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.