Tuesday, September 10th, 2024

ROBOT DREAMS - $14.99 Sale / TBD Rental

What we like:

• Directed by Spanish filmmaker Pablo Berger, the film is based on a graphic novel of the same name by Sara Varon, first published in 2007. It marks Berger’s first venture into animation, after being known for his work on live-action films like "Blancanieves" (2012).

• The animation is distinctively hand-drawn, with a minimalist but emotionally rich aesthetic. The film, like the graphic novel, uses a wordless narrative, relying entirely on visuals and sound to convey the story and emotions. 

• The film was a surprise (but deserved) Oscar-nominee in the Best Animated Feature category.

What we don’t like:

• We’re still baffled why NEON chose to release this film a full 3 months after the Oscars were handed out. We can’t help but think interest was highest leading up to the ceremony. The film failed to reach $1M at the domestic box-office.

Wednesday, September 11th, 2024

ARTHUR THE KING - Starz

What we like:

• Based on the 2016 memoir Arthur - The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home by Mikael Lindnord, the film adaptation follows the captain of an adventure racing team (Mark Wahlberg) who befriends a wounded stray dog named Arthur, who then accompanies the team on a grueling 435-mile endurance race through the Dominican Republic.

• In his feature film debut, Arthur is played by Ukai, who is a very good boy.

What we don’t like:

• Although the real-life story recounted in Lindord's book took place in Ecuador, Arthur the King was set and filmed in the Dominican Republic. According to GearJunkie, this has caused consternation and disappointment among many Ecuadorians, who felt that they had not benefited, despite the fact that the dog had been taken out of their country. Which…fair enough...but Arthur was a stray. Not exactly a kidnapping.

Friday, September 13th, 2024

BOY KILLS WORLD - Hulu

What we like:

• Bill Skarsgård gets to lead a film without having to wear clown makeup. He plays ‘Boy,’ a martial arts expert rendered deaf-mute by an attack that killed his entire family, whose thoughts are presented as an inner voice derived from a childhood video game.

• Sam Raimi is a producer on the film, and he knows his way around over-the-top action sequences. This film has plenty of them.

• Famke Janssen plays Hilda Van Der Koy, the matriarch of the crime family who wronged ‘Boy.’ We always look forward to seeing Famke Janssen.

What we don’t like:

• Reviews were mixed/negative, with many citing the film being style over substance.

CIVIL WAR - Max

What we like:

• A24 entered the big leagues with this (relatively) big-budget wide release. It grossed over $100M worldwide, so that’s something to celebrate.

• With this film, Kirsten Dunst has appeared in a movie that reached #1 at the US box office for 4 decades in a row.

What we don’t like:

• We’re worried A24’s pivot to bigger budgets could make their films less interesting. But we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and hope their commitment to talented auteurs reaps greater rewards.

THE CROW - $24.99 Sale / $19.99 Rental

What we like:

• It’s a double dose of Bill Skarsgård, with this launching on PVOD and Boy Kills World hitting Hulu.

• We sure are glad co-star FKA Twigs got away from Shia LaBeouf.

What we don’t like:

• Between this and Borderlands, Lionsgate had one of the most disastrous 1-2 punches at the box-office in a long time. Lucky for them, they only paid a reported $10M to distribute the film, with a bit more than that for P&A. Still, this was a rough one.

THE FEELING THAT THE TIME FOR DOING SOMETHING HAS PASSED - Hulu

What we like:

• Director Joanna Arnow premiered her film in the Director’s Fortnight at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, an incredible achievement for a first-time feature filmmaker.

• Sean Baker, whose latest film Anora won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, is an executive producer.

• The critical consensus is that Arnow is an exciting and provocative new voice in film. We can’t wait to check this one out.

What we don’t like:

• That title is a bit unwieldy! It stands out, but is also kinda hard to remember.

IN A VIOLENT NATURE - Shudder, AMC+

What we like:

• One of our favorites of the year so far, this Canadian horror hit has been described as an ‘Ambient Slasher.’ It follows a mute killer who is resurrected from his grave in the Ontario wilderness by a group of teenagers, whom he then begins stalking and murdering. The events depicted are largely observed from the killer's perspective.

• It seems like we say it every week, but it’s worth repeating: Shudder’s curation of horror titles is the gold standard of  streaming services. They consistently program interesting, genre-pushing films from around the world. We couldn’t be happier to give them our money every month.

What we don’t like:

• We’ll admit we didn’t quite love the end of the film. HOWEVER! We think it’s very cool that it featured Friday the 13th Part 2 actress Lauren-Marie Taylor.

UGLIES - Netflix

What we like:

• Based on the popular 2005 dystopian young adult novel of the same name by Scott Westerfeld, the story is set in a future society where everyone undergoes extreme cosmetic surgery at the age of 16 to transform from an "Ugly" into a "Pretty."

• The project has been in development for several years, with Joey King serving as both the star and one of the producers. She plays a character named Tally Youngblood, which is one of the most YA Novel-names we’ve ever heard.

What we don’t like:

• We’re probably not alone in admitting we’re not huge fans of Uglies director McG. He must be a great guy, because his filmography suuuuuucks.

Happy Streaming Everyone!

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