Where the start of a new year often begins with a bang, the same can't be said for the world of cinema. Historically, movies released during January and February are believed to be the ones studios don't expect huge commercial success. As this period comes after the year-end holidays, people are presumed to be quite busy and unable to frequent the movies — thus, these months are often treated as the dumping grounds for Hollywood — also known as the "dump months."

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However, this is not always the case. From classic romances like Before Sunset and action-thrillers like Kingsman: The Secret Service, some films are released during this "cursed" time period that are beloved by audiences, perform outrageously well at the box office, and even receive accolades. By defying the supposed laws of the filmmaking business, these movies only prove the absurdity of this concept.

'Silence of the Lambs' (1991)

Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Image via Orion Pictures

Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), a stellar FBI trainee, is tasked to interview notorious serial killer and cannibal Dr. Hannibal Lector (Sir Anthony Hopkins) in prison as he may have insight into an ongoing investigation of another serial killer.

Released February 14, Silence of the Lambs was anything but a flop. Where opening weekend generated $13 million, it grossed over $130 million worldwide by the end of its cinematic run — surpassing its $9 million budget. It garnered even greater critical acclaim, as the film won the Big Five Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress (for Foster), and Best Actor (for Hopkins).

'Deadpool' (2016)

Deadpool standing on the freeway holding a gun.

After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, mercenary Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) chooses to undergo an experimental treatment that leaves him brutally scared — but also with superhuman abilities. Now adopting the alter-ego Deadpool, he goes on to hunt the man that ruined his life.

With its global debut reaching over $284 million, Deadpool became the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time and the biggest movie to come out of the X-Men franchise. Releasing also on February 14, the film's marketing capitalized on its Valentine's Day release, displaying posters and billboards that presented the film as a romantic movie. Deadpool even received several accolade wins and nominations, largely centered around Reynold's performance.

'Split' (2016)

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Kevin (James McAvoy), a man with 23 personalities, is compelled to abduct three teenage girls. Together, these friends must find a way to escape captivity before the elusive and sinister 24th personality emerges.

Smashing box office earnings with $275 million on a $9 million budget, Split garnered a lot of fan and critical praise for M. Night Shyamalan's direction and McAvoy's performance. Theatrically released on January 20, this movie also generated great excitement due to it being a surprise sequel to Shyamalan's cult classic Unbreakable. Its financial and critical success even led to the conclusion picture of Shyamalan's trilogy, Glass, being green-lit.

'How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days' (2003)

Kate Hudson holding a dog and talking to Matthew Mcconaughey

Andi Anderson (Kate Hudson), an advice columnist for a women's magazine, is inspired to write an article about how to lose a man in 10 days. Meanwhile, determined to lead a prestigious marketing campaign for a diamond company, Ben Barry (Matthew McConaughey) cuts a deal with his boss that if he can make a woman fall in love with him in 10 days, the job is his. Their secret missions become more difficult once they choose each other for their experiment.

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Released on February 7, this film surpassed its $50 million budget, grossing over $177 million worldwide. But what's more significant is how the film became an iconically beloved rom-com. In fact, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is still making waves in today's pop culture with TikTok trends circulating around Andi's yellow dress and her singing a sweet cover of Carly Simon's "You're So Vain."

'Cloverfield' (2008)

Michael Stahl-David, Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas in Cloverfield
Image via Paramount

As a terrifying creature descends upon the streets of New York, inciting mayhem and complete devastation, a group of friends uses a handheld camera to record their struggles on their journey to survival.

A fan-favorite of the found-footage genre, this movie was released theatrically on January 18 and secured $40.1 million on opening weekend, making Cloverfield the most successful January release ever (or at least until Ride Along came out in 2014). It ultimately grossed over $170 million and even jump-started a franchise with the sequels coming out in 2016 and 2018.

'Groundhog Day' (1993)

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Phil Connors (Bill Murray), a narcissistic weatherman, finds himself stuck in a time loop reliving Groundhog Day. He initially finds the fun in it, Phil starts to realize his predicament as he struggles to find a way to escape.

An iconic part of pop culture, Groundhog Day was one of the many great family films that made its way to cinemas in 1993. Where it didn't necessarily generate a huge box-office boom from its release on February 12, the film has become so culturally significant that it was added to the 2006 Film Preservation List, selected by the United States Librarian of Congress. Even the term "groundhog day" has made its way into the English lexicon — defining repetitive situations that are relatively unpleasant. How impressive is that?

'Before Sunrise' (1995)

Before Sunrise 1995

Meeting on a train in Europe, American tourist Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and French student Celine (Julie Delpy) develop a quick connection and ultimately spend their evening together in Vienna. As their bond grows stronger by night, the thought of going their separate ways becomes more difficult.

Where its plot is relatively simple Before Sunrise is a highly praised love story that was theatrically released on January 27, still holding a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes by its critics; their consensus sees this film to be incredibly "thought-provoking" and an "unabashedly romantic look at modern love." With such positive reviews, the film became a trilogy that ultimately generated even more critical acclaim — including several Academy Award nominations.

'Get Out' (2017)

Daniel Kaluuya in 'Get Out'
Image via Universal Studios

Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) leaves for a weekend trip with his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), to meet her family for the first time. There, he uncovers the family's shocking secrets that ultimately threaten his life.

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As Jordan Peele's directorial debut, this film showed that he was not only an expert comedy writer and actor, but also an amazing director and screenwriter. Arriving on the big screen on February 24, Get Out generated over $200 million, breaking numerous cinematic records, one of which included the highest-grossing debut film of a writer-director based on an original screenplay. It even saw critical acclaim with several award nominations and wins, such as Peele receiving an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

'Kingsman: The Secret Service' (2015)

Colin Firth as Harry and Taron Egerton as Eggsy in front of a mirror in Kingsman: The Secret Service
Image via 20th Century Fox

Eggsy (Taron Egerton), a promising street kid from South London, is recruited to join a training program for a secret spy organization — the same one his late father secretly worked for. Climbing his way through the Kingsman ranks, Eggsy joins a mission to take down billionaire eco-terrorist Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson).

Where the film was competing against Fifty Shades of Grey, given its US release on February 13, Kingsman: The Secret Service still did well at the box office, generating over $414 million on an $81 million budget. Captivating audiences with its bold and brash depictions of comedy-filled action and violence, this film did so well that it spearheaded the release of a sequel, prequel, and even more to come, thanks to the brilliant mind of Matthew Vaughn.

'Taken' (2009)

Bryan Mills 'Liam Neeson' on the phone with his daughter's kidnappers in 'Taken' (2008)

After his teenage daughter is kidnaped on her holiday in France, former CIA agent Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) goes on a mission to track her down using his very special set of skills.

Taken is not only a fan-favorite action film but also broke the box office, grossing over $226 million worldwide against a $25 million budget. The film, however, sees its success more in its cultural impact. With one of the most iconic movie monologues of all time, Taken is a common reference point for many media projects — one example being an entire episode of Family Guy (Season 10, Episode 20, "Leggo My Meg-O"). Very iconic indeed.

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