A Look at the 8 New Movies Coming Out This Week: ‘Origin,’ ‘The Zone of Interest,’ and More!

Curious about what new movies are coming out this week? 8 new films are releasing, including the much-anticipated drama from Ava DuVernay, Origin, which is entering wide release.

Also releasing is The Zone of Interest, which is on the Academy Award shortlist for Best International Film. Anthony Hopkins is also returning to the big screen as one of the greatest minds in history. He plays Sigmund Freud in Freud’s Last Session. There’s also a space adventure with I.S.S. starring Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose. 

It’s going to be a fun week at the movies! Below is the full list of all the new movies coming out this week in theaters and streaming!

New Movies Coming Out This Week: January 15, 2024 – January 21, 2024

Origin   (2023)

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: In theatres on Friday, January 19, 2024.

Summary: In Origin, Isabel (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author who is asked to write about the murder of Trayvon Martin. At first, she doesn’t want to write the piece; however, with the support of her husband Brett (Jon Bernthal), she decides to write not about the death but about what made it possible and why. Isabel is about to go on a journey that will be the most challenging year of her life but one of great discovery. 

What to Watch For: The movie is from Ava DuVernay, the filmmaker known for her award-winning films Selma (2015) and 13th (2017). DuVernay has done the impossible and adapted the best-selling non-fiction book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson into a narrative film.

Word on the Street: The film won two awards at the 2023 Virginia Film Festival, including the Narrative Feature Audience Award.

My Take: DuVernay, after encountering difficulties in making the film, financed it through grants, including one from the Ford Foundation.

The Zone of Interest   (2023)

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: In theatres on Friday, January 19, 2024.

Summary: The Zone of Interest is about Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) and her husband Rudolf (Christian Friedel), who have built a beautiful home for their family with a lovely garden and an excellent servant staff. Rudolf is the commandant of Auschwitz, and their house is directly next to the camp. 

What to Watch For: The film is the official submission of the United Kingdom for the Best International Feature Film category for the 2024 Academy Awards.

Word on the Street: Director Jonathan Glazer used five fixed cameras in the house for multiple scenes so that the actors didn’t know which camera was on them, letting them stay immersed in the scene.

My Take: The film won four awards at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, including the Grand Prize of the Festival.

Freud’s Last Session   (2023)

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: In theatres on Friday, January 19, 2024.

Summary: In Freud’s Last Session, World War II is about to start as the Germans have invaded Poland, and one of the world’s greatest psychologists, Sigmund Freud (Anthony Hopkins), is dying of cancer. He invites a young Oxford professor, C.S. Lewis (Matthew Goode), to debate the importance of religion in the age of war. 

What to Watch For: The film is based on the play of the same name by Mark St. Germain.

Word on the Street: The film premiered at the 2023 AFI Fest.

My Take: I find it interesting that Anthony Hopkins portrayed C.S. Lewis in the 1993 film Shadowlands, which was nominated for 2 Academy Awards.

I.S.S.   (2023)

Rating: R

Release Date: In theatres on Friday, January 19, 2024.

Summary: I.S.S. takes place when a new group, comprised of both American astronauts and Russian cosmonauts, has just arrived at the International Space Station. Things are fantastic until they witness a war breaking out beneath them on Earth, and the astronauts are given orders from the ground: take control of the space station by any means necessary.

What to Watch For: Oscar-winning Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) plays the lead American astronaut, Dr. Kira Foster.

Word on the Street: The film’s director, Gabriella Cowperthwaite, is an award-winning filmmaker. She’s known for her movies Blackfish (2013) and Our Friend (2019).

My Take: I love the tagline for the film: The war on Earth will be decided in space.

The Kitchen   (2023)

Rating: R

Release Date: Premieres on Netflix on Friday, January 19, 2024.

Summary: The Kitchen takes place in a dystopian future in London, where all social housing has been eliminated except a community named The Kitchen that refuses to leave. Inside this community, Izi (Kane Robinson) and 12-year-old Benji (Jedaiah Bannerman) form an unlikely alliance to survive a system that is stacked against them.

What to Watch For: The film recently won two British Independent Film Awards.

Word on the Street: Kane Robinson, also known as Kano, is considered one of the pioneers of ‘grime’ music and culture.

My Take: The film is from Academy Award-winning actor (Judas and the Black Messiah) Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares.

The End We Start From   (2023)

Rating: R

Release Date: In theatres on Friday, January 19, 2024.

Summary: The End We Start From takes place after a massive environmental crisis submerges London and a great deal of England. A mother (Jodie Comer) and her newborn son attempt to find their way home, battling the environment and the odds.

What to Watch For: The film was nominated for five awards at the 2023 British Independent Film Awards, including Best Lead Performance for Jodie Comer.

Word on the Street: Jodie Comer has gained the most recognition for her Primetime Emmy award-winning performance as Villanelle in the TV series Killing Eve.

My Take: I loved Comer in the 2021 film Free Guy as Millie/Molotovgirl.

Which Brings Me to You   (2023)

Rating: N/A

Release Date: In theatres on Friday, January 19, 2024.

Summary: In Which Brings Me to You, Jane (Lucy Hale) and Will (Nat Wolff) are veterans of many failed relationships. They meet at a wedding and almost hook up in a coat room when they hit the brakes. They agree to go on a road trip where they will exchange candid confessions about their past relationships on the off chance that this might be something.

What to Watch For: Peter Hutchings, who also directed The Hating Game in 2021 featuring Lucy Hale, directs the film.

Word on the Street: Nat Wolff got his start in the TV series The Naked Brothers Band.

My Take: We all know Lucy Hale from her role as Aria on Pretty Little Liars. But I remember her from the little-seen TV series Bionic Woman as Becca Sommers.

Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell   (2023)

Rating: N/A

Release Date: In theatres on Friday, January 19, 2024.

Summary: Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell takes place when Thien (Le Phong Vu) learns that his sister-in-law has died in an accident, leaving behind a son. Thien travels back to his hometown to bury her and, with his nephew in tow, goes on a journey to find his brother, the father of his nephew, who has gone missing. Thien is about to embark on a journey of discovery and spirituality that will change his life forever.

What to Watch For: The film won the Golden Camera Award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

Word on the Street: The film is from filmmaker Thien An Pham. He earned recognition for his award-winning short films Stay Awake, Be Ready (2019) and The Mute (2019).

My Take: The film has made The Film Stage’s The Best 2024 Films We’ve Already Seen list.

Which New Movies Coming Out This Week Are You Excited to Watch?

Below, let us know what new movies you plan to see this week!