In this February weekend, a mix of drama, comedy, action, and romance are coming out on a multiplex near you, so keep reading to know more.
Fighting with My Family
Directed by: Stephen Merchant
With: Florence Pugh, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Jack Lowden, Vince Vaughn, and Dwayne Johnson
What is it about? A former wrestler and his family make a living performing at small venues around the country while his kids dream of joining World Wrestling Entertainment.
Heads Up? The movie has surprisingly stellar reviews, calling the movie energetic and uplifting. Shows that The Rock is willing to put produce smaller movies too, besides his blockbusters. I’d definitely pick this as the movie to watch among the choices this week, especially for the marquee supporting cast.
What They Had
Directed by: Elizabeth Chomko
With: Hilary Swank, Michael Shannon, Robert Forster, and Blythe Danner
What is it about? Bridget returns home at her brother’s urging to deal with her ailing mother and her father’s reluctance to let go of their life together.
Heads Up? Another movie that has excellent reviews, but is clearly aimed at a niche Hallmark audience. You can’t ever go wrong with Michael Shannon. But even if you do want to watch it, does it really warrant a visit to the cinema? You decide.
Then Came You
Directed by: Peter Hutchings
With: Asa Butterfield, Maisie Williams, Nina Dobrev, and Ken Jeong
What is it about? A hypochondriac working as an airport baggage handler is forced to confront his fears when a British teenager with a terminal illness enlists him to help her carry out her eccentric bucket list.
Heads Up? For two weeks in a row we are getting rom-coms starring Asa Butterfield. The reviews for this one are mostly positive, but it looks rather forgettable. So all you younger lovebirds out there, this date movie is for you.
Upgrade
Directed by: Leigh Whannell
With: Logan Marshall-Green, Melanie Vallejo, and Steve Danielsen
What is it about? Set in the near-future, technology controls nearly all aspects of life. But when Grey, a self-identified technophobe, has his world turned upside down, his only hope for revenge is an experimental computer chip implant called Stem.
Heads Up? Director Leigh Whannell wrote two of the most successful horror franchises of the last 15 years: Saw and Insidious, and you can count this sci-fi thriller as another success in his resume. It’s worth noting that this film has been out on VOD since June 2018, but if you haven’t seen it yet, I think it’s worth your while. The action is inventive (and brutal!), and the movie is just the right amount of future-scifi-action-thriller to make it worth the tub of popcorn.
Dumplin’
Directed by: Anne Fletcher
With: Danielle Macdonald, Jennifer Aniston, Harold Perrineau, and Kathy Najimy
What is it about? Willowdean (‘Dumplin’), the plus-size teenage daughter of a former beauty queen, signs up for her mom’s Miss Teen Bluebonnet pageant as a protest that escalates when other contestants follow her footsteps, revolutionizing the pageant and their small Texas town.
Heads Up? Director Anne Fletcher‘s other credits include The Proposal, 27 Dresses and Step Up, all successful commercially if not exactly critical darlings. Dumplin’ (which was released on Netflix in the US) has garnered good buzz for its cheerfulness and music. I think this chick-flick might be worth the consideration…. for those who like chick-flicks.
Total Dhamaal
Directed by: Indra Kumar
With: Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi, Anil Kapoor, and Madhuri Dixit
What is it about? After Guddu & Jonny, small time conmen gets double-crossed of their illegal booty by their own colleague Daddu starts a mad crazy adventure between Guddu-Jonny & 3 other groups
Heads Up? The third film in the Dhammal series with Ajay Devgan, Anil Kapoor, and Madhuri Dixit joining the madness. These silly slapstick comedies are not exactly high art, but they are entertaining low-brow masala. So if you are in the mood for that, then you too should join the madness. Laugh a lot, then be embarrassed at how much you laughed.
