The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Valentine’s Day is here, and you’d think there’d be a ton of romantic movies for you to choose from this week, but for all you Hollywood fans out there, this week will be a disappointment if romance is what you are seeking. This week we only have two Hollywood films, a horror mystery by the name of Happy Death Day 2U, and an action sci-fi flick, Alita: Battle Angel.

Happy Death Day 2U

What’s it about? The Groundhog Day concept takes a very dark turn, as Tree Gelbman, played by Jessica Rothe, keeps waking up on the same day to find a psychotic murderer chasing her. Trapped by fear, the only way out is to keep dying over and over again. This movie is a sequel to Happy Death Day (2017).

The good: It doesn’t warrant such high expectations which decreases the risk of disappointment; it has action, suspense, mystery, horror, and a bit of comedy, some critics even feel they’ve improved on the original idea.

The bad: If you’re a fan of the original movie, you will probably like this one. But, despite their attempts to tweak the original formulae, some might find themselves watching the same movie again. 

Alita: Battle Angel

What’s it about? From the producers of Avatar comes another highly anticipated action film. Rosa Salazar plays a female cyborg, Alita, who has been revived but with a complete loss of memory of her past life. Alita, the deadly cyborg, pursues her true identity in a world filled with dangers.

The good: The movie is directed by veteran director Robert Rodriguez who’s been the man behind Sin City films, Machete films, and Desperado, yes he’s been around that long. James Cameron was also involved in the screenplay, and the film has star power in Christoph Waltz and Mahershala Ali.

The bad: Despite the anticipation, this film has been getting mixed reviews; while some see it as a futuristic and entertaining sci-fi film, others point out the clichés and confusion in the plot.

BONUS PICK: Qesset Hob (Love Story)

What’s it about? We’ve decided to mention this movie for all you love birds out there. It’s been a while since we’ve had a solely romantic Egyptian movie, and this one promises to be a bit different. The film follows the story of a boy and a girl who fall in love, before the boy has a terrible accident which takes away his sight, and both are tasked with proving their true love for each other.

The good: Director Othman Abo Laban and Screenwriter Amany Al-Tunsi have been working closely on this movie, and the results are seemingly very positive. Ahmed Hatem and Hana Al-Zahed are both very loveable actors, and the preliminary reviews have been very promising for this one.

The bad: At the end of the day, these kinds of romantic movies could be a bit too sappy for some, so it’s not really for everyone.

To find out where and when you can catch these films, check out the Cairo 360 Cinema Guide.