationships begin to surface, testing the strength of their love.
Where to Watch: Select theatres and Netflix
Title: Judas and the Black Messiah
Release Date: Friday, February 12th
Rated: R - Historical drama/Drama
Synopsis: The story of Fred Hampton, Chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, and his fateful betrayal by FBI informant William O’Neal. Offered a plea deal by the FBI, William O'Neal infiltrates the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, to gather intelligence on Chairman Fred Hampton.
Where to Watch: Coming to theatres and streaming exclusively on HBO Max
Title: Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar
Release Date: Friday, February 12th
Rated: PG-13 Comedy
Synopsis: Lifelong friends Barb and Star embark on the adventure of a lifetime when they decide to leave their small Midwestern town for the first time ever, to go on vacation to Vista Del Mar, Florida. The two women soon find themselves tangled up in adventure, love, and a villain's evil plot to kill everyone in the town.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, xFinity, Vudu, Google Play, FandangoNow, Microsoft, Redbox, Youtube, Row8, and AMC Theatres On Demand
Title: Minari
Release Date: Friday, February 12th
Rated: PG-13 - Drama
Synopsis: A Korean-American family moves to an Arkansas farm, in search of its own American dream. Amidst the challenges of this new life in the strange and rugged Ozarks, they discover the undeniable resilience of their family, and what really makes a home.
Where to Watch: Streamable on February 26th on Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes/Apple TV, Vudu, and FandangoNow
March
Title: Raya and the Last Dragon
Release Date: Friday, March 5th
Rated: PG - Adventure/Fantasy
Synopsis: Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. However, when sinister monsters known as the Druun threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, those same monsters have returned, and it's up to a lone warrior to track down the last dragon and stop the Druun for good.
Where to Watch: Coming to theatres and streaming on Disney+
Title: Godzilla vs. Kong
Release Date: Wednesday, March 31th
Rated: PG-13 - Sci-fi/Action
Synopsis: Fearsome monsters Godzilla and King Kong, square off in an epic battle for the ages, while humanity looks to wipe out both of the creatures and take back the planet once and for all.The epic next chapter in the cinematic Monsterverse pits two of the greatest icons in motion picture history against one another - the fearsome Godzilla and the mighty Kong - with humanity caught in the balance.
Where to Watch: Coming to theatres and streaming on HBO Max
April
Title: Nobody
Release Date: Friday, April 2nd
Rated: R - Action/Drama
Synopsis: A bystander who intervenes to help a woman being harassed by a group of men becomes the target of a vengeful drug lord.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu
May
Title: Black Widow
Release Date: Friday, May 7th
Rated: PG-13 Action/Adventure
Synopsis: In Marvel Studios' action-packed spy thriller Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff (aka Black Widow) confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy, and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Disney+
Title: The French Dispatch
Release Date: Sometime in May
Rated: R - Romance/Comedy-drama
Synopsis: A love letter to journalists, set in an outpost of an American newspaper, in a fictional twentieth-century French city. This film brings to life a collection of stories published in, "The French Dispatch Magazine".
Where to Watch: Coming to theatres and streaming on Netflix, DVD, Amazon Prime, and Hulu
June
(no trailer has been released yet)
Title: The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
Release Date: Friday, June 4th
Rated: R - Horror/Supernatural Horror
Synopsis: The Devil Made Me Do It reveals a chilling story of terror, murder, and unknown evil, that shocked even experienced real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga). Based on one of the most sensational cases from their files, the film starts with a fight for the soul of a young boy, then takes them beyond anything they'd ever seen before; marking the first time in U.S. history that a murder suspect would claim demonic possession as a defense.
Where to Watch: Coming to theatres, streaming on HBO Max and potentially on Amazon Prime and Netflix
Title: In The Heights
Release Date: Friday, June 18th
Rated: PG-13 - Musical/Drama
Synopsis: In the Heights follows a variety of characters living in the neighborhood of Washington Heights, on the northern tip of Manhattan. At the center of the show is Usnavi, a bodega owner who looks after the aging Cuban lady next door, pines for the gorgeous girl working in the neighboring beauty salon, and dreams of winning the lottery and escaping to the shores of his native Dominican Republic. Meanwhile, Nina, a childhood friend of Usnavi's, has returned to the neighborhood from her first year at college with surprising news for her parents, who have spent their life savings on building a better life for their daughter. Ultimately, Usnavi and the residents of the close-knit neighborhood get a dose of what it means to be home.
Where to Watch: Coming to theatres and streaming on HBO Max
July
Title: Top Gun: Maverick
Release Date: Friday, July 2nd
Rated: NR - Action/Adventure
Synopsis: Pete "Maverick" Mitchell keeps pushing the envelope after years of service as one of the Navy's top aviators. He must soon confront the past while training a new squad of graduates for a dangerous mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice.
Where to Watch: Coming to theatres and streaming on Netflix, DVD, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, and Hulu
(no trailer has been released yet)
Title: Space Jam: A New Legacy
Release Date: Friday, July 16th
Rated: NR - Family/Comedy
Synopsis: NBA superstar LeBron James teams up with Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes for this long-awaited sequel.
Where to Watch: Coming to theatres and streaming on HBO Max
August
Title: The King’s Man
Release Date: Friday, August 20th
Rated: R - Comedy/Action
Synopsis: In the early years of the twentieth century, the Kingsman Agency is formed to stand against a cabal plotting a war to wipe out millions. One man must race against time to stop history's worst tyrants and criminal masterminds, as they get together to plot a war that could wipe out millions of people and destroy humanity.
Where to Watch: Coming to theatres
Title: Candyman
Release Date: Friday, August 27th
Rated: R - Horror/Thriller
Synopsis: In the present day, a decade after the last of the Cabrini towers were torn down, Anthony and his partner move into a loft in the now gentrified Cabrini. A chance encounter with an old-timer exposes Anthony to the true story behind Candyman. Anxious to use these macabre details in his studio as fresh grist for paintings, he unknowingly opens a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity, and unleashes a terrifying wave of violence.
Where to Watch: Coming to theatres and potentially some streaming platforms
September
Title: A Quiet Place: Part II
Release Date: Friday, September 17th
Rated: PG-13 Thriller/Horror
Synopsis: Following the events at home, the Abbott family now face the terrors of the outside world. Forced to venture into the unknown, they realize the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats lurking beyond the sand path.
Where to Watch: Coming to theatres and streaming on Netflix, DVD, Amazon Prime, and Hulu
October
Title: Dune
Release Date: Friday, October 1st (HBO Max)
Rated: PG-13 - Sci-Fi/Adventure
Synopsis: A feature adaptation of Frank Herbert's science fiction novel, about the son of a noble family entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy. A mythic and emotionally charged hero's journey, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet's exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence - a commodity capable of unlocking humanity's greatest potential - only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
Where to Watch: Coming to theatres and streaming on HBO Max
Title: No Time to Die
Release Date: Friday, October 8th
Rated: PG-13 - Action/Adventure
Synopsis: Bond has left active service, and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. However, his peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
Where to Watch: Coming to theatres and potentially streaming on Apple TV and Netflix
November
Title: Encanto
Release Date: Wednesday, November 24th
Rated: NR - Animation/Fantasy
Synopsis: Walt Disney Animation Studios' Encanto tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals. They live hidden in the mountains of Colombia, in a magical house, within a vibrant town; a wondrous, charming place called an Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift, from super strength, to the power to heal - every child except one, Mirabel. But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might just be her exceptional family's last hope.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Disney+
Honorable Mentions
(these films either have announced their debut or haven’t released enough information)...
The Woman in the Window
The Many Saints of Newark
Mission Impossible 7
Matrix 4
Eternals