That’s not to say all the movies on this long weekend were holiday related…but some were.
The Wonder – Gosh, I am still so far behind on well-received Netflix films that there is no way I’m knocking them all out by the end of the year, but the mystery surrounding this one in particular really caught my eye this weekend. High level, I knew that Florence Pugh plays a nurse in the 1800s set out to watch an Irish girl who hasn’t eaten in the last four months. That’s all I knew. I really thought there was going to be some supernatural quality to this film, because despite it coming off looking like a drama, there was also this eerie quality lurking in the background. The details I learned about these characters made the story more interesting, and there were also some very high stakes involved. I don’t want to say anything else and ruin the surprises, but just know it’s definitely worth your time. Could have settled with a more original title, but whatever.
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse – Some of my friends is the reason this movie got watched again so soon. That doesn’t mean I still didn’t laugh really hard at all the same parts. Please, watch this.
Christmas with You – I felt like I had to get an actual holiday movie in this weekend, and there might still be more before the year is up, but Freddie Prinze Jr. in a rom-com was enough of a sell for me. Sure, he along with some other veteran actors made this not quite so cringe, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t. In fact, I did. A lot. Aimee Garcia plays Angelina, a pop star aging out of her fame. At least according to her record label. They tell her the only way she can get back in their good graces is with new music, and preferably a Christmas song. She’s just not feeling it though, and in an effort to avoid the task, heads out to meet a fan who she saw covering one of her songs. When they meet in person, the connection goes deeper when they both confide they’ve recently lost their mothers. It also helps that Freddie plays the father of the young fan, Miguel, and that he’s musically gifted. While a lot was shared, everything about this just felt too brief. I also didn’t really find the chemistry here too convincing.
Enola Holmes 2 – It seems like it’s been too long and not long enough for this sequel to the wildly fun Enola Holmes. This time around, Enola strikes out on her own unsuccessfully, but just as she’s about to close up shop she gets recruited to find Essie’s older sister. I did read that this film doesn’t follow any stories from the books these characters are based on, and instead loosely follows the real life story of the matchgirls’ strike in the late 1800s. Millie Bobbie Brown is still delightful to watch in this, along with her chemistry with literally everyone on the screen. It’s fun to start to see Sherlock start to slip into his more well-known tendencies, and it’s also fun to see him interact more with Enola, among others. As this is a Holmes story, based off text or not, there are a lot of intricately woven details all leading to a full-out finale. There are plenty of set-ups for more films, and I sincerely hope we get them!
Aftersun – Ever since this film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, it’s been on my radar. And rightfully so! It’s a tender drama that has you looking at the story of a father and a daughter in the eyes of that daughter all grown up. Sophie is reminiscing on her last vacation with her father leading up to his 31st birthday. They celebrate while on vacation in Turkey, soaking up the sun and as much time in the water as they can. Sophie, at just 11 years old, seems both very perceptive but also indignant, as any pre-teen can be. It’s clear Calum struggles with a lot of things, and certain ones she just can’t understand yet. Calum has money troubles, but also with self-control, and while he still shares a love for Sophie’s mother, it’s never quite clear why they divorced in the first place. It’s all of these half-truths that really keep the story interesting, along with how great this father-daughter story is. A true drama, so if that’s not your bag, this film will likely drag a bit for you.
The Eternal Daughter – This quick, eerie film really managed to shock me at the end! For a film that felt longer than its 90 minutes at times, Tilda Swinton playing duel roles always managed to keep me invested enough to make it to the end. Swinton plays Julie, a middle-aged filmmaker, and her mother, Rosalind. Julie takes her mother back to the sprawling estate she spent time in growing up, while she also attempts to write a movie about her. She can never quite get settled enough in this place that we really only see them interact with at night. Of course, the place is barren and the halls are lit with a wicked green glow. It definitely had me on my toes for maybe seeing an actual ghoul at some point. What this film also proved to me is that I need to watch Joanna Hogg’s previous two critically acclaimed films, The Souvenir and The Souvenir Part II, who’s titular characters are also named Julie and Rosalind. Perhaps more about this film will pop out. Again, not for everyone, but I found the ending really neat!