Cinema is Back: a host of new releases as screens begin to re-open

Rediscover the joy and magic of the big screen experience as cinemas finally open their doors again in England, Scotland and Wales on Monday 17 May and Northern Ireland the following week. With so many of us eager to visit our local venue and allow ourselves to be enraptured by new stories and new worlds, it is a more exciting time than ever to be a film fan.

Safety is of course at the forefront of everyone's mind right now so make sure to check out the specific guidelines for your local cinema before visiting. Meanwhile, many cinemas have used lockdown as an opportunity to improve and renovate their venues so that we can all enjoy the best possible cinema experience.

Here at Into Film, we'd like to highlight some of the new (and slightly less new) films that will lead the charge into this new era of moviegoing. Alongside awards winners and critically acclaimed dramas there are also explosive blockbusters and family animations, some of which were released on streaming in the last few months but have yet to make their big screen debut. With so much on offer, its time to gear up and get back to the movies.

New in Cinema

Nomadland; Sound of Metal; Minari; Judas and the Black Messiah; Peter Rabbit 2

As the year began, a number of high profile films were released on streaming services before going on to win sought after awards around the world. Potentially the most celebrated film of this group is director Chloé Zhao's Nomadland, a gorgeously shot odyssey through a different side of America that follows a woman in her sixties as she recovers from losing her home by embarking on a journey as a modern-day Nomad. Winner of the Academy Awards® for Best Picture and Best Director, this film is an empathetic look at class and humanity. Meanwhile, Sound of Metal tells the story of a heavy metal drummer who suddenly loses his hearing and must figure out how to navigate his new life whilst maintaining the professional and personal relationship with his bandmate and girlfriend. With immaculate sound design, this is a film that explores deafness with great empathy and nuance.

An unexpected hit this year with critics and audiences has been Minari, a film that chronicles the struggles of a Korean family in the 1980s who move to the southern United States with a dream of starting a farming business. Despite its specific subject matter, and with a startling child performance from Alan S. Kim at its center, Minari has resonated with audiences throughout the world with its nuanced look at the immigrant experience. The last of our films to make the transition from streaming to the big screen is Judas and the Black Messiah, a historical period piece based on a true story, which manages to be as exciting as any fictional thriller out there. Through an account of the Black Panther party in the 1960s and a criminal who was forced by the FBI to infiltrate their ranks, Judas and the Black Messiah aims to showcase the injustice and complications of the black men and women who put themselves on the frontline during this fierce time in American history.

Lastly, a new release exclusive to cinemas as the beloved and mischievous Peter Rabbit bounces back onto the big screen. This lively sequel revisits the classic Beatrix Potter character as he escapes from his newfound stable family life to wreak havoc on a farmers market where his skills as a fruit-and-veg criminal are appreciated. Peter Rabbit 2 is one of the first family films to be released in a post-COVID world and aims to rejuvenate our love for the cinema experience.

All of these titles will be released in cinemas on Monday 17th May.

We'd love to hear from you at @intofilm_edu about your first trip back to the cinema and make sure to use the #LoveCinema hashtag to be part of the wider conversation.

Find out which cinemas near you will be showing these films with FindAnyFilm.