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New Films in UK Cinemas Next Week January 2026
- Chris Olson
- 4 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Film Feature by Chris Olson
Welcome to another week at the British box office. As we settle into the rhythm of 2026, the cinematic landscape is offering a stark and diverse trio of new releases. Next week, we see a return to a beloved horror franchise that has been reinvented for a new generation, a heartwarming exploration of human connection in modern Japan, and a devastating docudrama that demands our absolute attention. At UK Film Review, we often speak about the power of cinema to transport us, but this week’s line-up is more about the power of cinema to make us look at the world we currently inhabit.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
UK Cinematic Release Date: January 14th, 2026
First, we return to the post-apocalyptic plains of Great Britain with 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Following the cliffhanger ending of last year’s 28 Years Later, this second instalment of the new trilogy sees director Nia DaCosta take the reins from Danny Boyle. DaCosta, working from a screenplay by Alex Garland, has crafted something that feels both connected to the legacy of the original 2002 film and entirely its own beast.
Set nearly three decades after the initial Rage Virus outbreak, the film stars Ralph Fiennes as Dr Kelson, a man searching for a glimmer of humanity in a world that has institutionalised brutality. He is joined by Alfie Williams, reprising his role as Spike, and Jack O’Connell, who plays the terrifyingly charismatic Jimmy Crystal. In this chapter, the threat is no longer just the sprinting infected; it is the society that has emerged in the aftermath. DaCosta has moved away from the kinetic, grainy energy of Boyle’s earlier work to focus on a more atmospheric, ritualistic horror. The Bone Temple explores how survivors have rationalised violence, creating a cult-like existence that is perhaps more frightening than the monsters outside the gates. It is a bold, visceral continuation of a story that remains one of the most significant pillars of British horror.
Rental Family
UK Cinematic Release Date: January 16th, 2026
In complete tonal contrast, we have Rental Family, the latest feature from director Hikari. This film marks a significant and welcome return for Brendan Fraser, who stars as Phillip Vanderploeg, an American actor living in Tokyo. Phillip’s career has stalled, leaving him relegated to bizarre toothpaste commercials, until he finds a new calling working for a "rental family" agency.
The concept of hiring actors to play relatives—whether as a mourner at a funeral or a stand-in father—is a real-life phenomenon in Japan, and Hikari uses it to explore the profound loneliness of the modern age. Fraser brings his signature warmth and vulnerability to the role of Phillip, a man who finds his own emotional void being filled by the very roles he is paid to perform. His interactions with a young girl (played by Shannon Mahina Gorman) and an elderly client with dementia (Akira Emoto) provide the heart of the film. Rental Family is a luminous, gentle piece of cinema that avoids the trap of being overly sentimental. Instead, it offers a nuanced look at how we seek connection, even when those connections are built on a foundation of performance. It is a film that reminds us that, sometimes, playing a part is the only way we can learn to be ourselves.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
UK Cinematic Release Date: January 16th 2026
Finally, we come to a film that is undoubtedly one of the most important releases of the year. The Voice of Hind Rajab, directed by the Oscar-nominated Kaouther Ben Hania, is a harrowing docudrama that recounts the tragic death of six-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza in early 2024.
The film utilises a hybrid approach, blending real audio recordings from the Red Crescent dispatchers with meticulous scripted re-enactments. It is a single-location drama, set almost entirely within the walls of the rescue centre as the staff desperately try to navigate bureaucratic hurdles and military blockades to reach a child trapped in a car. Ben Hania’s decision to keep the violence off-screen makes the experience no less intense; the horror lives in the audio, in the waiting, and in the growing desperation of those trying to help.
Our own Jack Salvadori recently reviewed the film for UK Film Review (read our The Voice of Hind Rajab film review) and his words capture the weight of this experience perfectly. Salvadori noted that this is "cinema in its purest, most urgent form," describing it as a work that is less about entertainment and more an "act of witness." He highlighted the shattering effect of hearing Hind’s actual voice woven into the narrative, stating, "She is not performing, and we never see her. We only hear her words, while a photograph of her is pinned to the wall." Jack’s review emphasised that the film functions like a vice, tightening with every passing second as the audience is forced to confront a universal grief and a collective failure. As he so aptly put it, "It is impossible to watch The Voice of Hind Rajab and remain unchanged."
Next week’s cinema offerings are a testament to the versatility of the medium. We have the high-concept horror of Nia DaCosta, the empathetic humanism of Hikari, and the urgent, essential truth-telling of Kaouther Ben Hania. Whether you are looking for the thrill of the genre or the profound impact of real-world storytelling, the UK box office has something that will stay with you long after the credits roll.
