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.

Weekend Watch - June 2022 Recap

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we react and review a new piece of film or television and give you a recommendation on whether to watch it. This week, we’ve come to the end of the month of June and have a recap of all the critically acclaimed films that released this past month. Usually, we break them down into three categories – long shots, possible things, and sure things – based on their likelihood of making it onto this site’s list of Greatest Films of All Time. June, as best as I can tell, has nothing that was a sure thing, which remains pretty par for the course for the month (basically since Wonder Woman). With that being said, there are a few films that should be on your radar because they have potential with the right push to reach the heights of Greatness.

Long Shots:

Watcher: This indie horror thriller about a woman and her husband on vacation in Europe across the street from a potential serial killer has had success among critics. Its small following and mixed audience reviews will most likely keep it out of the top 1000 films, but apparently its twists on the tropes of Rear Window and the like have some people excited enough to make it worth mentioning.

Crimes of the Future: David Cronenberg’s latest outing was highly successful at its Cannes release, but its extended standing ovation does not seem to be extended to its actual ratings. The film features strong performances from its supporting women (Lea Seydoux and Kristen Stewart) but also offers a reportedly weak commentary and fairly straightforward story. For Cronenberg fans, this is probably a must-see but not so much for everyone else.

Fire Island: LGBT+ Pride and Prejudice set in the modern day at a massive gathering of the community on Fire Island. It’s a highly ambitious film and works well as a fully sold-out romantic comedy/retelling of Jane Austen, which is why critics have been so high on it. Unfortunately, “the gays” get some mixed reviews from “the straights” and will probably not make much of a splash once the awards start coming, but I really enjoyed this one.

The Phantom of the Open: A golf comedy about the worst round in British Open history starring Mark Rylance sounds like just the type of wholesome comedy that I need in my life right now. Unfortunately, its reviews from critics and fans are just barely above the average level and not quite at greatness, but still, it remains a long shot because of what Rylance’s name brings to the table.

Hustle: The best film Adam Sandler has put out since Uncut Gems blends NBA drama with heartfelt family issues in what feels like the most honestly Sandler film that he’s put out in some time. It has solid reviews but none that are quite enough to get it over the hump, and for the most part, movies about team sports only make it onto the list if they are documentaries, so don’t expect to see a Hustle review any time soon, unfortunately.

Lightyear: The latest Pixar film has somehow managed to hit a sweet spot in terms of bad reviews – delivering gay content to bring “that” section of review bombers to the table alongside one of the least risky Pixar films in a while, alienating the real cinema people at the same time. This film is honestly only on the long shots list because of the studio behind it, otherwise it would not be worth mentioning, sadly.

The Black Phone: Honestly, this could probably be up in the next section if it wasn’t a horror film. This movie has all the people talking about it in a positive way. People love Ethan Hawke’s performance, they like the originality, and they like the horror. Unfortunately, that still only translates to a 65 Metacritic Score and an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. Horror’s limited track record in awards season keeps this sadly as a long shot to make the list.

Wildhood: This indie coming-of-age film about two brothers looking for their mother and reconnecting with their indigenous heritage checks a lot of boxes in terms of its viability come awards season. Sadly, its fan reviews are ridiculously lopsided in comparison with those of critics, and its indie nature will probably keep it out of contention.

Mad God: A stop-motion horror film that took 20 years to make has critics buzzing and audiences frustrated. This refreshingly different addition to the genre of animation has not fared so well among fan ratings as it has among the critics, and with so many other animated features being released this year, it’s hard to imagine this winning the awards that it will need to make it onto the list.

Possible Things:

Good Luck to You, Leo Grande: This sex-positive film about a middle-aged widow who hires a sex worker to help her discover her sexuality, featuring Emma Thompson, has created quite a buzz in certain circles. It is a fairly simple film but heartfelt and incredibly well-acted, discussing themes that are rarely covered in any conversations, let alone film. Emma Thompson’s name attached also adds credibility come awards season, so we’ll see if it gets the push it needs to make it to the big time.

Official Competition: A Spanish comedy featuring Penélope Cruz and Antonio Banderas about making a film that will be one of the greatest ever. It is a satire about filmmaking, which tends to do well with awards voters. This should at least garner some looks in the Foreign Film categories and could potentially pull some acting nominations as well. With everything that it still needs to go right though, it will stay only as a possibility for now.

Cha Cha Real Smooth: Sundance success that gets bought by Apple TV+, where else have we seen this? Oh yeah, last year’s Best Picture winner CODA. This is not to say that Cha Cha Real Smooth brings everything to the table that CODA did, but the formula is certainly there – an indie film about a relevant issue (autism) that basically everyone cares about with some romance thrown in as well and a solid performance from an underappreciated actor (Dakota Johnson). I’m not saying that this is a sure thing, but it’s definitely a possibility.

The Janes: An incredibly timely HBO documentary about women who orchestrated safe abortions during the days before Roe v. Wade, this one has the makings of another Best Documentary Feature for the company. Due to its controversial subject matter, though, it will remain a possibility and not quite a sure thing just yet.

Elvis: Baz Luhrmann’s biopic of the King of Rock and Roll has released to stellar scores from audiences, above average ratings from critics, and just enough awards buzz to keep this one on the edge of being a possibility. Luhrmann has mixed success when it comes to awards, but young actors playing musicians tends to do well with awards voters, so Butler might bring home some nominations when the time comes.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On: This wholesome film based on an early-2010s YouTube video would be a sure thing if it had a few more viewers. A24’s limited release model is keeping this one fairly low on the rating count, but those that it does have are consistently high. As more people see this one, I hope it continues to do well. I just don’t know that it will get any kind of awards love, and I’m not fully convinced that it’s something that will do well with wider audiences, so it’s going to stay a possibility for now.

Weekend Watch - May 2022 Recap

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch, where each weekend we take a look at new movies and/or television that has recently come out and give recommendations on whether or not to watch. This weekend is May’s last Saturday, meaning we are going to be recapping the quality films that came out in the U.S. this month by categorizing them by their likelihood to make it into the blog’s list of Greatest Films of All Time. Just wanted to offer a quick reminder that the analysis is my own opinion, but the list and rankings are based on ratings from movie critics and fans, box office numbers, and awards. Without further ado, let’s take a look back at the month of May.

Long Shots:

The Duke: Technically, this film was released last year in the U.K. and received minimal BAFTA buzz, but it didn’t drop in the U.S. until this past month. All told, the Jim Broadbent led comedy about a taxi driver who steals a painting from the National Gallery in London sounds like a solid watch but is going to need a wild awards season push in the U.S. to break onto the list, and I just don’t see that happening. Watch it if you want, but don’t expect to see a review on this blog come next March.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: Marvel’s latest outing is incredibly fun, but also apparently fairly divisive amongst both fans and critics. Its mediocre Metacritic Score (60) and Letterboxd rating (3.4) seem likely to keep this film from adding to the ranks of superhero films that are part of the Greatest Films of All Time. Solid box office numbers and the potential for some technical awards keep it as a long shot as it currently stands.

Operation Mincemeat: Another British film that released somewhat later here in the U.S., Operation Mincemeat stars Matthew Macfayden and Colin Firth in a historical drama about a British espionage operation in World War II. My mom really enjoyed this movie, but that might have more to do with its stars than the actual content. It currently has middling scores, no theatrical release (only Netflix), and little awards buzz to help elevate its scores out of the 70s and onto the list.

On the Count of Three: This indie dark comedy about two friends planning a joint suicide attempt has struck a chord in the groups where it has been seen. A solid Tomatometer score (86%) has it Certified Fresh, and I haven’t seen anyone talking about it in a negative way. Unfortunately, its audience ratings aren’t quite high enough to elevate it to greatness, and its indie nature seems to be an indicator that we won’t be seeing its name up in lights come awards season.

Downton Abbey: A New Era: The second follow-up to the successful British television show appears to be even more well-loved than its predecessor. Critics and fans of the show alike have come out in favor of the film’s blend of newness and playing the hits. Outside of Downton Abbey fans, this hasn’t seemed to be quite as resonant, resulting in scores solidly in the 70s for the new sequel. A cast with a few names that pop up in awards season and the potential for costuming and production design awards keep it worth mentioning as a long shot.

Emergency: Amazon’s latest comedy/drama/thriller about college students who find a dead(?) body during the ultimate night of partying has opened on the Prime streaming service to some interesting ratings and reviews. Its scores on Rotten Tomatoes are surprisingly high, perhaps high enough to get it some writing buzz when awards season comes around. However, such an event is not the most likely, so it’ll stay as a long shot that you might should look into checking out if you have the service.

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers: I talked about this film on here last week. It’s fun for the whole family and has a solid blend of Lonely Island and Disney humor. Unfortunately, such a combination rarely wins awards, and that’s what this one will need to elevate it out of the slightly above average category and into greatness.

A Chiara: An Italian film released by American studio NEON at Cannes this past week and with limited release in the U.S. It currently has limited reviews, but they are mostly positive. It follows the story of a 15-year-old girl whose family is abandoned by their father, an interesting premise that sounds awards-y. I haven’t heard a ton of buzz about it compared to some other Cannes releases, but its numbers make it worth noting, even if it is a long shot.

Memoria: This Tilda Swinton science fiction drama received a wider release in the U.S. this past month. It was submitted by Colombia for consideration in this past Oscars cycle but was not nominated. Critics seem to love this film, but fans have certainly not. Its 91 Metacritic score keeps it high enough to keep an eye on as more people see it and rate it, but its lack of awards success in the past makes it unlikely to succeed now.

Possible Things:

The Bob’s Burgers Movie: This film follows in the footsteps of the other animated adult comedy show turned into a movie (The Simpsons) in terms of its success. It looks to be receiving solid reviews, and the show is well-liked by many, so it’s not unimaginable that it could garner some heavy box office numbers and maybe even some animated feature nominations.

Sure Things:

Happening: A French film from 2021 that got its release in the U.S. this month, Happening tells the story of a woman’s experience with abortion when it was still illegal in France in the 1960s. Its aptly-timed release has given it a slew of positive ratings from both viewers and critics. A BAFTA nomination last year and potential for some Oscars buzz this year mean that it could rise very high on the list indeed.

Petite Maman: In the same vein as Happening, Petite Maman also released in the U.S. this past month after being made in France and receiving a BAFTA nomination. While its fan ratings are not quite as high, its critic ratings are even higher than its counterpart. It apparently is either very moving or way too slow for its own good depending on who you ask. At any rate, its scores mean that you will definitely be seeing this on the blog at some point in the future.

Top Gun: Maverick: The 35-years-later sequel to Top Gun is doing critical and box office numbers that its predecessor could only dream of, looking to open with around $150 million domestically this weekend with a 6-minute standing ovation at Cannes, a 97% Certified Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes and currently sitting at 99th on IMDB’s list of highest rated movies of all time. This is May’s can’t miss film, with the potential to be the best film of the summer season (May to August). With all of its critical success, it’s hard to imagine it missing out on some Oscars buzz as well, come awards season.