Screen Time

WITH MARISA PATWA

i

Aliens, popstars and revenge pacts: February films offer up more than just romance

MOONFALL

Halle Berry is slipping back into her astronaut shoes after CBS’s Extant (2014-2015). In Moonfall, she’s trying to save the world once again. This time, the moon is off orbit, heading for Earth and creating major environmental disasters. Patrick Wilson and Josh Gad join Berry on a world saving mission. The B-plot includes Charlie Plummer driving through icy earthquakes to save his family and friends as the planet turns into chaos. This rag-tag team of misfits boards a spaceship to, as Patrick Wilson dramatically and mysteriously says in the trailer, “save the moon, save the world.” It’s Don’t Look Up meets Deep Impact with a dash of Adam McKay satire.

In theaters 2/4 MARRY ME

Rom-com queen Jennifer Lopez is back. The singer and actress has been fulfilling fairytale dreams for girls and women for decades now. This time, she’s paired off with Owen Wilson’s nerdy teacher. J-Lo’s Latina pop singer Kat Valdez realizes her partner and fiancé - played by Maluma as the sneaky Bastian - is cheating on her right before they're due to get married on a stage in front of millions of viewers. She comes up with her next best solution: marrying a rando in the audience instead. Cue Wilson. It’s sort of a nerdy beast with a superstar beauty plot. We already know what the outcome will be, but it’ll still be worth it to see the chemistry between these two icons. Sarah Silverman and John Bradley also add some laughs.

In theaters 2/11 I WANT YOU BACK

This ensemble rom-com gives us multiple storylines of heartache and blossoming love to follow. The all-star cast is led by the quirky relationship between Charlie Day’s Peter and Jenny Slate’s Emma. It’s a perfect pairing. The two strangers meet on a dreary stairwell after being dumped on the same day. Through shared tears, they make a pact. Their exes already both moved on. The goal? To fulfill an unhealthy mission of trying to disrupt their happily ever after. Supporting cast includes Gina Rodrigez, who's proved she can make you belly laugh in Jane the Virgin. Manny Jacinto, along with heartthrob and action star Scott Eastwood, also co-star. Rodriguez and Eastwood play the heartbreakers. As for Slate and Day, as the former SNL star says in the trailer, "we’re sadness sisters.” Amazon Prime 2/11