19 Films to See in February

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor
and Keith Kimbell, Metacritic Film Editor – February 1, 2023

In the gallery on this page, our editors have selected the most interesting films debuting in North American theaters this month, listed in alphabetical order.

8 of 22 photo by Altered Innocence

Irréversible (2002) + Irréversible: Straight Cut (2020)

Foreign/Drama/Thriller | Directed by Gaspar Noé
Both films open in LA/NY February 10 (+ other cities later in February)
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Altered Innocence is an apt name for the company releasing Gaspar Noé’s re-edited "Straight Cut" of his 2002 shocker Irreversible. (The original version will also re-release in theaters alongside the new cut.) First released in the United Stated 20 years ago, the original version of the film played out in reverse chronological order, creating a tragedy out of the story of a boyfriend’s (Vincent Cassel) violent revenge for the brutal rape of his girlfriend (Monica Belucci). But the "Straight Cut" reverses the film so that the story plays in conventional chronological order (with eight minutes removed), which makes it a different experience altogether: The film’s tragedy is still present but the psychological drama is emphasized and the final note is far more depressing. It’s a singular cinematic experience, but not for the easily offended.

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