5 New Movies You Can't Afford To Miss In Theaters (February 2026)

The first few months of the year are usually rough for movie lovers. The cold weather on the East Coast and in the Midwest means people are less likely to venture out, so studios tend to use the time between January and March to put out the movies they aren't as confident in, which is why this period is commonly known as "dump months."

But just because a movie is released around this time, that doesn't mean it's bad. A studio not being confident that a movie will be a hit doesn't mean that the movie isn't worth seeing; it just means that it may be a niche film for a specific audience. And this February is full of some possibly great movies for film buffs.

Wuthering Heights

February 13

Coming out just in time for Valentine's Day, Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi is sure to heat up the season. The film is based on the Emily Brontë novel, which was considered controversial at the time of its original release, but has since become a beloved classic.

Wuthering Heights is Fennell's follow-up to Saltburn, which starred Elordi, and is produced by Robbie's LuckyChap Entertainment. LuckyChap also produced Fennell's previous films. Based on the trailer, it looks like the movie may bring up the same controversies as the book did. Robbie, Elordi, and Fennell don't appear to be shying away from the story's darker elements.

Netflix offered a reported $150 million for the movie, but Fennell wanted a theatrical release and went with LuckyChap and Warner Bros.

Crime 101

February 13

Written and directed by Bart Layton (American Animals), Crime 101 features an all-star cast that includes Chris Hemsworth, Barry Keoghan, Hallie Berry, and Mark Ruffalo. The movie, based on a novella by Don Winslow, doesn't have the most exciting title, but promises to be a solid crime thriller in the tradition of classics like Heat and Chinatown.

The movie sees Hemsworth breaking away from his superhero persona to play a master jewel thief who needs the help of an insurance broker, played by Berry, to pull off the ultimate score. On Hemsworth's tail is a Los Angeles police detective played by Mark Ruffalo. Along for the ride are Monica Barbaro, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Nick Nolte.

While Crime 101 reteams Hemsworth with Ruffalo, the Hulk actor wasn't the original choice to play the detective. Pedro Pascal was in talks for the role, but dropped out to make Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die

February 13

Gore Verbinski's first movie in a decade, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die promises to be an utterly unique story. The movie tells the tale of a time traveler, played by Sam Rockwell, who comes back to current-day Los Angeles in an attempt to stop artificial intelligence from destroying the world.

The trailer for Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die shows off the movie's odd humor and Verbinski's signature style, which he perfected with Mousehunt and the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. The movie premiered at Fantastic Fest and has been met with critical acclaim, starting with a 94% in Rotten Tomatoes, with some critics comparing its inventiveness to Best Picture winner Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Cold Storage

February 13

With a screenplay by the legendary David Koepp, and a cast that includes Joe Keery, Liam Neeson, and Georgina Campbell, Cold Storage hasn't gotten as much attention as it may deserve. Part of the reason it may slip by many moviegoers is that the director, Jonny Campbell, only has one other movie under his belt, 2006's little-seen but very funny Alien Autopsy.

Cold Storage is a comedy horror that sees Kerry and Campbell playing self-storage facility employees who don't know that their place of work was built on top of a former military base. When an alien fungus escapes from the underground base, things get very wild and, from the looks of it, very violent. To save the world, the two minimum wage workers have to team up with a bioterror expert.

Scream 7

February 27

The latest entry in the long-running slasher franchise, Scream 7 has had a troubled production, but is finally making it to theaters. The film was originally set to be directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who handled Scream VI, but the duo dropped out to make 2024's Abigail. Christopher Landon was then brought in to oversee the movie, but the troubles were just beginning.

Scream 7 was delayed due to the 2023 strikes, then Melissa Barrera, who starred in the last two movies, was fired after standing up for the people of Gaza online. The next day, co-star Jenna Ortega dropped out of the movie. Landon left the project shortly after, and Scream's creator, Kevin Williamson, came in to co-write and direct the film.

Along with Williamson came Neve Campbell, the star of all but one of the movies. Scream 7 will also see the return of Courteney Cox, who has been in every entry. Somehow, David Arquette, Matthew Lillard, and Scott Foley, whose characters have all died in previous films, are also returning.