Shang-Chi will likely dominate the box office once again this weekend, and that’s okay because the domestic box office needed a shot in the arm. However, there are a lot of other good options this week too. Here’s a look at what’s on deck for this week.
Queenpins (Theaters)
Writers & Directors: Aron Gaudet & Gita Pullapilly
Starring: Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Paul Walter Hauser, & Vince Vaughn
Based on a true story, a couple of ladies turn their obsession with coupon shopping into a lucrative and illegal business empire. I wasn’t so sure about this one when I first heard about it, but I trust Kristen Bell and the cast is really good around her as well. The screenplay from Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly looks like it’s very smart in the approach to its humor, so I’m definitely going to give this one a chance.
The Alpinist (Theaters)
Directors: Peter Mortimer & Nick Rosen
Starring: Marc-André Leclerc, Brette Harrington, & Peter Mortimer
If you’ve followed along with my website, you’ll know I was a huge fan of the Oscar-winning Free Solo and this documentary seems like the spiritual successor to that film. There’s not much I can say that the trailer can’t, so just check that out.
Language Lessons (Theaters)
Writers: Natalie Morales & Mark Duplass / Director: Natalie Morales
I love spirited indie films and this one is right up my alley. Mark Duplass and Natalie Morales wrote the film together and starred in it together, so they are all-in on this project and that’s what I love about it. It looks very authentic and heart-warming, and it’s filmed in the video-conference style that we’ve all become accustomed to over the past 18 months.
Kate (Netflix)
Writer: Umair Aleem / Director: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan
Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Woody Harrelson, & Miku Patricia Martineau
Lady-assassain action-flicks have become very trendy over the last couple of years. Netflix even dropped Gunpowder Milkshake just a couple months ago. I love neon drenched action movies and I trust Mary Elizabeth Winstead in this role. Plus, who doesn’t love Woody Harrelson? So that’s all the reason I need.
Come From Away (Apple TV+)
Writers: David Hein & Irene Sankoff / Director: Christopher Ashley
Starring: Petrina Bromley, Jenna Colella, & De’Lon Grant
Similar to what Disney+ did with Hamilton, the film of this hit Broadway musical comes to Apple TV+ for the 20th anniversary of 9-11. The story centers around the members of a small town in Newfoundland, Canada that opens their homes to the 7,000 stranded airline passengers who were redirected in the air during the events of September 11th. I saw this show on Broadway in New York and it’s fantastic.
What Else Is New
The Card Counter (Theaters)
Writer & Director: Paul Schrader
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, & Tye Sheridan
This is one of the more high-profile movies coming out this week but, for whatever reason, something about the trailer just isn’t doing it for me. I really like Paul Schrader’s work and I like poker too, so the odds are I’m going to enjoy this one when I watch it.
Malignant (Theaters)
Writers: James Wan, Ingrid Bisu, & Akela Cooper / Director: James Wan
Starring: Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, & George Young
James Wan has become something of an icon in the horror business and his latest offering is probably the most high-profile film on deck this week. I enjoyed Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring but I lost interest in their respective sequels and I didn’t have a flattering opinion of Aquaman, but I’m glad people liked it and made Wan a boatload of cash in the process. He returns to horror with a hard-R here and gets to take some chances he maybe couldn’t earlier in his career. If you typically like his films, this is probably going to be your go-to option for this weekend.
The Capote Tapes (Theaters)
Writers: Ebs Burnough & Holly Whiston / Director: Ebs Burnough
Starring: Truman Capote (archive), Kate Harrington, & Dotson Rader
This is actually the second documentary this year (Truman & Tennessee) that focuses on infamous American author Truman Capote. It originally debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival back in 2019 but finally gets its moment in the sun almost exactly two years later. I suspect many documentaries have taken this route and that’s what has made 2021 such a densely packed year for them. Capote was a larger than life character in many respects and this film focuses on his relationship to his own celebrity and that of those around him.
Fauci (Theaters)
Directors: John Hoffman & Janet Tobias
This documentary tells the story of Dr. Anthony Fauci as he’s stared down public health crises from AIDS to Ebola to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Judging by the abysmal scores for this movie on its opening day, there’s no world in where this film isn’t politicized as much as the man who’s the subject of it. This one may have been better off waiting a few years, but I’m still partly curious because of how vehement both sides are with the commentary on this one.
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