8 february films on our watchlist

The President’s Cake

Directed by Hasan Hadi, The President’s Cake made history as the first Iraqi film to screen at Cannes, taking home the Directors’ Fortnight Audience Award and the Camera d’Or. Set during the first Gulf War, it follows young Lamia, tasked with baking a cake for Saddam Hussein’s birthday celebrations, an impossible brief in a country defined by sanctions and fear. Intimate rather than epic, it’s a quietly devastating portrait of childhood under authoritarian rule. Tender, restrained and deeply human. In cinemas now

Wuthering Heights

Emerald Fennell’s reimagining of Wuthering Heights is dramatic, stylised and entirely unapologetic. Margot Robbie plays Cathy with feral glamour, while Jacob Elordi leans into Heathcliff’s volatility. Expect wind-lashed moors, heightened emotion and a feverish visual palette. Not heritage comfort viewing, but visually arresting and impossible to ignore. In cinemas now

100 Nights of Hero (12A)

Adapted from Isabel Greenberg’s graphic novel, 100 Nights of Hero is a visually lush feminist fairytale. Emma Corrin plays Hero, a sharp-witted maid who spins nightly tales of rebellious women to protect her mistress from a predatory suitor. Think sumptuous costumes, sly humour and a narrative that centres female agency without preaching. Stylish, clever and slightly wicked. In cinemas now

My Father’s Shadow (12A)

Set during Nigeria’s pivotal 1993 election, My Father’s Shadow follows two brothers navigating Lagos as political unrest gathers pace. Sọpẹ́ Dìrísù delivers a beautifully restrained performance as their father, a man trying to shield his children from forces beyond his control. Intimate, quietly political and visually assured. In cinemas now

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (15)

Rose Byrne delivers a career-best turn in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, directed by Mary Bronstein. She plays an overworked therapist balancing an ill child, an absent husband and a life fraying at the edges. Claustrophobic, sharp and uncomfortably recognisable in places. A portrait of pressure that many women will find hits close to home. In cinemas from 20 February

The Secret Agent (15)

Set in Brazil in 1977 during military dictatorship and Carnival week, The Secret Agent stars Wagner Moura as a former professor trying to protect his son as the city tightens around them. Stylish, tense and politically layered, it’s the kind of thriller that assumes you’re paying attention and rewards you for it. In cinemas from 20 February

The Testament of Ann Lee (15)

An unexpected musical about Ann Lee, founder of the Shaker movement, The Testament of Ann Lee comes from Mona Fastvold and is already dividing opinion in the best way. Amanda Seyfried leads, with bold choreography and a reworked hymn-based score. Strange, ambitious and unapologetically singular. Proof that mainstream cinema can still take creative risks. In cinemas from 20 February

Wasteman (18)

In Wasteman, David Jonsson (Industry, Rye Lane) plays a prisoner nearing parole whose fragile hopes of freedom are threatened by a volatile new cellmate. Bleak, intense and claustrophobic, it’s not an easy watch but a compelling one, ideal for those who prefer their culture gritty rather than glossy. In cinemas from 20 February