Summer movie season is beginning to wind down and we’re approaching the time of year when horror takes center stage. It’s comparatively slow this week with only four releases on deck but they all seem interesting, so let’s take a look.
Candyman (Theaters)
Writer(s): Nia DaCosta, Jordan Peele, & Win Rosenfield / Director: Nia DaCosta
Starring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, & Colman Domingo
Candyman was one of the most highly-anticipated movies of 2020 to get shelved because of the pandemic. Nia DaCosta wanted her movie to get the theatrical release she felt it deserved and that’s fine with me, but some other movie bloggers took exception to that. About a year later, her film finally has its release but its performance will still be heavily impacted by the ongoing Covid situation. That said, it feels like the appetite for this movie is still there and I know I’m excited. The original 1992 film was a foundational horror film in my childhood and always carried a certain reputation, but also something of a cult classic as well. Only time will tell if that remains true for its spiritual successor, but the potential is there.
Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal, & Greed (Netflix)
Director: Joshua Rofé
Starring: William Alexander, Bob Ross, & Steve Ross
There’s been a sudden resurgence in the popularity or at least the pop-culture relevance of Bob Ross lately. Why exactly? I have no idea, but it appears as though the new Netflix documentary attempts to answer that question. The trailer doesn’t shine any light on it, but it’s more intriguing than I would have anticipated.
Together (Theaters)
Writer: Dennis Kelly / Director(s): Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin
Starring: James McAvoy, Sharon Horgan, & Samuel Logan
Movies aimed at the 40-and-over crowd have taken the hardest hit at the box office in recent months and it was already a niche market before Covid. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t quality films coming out. This film looks hilarious and sort of like an offshoot of the show Catastrophe, which also starred Sharon Horgan as a similarly vulgar but ultimately big-hearted character. She’s paired with James McAvoy as part of a nameless couple that’s struggling to keep their marriage intact during quarantine. It looks funny, with just the right blend of fucked-up and heartfelt.
The Colony (Theaters + VOD)
Writer(s): Tim Fehlbaum, Mariko Minoguchi, Jo Rogers, & Tim Trachte / Director: Tim Fehlbaum
Starring: Nora Arnezeder, Iain Glenn, & Sarah-Sofie Boussnina
In the dystopian future, an astronaut returns to a ravaged Earth and is forced to make some tough decisions about the planet’s remaining survivors. This is an English-language German film, so subtitles aren’t going to be a hurdle for audiences but accessibility will be. Fortunately, this title is going straight to video-on-demand along with the theatrical release so it doesn’t necessarily have to compete for screens in a theater setting. The venerable Iain Glenn brings his name to the project, but it looks like the film centers around Nora Arnezeder and Sarah-Sofie Boussina. Dystopian science fiction is always on the menu for me so I’ll probably check it out, even though I’m unfamiliar with most of the moving parts.
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