This weekend is not as crowded with new releases as last weekend was, but it features a handful of interesting films to see, so let’s dive into it.
The Shape of Water
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
With: Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, and Doug Jones
What is it about? At a top secret research facility in the 1960s, a lonely janitor forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature that is being held in captivity.
Heads Up: With 13 nominations, The Shape of Water was the most nominated film of the bunch this year, and it ended up winning 4 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director. It is a film I watched in DIFF2017 and I thought it was good but overrated. That said, this is a film you should see then decide yourself whether it deserved the accolade.
Gringo
Directed by: Nash Edgerton
With: David Oyelowo, Joel Edgerton, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, ad Sharlto Copley
What is it about? A mild-mannered businessman Harold Soyinka travels to Mexico, only to find himself at the mercy of his back-stabbing business colleagues back home, local drug lords, and a morally-conflicted black-ops mercenary.
Heads Up: I really dug the trailer for this film, which is now one of the most anticipated films of the month for me.
Borg McEnroe
Directed by: Janus Metz
With: Sverrir Gudnason, Shia LaBeouf, and Stellan Skarsgård
What is it about? The story of the 1980s tennis rivalry between the placid Björn Borg and the volatile John McEnroe.
Heads Up: 2017 was the year of retelling the stories of 2 famous tennis matches, first we had The Battle of The Sexes, and then this one, and for the most part this one was mainly well received. If you are into sports films, maybe you ought to check this one out.
Hangman
Directed by: Johnny Martin
With: Al Pacino, Karl Urban, Brittany Snow
What is it about? A homicide detective teams up with a criminal profiler to catch a serial killer whose crimes are inspired by the children’s game Hangman.
Heads Up: This a direct-to-video thriller that we are only talking about because it stars the legendary Al Pacino. The reviews are terrible, so stay away.
Bullet Head
Directed by: Paul Solet
With: Adrien Brody, Antonio Banderas, John Malkovich, and Rory Culkin
What is it about? Three career criminals find themselves trapped in a warehouse with the law closing in and an even worse threat waiting inside – a nigh unstoppable killer dog.
Heads Up: Another B-action film with a star-studded cast, only this looks cheesy enough, more than Hangman the film we previewed above, so if I am to choose between the two, I would pick this one.
3 Storeys
Directed by: Arjun Mukerjee
With: Richa Chadha, Sharman Joshi, and Pulkit Samrat
What is it about? A journey across three floors of a lively residential apartment building in Maya Nagar, presenting a microcosm of human existence amidst Mumbai’s bustling urban landscape
Heads Up: This ensemble drama looks interesting. Films that feature multi-narrative interlocking stories like this one are hit or miss, and with a new director without a track record, I would say wait a while till you know the critical verdict or a positive word of mouth.
