Sometimes being a latecomer to the party is the safest option.
With so many big-budget films touting a 3D viewing experience as the main draw, moviegoers may have trouble finding thoughtful stories with engaging plots.
Anyone who missed out on some of the best releases of February 2013 may be intrigued to know that zombies, fake psychotic breakdowns, and police informants helped provide a month of memorable plot twists.
Lousy novel adaptations are dominating the big screen nowadays.
Fortunately, the February 1 film "Warm Bodies" is a successful rendering of the original story by Isaac Marion.
Approaching the tired zombie genre from a new perspective, "Warm Bodies" stars English actor Nicholas Hoult as an undead hero who saves a human girl and falls in love with her in the process.
The PG-13 movie is inspired by star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet and is partly told through Hoult's amusing comedic narration.
Hoult's lines are delivered as vague grunting or monotone mental observations with the perfect balance of mischief and irony.
Hoult's character, known only as "R," tries to reclaim his humanity in small ways with entertaining results, ranging from operating a vehicle under the influence of-well, death-to seeking the approval of his human love interest's militant father (John Malkovich).
The story isn't just good for fun and laughs.
The plot manages to ask questions about the decline of genuine contact and communication and the power of love to revive deadened hearts.
One refreshing detail involves R's habit of eating brains and absorbing their stored memories to experience a fragment of human life, if only temporarily.
Minor flaws creep in-mostly in the form of scant humor here and there-but the film is still worth seeing for its delightfully exaggerated and absurd subject matter.
For thriller junkies, the February 8 release "Side Effects" proved to be a gripping psychological story with one surprise element after another.
Rooney Mara helms the cast as a seemingly innocent psych patient who murders her husband during a sleepwalking episode after being prescribed an experimental drug.
Her unsuspecting psychiatrist (Jude Law) is disgraced by the scandal, leading him to investigate the truth behind his patient's actions.
Viewers may think they know how this story will end, but the plot quickly turns from a simple murder-intrigue scenario to a complex financial conspiracy.
Well known for projects like "Erin Brockovich," "Traffic," and "Ocean's Eleven," director Steven Soderbergh delivers another compelling film that explores the depths of corruption and greed.
Every scene is carefully planned to deny details where necessary and let them loose at just the right moment.
Roles are continually switched, and conflicting ironies enliven the action as each character arc highlights different aspects of moral corruption.
Mara's character, Emily Taylor, is willing to undergo unsavory trials for the sake of maintaining a "comfortable" lifestyle, and the unwitting psychiatrist becomes a victim of his own careless treatment practices.
Many people have compared "Side Effects" to Hitchcock films, but this latest thriller stands firmly on its own.
Action fans weren't overlooked in February.
Add a dose of thriving superstar Duane Johnson to a drug cartel story with a subplot of familial loyalty.
The result is "Snitch," a formulaic but stimulating crime drama with loads of double-crossing and government corruption.
Johnson stars as John Matthews, a working class man and devoted father whose son is sent to prison after being set up and tried for drug charges.
Determined to save his son, John embarks on a new life as a police informant in hopes of handing over key players in return for a reduced sentence.
John is gradually forced into an endless cycle of servitude to a government task force, a drug cartel, and a ruthless US attorney (Susan Sarandon).
Although clunky at times, the film touches upon the failings of criminal prosecution systems when drug offenders are involved.
The closing statement of the film alludes to that fact, and John's many ups and downs are a reminder that law enforcement often allows big fish to slip through the cracks in order to chase after even bigger fish.
Johnson is endearing and convincing as a steadfast parent who quickly descends into a dangerous life he knows his family can never truly recover from.
If all of the action, intrigue, and laughs from these three feature films aren't enough, stay on the lookout for other February 2013 releases.
Check out the quirky genre-bender, "The Power of Few," which follows five stories that converge in a convoluted, but imaginative, script.
Younger viewers may be charmed by the teen fantasy drama " Beautiful Creatures.
" The film received mixed reviews from critics but has a loyal following from the source novel by authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.
February may have come and gone, but its selection of fresh and provocative films are sure to become candidates for your personal movie collection.