Weekend Watch - September 2022 Recap
In terms of quality, September was a mild step up from the summer months, even if its box office returns were quite weak (the lowest September in almost 30 years, excluding 2020, was what I saw).
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 review and recommendation. This weekend, we have come to the end of another month, and it’s time to recap all the movies worth watching that released this month, categorized by their likelihood of making it onto the blog’s list of Greatest Films of All Time. In terms of quality, September was a mild step up from the summer months, even if its box office returns were quite weak (the lowest September in almost 30 years, excluding 2020, was what I saw). There is one film worthy of the Sure Things categorization (though I might still be wrong), a few in the Possible Things, and a number in the Long Shots. Let’s take a look.
Long Shots:
God’s Country: Thandiwe Newton stars in this indie thriller that originally released at Sundance earlier this year before its limited theatrical release this past month. Critics seem to like this film slightly more than audiences, and it hasn’t drummed up a ton of buzz on any awards radars, but her acting chops and an 89% on Rotten Tomatoes keep this one on the edge.
Mija: Disney’s documentary about the children of undocumented immigrants working to make it in the American music industry has flown under the radar. So far, though, it has garnered positive responses from the few people who have seen it. It’s nature as a streaming documentary keeps it as a long shot, despite its decently high Rotten Tomatoes score, Metacritic score, and IMDB rating.
Riotsville, U.S.A.: This documentary about the militarization of America’s police force at the end of the 1960s finally received a limited theatrical release this month. Its divisive subject matter, critiquing the overt aggression of American police is bound to keep its fan reviews mixed, but its critic ratings are high, and it could garner some awards attention in the coming months.
A Jazzman’s Blues: Tyler Perry’s latest film, a period piece about an unsolved murder and the lives of black and white families in the early 1900s, has received surprisingly positive reviews, given his recent track record. The Netflix release probably won’t garner much more than this, but it’s still worth noting.
Blonde: Andrew Dominik’s fictional Marilyn Monroe biopic dropped this past week, and it has been divisive to say the least. Dominik’s vision seems to have come through strongly, but critics and audiences alike are divided on whether his vision is a good one. The one thing people can agree on is Ana de Armas’s strong performance, which keeps this film’s hopes alive but just barely.
Confess, Fletch: This soft reboot of the “Fletch” franchise, which was made famous by Chevy Chase, seems to be doing well enough with audiences and critics to warrant mentioning. Jon Hamm’s comedic chops are on full display, and it keeps this film a long shot.
Do Revenge: Netflix’s gen-z high school revenge comedy has been a surprise hit among certain audiences. Its teen-centric nature leaves it less than popular among “the olds”, but its success among younger viewers keeps it worth mentioning. Maya Hawke and Camila Mendes put on really fun performances in this one.
Don’t Worry Darling: The off-screen antics of this one are obviously the big draw for Olivia Wilde’s new film. Its just-okay script has kept the film from getting better reviews. Florence Pugh’s strong acting carries this film and keeps it worth mentioning here as a long shot.
Smile: This gruesome horror film about a doctor haunted by a smile released this week to comparatively positive reviews for a movie in that genre. I don’t see it going much farther than its 74% Tomatometer score and 82% audience rating, but it seems like a solid hit for fans of the genre.
Possible Things:
Barbarian: I already talked at length about this one in a previous Weekend Watch but suffice it to say that this wild horror film was such a pleasant surprise that it has worked its way into a possible Greatest Film of All Time. Solid performances, interesting horror, and surprises throughout have made this film the surprise hit of September.
Pearl: Not to be outdone, the prequel to Ti West’s X from earlier this year has been another solid outing in the horror genre from September. Mia Goth’s performance has critics and audiences buzzing, and the film even garnered a personal shoutout and high praise from the Martin Scorsese, one of the greatest directors to ever do it. Combined with high critic and audience scores across the board, it’s easy to see this one’s potential to make it on the list.
The Woman King: Apart from some review bombing on IMDB (a consistent problem for films featuring women, minorities, and members of the LGBT community in recent history that they need to fix ASAP), Viola Davis’s action film about the female warriors of the Dahomey has received consistent praise, covering its historical fiction well. The plethora of woman-led films releasing this year will most likely keep Davis out of any awards races, but her name recognition might launch this film even higher.
Argentina, 1985: This Spanish language film that released on Amazon Prime Video this past week has only been watched by a few viewers so far, but their responses have been overwhelmingly positive. The 95% (uncertified) Tomatometer score and 100% (with fewer than 50 ratings) audience score show that this is a film worth keeping an eye on moving forward, covering the prosecution of Argentina’s fascist regime in the 1980s (a topical hit).
Bros: The first romantic comedy from a major film studio to center around a gay couple has released, and so far, the reviews are positive. Billy Eichner is already generating buzz from the Golden Globes, and the film could even receive some nominations for its writing. This groundbreaking film is definitely one to keep an eye on going forward.
Sure Things:
Moonage Daydream: This cinematic experience of a documentary about David Bowie’s creative and musical journey has wowed audiences consistently since its original release at Cannes earlier this year and more recently in its theatrical and IMAX release this past month. The documentary is sanctioned by the Bowie estate and showcases some amazing visuals alongside a fascinating look at the iconic musical artist. Already, its scores are high enough to put it on this list, and the potential for more awards love going forward means that everything is looking up for this particular documentary.