Weekend Watch - July and August 2024 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’re back after an extended hiatus with a look back at the best films released in July and August of this year. We’ll highlight the films that critics and audiences liked most in these months, categorizing them by their likelihood of making the year’s 25 best films – Long Shots, Possible Things, and Sure Things. The latter two-thirds of summer 2024 brought us a decent mix of films, some overhyped, some underappreciated, and others fully delivering on their promises, resulting in an acceptable if not overly noteworthy couple of months. Let’s get into it.

Long Shots:

MaXXXine: The highly anticipated conclusion to Ti West’s homage horror trilogy fell far short of the standard set by the first two in both the acting and horror department. It still stands a cut above many of the year’s horror offerings, but don’t expect it to suddenly break into the all-time greats conversation any time soon.

The Imaginary: Netflix’s new animated offering takes a look at the world of imaginary friends, a surprisingly popular theme this year, and the anime film seems to be passable but nowhere near the conversation for the film’s best animated films. If you enjoy the style or the concept, it’s probably worth checking out. Otherwise, it’s safe to say you can miss it.

Faye: Max’s documentary about Faye Dunaway is another in a long line of celebrity bio-docs that do great things for their subjects’ fans and little for the overall genre of documentary. If you love the illustrious star or would like to hear about her life from her own lips, it’s worth checking out, but don’t expect it to be called for any major awards at the end of the year.

Twisters: The “sequel” to the 90s disaster film delivered exactly as promised – a fun, hot, exhilarating look at storm chasers that mostly lives up to the legacy of the original and delivers some solid star power from Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones. It’s not much beyond that, but it’s definitely worth watching even if it won’t perhaps stand the test of time like the original has.

Skywalkers: A Love Story: The Netflix documentary about stunt acrobats climbing Malaysia’s tallest skyscraper to rekindle their career and relationship feels like it could make some noise as the year progresses, but its problematic protagonists and odd promotion of NFTs have held it back from achieving as highly as it could have.

Deadpool & Wolverine: Marvel Studios’ only theatrical release this year has had major box office and fan success, delivering on its promise of bringing R-rated superhero action to the MCU. Its excess of fan-service and shortness on plot have definitely held it back from reaching the highs of the former MCU, but it’s still a solid outing that bodes well for the upcoming slate.

Cuckoo: The psychological horror film starring Hunter Schafer that was highly anticipated by the internet, particularly Ayo Edebiri, has delivered on its promise of a fun, twisty, if not always incredibly scary indie horror film. It takes some big swings that not every audience has loved equally, but it might be your cup of tea.

War Game: It’s a documentary about US officials simulating a response to a coup, which might hit a bit too close to home in this year’s political climate with January 6, 2021, still very much in the public’s mind, but it seems to be well-made and interesting. Its subject matter might be too divisive to be an immediate great, but it might find the right audience and last for a while.

Alien: Romulus: Director Fede Alvarez’s take on the iconic sci-fi/horror series has brought it back to its more grounded roots and found a strong audience with critics and fans alike. Though its lack of truly original ideas and controversial inclusion of a highly altered version of deceased actor Ian Holm have held it back from the heights of the originals.

My Penguin Friend: A feel-good, indie, based-on-a-true-story film about a fisherman who rescues a penguin from an oil spill will obviously fly well under the radar. Nevertheless, those who have seen it have been generally positive about it, and it’s always fun to get to see Jean Reno in a film even if it’s one that few people will watch.

Blink Twice: Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut has outperformed most expectations for it with praise for her directorial vision and the performances of leads Naomi Ackie and Channing Tatum. It’s nowhere near perfect, and some heavy comparisons to other films (Get Out and Saltburn especially) have held it back in the story department, but it’s still a fun intro for Kravitz to directing.

Between the Temples: The Bat Mitzvah indie comedy starring Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane has some serious Golden Globe potential, especially with its strong critical reception. It sounds like the humor might be a bit more niche, resulting in some mixed audience reviews, but it might be a film worth checking out if that sounds up your alley.

Possible Things:

Longlegs: A serial killer/supernatural horror film from Osgood Perkins (son of Anthony Perkins of Psycho) starring Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage has been the breakout hit of the summer. Its convoluted third act has left some viewers less than thrilled, but its story and star power might get it into the conversation at the end of the year.

Didi: A 2000s semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story about a Taiwanese American boy sounds like the ideal film for indie film fans, and it certainly sounds like its found that target audience. Many have it sitting on the cusp of Oscar nominations for screenplay and for the supporting performance of Joan Chen as Chris’s mom. It sounds like it might be one of the best films of the year if audiences keep loving it like they have.

Kneecap: The first official submission for Best International Feature to get a wide release in the U.S. has come from Ireland this year with Rich Peppiatt’s film about Irish-language rappers working to revive the use of the language in the wide sphere. Audiences and critics alike agree that it’s a real hit, and most expect it to be on the list of Oscar nominees at the end of the year.

Daughters: Netflix’s legitimate Oscar contender in the documentary category is Daughters, which looks at a father-daughter dance between incarcerated men and their daughters in Washington, D.C. It lives in a topical space and has been a hit with those who have watched it so far. If it’s a topic that interests you, I’d definitely recommend giving it a shot.

Strange Darling: The serial killer indie thriller from J.T. Mollner ends up being the biggest surprise of August, opening to near-unanimous critical acclaim and similar takes from fans. Some have taken issue with the potentially problematic interpretations of the film’s themes, especially seeing as it was written by a man, taking on issues of gender norms, but it sounds like a relatively unique film worth checking out if the genre is up your alley.

Sure Things:

Sing Sing: The current frontrunner for Best Picture finally expanded its theatrical run this past month and continues to hit the right mark with audiences. Anyone who doesn’t categorize this as one of the best films of the year (and possibly of all time) must have watched a different film than I did because it is phenomenal and certainly lives up to the hype.

Weekend Watch - August/September 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 and review. This week, we are looking back at the months of August and September and highlighting the films most likely to have a shot at joining this blog’s list. As always, we’ll break them into three categories – Long Shots, Possible Things, and Sure Things – but (spoiler alert) it’s only Long Shots and Possible Things in this set of months. August wrapped up the summer blockbuster season in predictably lackluster fashion, and September ushered us into the season of indie awards hopefuls with little promise of actually delivering success in either sector (unlike the offerings coming in October, November, and maybe even December). Let’s get into it.

Long Shots:

Shortcomings: Randall Park’s feature film solo directorial debut about a trio of San Francisco young adults trying to find love opened to solid reviews for a niche romantic dramedy. Unfortunately for it, the film has mostly flown under the radar in gaining any kind of traction for the awards buzz this film would need to overcome the fan reviews, which are only just above average.

Jules: A sci-fi dramedy about aging suburbanites who suddenly find a space alien living in their midst has a quirky enough ring to it to pique some people’s curiosity, especially when considering its cast led by Ben Kingsley and Harriet Sansom Harris. Its unique story keeps it afloat even as the reviews seem to be getting worse by the day, lengthening this film’s odds of success.

Red, White & Royal Blue: Amazon’s gay romantic comedy about a British prince and the son of the American president had fans and critics alike celebrating its fun and originality. It’s unlikely to go far beyond that consideration as far as all-time lists go, but it should stick around among the best rom-coms of the decade so far.

Blue Beetle: The first new hero from DC in some time opened to a lackluster box office performance and reviews that are just high enough above average to place it here. It’s fun, fresh, but maybe a bit too much of a rehash of other superhero origins to get enough traction to rise above its predecessors in the DCEU. Even its visual effects might not be enough to get that requisite nomination for superhero films.

Mutt: This indie film about a trans man who must deal with the emotions of being reintroduced to those who abandoned him when he first transitioned has the makings of something that could make it bigger than this film currently has. Above average reviews and a social setting in Hollywood that currently favors trans narratives featuring trans performers makes this a film to keep the corner of your eye on.

Gran Turismo: This is one of those films that has split fans and critics, seeing massive success with general audiences but below average reviews from critics. I think it comes down to the aggressive amount of advertising for its titular game and game system that critics seem to be punishing director Neill Blomkamp for more than anything else.

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah: Another film that has divided critics and fans but this time from Netflix and in the reverse. This film about teen girls and their friendships and dramas has critics celebrating it to a tune of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 71, but audiences can’t seem to get over Adam Sandler’s involvement (or maybe they just don’t like positive depictions of female friendship and coming-of-age, who knows).

The Equalizer 3: Whenever Antoine Fuqua teams up with Denzel Washington, it’s worth mentioning, and the third film in their Equalizer trilogy has again hit the right notes with action fans while failing to wow critics, just like its first two installments. With other, more acclaimed, action films on this year’s docket, don’t expect to hear much more buzz from this sequel.

Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America: Netflix’s documentary about the sexual abuse cover-ups and scandals in the Boy Scouts has generated some buzz in the world of nonfiction film, but Netflix’s formulaic style of documentary leaves it as a long shot for any wider recognition. Its topical examination will probably end up as a drama film in the coming years anyway.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe: Aitch Alberto’s adaptation of Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s novel of the same name hit just in time for Latin American Heritage Month in the U.S., and it’s seen some level of critical and audience success. Its nature as an indie darling has it looking more like a cult classic than an all-time great, but time will tell.

Sitting in Bars with Cake: The romantic dramedy film based on Audrey Schulman’s novel, inspired by true events, from Amazon seems to have found the right audience on that platform. Critics and fans are decently high on the Yara Shahidi-starring film, but not quite high enough to generate the buzz it will need to go down as one of the all-time greats.

El Conde: Pablo Larraín’s farcical biopic that reimagines Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet as a 250-year-old vampire has the makings of something great like The Death of Stalin, but it hasn’t quite landed as well with audiences or critics. Most reviews have been generally positive but hesitant to award it full marks due to its third act that doesn’t quite land as well as you might hope.

Amerikatsi: Armenia’s entry for Best International Feature this year has divided audiences and critics, mainly because critics don’t like that it’s trying too hard to be a feel-good film and drawing away from some of the harder hitting points of its historical narrative. Nonetheless, audiences have loved the film so far, and maybe its narrative about an Armenian refugee learning about his homeland from prison will gain more traction as it gains wider release.

A Million Miles Away: Amazon has really been nailing it with these films that are just good enough to be considered above average but probably not good enough to do much else. This one tells the dramatized true story of Jose Hernandez, a farm worker who worked his way to becoming an engineer and eventually an astronaut, in what seems to be an above-average crowd-pleaser headlined by Michael Peña in the leading role.

The Saint of Second Chances: Netflix’s documentary about the relationship between former baseball owner Bill Veeck and his son Mike has hit the right feel-good notes that you want in a sports documentary. With only above-average critic ratings, though, it’s hard to see this breaking into any awards conversation, which it will need to achieve the status of greatness.

The Creator: Gareth Edwards’s sci-fi film about AI and humanity hit screens this past month to wide acclaim from fans but a more critical response from critics, who have pointed out that its “original” story draws heavily on tropes from most other “great” sci-fi films. With excellent visuals, this could still snag some under-the-line awards buzz, but I’m still not sold enough because of its very average critical response.

Dumb Money: The comedy/drama adaptation of the GameStop Wall Street situation came to us fairly quickly in terms of turnaround, and with a stacked cast. Its comedic take on the situation smacks of trying to emulate the success of The Big Short, but the only average critical success doesn’t offer much hope that it’ll be able to attain that level of all-time greatness.

Saw X: The tenth film in a horror franchise isn’t necessarily the place you’d expect to see all-time greatness, but this film has actually managed to make it as the first in the series to be Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, so it’s worth noting. It might not go down in all-time history, but it’s still fun to see horror franchises innovating and improving with new installments.

Possible Things:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem: The unique animation, fun narrative, and authentic humor have made this film a dark horse for Best Animated Feature. A smaller box office haul and the probably insurmountable greatness of Across the Spider-Verse probably leave this as a nominee at best, but don’t be surprised if this film sneaks in there.

Bottoms: Emma Seligman and Rachel Sennott’s film about lesbians starting a fight club at their school to meet girls just might be the single best film from these two months. It’s funny, fun, and more original than its premise sounds, so a shot at an Original Screenplay nom isn’t completely out of the question to launch them into a position of all-time greatness.

Cassandro: The film about the titular gay amateur wrestler turned international phenomenon that stars Gael García Bernal just might have what it takes to spoil some actor’s hopes for a best lead nomination. This is one of those Amazon films that does more than enough to be considered good and might have what it takes in terms of representation and originality to make it great.

Flora and Son: Irish filmmaker John Carney tends to hit the right notes with critics and audiences with his feel-good dramedies about music, and his latest partnership with Apple seems to be in that same vein. I don’t know that it’s quite at the levels of Sing Street and Once, but don’t fully discount it just yet. A story about a single mom healing her relationship with her son through music sounds right in the sweet spot for Carney.

Weekend Watch - August 2022 Recap

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch, where each week we talk about a new piece of film or television media and give it a review and recommendation. We’ve come to the end of August, so it’s time to recap this past month’s movie releases. In a month full of television premieres, the film releases continued the trend set by June and July – mostly underwhelming with a few films that made a bit of a splash and have the potential to stick around among the Greatest Films of All Time. Again, there’s no sure things coming out of the month of August, but there were some films that were possible things and long shots to make that list. Let’s get into it.

Long Shots:

Resurrection: This Rebecca Hall-led film about a woman whose past comes back to haunt her has done well among critics and certain audiences. Unfortunately, its thriller/horror nature will probably keep it out of most awards conversations, which it will need to overcome its overall low audience scores. From what I’ve heard, this one is worth seeing, but it’s not necessarily one of the Greatest Films ever made.

Bodies Bodies Bodies: A24’s ensemble slasher for Gen-Z has seemingly become an immediate cult classic, dividing younger viewers and older viewers with its cast of young stars (and Lee Pace) and darkly comedic take on the slasher genre. Critics are high enough on this film to keep it in the conversation, but A24 is more likely to focus on building awards momentum for its other films (Everything Everywhere All at Once and Marcel the Shell with Shoes On), so don’t expect to see this one vaulting out of its cult status any time soon.

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero: Films from anime series can be hit and miss. Recent history suggests that the new Dragon Ball film will continue to make money and build its ratings. For this film to stand out from the ranks of other similar films (like Demon Slayer’s film in 2020), it will need a little bit more traction than it probably will get. That being said, there is no doubt that this has been a solid fan-pleaser among the Dragon Ball faithful.

Breaking: The hostage, crime-thriller starring John Boyega has seemingly overperformed among audiences and critics, even drawing some love from the Academy’s Twitter account after its release. The film, based on a true story, also constitutes one of Michael Kenneth Williams’s last credits following his death last year. While Boyega’s performance looks strong, it’s hard to see this breaking out past all the other awards-bait films still to come this year.

The Good Boss: A Spanish dramedy about a boss seeking to get a good review for his company, this film had a limited release in the U.S. this month and seems to be doing decently well for itself. Javier Bardem is certainly the biggest draw for this film, and it looks to be a better film than his upcoming English-language release, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. With all the highly rated foreign films already this year, even from Spain, it’s hard to see this making a bigger splash though.

Possible Things:

Thirteen Lives: This film looks to be Amazon’s big awards film, but it also seems to have already disappeared into “the discourse”. It contains some big-name actors, is directed by Ron Howard, and tells a story that is currently popular. Its ratings say that it’ll hang around when nominations come out, but it’ll need a few to really stick around and get a review on the list.

Prey: Hulu’s surprise hit Predator prequel has been arguably the biggest film ever to go the streaming only route. Many fans are already disappointed that (so far) they won’t get to see this one in theaters. Boasting a unique take on the monster-flick, a strong female lead, and some stellar reviews so far, it’s not outside the realm of possibility to see this one sticking around among the Greats.

Emily the Criminal: Aubrey Plaza’s crime thriller about a woman whose credit card schemes take her deeper than she intended has opened to limited viewership but positive reviews. If the below-the-radar Sundance hit can make a few more waves, it’s possible that Roadside might try a long-shot awards push to elevate this film to greatness. Don’t sleep on Aubrey Plaza’s versatility.

Inu-oh: This self-proclaimed animated rock opera based on a novel by Hideo Furukawa has thus far had positive reviews from both fans and critics. Its GKIDS release studio is known for its distribution of many other great Japanese animated films in both recent and distant history. Telling a story about outcasts finding their way through music seems to speak to a potential for this one to make its way onto the stage at the Oscars this year – we’ll see.

Girl Picture: Alli Haapaslo’s romance film about young women looking to have a good time during the long darkness of Finland’s winter has taken critics and fans by storm. Its limited American release has brought it a solid Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritc score. This looks to be another Scandinavian film that flies under the radar but makes its way onto the list thanks to its ability to tell a unique story that western audiences can’t help but review positively.