It’s that time of the year where the real heavy hitters begin their push towards awards season. Two of the year’s most anticipated films, for very different reasons, both debut this weekend so let’s get to it!
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Theaters)
Director: Ryan Coogler | Writers: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole
Stars: Angela Bassett, Letita Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira
Of course I want to see this and I already have my tickets for Saturday, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t have concerns about the exploitative nature of this story in the wake of Chadwick Boseman’s passing. I know that isn’t the intention of Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, nor that of the cast, but the use of his character’s funeral as a marketing tool for this film after his real life death is…unseemly. It’s complicated, but still.
The Fabelmans (Theaters)
Director: Steven Spielberg | Writers: Spielberg, Tony Kushner
Stars: Michelle Williams, Gabriel LaBelle, Paul Dano
This on is already getting serious hype for awards season because it’s not only from Steven Spielberg, it’s about Steven Spielberg. This is at least semi-autobiographical but I am sure a lot of things are embellished as this is a film about the love of filmmaking and storytelling. I love that Michelle Williams gets top billing here and I am excited to see Paul Dano playing a father here. Of course I am going to see this!
Dylan & Zoey (Theaters + VOD)
Director: Matt Sauter | Writers: Blake Scott Lewis, Matt Sauter
Stars: Blake Scott Lewis, Claudia Doumit, Kim Hamilton
If I am going to see a romantic comedy, this is what I am looking for. It’s not lost on me that this is labeled as a drama but it clearly has a sense of humor. Blake Scott Lewis is all in on this project and its his first produced feature script, so I appreciate that level of passion. I have only recently been exposed to Claudia Doumit through The Boys but she is good on that show, so I am interested to see her in this role.
Is That Black Enough for You?!? (Netflix)
Written & Directed by: Elvis Mitchell
Stars: Margaret Avery, Harry Belafonte, Charles Burnett, and more
Elvis Mitchell’s documentary examines the history of the portrayal of Black cinema and its rapid evolution during the 1970s. The list of names that sit down as interview subject is quite impressive. Of all the Netflix stuff this week, this one is easily at the top of the watchlist.
Retrograde (Theaters)
Director: Matthew Heineman
Matthew Heineman is a great filmmaker and documentarian and this time he set his sights on the final months of the two decades long war in Afghanistan. More specifically, the scope if focused on the relationship between the American Green Berets and the Afghan officers they trained. I am very interested but also need to be in the right frame of mind.
Sam & Kate (Theaters)
Written & Directed by: Darren Le Gallo
Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Jake Hoffman, Sissy Spacek, Henry Thomas, and Schuyler Fisk
How two romantic dramas with similar title wound up in the same place at the same time is beyond me but here we are. While I am typically resistant to rom-coms this is much more my speed. As an added bonus we get to see both Sissy Spacek and Dustin Hoffman act alongside their real life children. Ultimately, it’s the combo of the two different demographic perspectives that interests me here, but obviously the cast doesn’t hurt.
The Son (Theaters)
Director: Florian Zeller | Writers: Christopher Hampton, Florian Zeller
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Anthony Hopkins, Laura Dern, and Vanessa Kirby
Divorces are messy especially when kids are involved, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to move on and make a life beyond that. This movie aims to ask the questions about responsibility in the wake of that split. This movie has a fantastic cast and I loved Florian Zeller’s work on The Father, so I am very interested to see some continued examination of parenting and those familial relationships on a modern world.
Spirited (Theaters)
Director: Sean Anders | Writers: Sean Anders, John Morris
Stars: Will Ferrel, Ryan Reynolds, Octavia Spencer
If you are going to make a Christman movie, and revisit a classic at that, you had better bring something new to the table. At the very least, Sean Anders and John Morris appear to have found a way to make A Christmas Carol their own. Having Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell, and Octavia Spencer certainly gets you some street cred. Apple originals have been pretty solid, but I am not going to make this a priority until closer to Christmas.
WHAT ELSE IN NEW…
The Accursed (Theaters + VOD)
Director: Kevin Lewis | Writer: Rob Kennedy
Stars: Mena Suvari, Sarah Grey, Meg Foster, Sarah Dumont
I had read an article in the wake of the year’s most successful and acclaimed horror films, about how the scariest thing in horror right now is an old woman. Here we are again with some young women brought in to be caretakers for an old and sickly woman who is harboring a demonic entity. It remains to be seen how much of the horror is divvied up between those two elements. I have watched the trailer twice today and forgotten it both times. There’s a creepy cabin in the woods and Mena Suvari with resting bitch face. Tough to tell what’s going on with this one.
Lost Bullet 2 (Netflix Nov. 10th)
Director: Guillame Pierret | Writers: ALban Lenoir, Guillame Pierret
Stars: Alban Lenoir, Stéfi Celma, Sébastien Lalanne
I never saw the first Lost Bullet and maybe that means I will have no idea what is going on but I can recognize a fun an stylish action movie when I see one. When I have some time, I think I will sit down and check and maybe do a double feature with the original.
Bar Fight (Theaters + VOD)
Written & Directed by: Jim Mahoney
Stars: Melissa Fumero, Rachel Bloom, Dot-Marie Jones
Two full-grown adults who broke up and split their lives, accidentally cross paths in a bar they both want to keep in their lives. So, naturally, they get into a completely adolescent series of drinking games and competitions to see who gets to keep the bar. Emotions vary, they probably realize how dumb they are being and get back together in the end. Meh. The trailer didn’t make it look very good. I’ll pass but it’s on video-on-demand should you want it.
Falling for Christmas (Netflix Nov. 10th)
Director: Janeen Damian | Writers: Jeff Bonnett, Ron Oliver
Stars: Lindsay Lohan, Chord Overstreet, George Young
This is exactly the kind of Christmas movie that gives Christmas movies a bad name. It may not be “bad” in the conventional sense, but there is just nothing new or interesting going on here. It’s just borrowing from a lot of other Rom-coms that have come before it and wrapping it up with a bow to be placed under the tree. If you like that kind of generic Christmas movie, it’s probably fine but it’s a hard pass for me.