Could have done better, but I could have done worse this weekend. All solid films, though!
Juror #2 – The amount of disappointment I had when I learned this new Clint Eastwood film wasn’t coming anywhere near me to theaters was overwhelming. And stupid for that matter. To my surprise this showed up on Max this weekend, so you know I tuned in! Justin Kemp is about to become a father, but before that happens he’s got to get through jury duty first. What’s supposed to be a routine thing turns into the fight for his life when he realizes he actually killed a woman, whose boyfriend is now on the stand for the crime instead. This is an all-star cast and a tense script to boot. Definitely worth checking out!
Carry-On – As someone who was just on two very long flights this year, I was kind of thinking this was going to take place on a plane, but the airport, LAX more specifically, is just as chaotic. Ethan is just skating by in life even after learning his girlfriend is pregnant. She knows he’s missing some happiness, but all of that is put on pause when he becomes part of a terrorist plot. Ethan is crafty and the premise is tense, but it somehow felt just a little bit long-winded. Jason Bateman is superb here!
Good One – This was in my top three at Sundance earlier this year, so I was really happy to get the chance to watch it again. Sam is on a camping trip with her father and his best friend. As a teen, it’s odd to watch her take care of these two middle aged men. While they should be the ones offering wisdom and taking care of her, she’s often tasked with stoking their egos. As a queer woman, it’s also jarring to see her get sexually solicited by her father’s intoxicated friend. She makes the best of a bad situation, but I hope a lot of things change in the future. Even the best of men are still kind of the worst.
Queer – Sigh. This film was a bit of a disappointment for me. William Lee is living as an expat in Mexico looking for his next conquest night after night until one of those nights his sights fall upon the elusive Eugene. While the two eventually hook up and continue on with some sort of relationship, it’s hard to tell if Eugene is queer, or if he really even likes William for that matter. The first half of the film came across like a play, which was interesting, but then it took a turn for the stupid. The two head off to a jungle somewhere in South America to find a plant that is supposed to help aid in telepathy. William just wants to know what Eugene is thinking so he can hold onto him, but this was an hour and some change I could have done without. Check out Challengers instead.