Carl Roberts 
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MUBI has announced the details of new titles and themed collections coming to the platform throughout January 2025. The Latest & Greatest strand features Pepe, the true story of Pablo Escobar’s infamous runaway hippopotamus and Quentin Dupieux’s latest film The Second Act which opened the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Three further comedies from Dupieux are featured within the Madcap Adventure: Comedies by Quentin Dupieux collection. MUBI’s ongoing First Films First strand returns in January with the first films by Mel Brooks, Pedro Almodovar, Luca Guadagnino and Gareth Edwards. And the latest addition to the Brief Encounters strand is Ali Cherri’s The Watchman.
LATEST & GREATEST: PEPE
From the visionary filmmaker, Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias comes Pepe (2024). Inspired by the true story of Pablo Escobar’s infamous runaway hippopotamus. Earning the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 2024 Berlinale, the film unfolds as an experimental and surreal meditation on the legacies of empire and the complexities of displacement and identity.
Pepe (2024) follows the life and afterlife of the eponymous hippo told through a voice that claims to be his ghost. Born in Southern Africa and brought to South America, Pepe journeys from captivity under Escobar’s ownership until his final days roaming free.
Pepe (de los Santos Arias, 2024) – January 10
LATEST & GREATEST: THE SECOND ACT
With his latest tongue-in-cheek comedy, The Second Act (2024), Quentin Dupieux continues to prove himself as a playful master of the absurdity behind human relationships. Florence (Léa Seydoux) is besotted with David (Louis Garrel). But the love is unrequited. To let her down kindly, David introduces Florence to one of his best friends, Willy (Raphaël Quenard). Meanwhile, Florence has already made plans to introduce David to her father (Vincent Lindon). The four meet together for the first time in a secluded restaurant. What could go wrong?
Aware of itself with frequent fourth-wall breaks. But also indebted to the magic of the movies, this cheeky takedown of the film industry sees Dupieux develop Yannick’s (2023) thematic intrigues as a filmmaker concerned with the role that performance has in our lives, both on and off-screen.
The Second Act (Dupieux, 2024) – January 10
FIRST FILMS FIRST
You never forget your first. As we step into 2025, our First Films First series returns. Revisit the pioneering works that inaugurated the careers of some of cinema’s most visionary auteurs, and whose early masterpieces continue to shape the landscape of contemporary filmmaking.
The Producers (Brooks, 1967) – January 1
Pepi, Luci, Bom (Almodóvar, 1980) – January 1
The Protagonists (Guadagnino, 1999) – January 1
Monsters (Edwards, 2010) – January 1
Golem (Szulkin, 1979) – Now Streaming
The Delta (Sachs, 1996) – Now Streaming
Revenge (Fargeat, 2017) – Now Streaming
MADCAP ADVENTURE: COMEDIES BY QUENTIN DUPIEUX
Celebrate the luminous career of mischievous French maverick Quentin Dupieux with Madcap Adventure: Comedies by Quentin Dupieux, a collection dedicated to the Joker’s madcap vision of the world. In Smoking Causes Coughing (2022), the superhero film is satirised when a group of heroes known as Tobacco Force is forced to go on a week-long retreat together to fortify their wavering group morale. Dupieux uses this setup to anthologise several films-within-a-film as each of the heroes’ campfire tales becomes its own cinematic entity. Also arriving fresh to MUBI is The Second Act (2024), an absurdist comedy of human relations amplified by its all-star cast including Louis Garrel and Léa Seydoux.
Smoking Causes Coughing (Dupieux, 2022) – January 10
The Second Act (Dupieux, 2024) – January 10
Incredible But True (Dupieux, 2022) – Now Streaming
Yannick (Dupieux, 2023) – Now Streaming
BRIEF ENCOUNTERS: THE WATCHMAN
From acclaimed Lebanese visual artist Ali Cherri comes The Watchman (2024). An eerie and visually arresting short examining the geographies of violence and the human cost of war. The film marks the final instalment of Cherri’s latest tetralogy that exposes the absurdity and pain of conflict. Here with a polished observational style and moments of uncanny magical realism.
From a desolate watchtower, Sergeant Bulut spends his days trapped in limbo waiting for an enemy that never arrives. His monotonous existence is disturbed when a strange light emerges on the horizon. Triggering ghostly apparitions that blur the lines between the real and the symbolic.
The Watchman (Cherri, 2024) – January 17
GIVE THE GIFT OF THE WORLD’S BEST MOVIESÂ
Whether it’s for a beloved cinephile, a family member always on the hunt for something new to watch, or a best friend, MUBI offers a thoughtful and convenient holiday solution. Gift options include two subscription choices, 3 months for £49.99 or 1 year for a special rate of £149.99. Each gift includes a personalized message and customizable film still. You can schedule the delivery to arrive on a specific date, giving you complete control over when the gift lands in their inbox.
MUBI is a gateway to cinematic treasures – and for anyone receiving it as a gift, it’s a personalized invitation to discover, connect, and be moved. More than just a streaming service, MUBI is a journey through film history and diverse global perspectives. Each month the platform is updated with new releases, special collections and director retrospectives, featuring award-winning films from Cannes, the Academy Awards, and BAFTA as well as unforgettable cult classics.
THE MUBI SHOP
To complement a MUBI subscription gift, the MUBI Shop offers a range of exclusive items, including unique t-shirts, hats, socks, film posters, Blu-rays, and more—perfect for any film enthusiast.
This holiday season, give the gift of great cinema and let your loved ones explore the world through film with MUBI.
Visit mubi.com/gifts to purchase.
MUBI UK & IRELAND JANUARY 2025
01/01/2025 | Monsters | Gareth Edwards | First Films First
01/01/2025 | The Protagonists | Luca Guadagnino | First Films First
01/01/2025 | The Hereafter | Magnus Van Horn | First Films First
01/01/2025 | The Producers | Mel Brooks | First Films First
01/01/2025 | Pepi, Luci, Bom | Pedro Almodóvar | First Films First
01/01/2025 | Four Letter Words | Sean Baker | First Films First
10/01/2025 | Pepe | Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias
10/01/2025 | Smoking Causes Coughing | Quentin Dupieux | Madcap Adventure: Comedies By Quentin Dupieux
10/01/2025 | The Second Act | Quentin Dupieux | Latest & Greatest
17/01/2025 | The Watchman | Ali Cherry | Brief Encounters
17/01/2025 | Socialist Realism | Raúl Ruiz, Valeria Sarmiento | Playing with Time: Films by Raúl Ruiz and Valeria Sarmiento
17/01/2025 | The Wandering Soap Opera | Raúl Ruiz, Valeria Sarmiento | Playing with Time: Films by Raúl Ruiz and Valeria Sarmiento
17/01/2025 | The Tango of the Widower and Its Distorting Mirror | Raúl Ruiz, Valeria Sarmiento | Playing with Time: Films by Raúl Ruiz and Valeria Sarmiento
Best wishes for the festive period and a Happy New Year from everyone at MUBI.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
