Producer-turned-director Matthew Vaughn, who brought us the Kingsman series, attempts to fire up another action-comedy spy franchise with Argylle. It’s good news for Aidans, according to Aidenswag, who had a four-star time: “Sam Rockwell plays a character named Aidan and I’ve ended my beef with the Aidans because of him.” Trailers tease some sort of big secret (speculation surrounding which has already generated denials of it having something to do with Taylor Swift). Henry Cavill portrays the boldly hair-styled, titular super-spy, who exists only in novels written by Elly Conway (played by Bryce Dallas Howard), but who may also be “real”. Or something. It’s the second recent studio movie to evoke Romancing the Stone, following 2022’s The Lost City. The stacked cast also includes Catherine O’Hara, Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose, John Cena, Samuel L. Jackson, Richard E. Grant—and a cat. Now in theaters.

Simone Scafidi’s Dario Argento Panico is a new documentary about the legendary and controversial Italian filmmaker who helped define the Giallo genre. Scafidi’s film features testimonials from Guillermo del Toro, Gaspar Noé and Nicolas Winding Refn alongside a survey of Argento’s past work and time spent with the octogenarian director as he plots his next movie. Overly Honest Movie Reviews says the film presents Argento “not just as the architect of nightmares, but as a person grappling with his fears and internal demons,” and that it is “a fitting tribute to Argento’s stature in the Italian and the worldwide horror community.” Now on Shudder.

Cinematographer Molly Manning Walker’s bold, unGoogleable, BAFTA-nominated directorial feature debut How to Have Sex is getting a US theatrical bow this week, having already rolled out in most other territories following an award-winning premiere at Cannes last year. For Journal, Gemma Gracewood spoke to Manning Walker about her minor miracle of a movie, described by Amelia as “a deeply emotional and realistic depiction of womanhood, sexual-coming-of-age and consent.” For Clara, the collective viewing experience enhanced the film: “Sitting in the theater with other women felt incredibly meaningful,” she writes, while Lola admits, “I don’t know if I want to commit murder or simply hug someone.” Now in select US theaters.

“Does for potatoes what Oppenheimer did for the atomic bomb,” as lauded by Hansen, is one way to sell The Promised Land, Denmark’s 2024 Oscar submission for Best International Feature (see all the submitted films, including the five ultimately successful finalists). The film stars Mads Mikkelsen as a mid-eighteenth-century former military man attempting to farm some inhospitable land, who comes up against an evil local nobleman. Phoebe makes a compelling case when she writes that the film “toggles sooooo perfectly between cat-and-mouse thriller, revenge flick, and a found family featuring a hot priest, a gilf, a young widow, and maybe one of the most charismatic child actors I’ve ever seen”. Stephen found the “sweeping narrative and cinematography [and] individual drama in the context of a larger societal/class struggle” powerful and moving. Now in select US theaters.

Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody (Juno) returns somewhat to the high-school horror milieu of her 2009 cult-classic Jennifer’s Body with the 1989-set Lisa Frankenstein, which is directed by Zelda Williams, daughter of the late, beloved Robin. Burgeoning scream connoisseur Kathryn Newton (Freaky) stars as teen iconoclast Lisa Swallows, who reanimates a love interest (Cole Sprouse) using science. Lex has constructed a list of all the films Williams and Cody have mentioned when discussing what influenced their new collaboration. It’s a frankly inspirational homework assignment that bodes very well. In US theaters February 9.

Bhutan’s submission for the 2024 Best International Feature Film Oscar, The Monk and the Gun generated raves at Telluride and Toronto film-festival screenings. The comedy takes place in 2006, just as modernity and democracy are encroaching upon the tiny Himalayan nation. Prolific Letterboxd member and critic Marya says it’s perfect: “An Altman-esque ensemble comedy that is both a warm tribute to Bhutanese traditions and also a hilarious, biting political satire with plenty of criticism of American gun culture.” BC555 appreciates that “every joke told reveals something insightful about not only aspects of Bhutanese culture, but also how the legitimacy of political systems is lived, practiced, and can be transformed in everyday life.” In select theaters February 9.

Not to be confused with the recent suburban-horror oddity of the same name, Cobweb is a new meta-filmmaking comedy from popular South Korean director Kim Jee-woon (I Saw the Devil). Set in the 1970s, it has Parasite star Song Kang-ho playing a director attempting to re-film the ending to a movie called… Cobweb. Stringer runs the gamut of movies-about-movies in the opening line of his review: “Day for Night meets Hail, Caesar! meets Babylon meets One Cut of the Dead,” while Cinemaclown calls it “an amusing and fascinating black comedy that aptly illustrates the agony, obsession, frustration and collaboration that goes into the creation of art.” And Laura has a request: “What I’m gonna need now is another movie about the making of this movie because I just knooow the entire cast and crew were having the most chaotic and fun time on set.” On VOD from February 9.

The second documentary about an Italian cinematic luminary to be released in early Feb, Ennio examines the music of Ennio Morricone, arguably the greatest film-score composer of all time. Fittingly, Cinema Paradiso director Giuseppe Tornatore is behind this 156-minute behemoth, which Casey calls “a terrific and moving love letter to one of the most brilliant and iconic film composers ever, a man who emerged from an archaic musical culture in which film scores were seen as a lesser art form.” Levi writes that the film exemplifies “how a documentary should be made. It’s long and thorough.” And Shawn loved the pure joy of “just traveling through Morricone’s many popular and not so well-known films.” In select US theaters February 9.

In the grand tradition of movies about the intersection of food and love comes The Taste of Things (which premiered at Cannes as The Pot-au-Feu). This lush, French period romance about the relationship between a cook (Juliette Binoche, who has form in this arena) and the fine gourmet with whom she works (Binoche’s former partner and co-parent, Benoît Magimel) was France’s submission for the 2024 Best International Feature Film Oscar (over Anatomy of a Fall). Vietnamese writer-director Trần Anh Hùng (The Scent of Green Papaya), adapting Marcel Rouff’s 1924 novel, earned the Best Director Award at Cannes last year. “A love story about the transcendence of a fine French meal and a testament to how, for so many of us, cooking is a way to communicate how much we care about each other,” praises David, while Ford warns, “Going in on an empty stomach—not recommended.” In select US theaters from February 9.