In a non-COVID world we’d be gearing up to watch Miles Teller soar in Top Gun: Maverick. Instead, that film will arrive during the holidays, but after that he’s taking on something a little more grounded. Well, it takes him from the skies to the seas, anyway.
Teller will star in Not Without Hope, the newest film from Stigmata director Rupert Wainwright. The film is based on the novel by Nick Schuyler, which tells the true story of the 2009 boating accident in the Gulf of Mexico that killed three of his friends, including NFL players Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith.
This marks Wainwright’s first feature since 2005’s The Fog. He’s joined by NFL Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson as an exec-producer. The film has been in the works for a while, with Dwayne Johnson once tapped to play Schuyler. That fell through in the long development process, however. Teller was most recently seen in Nicolas Winding Refn’s series Too Old to Die Young.
With the title 8:46, Dave Chappelle is telling you right off the bat that he’s not messing around. His latest comedy special for Netflix isn’t here just to make you laugh. If you know the meaning of that title, you know that was the length of time it took for George Floyd to be murdered by Minneapolis police. And unlike other comedy specials, this one wasn’t recorded, produced, and edited months ago…it was completed just last week.
The reason for the rush should be easy to figure out: timeliness. The 30-minute special came out of nowhere, inspired by Chappelle’s visible anger and need to get everything out that he needs to say on the subjects of George Floyd, racism, police violence, and right-wing token Candace Owens. So no, this isn’t a total laugh riot, but 8:46 demands to be seen.
Fortunately, you can watch the entire thing right now. So check it out in full below.
March 11th. That’s how long ago it was that I saw a movie in an actual theater. The last film I saw before the COVID-19 outbreak shut everything down? It was the family comedy My Spy, which has only now just been given a new release date by Amazon Prime.
My Spy will hit Amazon Prime on June 26th. The Dave Bautista comedy finds him paired up with young actress Chloe Coleman (Big Little Lies) in the story of a bruising, anti-social secret agent who gets more than he bargained for from the 9-year-old girl whose family he’s been assigned to surveil.
It’s been quite a journey for My Spy, as it was originally set to open in August 2019, only to be moved to get some distance from Bautista’s other comedy, Stuber. It was then set for January 2020, before then being shuffled to March, only to be moved to April, then pulled altogether as a result of the pandemic. Amazon then swooped in and picked up distribution, which may turn out to be for the best. It’s definitely a movie that will play well at home, and should appeal to kids and parents alike. Plus, who doesn’t like Bautista when he gets to show his goofy side? For stars such as him, Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel, and John Cena, these movies are a rite of passage.
Wasn’t there just a trailer for the Sundance horror Relic barely a month ago? Why yes, yes there was. You know my feelings on this. If your movie needs attention that badly, then somethin’ ain’t right. Fortunately, Relic has the benefit of Emily Mortimer, Bella Heathcote, and some terrific buzz from Park City.
A different take on the haunted house story, Relic tells the story of three generations of women in a spooky country home where the eldest recent vanished under mysterious circumstances. That leaves it to the other women in the family to find out what happened, only to be thrown for a loop when she returns under circumstances just as strange.
The film stars Mortimer, Heathcote, and Robyn Nevin, with Natalie Erika James as director and co-writer.
SYNOPSIS: When elderly mother Edna (Robyn Nevin) inexplicably vanishes, her daughter Kay (Emily Mortimer) and granddaughter Sam (Bella Heathcote) rush to their family’s decaying country home, finding clues of her increasing dementia scattered around the house in her absence. After Edna returns just as mysteriously as she disappeared, Kay’s concern that her mother seems unwilling or unable to say where she’s been clashes with Sam’s unabashed enthusiasm to have her grandma back. As Edna’s behavior turns increasingly volatile, both begin to sense that an insidious presence in the house might be taking control of her. All three generations of women are brought together through trauma and a powerful sense of strength and loyalty to face the ultimate fear together.
Board games seemed to have made a comeback during quarantine. Numerous families and friends groups dusted off their Settlers of Catan and Clue board games for in-person and even Zoomed gameplay. And as everyone knows, familiar frustration and arguments come along with the competition. Both of these concepts are explored in the new and very quirky British film Sometimes Always Never.
Not to be confused with this year’s intimate abortion drama Never Rarely Sometimes Always, the prestige comedy focuses on premier Scrabble obsessive Alan (the always just right Bill Nighy) and his search for his missing son, Michael. A better player than he is father, Alan is joined in his pursuit by his other son Peter (a sweet and moody Sam Riley), an ice cream truck artist, which is a thing apparently. He lives with his wife (Alice Lowe) and distant teenaged son Jack (Louis Healy). All are dealing with their various failings and shortcomings when Alan and Peter leave to find out if a recently discovered body is that of the missing Michael. As always, through a series of amusing twists and turns, Alan starts to believe another online Scrabble player is Michael, drumming up the past and calling his relationship with Peter.
Essentially what writer Frank Cottrell Boyce tries to do is use the art of Scrabble as a metaphor for a broken parent/child relationship. But then when that doesn’t fully work, he uses Alan’s occupation, suit tailor, as a metaphor. The title of the film is a nod to how British men “should” button their coats, sometimes button the top button, always button the middle one, never the last one. With so many emotional conflicts bubbling at one time, Boyce’s message gets lost.
Despite some very cloudy messaging, the dialogue is funny and charming. I could listen to Nighy’s and Riley’s father-son banter for two hours on its own. As Peter’s wife Sue, comedian Alice Lowe delivers each line with genuine joy. Though underused, Lowe brings out something sweet in the well-meaning, but slightly dim wife and mother.
Its Bill Nighy’s movie though, and he brings complexity and clarity to a foggily written character. His Alan runs on intellectual superiority and huge bursts of energy and a quiet sadness. Nighy navigates those emotional pin-turns beautifully. Riley plays off of Nighy well, letting the veteran actor take the more comedically dominant role but stepping in when appropriate. Their relationship and the literal and figurative dead-pans between the two are what keeps the film’s engine running.
Rich in jewel tones and at times a few muted pastels, the film is stuffed with visual surreal nostalgia. From clearly painted backdrops to bits of animation, to Wes Anderson-like symmetry and framing, first-time feature director Carl Hunter clearly knows how to visually emote, clearly influenced by eastern European filmmakers. This comes in handy when the slightly scattered story starts to veer off. Between the imagery performances and consistent visual style, there’s always something to keep you engaged.
Sometimes Always Never borders more into the muffled weird type of quirky rather than the delightfully hilarious quirky that one might expect from a deadpan British surreal comedy. But like most of Bill Nighy’s ever endearing performances, this dramedy might be worth watching.
Sometimes Always Never is available June 12th for virtual theatrical release and on-demand through your cable provider July 10th. Watch the trailer below.
If you’re a fan of the beats in Alita: Battle Angel, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Deadpool, prepare to be very happy. According to Film Music Reporter, Junkie XL will be providing the epic score for the climactic kaiju clash, Godzilla vs. Kong, the fourth chapter in Warner Bros.’ MonsterVerse.
There have been questions swirling around Godzilla vs. Kong and whether Warner Bros. would move its November 20th release date because of the coronavirus. So far we’ve seen nothing that suggests it’ll arrive on time; no trailers, no images, nada. With WB testing the waters with Tenet next month, then Wonder Woman 1984 in August, that could go a long way in deciding whether we see these two titans clash this year or in 2021.
Godzilla vs. Kong is directed by Adam Wingard (You’re Next), and stars Millie Bobby Brown, Alexander Skarsgard, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Kyle Chandler, and Eiza Gonzalez.
Max Isaksen (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) is a man at the end of his rope in Exit Plan. As an insurance claims adjuster, he is constantly surrounded by death. In fact, Max denies Alice Dinesen’s (Sonja Richter) claim to pay out her husband Arthur’s (Anders Mossling) life insurance policy. Arthur has been missing for six months and presumed dead, but it cannot be proven. Even with such a morbid profession at times, Max takes solace in his love, Lærke (Tuva Novotny). However not even Lærke is enough to help Max handle the curveball life throws at him.
Max finds out he has an aggressive brain tumor. One that is in a place that makes surgery impossible. Although Max’s doctor is strangely vague, he realizes the end is near. By pure happenstance Alice reaches back out to Max with proof of her husband’s demise. Alice shows Max a self-recorded video Arthur made from a place called Hotel Aurora.
Hotel Aurora is an assisted suicide resort/lodge hybrid. Max decides that he can’t end his own life and needs Hotel Aurora’s help. Everything seems friendly enough at Hotel Aurora. They welcome Max, comfort him, and provide him with the standard issue pajama uniform. Soon Karen (Solbjørg Højfeldt) comes to help Max plan for his final journey. While Karen and Hotel Aurora seem warm and welcoming, there may be something more sinister lurking beneath.
Exit Plan has some things going for it. Coster-Waldau gives a solid performance that helps drive the film. Director Jonas Alexander Arnby employs fantastic visuals and perfect audio choices throughout. Hotel Aurora has a huge sprawling compound. At it’s face it is gorgeous with stunning mountain and lake views. As you dive further down you see the cavernous underbelly. As Max explores its depths everything changes to gray and bleak colors accompanied by eerie and slow music. Arnby also has some interesting camera angles and shot framing that add to Exit Plan’s visual appeal.
The good comes with the bad. Exit Plan’s narrative devolves into a jumbled mess as the film can at times be all over the place. Not only does it jump back and forth through time, but it plays with the idea of reality. As Max struggles to comprehend what is real or when is real or what the hell is going on – the audience does the same. It seemed like writer Rasmus Birch and Arnby try too hard to add twists and keep the audience guessing. The plan backfires as Exit Plan loses more and more steam as the confusion adds up. Unfortunately, the bad outweighs the good and Exit Plan is not memorable or enjoyable enough to seek out.
From the very beginning of Joshua Caldwell’s Gen Z Bonnie & Clyde flick, Infamous, we know exactly how it’ll end and every single stop along the way. Every lovers-on-the-run thriller carries the same message, the same themes; celebrity fueled by violence, propagated by the communicative means of the time. In the moment, that means the killer duo comes armed with more than just ammo, they’re also packin’ a serious Instagram following.
As thin and extremely familiar as Infamous might be, it’s not completely empty or without some thematic merit. Bella Thorne, in a sexy femme fatale role as far removed from her Disney Channel past as her Pornhub directorial career, is a striking figure of social media obsession as Arielle. Sick of her crappy life in a crappy part of Florida referred to as the “redneck Riviera”, Arielle has a mean chip on her shoulder, especially for her mother for naming her after The Little Mermaid. Her reputation as a “slut” precedes her everywhere, but that doesn’t mean a thing to Dean (Jake Manley), a hot ex-con who catches her eye.
It’s a quick, slam-bang courtship. Dean may look like trouble, but it’s Arielle who has the violent streak, which when crossed with her need for fame makes a deadly combination. After a brutal fight earns her some Internet notoriety, it’s like a drug fiend getting their first taste. Arielle believes a person’s life can be measured by “Likes”,”Followers”, and “Retweets”, and she’ll do anything to make her life meaningful. After an encounter with Dean’s father ends in tragedy, the young lovers get the Hell out of town.
The dynamic between Arielle and Dean is slightly different than expected, which keeps Infamous more compelling than it has any right to be. While Dean, with his mop of dirty blonde hair and unshaven face, may look like the textbook rebel on the edge, he’s the more reasonable of the two. He rightly guesses that Arielle’s penchant for firing all of their robberies and murders on Instagram is an idiotic move that’ll get them caught. But he’s also a dude, and taken by her charms he can’t refuse her irrational instincts. The duo start small, robbing a grocery store, then move up to a weed distillery that doesn’t go as chill as one might think. Before long, Arielle has amassed millions of followers and needs to keep the body count up to please her audience.
It’s a sickening cycle of fame and violence that doesn’t feel too far-fetched for the time we live in. Infamous doesn’t have a ton to say about it, but it does have a lot of really corny, trash dialogue as the fleeing lovebirds race through southern America. Along the way, they stop to buy guns off the black market, which leads to the inevitable “teaching her how to shoot” scene. They also encounter Elle (Amber Riley), a bored, single telemarketer who happens to be one of Arielle’s die-hard fans. She’s so enraptured, Elle doesn’t mind being taken hostage at gunpoint. Elle, meant to ground the film from its frenetic pace, basically exists to deliver all of Caldwell’s messaging about being young and disenfranchised in America, all while giving Arielle what she needs to justify their killing spree.
It’s a big, flashy role for Thorne who leaps into Arielle’s daring and thirst for attention. She and Manley make quite a pair; he keeps it low-key while she attacks every line with gusto. The camera can’t get enough of these two, and Caldwell makes the most of every ounce of their charisma. There’s a certain nihilism to their performances, which when caught by Caldwell at the right moments, gives Infamous the depth he’s looking for but never fully grasps.
When the final standoff we’ve long expected arrives, it does so in especially ridiculous fashion. A job offer, a heist so ludicrous it is literally planned out by some stooge doing cocaine, does little to inspire the bitter cynicism Caldwell is aiming for. Movies like Infamous feel especially trite in the wake of the racially-charged and timely Queen & Slim, which took the genre in a direction it desperately needed to go.
Ultimately, Infamous is a lot like the social media celebrity Arielle desires most; good to have in the moment, but amounts to little in the long run.
Need someone to give a fraught, harrowing performance? Elisabeth Moss is who you need to call. The distress she’s able to portray in The Handmaid’s Tale is just one of the reasons that show is so compelling, which bodes well for Run Rabbit Run, a thriller that will reunite Moss with the show’s director, Daina Reid.
Run Rabbit Run is penned by novelist Hannah Kent, based on her own original idea. Described by Deadline as a “modern-day ghost story”, it centers on Sarah, “a fertility doctor, with a firm understanding of the cycle of life. When she is forced to make sense of the increasingly strange behavior of her young daughter Mia, she must challenge her own beliefs and confront a ghost from her past.” Moss will star and produce, adding to her list of tense thriller roles.
Reid works as an actor and a director, with credits that include episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale, The Outsider, Space Force, and many more. Moss recently starred in The Invisible Man, giving another stressful performance in one of the year’s biggest hits. She can be seen right now in Shirley, delivering a venomous turn as horror author Shirley Jackson. Next up for Moss is Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch.
Say you’re a soldier on the ground in France at the end of World War II, you’ve evaded a platoon of Nazi’s. You and you’re guys are hold up in an abandoned mansion, the worst is behind you now right? Not if that mansion was, like, super haunted. That’s the completely crazy synopsis for Ghosts of War, an upcoming horror flick starring a who’s who of CW-ish leading men. Brenton Thwaites, who plays Robin on Titans (a show that you NEED to watch if you haven’t already) leads the pack and is joined by Alan Ritchson (Titans, Smallville) Skylar Astin (Pitch Perfect) and Theo Rossi (Sons of Anarchy). If you think this sounds like a movie you don’t want to see I honestly don’t think we can be friends anymore. Check out the trailer below and look for Ghosts of War today on DirecTV, followed by virtual cinemas, digital, and VOD on July 17th, 2020!
The good comes with the bad. Exit Plan’s narrative devolves into a jumbled mess as the film can at times be all over the place. Not only does it jump back and forth through time, but it plays with the idea of reality. As Max struggles to comprehend what is real or when is real or what the hell is going on – the audience does the same. It seemed like writer Rasmus Birch and Arnby try too hard to add twists and keep the audience guessing. The plan backfires as Exit Plan loses more and more steam as the confusion adds up. Unfortunately, the bad outweighs the good and Exit Plan is not memorable or enjoyable enough to seek out.
