The summer blockbuster season is officially underway, and this week we’ve got some hugely anticipated new releases to cover, including the penultimate entry in a long-running franchise, an epic journey into anxiety, the long-mooted adaptation of a classic children’s book, and much more…
Movie of the Week
Cinemas
- Beau Is Afraid
- Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
- The Other Fellow
- Under the Fig Trees
- Nam June Paik: Moon Is The Oldest TV
Streaming + On-Demand
Re-Releases
MOVIE OF THE WEEK
Fast X (2023, dir. Louis Leterrier)
CAST: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jason Momoa, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, John Cena, Jason Statham, Sung Kang, Alan Ritchson, Daniela Melchior, Scott Eastwood, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, Brie Larson, Rita Moreno, Michael Rooker, Cardi B, Leo Abelo Perry, Don Omar, Tego Calderón
CREW: Louis Leterrier (director), Justin Lin (writer, producer), Dan Mazeau (writer), Vin Diesel, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Neal H. Moritz and Samantha Vincent (producers), Brian Tyler (composer), Stephen F. Windon (cinematographer), Dylan Highsmith, Kelly Matsumoto, Corbin Mehl and Laura Yanovich (editor)
PLOT: Dominic Toretto (Diesel), the former criminal and professional street racer turned international hero, is retired and settling down with his wife Letty (Rodriguez), his son Brian (Perry), and their close team members Roman (Gibson), Tej (Bridges), Ramsey (Emmanuel) and Han (Kang). However, when Dante Reyes (Momoa), the son of Brazilian drug lord and former adversary Hernan Reyes, surfaces to seek revenge on Toretto and his crew, Dominic is forced to make some major sacrifices in order to protect his family…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) The long-running Fast & Furious franchise begins to wind down with a new entry that brings more action, higher stakes, and – of course – flashier cars than ever before
2) Vin Diesel offers his most determined rendition yet of his iconic character Dominic Toretto, and along with all the other returning cast members (as well as new additions Jason Momoa, Brie Larson and Rita Moreno) he steps up his game for his wildest outing yet
3) Director Louis Leterrier, of The Transporter, The Incredible Hulk and Now You See Me (and, on a far lesser scale, Grimsby), was a last-minute replacement for series regular Justin Lin, who abruptly left production shortly after filming began
4) Budgeted at almost $350 million, it is one of the most expensive films ever made – so it’ll have to do pretty well in order to make a profit (which, given the box office longevity of this franchise, shouldn’t be that hard)
5) Recently, Diesel announced that this may in fact be the first in a new trilogy that will ultimately conclude the Fast & Furious saga, so expect things to go even crazier from here!
Fast X is showing in cinemas from Friday 19th May 2023
WHAT’S SHOWING IN
CINEMAS THIS WEEK?
Beau Is Afraid (2023, dir. Ari Aster)
CAST: Joaquin Phoenix, Patti LuPone, Amy Ryan, Nathan Lane, Kylie Rogers, Denis Ménochet, Parker Posey, Stephen McKinley-Henderson, Richard Kind, Hayley Squires, Michael Gandolfini, Théodore Pellerin, Mike Taylor, Armen Nahapetian, Zoe Lister-Jones, Julia Antonelli
CREW: Ari Aster (director, writer, producer), Lars Knudsen (producer), Bobby Krlic (composer), Pawel Pogorzelski (cinematographer), Lucian Johnston (editor)
PLOT: Beau Wassermann (Phoenix), a middle-aged loner who is prone to extreme anxiety, sets out to visit his domineering mother Mona (LuPone), but finds himself going on a belligerently bizarre odyssey…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) Ari Aster, the provocative auteur behind acclaimed horrors Hereditary and Midsommar, presents a very different kind of horror movie that plays into every conceivable form of anxiety known to man
2) Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix is at his nerviest self in a lead role that requires plenty of physical and emotional torment for his character
3) Aster describes his movie as “a Jewish Lord of the Rings”, and given its epic scope – from its three-hour runtime to the numerous set-pieces and ensemble characters – he certainly doesn’t seem to be exaggerating!
4) It has already divided critics and audiences, with some praising its ambition and scale, and others calling out its bloated self-indulgence – but doesn’t that just make you want to see it even more?!
5) No matter what you may end up thinking about it, it will most likely – similar to Aster’s previous films – give you something memorable that you’ve never seen before on-screen
Beau Is Afraid is showing in cinemas from Friday 19th May 2023
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (2023, dir. Kelly Fremon Craig)
CAST: Abby Ryder Fortson, Rachel McAdams, Benny Safdie, Kathy Bates, Elle Graham, Amari Price, Katherine Kupferer, Kate MacCluggage, Aidan Wojtak-Hissong, Landon Baxter, Mackenzie Joy Potter, Olivia Frances Williams, Echo Kellum, Simms May, Zackary Brooks, JeCobi Swain, Isol Young, Rabbi Michael Wolk, Tanya McClellan
CREW: Kelly Fremon Craig (director, writer, producer), Julie Ansell, Judy Blume, Amy Brooks, James L. Brooks, Aldric La’auli Porter and Richard Sakai (producers), Hans Zimmer (composer), Tim Ives (cinematographer), Oona Flaherty and Nick Moore (editors)
PLOT: In the 1970s, 11-year-old Margaret Simon (Fortson) moves with her Christian mother Barbara (McAdams) and her Jewish father Herb (Safdie) from New York City to the suburbs of New Jersey. Uncomfortable with her lack of religious affiliation, and anxiously awaiting the first signs of womanhood, Margaret navigates her spiritual identity while also preparing for adolescence with a new set of friends…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) The beloved children’s novel by Judy Blume is finally receiving a major theatrical adaptation, more than fifty years since its original publication
2) Writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig, previously of the acclaimed teen comedy The Edge of Seventeen, brings the timeless story of a young girl’s religious crisis to valiant and hilarious life
3) Said young girl is played by Abby Ryder Fortson, best known for her supporting role in the first two Ant-Man movies, with Rachel McAdams and Benny Safdie playing her parents, and Oscar-winner Kathy Bates as her loving grandmother
4) The film tackles heavy (and, in some corners, controversial) themes about female adolescence with a winning sense of humour and a huge amount of heart
5) Blume herself has given her approval to the film, even going so far as to call it better than her own book – which, for a piece of literature that is considered one of the best young-adult novels of all time, is quite the statement!
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is showing in cinemas from Friday 19th May 2023
The Other Fellow (2022, dir. Matthew Bauer)
CAST: Gunnar Schäfer, James Alexander Bond, James Bond Jr., Gregory Itzin, Charley Palmer Rothwell, Tacey Adams, Matthew Bauer, James Bond, Chae-Jamal McFarlane, James Bond
CREW: Matthew Bauer (director, writer, producer), Rene van Pannevis (writer), Michelle Brøndum and Costa Vakas (producers), Alastair McNamara (composer), Jamie Touche (cinematographer), Lesley Posso (editor)
PLOT: Several people around the world, all with the same name – James Bond – reflect on how their lives have in some way revolved around Ian Fleming’s world-famous secret agent, as well as their own interesting stories…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) This hugely entertaining documentary takes a very unique approach to the iconography of James Bond, by focusing on some of the real people that happened to be given the same name
2) The eclectic line-up of James Bonds interviewed by director Matthew Bauer include a Swedish super-fan and war veteran, a New York theatre director, and a man accused of murder
3) Via some dramatic re-enactments, the movie also touches upon the very inspiration for the spy’s name, that being an ornithologist named James Bond whose book Ian Fleming once spotted in Jamaica
4) The film gives all these people their own chance to shine in their own big screen missions worthy of 007 himself!
5) It’s an intriguing study of iconography and masculinity, especially when your name links you to arguably the most masculine hero in media history
The Other Fellow is showing in cinemas from Friday 19th May 2023 (it will also be available to rent/buy on most digital platforms)
Under the Fig Trees (2022, dir. Erige Sehiri)
CAST: Fidé Fdhili, Feten Fdhili, Ameni Fdhili, Samar Sifi, Leila Ouhebi, Hneya Ben Elhedi Sbahi, Gaith Mendassi, Abdelhak Mrabti, Fedi Ben Achour, Firas Amri
CREW: Erige Sehiri (director, writer, producer), Peggy Hamann and Ghalya Lacroix (writers), Palmyre Badinier and Didar Domehri (producers), Amin Bouhafa (composer), Frida Marzouk (cinematographer), Malek Kamounn, Hafedh Laaridhi and Ghalya Lacroix (editors)
PLOT: Over a single day in the Tunisian countryside, a group of young workers at a fig orchard pass the time by flirting, trying to understand each other and the society they live in, and making deeper connections…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) Documentarian Erige Sehiri makes her narrative debut with this naturalistic coming-of-age drama set in the rural countryside of Tunisia
2) The cast is made up of an intergeneration group of non-professional actors, including lead figure Fidé Fdhili who apparently wasn’t even interested in auditioning when she was approached for the part
3) It contains a free-flowing structure that allows for simple character interactions and pleasantly episodic incidents fill in for a more concrete plot
4) Tunisia selected the film as its official entry for the recent International Feature Film Oscar, although it ultimately wasn’t successful in being nominated
5) It’s a quiet, contemplative, and most of all endearing account of sisterhood and growing up in a challenging society
Under the Fig Trees is showing in cinemas from Friday 19th May 2023
Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV (2023, dir. Amanda Kim)
CAST: Nam June Paik, Steven Yeun
CREW: Amanda Kim (director, producer), Amy Hobby, David Koh, Mariko Munro, Jennifer Blei Stockman and Jesse Wann (producers), Will Epstein (composer), Nelson Walker III (cinematographer), Taryn Gould (editor)
PLOT: A look at the life and career of Nam June Paik, an artist who is often considered to be a leading figure in the American avant-garde, a founding father of video art, and the most famous Korean artist of all time…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) This intimate portrait of the revolutionary artist Nam June Paik celebrates his numerous accomplishments throughout his life and career
2) Oscar-nominated actor Steven Yeun, who’s also an executive producer on the film, provides narration that brings the artist’s writings to compelling life
3) Through archive footage, director Amanda Kim reveals the initial struggles that Nam June Paik experienced in a society that simply hadn’t caught up to his level of thinking
4) A large section focuses on perhaps his most notable achievement: the coining of the phrase “Electronic Superhighway”, stemming from an exhibition featuring the evolution of modern technology from televisions to the Internet
5) It’s a must-see for anyone interested in modern technology, art, and the innovative imagination of a true creative
Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV is showing in cinemas from Friday 19th May 2023
WHAT’S SHOWING
AT HOME
THIS WEEK
(STREAMING AND
ON-DEMAND)?
White Men Can’t Jump (2023, dir. Calmatic)
CAST: Jack Harlow, Sinqua Walls, Lance Reddick, Teyana Taylor, Laura Harrier, Tamera Kissen, Myles Bullock, Vince Staples, Zak Steiner, Andrew Schulz
CREW: Calmatic (director), Kenya Barris (writer, producer), Doug Hall (writer), Blake Griffin, Ryan Kalil and Noah Weinstein (producers), Marcelo Zarvos (composer), Tommy Maddox-Upshaw (cinematographer), Jonathan Schwartz (editor)
PLOT: In Los Angeles, Jeremy (Harlow) and Kamal (Walls) – two former streetball players with seemingly nothing in common – team up for a hustling scheme, but grow to find that they have more to connect with than they first thought…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) The hit 1992 sports buddy comedy, which famously starred Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson, is remade for modern audiences to enjoy
2) Rapper Jack Harlow, in his acting debut, and Sinqua Walls fill the roles made famous by Harrelson and Snipes respectively
3) Director Calmatic, who made the recent House Party remake, puts his undeniable energy into another reimagining of a cult 90s hit
4) It also features one of the final completed performances of Lance Reddick, the beloved John Wick and The Wire actor who sadly passed away in March
5) It has the potential to bring streetball back into the public consciousness, just as the original film did thirty years prior
White Men Can’t Jump is streaming exclusively on Disney+ from Friday 19th May 2023
Maybe I Do (2023, dir. Michael Jacobs)
CAST: Emma Roberts, Luke Bracey, Richard Gere, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, William H. Macy, DazMann Still, Azriél Patricia, Michael Kostroff, Natalie Ortega
CREW: Michael Jacobs (director, writer, producer), Scott Mednick and Vincent Garcia Newman (producers), Lesley Barber (composer), Tim Suhrstedt (cinematographer), Erica Freed Marker (editor)
PLOT: Michelle (Roberts) and Allen (Bracey) are a young couple who decide that it’s finally time for their parents to meet face-to-face. However, over the course of a dinner with the two families, it soon transpires that Michelle’s parents – Howard (Gere) and Grace (Keaton) – have separately been cheating on each other with Allen’s parents – Sam (Macy) and Monica (Sarandon) – which leads to increased tensions between all couples…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) This star-studded romantic-comedy marks the directing debut of Michael Jacobs, best known as the creator of several hit television sitcoms including Boy Meets World, Dinosaurs and Charles in Charge
2) The main cast is filled to the brim with A-list talent, from Oscar-winners Diane Keaton and Susan Sarandon to relatively fresher faces Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey
3) It’s a classic meet-the-parents plotline but with a hilarious multiple adultery twist that puts the actual Meet the Parents film series to shame!
4) Many of these cast members have worked together before in other rom-coms, including Diane Keaton with Richard Gere in the 1977 film Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Gere with Susan Sarandon in 2004’s Shall We Dance, Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey in the recent Netflix rom-com Holidate, and Keaton and Sarandon in The Big Wedding (poor William H. Macy, being left out of the loop like that!)
5) There are lots of hijinks to laugh along with, but also some truly heartfelt moments between all these fine actors
Maybe I Do is streaming exclusively on Prime Video from Friday 19th May 2023
Falcon Lake (2022, dir. Charlotte Le Bon)
CAST: Joseph Engel, Sara Montpetit, Karine Gonthier-Hyndman, Monia Chokri, Arthur Igual, Anthony Therrien, Pierre-Luc Lafontaine, Thomas Laperriere, Lévi Doré, Jeff Roop, Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie, Éléonore Loiselle, Samir Firouz
CREW: Charlotte Le Bon (director, writer), François Choquet (writer), Sylvain Corbeil, Julien Deris, David Gauquié and Nancy Grant (producers), Shida Shahabi (composer), Kristof Brandl (cinematographer), Julie Lena (editor)
PLOT: At a lake cabin in Quebec, which is said to be haunted by a legendary ghost, shy thirteen-year-old Bastien (Englel) forms a bond with sixteen-year-old Chloé (Montpetit), and sets out to overcome his biggest fears in order to win a place in her heart…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) In this bright and beautiful coming-of-age drama, the joys and pains of young adulthood are mixed with some surprising (and possibly supernatural?) developments
2) The film marks the feature directorial debut of actor Charlotte Le Bon, best known for her work in films like The Hundred-Foot Journey, Yves Saint Laurent, and Robert Zemeckis’s The Walk
3) Le Bon co-writes the script with François Choquet, which is based on the graphic novel Une Sœur by Bastien Vivès
4) Young actors Joseph Engel and Sara Montpetit share a sweet on-screen chemistry that feels natural and unforced
5) The Quebec countryside provides a luscious and even chilling atmosphere that is both soothing and sinister at the same time
Falcon Lake is available to rent/buy on most digital platforms from Monday 15th May 2023
WHAT’S RETURNING
TO CINEMAS
THIS WEEK?
Local Hero (1983, dir. Bill Forsyth)
CAST: Peter Riegert, Burt Lancaster, Fulton Mackay, Denis Lawson, Norman Chancer, Peter Capaldi, Rikki Fulton, Alex Norton, Jenny Seagrove, Jennifer Black, Christopher Rozycki, Christopher Asante, John Gordon Sinclair, Caroline Guthrie, John Jackson
CREW: Bill Forsyth (director, writer), David Puttnam (producer), Mark Knopfler (composer), Chris Menges (cinematographer), Michael Bradsell (editor)
PLOT: Mac (Riegert) is an American executive working for an oil company in Texas, and is sent by his eccentric billionaire bossFelix Happer (Lancaster) to a small village in Scotland, where Happer intends to purchase the land and build a new refinery on top of it. However, while most of the locals are ecstatic to be paid handsomely for the property, Mac soon begins to develop a fondness for the land and its interesting inhabitants, leading to a slight change of mind…
FIVE REASONS TO BE EXCITED:
1) The classic fish-out-of-water dramady, from filmmaker Bill Forsyth and Oscar-winning producer David Puttnam, is back in cinemas with a crisp new restoration to mark its 40th anniversary
2) The film earned near-unanimous critical praise at the time of its release, including from legendary critic Roger Ebert who gave it his highest rating of four stars
3) Acting legends Peter Rieger and Burt Lancaster deliver charming lead turns, and look out for supporting roles by future stars like Peter Capaldi
4) Forsyth won the BAFTA for Best Director with this film, to date the only major award that the Scottish filmmaker has received
5) Shot on location across Scotland, the film is widely credited for bringing rural areas such as Aberdeenshire to the international stage
Local Hero is showing in cinemas from Friday 19th May 2023
That’s about it for this week – thanks for joining us, and be sure to come back next week for a whole new set of movies to work up an appetite for!
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