So many releases this weekend as the exhibitors are throwing everything at the wall to see what might stick. There are a few of them are worth your while though, so keep reading.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard
Directed by: Patrick Hughes
With: Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman, and Salma Hayek
What is it about? The world’s top bodyguard gets a new client, a hit man who must testify at the International Court of Justice. They must put their differences aside and work together to race across Europe to make it to the trial alive and on time.
Heads Up: Two stellar leads and an amazing supporting cast but the result, according to the critics, is not as good as it could have been. The critical consensus is the film “coasts on Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds’ banter, and nearly gets enough mileage to power past an overabundance of action-comedy clichés”. Despite the lukewarm reviews, I still wanna watch it.
The Beguiled
Directed by: Sofia Coppola
With: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, and Elle Fanning
What is it about? At a girls’ school in Virginia during the Civil War, where the young women have been sheltered from the outside world, a wounded Union soldier is taken in. Soon, the house is taken over with sexual tension, rivalries, and an unexpected turn of events.
Heads Up: Sofia Coppola (The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette) is one of the most celebrated female directors in Hollywood. Her latest won her Best Director Award at Cannes this year, and it’s widely accepted as one of her best works. This deserves a consideration, especially if you are looking for something different than the usual summer fare.
Captain Underpants
Directed by: David Soren
With: Kevin Hart, Thomas Middleditch, Ed Helms, and Nick Kroll
What is it about? Two overly imaginative pranksters named George and Harold hypnotize their principal into thinking he’s a ridiculously enthusiastic, incredibly dimwitted superhero named Captain Underpants.
Heads Up: Dreamworks latest underperformed at the box-office despite very strong reviews. Considering there has not been an animation released that’s worthwhile since Despicable Me 3, I think it deserves a consideration.
It Comes at Night
Directed by: Trey Edward Shults
With: Joel Edgerton, Christopher Abbott, Carmen Ejogo, and Riley Keough
What is it about? When an unnatural threat terrorizes the world, a man with his wife and son forge an uneasy alliance with a young family to keep evil at bay during a horrific apocalypse.
Heads Up: Director Trey Edward Shults’s sophomore film failed to connect with audience despite being well received critically. Catch up with it if you like unusual artsy horror films.
Blind
Directed by: Michael Mailer
With: Alec Baldwin, Demi Moore, and Dylan McDermott
What is it about? A novelist blinded in a car crash which killed his wife rediscovers his passion for both life and writing when he embarks on an affair with the neglected wife of an indicted businessman.
Heads Up: I miss seeing Demi Moore on the big screen, but the trailer for this makes it look like a cheap paperback romance that you read at the airport lounge. The reviews are very bad, and the film is already available for home viewing. So if you must watch it, you can do so on your tablet.
Bushwick
Directed by: Cary Murnion, Jonathan Milott
With: Dave Bautista, Brittany Snow, and Christian Navarro
What is it about? When a Texas military force invades their Brooklyn neighborhood, 20-year-old Lucy and war veteran Stupe must depend on each other to survive.
Heads Up: This B-Action movie looks silly and over the top in a good way, and its reviews suggest it is enjoyable for what it is.
Wish Upon
Directed by: John R. Leonetti
With: Joey King, Ryan Phillippe, Ki Hong Lee, and Sherilyn Fenn
What is it about? A teenage girl discovers a box that carries magic powers and a deadly price for using them.
Heads Up: This is a horror film that tanked both commercially and critically, but if you have a group of likeminded friends, it looks like a film that might be campy enough to be enjoyed at a midnight screening.
