Now that I’m back in the habit of going to theaters again and trying to stay current with new releases, it’s a good opportunity to get back on top of what’s coming out. Here’s a look at the releases that caught my eye this week:
This South African, eco-horror film has been right at the top of my most anticipated releases for 2021. It won the Zeiss Best Cinematography Award at South by Southwest and is dripping with psychedelic terror. I love supporting high-concept, low-budget projects and this one has a lot of potential.
Starring: Monique Rockman, Carel Nel, Alex van Dyk, and Anthony Oseyemi
Releasing just in time for the first Juneteenth federal holiday, this is Channing Godfrey Peoples’ debut feature film. Winner of the Best Narrative Feature Award from the Blackstar Film Festival and recipient of a Special Honorary Award from the Austin Film Critics Association, the performances look to be the driving force. I wouldn’t be surprised to see getting talked about towards the end of the year.
Starring: Nicole Beharie, Liz Mikel, and Marcus M. Mauldin
Music documentaries aren’t new and have probably been increasing in popularity over the past decade. This is Edgar Wright’s first documentary film and I’m guessing it’s a passion-project given the success of his other projects (Shaun of the Dead, baby Driver, Scoot Pilgrim vs The World). The pop duo Sparks has an extensive lineage and the interviewees for this doc truly speak to the reach of the band’s influence. It really looks like a lot of fun.
Starring: Ron Mael, Russell Mael, Beck, and many others.
This Polish film takes a look at the dark shadows that exist behind glossy social media celebrity in a way that’s more tangible and universal than some other films dabbling in the same areas. It has done well on the international festival circuit and dominated the Polish Film Festival with praise coming for direction, design, and acting.
Starring: Magdalena Kolesnik, Julian Swiezewski, and Aleksandra Konieczna
What Else is New:
The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard
Directed by Patrick Hughes with a screenplay by Tom O’Connor, Philip Murphy, and Brandon Murphy, this one isn’t moving the needle for me. Even though I really like everyone in the cast but the first movie was still just underwhelming and this looks like a pretty blatant cash grab.
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Ryan Reynolds, Salma Hayek, and Antonio Banderas
Fatherhood
Netflix has to stay consistent with their releases and getting a Kevin Hart movie is a big score for them despite some of the heat he’s taken recently. This doesn’t look like much of a departure for Hart, just packaged a bit differently as he tries to pursue a more family-oriented market. Paul Weitz directed and co-adapted the screenplay with Dana Stevens based on Matt Logelin’s book Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Love & Loss. Frankly, it looks cute enough if you’re in the mood for that but I’m not clearing my calendar to check it out.
Starring: Kevin Hart, Lil Rel Howrey, and Melody Hurd
Luca
The latest animated feature from Disney-Pixar sets some shape-shifting sea creatures loose on the shores of Italy where they can experience summer as human kids. This is Enrico Casarosa’s feautre directorial debut and he helped develop the story with a screenplay by Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones. Most of the stuff from this studio is solid, but I’m not even remotely interested in this one and there’s a reason it’s headed straight to Disney+.
Starring: Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Maya Rudolph, and Jim Gaffigan