The reel deal: January movie releases

Movies hitting theaters around San Diego this month are The Upside, Glass, Serenity and A Dog’s Way Home.

Escape Room

Find the clues or die.

Drama | Mystery

Directed by Adam Robitel

Starring Deborah Ann Woll, Adam Robitel and Tyler Labine

In theaters: 1.4

After six strangers receive invitations to test an experimental escape room with a million-dollar prize, their survival skills are put to the test as their sadistic host forces them through a series of increasingly mind-bending and life-threatening challenges.

The Upside

Based on a true story.

Drama | Comedy

Directed by Neil Burger

Starring Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston and Nicole Kidman

In theaters: 1.11

When a down-on-his-luck parolee is forced to find a job, he interviews for a position as a caretaker for an ultra-rich man living with quadriplegia, leading to an incredible friendship few would expect.

A Dog’s Way Home

There are some bonds no distance can break.

Drama | Adventure

Directed by Charles Martin Smith

Starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Jonah Hauer-King and Alexandra Shipp

In theaters: 1.11

After chasing a squirrel and losing her a way home, a lost canine embarks on a 400-mile adventure in hopes of finding her beloved owner.

Glass

You cannot contain what you are.

Fantasy | Mystery

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

Starring James McAvoy, Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson

In theaters: 1.18

Uniting the characters from 2000’s Unbreakable and 2016’s Split, this film follows a security guard with supernatural abilities on a mission to track down a disturbed man who harbors 24 unique personalities.

Capernaum

“Why are you suing your parents?” “For giving me life.”

Drama

Directed by Nadine Labaki

Starring Zain Al Rafeea, Yordanos Shiferaw and Boluwatife Treasure Bankole

In theaters: 1.18

A young Lebanese boy absconds from his abusive family and — after being jailed for a violent crime — takes his parents to court for bringing him into this wretched world.

Stan & Ollie

Discover the two sides of the world’s greatest double act.

Drama | Comedy

Directed by Jon S. Baird

Starring Steve Coogan, John C. Reilly and Shirley Henderson

In theaters: 1.18

In an effort to revive their faltering careers, a pair of silver screen legends, Laurel & Hardy, reunite for one final tour that tests the limits of their friendship.

Serenity

Truth lies beneath the surface.

Drama | Thriller

Directed by Steven Knight

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jason Clark

In theaters: 1.25

When the ex-wife of a tour boat captain tracks down her one-time hubby and asks him to kill the man she’s currently married to, the former lover finds himself thrust back into a relationship he once struggled to escape.

The Kid Who Would Be King

Kids rule and evil gets schooled.

Fantasy | Adventure

Directed by Joe Cornish

Starring Rebecca Ferguson, Tom Taylor and Patrick Stewart

In theaters: 1.25

In this modern-day extension of the Arthurian legend, a young boy finds the mythical sword Excalibur and assembles a team of adolescent knights to take on the sinister sorceress Morgana.