Weekend Watch - November 2023 Recap

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, and recommendation. This week, we have come to the end of another month of films and will be recapping the most noteworthy releases of the month. They’ll be categorized by their likelihood of making it onto this blog’s list of the Greatest Films of All Time and cementing themselves in cinematic history: Long Shots are those with the toughest road ahead of them, noteworthy for their support from either critics or audiences or for their awards potential but struggling in at least one of those other spots; Possible Things are films that have done a bit better for themselves, earning above average marks from critics and audiences but not quite to a level of “all-time” greatness, and Sure Things are films that need no extra help to cement themselves in history (though they most likely will receive some awards love too). November brought a host of highly anticipated films to theaters and streaming services, but outside of one legitimate success and a few surprise overachievers, the month underperformed overall, leaving us with a decent showing of films but very little in terms of legitimate staying power. Let’s get into it.

Long Shots:

Nyad: This Netflix biopic of distance swimmer Diana Nyad probably stands the best chance of making it out of this category thanks to the strong performances of its two leading ladies – Annette Bening in the titular role and Jodie Foster as her coach Bonnie Stoll – but its formulaic delivery of its real-life story has landed it solidly in the just okay range of both audience and critic scores, so we’ll see.

Sly: Documentaries about Hollywood actors have abounded this year, particularly ones released by Netflix, and I think we’re starting to see an oversaturation take place. This one about the life and career of Sylvester Stallone sounds like one sure to please his fans but that might not have a wide enough fan base to experience the larger success it’ll need to overcome very average critical reception.

The Killer: David Fincher’s latest thriller was one of the year’s most anticipated, but it has landed with a plop rather than a splash in its brief theatrical run and then on its Netflix release. The slow-burn character study of a hired killer looking to maybe get out of the game and get back at those who wronged him has left everyone praising Fincher’s direction but a bit frustrated with the overall film for its slowness and lack of compelling character development.

Thanksgiving: On the other hand, Eli Roth’s holiday slasher is a film that has outdone its expectations, receiving mildly above average audience reviews for the return of classic slasher tropes and fun tongue-in-cheek humor. Will it actually have any staying power beyond the usual cult followings of slasher films? Probably not, but never say never.

Saltburn: Emerald Fennell’s sophomore feature has received the Babylon treatment from critics, deeming it too shocking to be “great”. Whatever. Its Metacritic score of 60 and Tomatometer of 71% mean that its chances of rising much higher on this blog’s list are slim-to-none, but don’t let that stop you from seeing this wild romp through the aristocracy of Britain.

Rustin: Another based-on-a-true-story performance-driven biopic from Netflix that has even slimmer chances of lingering on. Odd tonal choices and an underwhelming third act have left this well-acted film fairly far down on many people’s lists of the year’s best films, and I don’t see Colman Domingo elevating the whole thing by himself – even as phenomenal as his performance is.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: The adaptation of Suzanne Collins’s prequel novel has managed to hit the perfect note with audiences, earning it a top-25 box office this year and surprisingly solid reviews from fans. Even with a lack of matching support from critics, this film has something going for it that makes it worth checking out.

Napoleon: Oh look, another biopic. It’s almost like formulaic biographical films just don’t hit like they did in the 1990s and 2000s or something. Ridley Scott, Joaquin Phoenix, and Vanessa Kirby being attached to this film keep it at very long odds of rising above, but with three other films just from this year that are based on true stories from the past with great production design, it’s hard to see this historical epic breaking through.

Possible Things:

Fremont: Probably one of the most indie films of the year, this black and white film about an Afghan former translator now working at a fortune cookie factory in the U.S. landed on streaming this month after some very limited theatrical runs. The small amount of audience and critic reviews have been positive, but I don’t know that it’s enough to bring it to the attention of the right people to elevate above the hump that so many decent indie films face when trying to make it as all-timers.

Priscilla: Sofia Coppola’s unique style helps the Priscilla Presley biopic rise above the rank and file, and Cailee Spaeny’s leading performance definitely doesn’t hurt either. Down the road, I won’t be at all surprised if this film’s audience reviews rise much higher than they currently are, but the current Elvis Presley love has hurt its ratings, as it doesn’t paint the rockstar in nearly as positive a light as his biopic last year did. Still, there’s an outside shot it makes it already this year.

Dream Scenario: The comedy horror about a man who finds himself becoming a dream celebrity when everyone seems to be dreaming about him at night might be too wacky to earn the awards love that it’ll need to get from the quality film to all time greatness status. Nicolas Cage as the leading man certainly helps its chances, as does the distribution by A24, so don’t count it all the way out.

Radical: The Sundance hit, starring Eugenio Derbez, about a Mexican schoolteacher looking to improve his students’ experience by radical means has finally hit theaters (at least in my area), and the reviews are staying strongly positive. Unfortunately, with Mexico backing Tótem as its entry for International Feature at awards shows this year, I don’t see it getting enough attention to raise it out of its general anonymity at the moment.

American Symphony: The Netflix documentary about musician Jon Batiste has already landed in many conversations as a frontrunner for the year’s biggest documentary awards, and with Batiste as the subject and Matthew Heineman (Cartel Land) as the director, I can see why. Since its release on Netflix, the audience and critic reviews have been just above average, so it’ll need that awards love to make it a must-see for most moviegoers.

Sure Things:

The Holdovers: The month’s only sure thing is also its best performer, hitting all the notes it was expected to, earning a place on many viewers’ lists of must-watch holiday films going forward. Alexander Payne’s film about a schoolteacher and his troubled student who stay for the Christmas holiday at their boarding school with the school’s head cook in 1970. The combination of strong performances, original story, and throwback visuals make this a must-see and a potential award favorite this year.

Weekend Watch - November 2022 Recap

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review and recommendation. This week, we have come to the end of November, with plenty of new potential films for the list having come out. We’ll take a look at the best ones from the past month, look at why they could make the list and what people are saying about them. Like always, the films have been categorized into three groups: Long Shots, which probably won’t make their way onto the list, but that have been getting enough buzz to warrant mentioning; Possible Things, which could potentially make the list if they make enough at the box office and/or get enough love from awards season; and Sure Things, which are almost certainly going to get full on reviews on the blog, and find their place onto our countdown. This past month saw the continuation of awards season rollouts combined with the big hitters of the Thanksgiving weekend, giving us a few films that might be all-timers, a few surprise flops, and plenty of films in-between. Let’s get into it.

Long Shots:

Armageddon Time: One of a couple of semi-autobiographical films released this past month, James Gray’s contribution is well-acted but hasn’t wowed audiences to the extent that it probably needs to if it wants to earn a spot on “the list”. The story about airing out racist family history, while impactful, seems to be too heavy-handed to be truly impactful rather than preachy, but Jeremy Strong and Anthony Hopkins bring some solid performances to keep it afloat.

My Father’s Dragon: From the production company that brought us hits like Wolfwalkers and The Breadwinner, this animated film has again come to Netflix with plenty of heart and culturally relevant messaging. Unfortunately, critics and fans alike haven’t been nearly as high on this one as with its predecessors, and Netflix’s push for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio as its primary animated film in awards season is inevitably going to leave this one out of the spotlight. It’s certainly worth considering though.

The Wonder: Sebastián Lelio’s adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s novel seems to be true to the book and decently acted, though Florence Pugh’s aggressive frowning has begun to wear on some reviewers that I’ve seen talking about this one. For this particular film, its niche subject matter and release on Netflix will probably leave it out of any major conversations and understandably so.

Causeway: A24’s and Apple TV+’s character study of a struggling Afghanistan veteran and her relationship with a pool cleaner after she returns home has received rave reviews for both Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry. However, their acting hasn’t been enough to salvage its apparently disjointed and less-than-relatable story, keeping it fairly far away from becoming an instant classic.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story: Daniel Radcliffe’s exaggerated Weird Al biopic has been one of the pleasant surprises of the month, leaving everyone who’s seen it with a sense of surprised enjoyment. It’s nothing incredibly groundbreaking, just well-made and true to its subject matter. More people should see this one, even if it doesn’t break any kind of records. This one has the potential to make cult classic status sooner rather than later.

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me: This documentary about Selena Gomez’s rise to stardom and her struggles with mental health in the process has been a pleasant surprise for Apple TV+. Her current popularity in Hollywood and the relevant messaging about mental health will keep it in contention, but the critics don’t necessarily love it like that, so don’t expect to hear too much else about it.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: Marvel’s bookend to Phase 4 is undoubtedly their best outing of 2022, but even the well-crafted tribute to Chadwick Boseman hasn’t been fully able to overcome its excessive storylines or the general sense of superhero burnout in the culture right now. Its four straight (barring a crazy upset by Violent Night this weekend) number one box office run haven’t gotten it up to its predecessor’s $1 billion gross, but potential awards season love keep this one higher up in the running than some of the others in this section.

The Menu: Mark Mylod’s satirical thriller is phenomenal but not overly groundbreaking. Again, this is a better film than many of the other long shots this month, but I just don’t see this one making a big enough splash at either the box office or the major film awards to make its way among the ranks of the classics on “the list”.

Strange World: Disney animation’s latest release has been a bit of a surprise flop, projected to lose millions of dollars at the box office and struggling with review bombing from certain “fans” upset over the gay teen character. Unfortunately, its marketing strategy seems to have kept people from seeing this one in droves, and it looks to become more of a nostalgic classic like Treasure Planet, Atlantis, or Lilo and Stitch than an all-time great like Frozen, Big Hero 6, or Zootopia.

Devotion: This war plane movie featuring Glen Powell has not received the love that Top Gun: Maverick did. Its story and Jonathan Majors’s performance sound like the right pieces to build a great film around. Critics and fans seem to be indicating that this one is just okay, carried very much so by Majors, so don’t expect this one to dethrone Tom Cruise any time soon.

Mickey: The Story of a Mouse: Disney’s documentary about the impact and development of Mickey Mouse throughout history has received decently positive reviews and is readily available on Disney+. With all the other great documentaries releasing this year, I don’t see the Mickey Mouse one rising to the top though.

The Swimmers: Netflix’s biopic about the incredible story of Olympic swimmers Sara and Yusra Mardini and their journey from Syria to the Olympics has all the makings of a heartwarming sports movie. That’s not necessarily the makings of one of the Greatest Films of All Time, but the film’s commitment to representation and telling a new story is certainly worth checking out.

Possible Things:

Good Night Oppy: Amazon Prime’s documentary about the fifteen-year work of Mars rover Oppy has stormed onto the scene with a surprisingly heartfelt story about the work of NASA and this little rover on Mars. It currently sits as one of the favorites to win best documentary at awards shows this year, which might be enough to classify it as one of the classic documentaries and best ever made.

Is That Black Enough for You?!?: Elvis Mitchell’s documentary about the history of black cinema, centered on its evolution in the 1970s, has received rave reviews since its release on Netflix. I don’t know that it’ll make a big enough splash to achieve that classic documentary status, but it’s certainly a solid watch for fans of film history.

She Said: The film about the two reporters who finally broke the Harvey Weinstein story hasn’t necessarily been a huge box office hit, but people who have seen it have been pleasantly surprised with its tactful handling of its subject matter and with Carey Mulligan’s performance as Megan Twohey. She alone keeps this as a possible thing, as the Supporting Actress category feels relatively wide open still since Michelle Williams has moved her hat to the Lead Actress ring.

The Inspection: Elegance Bratton’s film about a gay, black marine has been slowly rising in hype since its festival run earlier this year. In particular, the story’s marked relevance in the current environment and Jeremy Pope’s moving performance seem to be edging this film toward a dark-horse awards run. I’m excited to see how it does as more and more people get to see it.

Bones and All: A cannibal romantic drama shouldn’t work, but for whatever reason, Luca Guadagnino’s newest film is defying all odds. Its visceral nature has kept plenty of moviegoers away, but those who have seen it praise Chalamet’s performance and the undeniable chemistry between him and Taylor Russell. If you can get past some squeamishness, this’ll probably be worth a watch.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery: The sequel to Rian Johnson’s wildly successful whodunnit received a fairly wide limited release this past month. In the process, fans and critics alike seem to be agreeing that this film is even better than the first, which received multiple awards nominations in its run. Janelle Monáe is this film’s scene-stealer, and when it releases on Netflix this month, expect to hear even more about it.

Stutz: This documentary, chronicling conversations between Jonah Hill and his therapist Phil Stutz, looks to be one of the most poignant conversations on mental health in the world of Hollywood in recent history, featuring Hill at his most raw, diving into what makes the movie industry tick. It’ll be interesting to see how the awards shows respond, but their love for things about movies and moviemaking lends itself to this film’s potential for success.

EO: Poland’s submission for the Best International Feature Film this year follows a donkey as he experiences many different situations around Europe – good, bad, and indifferent – without ever really changing expressions. Its an experimental film, reminiscent of Au Hasard Balthazar, that could easily become an all-time classic with the right run and more views.

Sure Things:

The Fabelmans: Still this year’s best picture frontrunner, Spielberg’s heartfelt homage to his family and his love for filmmaking looks to be yet another instant classic from the prolific director. Its reviews from both audiences and critics remain overwhelmingly positive, and I highly recommend giving this one a watch, as I said in last week’s Weekend Watch.