Weekend Watch - September 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 looking back at the films released in the month of September, highlighting the best films and rating them by their likelihood of being considered among the best films of the year and possibly even all time. As always, they’re categorized into Long Shots, Possible Things, and Sure Things. September has often been viewed as the soft kick-off of awards season with many films fresh off of runs at TIFF and Venice dipping their toes into the water. While the past few Septembers have felt more like false starts than true soft launches, September 2024 has given us a really solid slate of films that belong firmly in the conversation, even if they’ll inevitably be on the outside looking in, in addition to a strong slate of crowd-pleasers as well. Let’s get into it.

Long Shots:

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: Already one of the highest grossing films of the year, Tim Burton’s legacy sequel has pleased audiences and critics without fully blowing them away. Strong production design might give this film the lift that its vaguely positive scores need to make it as a great.

Rebel Ridge: A refreshingly fresh take on the action/revenge genre from a streamer was this Aaron Pierre and Don Johnson led film from Netflix. While the story doesn’t necessarily stick the landing, it’s a solid action thriller that has outperformed expectations from both audiences and critics.

Transformers One: One of the worst ad campaigns I’ve seen in recent years for an animated film has delivered an underperforming box office for what is otherwise one of the best Transformers films since the first Michael Bay film. A great voice cast might not be enough to get this film into the all-time conversation as it faces off against a broad slate of great animated films, but it’s definitely worth checking out.

Speak No Evil: The mainstream remake of the recent international horror film has been a sensation in theaters, carried by another great performance from James McAvoy. It’s a horror film that doesn’t really seek to elevate anything about the genre, so don’t expect to hear its name among the awards films, but it still bears watching.

Rez Ball: Netflix has yet another sleeper hit basketball film on its hands with the Lebron James-produced film about a reservation basketball team from New Mexico banding together to overcome the loss of their star player to compete for a state championship. Anyone looking for a decent feel-good sports film will be pleased with this one.

Will & Harper: The timely documentary following Will Ferrell’s road trip across the U.S. with his friend Harper Steele and engaging in conversations with each other and the public about trans people. It’s a timely and emotionally engaging film whose reviews have inevitably faced the adversity of conservative review-bombing that it’ll have to overcome with some wins in the coming season to make the score.

Possible Things:

His Three Daughters: Netflix’s first true awards-bait film of the year is Azazel Jacobs’s film about three daughters dealing with the imminent death of their father. All three actresses – Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, and Elizabeth Olson – give phenomenal performances that could warrant awards love in a less stacked year, but it’s a really excellent film regardless of its official recognition.

My Old Ass: The Aubrey Plaza and Maisy Stella starring film about a girl whose mushroom trip gives her the opportunity to meet her 39-year-old self. It has been heralded as one of the best comedies of the year that also carries some solid emotional weight as well and is definitely one to watch.

How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies: This dramedy from Thailand about a young man scheming on his grandmother’s fortune should be the country’s submission for Best International Feature this year, as many are calling it one of the year’s best, carrying emotional weight and telling an original story. If you can find it showing near you, you should check it out.

The Substance: Coralie Fargeat’s body horror commentary on media’s perception of female body image starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and Dennis Quaid has been one of the most unpleasant pleasant surprises of the year. The comedy, social commentary, and visceral images have all hit the right notes along with the performances from the leading ladies and their terrifying supporting man. It might be the film to overcome the genre bias at awards shows as well. We’ll see.

Sure Thing:

The Wild Robot: Pixar once again has a run for its money for the best animated film of the year in DreamWorks Animation’s adaptation of the children’s book. The animation, story, and characters all hit the perfect notes of a great film, and it’s earned this blog’s fourth “Sure Thing” certification of the year. Go see it if you haven’t already.

Weekend Watch - December 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, or recommendation. This week, we are putting the final bow on 2023 in film by recapping the best releases of the month of December. These films are the ones with the highest likelihood of making this blog’s list of Greatest Films of All Time, categorized into Long Shots, Possible Things, and Sure Things. December really wrapped 2023 up with a bang, giving us some truly great films across many categories, living up to the hype for its blockbusters, indie films, and awards-bait alike. What a way to wrap up arguably the best year in film this decade! Let’s get into it.

Long Shots:

Maestro: Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic hit wide release on Netflix this month, and now that everyone’s seen it, the director’s style hasn’t quite hit everyone’s sensibilities the same way. It continues to receive recognition in the form of award nominations, but wins and high ratings are few and far between for the stuffed, frenetic, auteur-esque film.

Eileen: The Anne Hathaway, Thomasin McKenzie vehicle about the relationship between co-workers at a prison facility from NEON hasn’t quite had the universal acclaim that it would have needed to launch itself into the awards races. Critics seem fairly positive on the film, particularly the performances of the two actresses, but fans are deeply divided with most that I’ve seen complaining about the inconsistent pacing and middling writing of the film’s back half.

Wonka: All Paul King does is make wholesome hits, and this is yet another. Its box office success has already surpassed both Paddington films even if its critical success hasn’t (most likely a result of comparison to the existing IP). Its technical prowess and continued run in theaters might just be enough to elevate it to greatness, but don’t necessarily hold your breath. It’s still a really good film, though.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget: This is one of those films that begs the question of “Why?”, and I don’t necessarily have an answer. Netflix has this one on its slate of possible Best Animated Picture nominees that inevitably lose to either Spider-Verse or The Boy and the Heron, and its middling reviews with both critics and fans don’t have me optimistic about its chances. It’s still here because of that outside shot, though.

Ferrari: Michael Mann had a run of three films in the 1990s that made it as both “dad hits” and “critical successes”, and everyone’s been waiting for his next hit since then. By the look of things, Ferrari is no Heat or even Last of the Mohicans, but its high-octane race sequences and the performance of Penelope Cruz might be enough to elevate him back to greatness here.

Possible Things:

May December: Todd Haynes is back with another unsung hit in the Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton film loosely based on the predatory relationship between Mary Kay Schmitz Letourneau and Vili Fualaau. Its topical nature, excellent performances, and unique Todd Haynes style all make it prime for all-time greatness, but not everyone agrees fully with me on that, so it sits needing some awards love to get there.

American Fiction: The winner of TIFF’s Audience Award has been rolling out its release for a few weeks now, and the more people see it, the more its potential as a Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay spoiler becomes more cemented. Cord Jefferson has turned satire into something that is easily consumable with the help of Jeffrey Wright and the rest of his stellar cast. Assuming it keeps getting the love it has so far, this is one of the more solid Possible Things from December.

The Iron Claw: A24 goofed dropping this one as late in the year as they did. If this film came out three months earlier, it’s sitting as a sure thing, in contention in multiple categories above and below the line. As it stands, it’s still one of the highest rated films of the year by fans and has solid reviews from critics as well. Some surprise love from BAFTAs or Oscars would certainly cement this one in place, but I currently expect it to be just below the cusp when new films get entered in.

The Color Purple: Blitz Bazawule’s remake of the classic musical has hit the notes that it needs to be in contention for a spot among the greats. Unfortunately, some of the creative choices seem to have held the film back from being universally acclaimed, and it looks like it might even be slipping out of Best Picture contention. Even so, the acting and technical love that the film is receiving might still be enough to put it over.

Sure Things:

Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé: 2023 was the year of the concert film, and Beyoncé brought it all home with her documentary about the Renaissance tour. Fans, critics, and box offices have loved the superstar’s film, and it brings the year home in style.

Godzilla Minus One: Japan’s latest Godzilla film continues to show how much better the country’s filmmakers are at making kaiju films with some actual substance. Its box office success and success with critics are just the icing on the cake for this film, which might now have a shot at an Oscar nomination for its visual effects as well.

The Boy and the Heron: Miyazaki’s “final” (it sounds like he’s making another one, but you won’t hear that in the news again until after awards season) film opened in the U.S. in December and has scratched the itch for so many of his fans. Its win at the Golden Globes might be a portent of even more love to come, and it really is nice to have the filmmaker back in the saddle.

Poor Things: While its controversial subject matter has brought out some very strong opinions from quite a few on Filmstagram and Film Twitter, overall, the film has been a hit with audiences and critics. From Emma Stone’s leading performance to the creative costume and production design to the direction of Yorgos Lanthimos, this film remains the most unique offering from the year’s Best Picture contenders.

All of Us Strangers: While it’s not out in every theater, the British drama about memory, love, and grief continues to hit highs with everyone who sees it. Andrew Scott gives what is reportedly one of the best performances of the year, and the film looks to contend for Best Picture at the BAFTAs and maybe even pull some upsets at the Oscars if it’s lucky.

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.

Weekend Watch - October 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’re looking back at the month of October and its many film releases. In these recaps, we highlight the films that have some chance at making it onto this blog’s list of Greatest Films of All Time in three different categories – long shots, possible things, and sure things. This past month, we started easing back into the awards season, getting a few films that will go down as truly great alongside some streaming sleeper hits and the classic October offerings of new horror releases. Let’s get into it.

Long Shots:

Wendell and Wild: Netflix’s stop-motion film from Henry Selick and Key and Peele had a lot of people excited going into October. Reviews since its release have been a bit underwhelming and its ratings are continuing to decline, but it’s worth keeping an eye on as a long shot if nothing else.

Terrifier 2: This horror sequel has kept fans of the first film happy and has elicited some legendary audience reactions already. Its nature as a horror film and a sequel will undoubtedly keep it out of any major conversation in the coming months of awards season, but this one merits mentioning simply for its shock factor and faithful follow-up to the original.

To Leslie: This indie drama about a former lottery starring Allison Janney and Andrea Risborough is based on a true story and has done well among critics in its limited release. It will most likely fly under most people’s radars and remain as a cult hit only, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Catherine Called Birdy: Amazon Prime Video’s genre-breaking period film from Lena Dunham starring Bella Ramsey of Game of Thrones and The Last of Us fame has done decently with critics and has audiences giving mixed responses (mostly due to its feminist message and Dunham’s questionably problematic nature). It’s worth checking out and remains a long shot for now.

Stars at Noon: Claire Denis’s latest work hasn’t wowed audiences or critics like some of her past works, but the romantic thriller starring Margaret Qualley and Joe Alwyn remains a long shot simply for its name recognition and star power.

The Good Nurse: Netflix’s chilling based-on-a-true-story film starring Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne is very much a vehicle for strong performances from both actors. Its mixed reviews will probably keep it from rising much beyond a bubble awards film, but on the off chance that it makes a solid push, we’ll mention it here.

Call Jane: Yet another film this year on the topic of abortion throws its hat into the ring. This one is set in the U.S. before Roe and stars Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver in a film based on the true story of an underground group of women who sought to provide safe abortions in the late 1960s. It hasn’t gotten the most solid reviews, but its topical nature keeps it in the conversation.

Possible Things:

Triangle of Sadness: The Palme d’Or winner from Cannes this year finally got its theatrical release in the U.S. this past month. So far, its reviews have been tracking with those it received at festivals, keeping fans happy with Reuben Östlund’s work and critics mixed on the over-the-top nature of the film’s absurdities. Past success at festivals indicates this one will be worth keeping an eye on as award season ramps up in the coming months.

All Quiet on the Western Front: Edward Berger’s remake of the classic film has already been announced World War I film’s overwhelmingly positive reviews seem to indicate that it will be a frontrunner in that category and even a fringe possibility for Best Picture votes – definitely worth checking out on Netflix if you haven’t already.

The Redeem Team: The Netflix documentary about the 2008 U.S. Men’s Olympic basketball team has found success with both fans and critics. It exists in a fairly safe space among documentaries, focusing on well-known celebrities and a popular sport and could get the awards buzz needed to elevate it to a more permanent place among those docs.

Emily: Frances O’Connor’s Emily Brontë biopic/romance has kept its small audiences happy since its release in the middle of this past month. Emma Mackey has received praise for her portrayal of the titular character, and it’s definitely a film worth finding if you can in the coming months.

Till: The film portrayal of the tragic story of Emmett Till and his mother’s quest to get justice for her son has quickly risen to prominence as a vehicle for a career-defining performance from Danielle Deadwyler. Its historical depictions and modern relevance keeps it very much in the conversation going into awards season and beyond.

Decision to Leave: Park Chan-wook’s mystery/romance that released in the U.S. this past month was at one point the frontrunner in the Best International Film race but has slowed in momentum somewhat. Nevertheless, the film continues to wow audiences, consistent with Park’s other works and the films of South Korea from the past few years. Even if it gets no awards love, this will still be worth catching if you can.

All That Breathes: This documentary about two brothers seeking to ensure the survival of the Black Kite amidst the environmental struggles of Delhi has quickly risen to prominence among critics and some fans as well. The film’s very relevant messages about pollution and environmentalism make it a prime option for awards going into the season. This’ll be worth checking out when it hits streaming for sure.

Sure Things:

Tár: Todd Field’s film about the prolific composer-conductor Lydia Tár has audiences and critics alike thrilled with its filmmaking and acting. Cate Blanchett’s leading performance has her sitting at the top of most people’s best actress lists this year, and the film’s high-quality editing and unique pacing leave it as an unquestionably great film that will no doubt be discussed for years to come.

The Banshees of Inisherin: Martin McDonagh is back at it with the dynamic duo of Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson in this dark comedy about two friends who have fallen out of friendship on a small Irish island. The film’s beautiful location shooting, excellent acting, and well-balanced script have all been praised by fans and critics alike. Most of McDonagh’s works shouldn’t be skipped, but this has the potential to be his greatest film to date, potentially securing first-time Oscar nominations for all four of its leading performers.

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.

Weekend Watch - July 2022 Recap

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week, we take a look at a new piece of film or television media that has recently released and give you a review and recommendation for it. As we have now come to the end of the month of July, this week is devoted to recapping the films that released in the month of July and have a shot of making it onto the site’s list of Greatest Films of All Time. Just as with June, July was a pretty sparse month for “Great Films”, so there are no Sure Things this month again. We do have a few in the Possible Things and Long Shots categories though, so let’s take a look.

Long Shots:

Minions: The Rise of Gru: This animated viral sensation is already one of the highest grossing films of the year, but its mediocre critic reviews keep it only at a long shot. It will probably need some success at one or more of the awards shows to make it up to true “Great” status. This doesn’t mean that the film is bad. Check out the Weekend Watch that I did on it a few weeks ago if you want to know the blog’s opinion.

Thor: Love and Thunder: The MCU’s latest outing seems to have slipped back into the Marvel Phase 1 levels of critical and fan reception. It’s a really good time, but the film struggles as a follow-up to the wildly successful Thor: Ragnarok. Taika Waititi’s brand of mixing wacky comedy with emotional weight seems to have missed the mark somewhat with this one, but its visuals and box office numbers keep it as a long shot.

The Sea Beast: Netflix’s animated fantasy film starring Karl Urban’s voice seems to have hit a successful chord among audiences and critics, sitting at a 94% Tomatometer score and 87% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, its other numbers are only a little above average, and with Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio also releasing from Netflix later this year, it’s difficult to imagine the streaming service getting two Best Animated Picture nominees.

Where the Crawdads Sing: 30- and 40-something women across the U.S. are keeping this film’s hopes alive, along with the fact that I’ve seen enough critics praising Daisy Edgar-Jones’s performance to make me think she has (very) long odds to get some nominations come awards season. Other than that, the film doesn’t have much great about it, but we’ll see.

Vengeance: B.J. Novak’s feature film directorial debut came out in wide release this weekend to relatively positive reviews, if somewhat mixed. For Texans, his film is near perfect, delivering a well-researched story that features some very solid depictions of the state and its people. For everyone else, the film’s story does at times get overshadowed by Novak’s messaging coming through in the dialogue. It’s good, but not great, and it’s hard to see this getting looks for much besides its writing come awards season.

DC League of Super-Pets: The Dwayne Johnson-Kevin Hart animated comedy about Krypto the Super-Dog and his pet companions is going to make a decent splash at the box office, as Johnson’s films inevitably do. So far, it has also seen quite a bit of success among audiences but not as much among critics. Its mixed numbers and the high number of animated films in the running for awards this year will probably keep it off the list.

A Love Song: This indie film about aging romance that released this weekend starring Dale Dickey and Wes Studi has all the makings of a really solid film. Unfortunately, we are in a year when so many other indie films (two or three so far, all from A24) have gained cult followings that it feels like this one is going to fly too far under the radar to get the awards love it will need to make it onto the list.

Possible Things:

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris: Audiences and critics alike have predominantly positive things to say about this Lesley Manville-led film about a widow who reopens the House of Dior in Paris in the 1950s. The film’s positive message, solid acting, and great costuming make it a possible hit for something when the Awards nominations start rolling out.

Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down: This documentary about Gabby Giffords, the Congresswoman who was shot in an attempted assassination back in 2011, and her perseverance getting through life since then is directed by the same people who did the Oscar-nominated RBG documentary, so there’s definitely a shot for this film. It's not a sure thing yet, mainly because it just doesn’t have the critical success that so many documentaries often enjoy.

Nope: Jordan Peele’s third film currently looks to have a better shot at the list than Us did. Audiences like this one more, and it has some beautiful cinematography and a simpler story to help it along. Its scores aren’t quite high enough to make it a sure thing, but don’t be surprised to see it jump up come awards season.

Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song: This documentary about Leonard Cohen and his song “Hallelujah” has been a solid hit with critics and audiences. A nomination and/or win for feature documentary at some awards shows would help this one rise up onto the list.

Accepted: This documentary covers a school in Louisiana with some controversial teaching and disciplinary practices that also happened to have a ridiculously high acceptance rate among Ivy League schools. The film documents the discovery of potential abuses and engages with the question of how far people are willing to go to get into “good schools”. Its reviews are relatively positive, but not many people have seen it so far, so we’ll keep it as just a possibility for now.