While the Summer season was clearly defined by tent pole releases just about every week, the early stages of the Fall movie season have been a little less structured as the film festival circuit makes waves and the ongoing strike has caused several films to be delayed. The ball keeps rolling, so let’s see what’s on deck this weekend.
New In Theaters
A Haunting in Venice
Director(s): Kenneth Branagh | Writer(s): Michael Green, Agatha Christie
Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Dornan
I am a little surprised to see this series of Agatha Christie adaptations still going strong, but that’s because they don’t necessarily appeal to me. I haven’t seen either of the two previous entries in this trilogy (so far) but Kenneth Branagh is a good filmmaker and actor, so I can understand the appeal. Both Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile used their trailers to flaunt their casts as the reason I should be interested, but that only gets me so far. It is kind of slim pickings right now though, so it may be time to get caught up.
The Inventor
Director(s): Jim Capobianco, Pierre-Luc Granjon | Writer(s): Jim Capobianco
Stars: Matt Berry, Daisy Ridley, Marion Cotillard
Stop motion is a special kind of animation that captures the imagination in a very particular way. Plus there is some drawn animation that is folded in as well, giving this one a sort of magical element. I didn’t think A Leonardo da Vinci biopic would be like this, but I am intrigued.
Limited Release
After Everything (Sept. 13th)
Director(s): Castille Landon | Writer(s): Anna Todd, Castille Landon
Stars: Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Josephine Langford, Mimi Keene
Wait, the “final chapter”? I think that’s just a play on the main character being an author but I don’t really care because it looks like the same kind of generic, falsely intense relationship drama that seems to get pumped out a lot these days. The trailer song by XVI and Nocturn is pretty good though as it is used to convey basically all of the attitude that this film wants to sell.
Dumb Money
Director(s): Craig Gillespie | Writer(s): Lauren Schuker Blum, Rebecca Angelo, Ben Mezrich
Stars: Paul Dano, Pete Davison, Sahilene Woodley, America Ferrera, Vincent D’Onofrio, Seth Rogen and many more
I talked about movies that flaunt their cast in their advertising and I feel like this is the complete opposite despite this film having a fantastic cast, and that’s part of why I want to see it. This movie sells itself on the idea of its story and that’s what I am drawn to. This story in particular story had my attention while it was unfolding and the film seems to have The Big Short kind of energy, and that’s a good thing. It will likely be the best movie of the week and could be one of the better movies of the year. I will probably skip it over the weekend though.
Outlaw Johnny Black
Director(s): Micahel Jai White | Writer(s): Byron Minns, Michael Jai White
Stars: Michael Jai White, Anika Noni Rose, Erica Ash
Black Dynamite was a great time so I am excited to see Michael Jai White get behind the camera for this one. He wrote the screenplay for this one, as he did with Black Dynamite, so I have faith that this will deliver on the notes that I want from it.
Camp Hideout
Written & Directed by:
Director(s): Sean Olsen | Writer(s): Kat Olson, C. Neil Davenport, Dave DeBorde
Stars: Corbin Bleu, Ethan Drew, Amanda Leighton
I held out a sliver of hope that this would be a horror movie because of the time of the year, but instead, it’s a PG family comedy. It might be good, but I have no room in my life for this kind of stuff anymore.
Rebel
Director(s): Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah | Writer(s): Kevin Meul, Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah
Stars: Aboubakr Bensaihi, Lubna Azabal, Tara Abboud
I could have sworn that I previewed this before, but I may have just watched the trailer. Anyway, this looks pretty intense and I love the blend of the music video musical style mixed with the gritty reality of the guerilla warfare in Syria. It’s attempting to pull off a lot, but if it lands it could be pretty special.
Invisible Beauty
Written & Directed by: Bethann Hardison, Frédéric Tcheng
Stars: Tyson Beckford, Stephen Burrows, Naomi Campbell
Bethann Hardison seems like a very inspiring figure and I would probably enjoy this documentary if I were sitting down with it, but I will probably wait until it’s streaming somewhere.
Canary
Director(s): Danny O’Malley, Alex Rivest
Stars: Lonnie Thompson
The cinematography here is pretty captivating and maybe worth a trip to the theaters, several near-death experiences make Lonnie Thompson a compelling documentary subject. Maybe I just like danger in my documentaries.
Cassandro
Director(s): Roger Ross Williams | Writer(s): David Teague, Roger Ross Williams
Stars: Gael García Bernal, Roberta Colindrez, Perla De La Rosa
It is great to see Gael García Bernal getting this kind of showcase because he has been a fantastic actor for a long time. The world of professional wrestling is weird and often dark. Stuff like Wrestling With Shadows, Dark Side of the Ring, and The Wrestler show just how serious it can be behind the scenes, and this true story about gay amateur wrestler Saúl Armendáriz has the potential to capture all of that in a unique new way.
My Last Best Friend
Written & Directed by: Filippo M. Prandi
Stars: Eric Roberts, Carol Alt, Rico Simonini
Eric Roberts and Eric Roberts being Eric Roberts in a pandemic thriller! Plus, it has some serious 70s drip to it as well…I’m 100% here for it.
Lift
Director(s): David Petersen
Stars: Victor Abreu, Sharia Blockwood, Diana Byer
From a shelter for homeless children to the hyper-competitive world of classical dance, Victor Abreu returns to his roots to create a program to help other kids out of homelessness. It looks very emotional and I will be ready to cry.
Streaming & Digital
The Pilot (VOD/Digital Sept. 12th)
Written & Directed by: Paul Doucet
Stars: Hugo Becker, Eye Haidara, Kahina Carina
The interface being showcased here could work well, or it may not but I don’t think too many people want to watch terrain scrolling by for too long. At least it’s only 1h 14m which lends itself to the digital thriller platform. Sadly, the trailer conveys none of the interesting things about the movie itself.
Little Jar (VOD/Digital Sept. 12th)
Director(s): Dominic López | Writer(s): Kelsey Gunn, Dominic López
Stars: Kelsey Gunn, Nicholas Anthony Reid, Jon Snow
This humor in this movie is going to be a test because none of the “jokes” being showcased here are funny. However, the premise of a woman losing her shit and befriending a dead mouse in a jar might just be worth the price of admission.
El Conde (Netflix)
Director(s): Pablo Larraín | Writer(s): Guillermo Calderón, Pablo Larraín
Stars: Alfredo Castro, Catalina Guerra, Paula Luchsinger
I saw this one in theaters and my initial impressions from the trailer were swallowed by what El Conde actually is. The tone is much darker than expected and it’s very brutal at times. The humor is there but it’s not presented on the front foot in the way I anticipated. It was also very interesting to see the influences from Larraín’s other films that he didn’t write seeping into this one. Anyway, it hits Netflix this weekend and I hope people check it out because I am interested in what the word of mouth is going to be like.
Elevator Game (Shudder)
Director(s): Rebekah McKendry | Writer(s): David Ian McKendry, Travis Seppala
Stars: Megan Best, Adam Hurtig, Gino Anania
Rebekah McKendry made one of my favorite weird movies in recent years (Glorious) and I am pretty sure she has a doctorate in horror films so I am absolutely on board with this.
Love at First Sight (Netflix)
Director(s): Vanessa Caswill | Writer(s): Katie Lovejoy, Jennifer E. Smith
Stars: Haley Lu Richardson, Ben Hardy, Jameela Jamil
Another Netflix rom-com?!? You don’t say! At least they know their audience. ass.
A Million Miles Away (Prime Video)
Director(s): Alejandra Márquez Abella | Writer(s): Bettina Gilois, Hernán Jiménez, Alejandra Márquez Abella
Stars: Michael Peña, Rose Salazar, Julio Cesar Cedillo
I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid and I still kind of do now, so I am probably the target demographic. It does seem a tad boot-strappy so I hope they did the true story justice and this isn’t another Flamin’ Hot.
Thanks for reading! I still believe word of mouth is the best way to help, so if you enjoy what I’m doing, please tell somebody. And if you have a comment, I’d love to hear it! Liking, subscribing, and sharing go a long way too. As usual, be well, be safe, and have fun no matter how you get your movies!