This is probably going to end up as the lightest month of movie-watching I’ve experienced in at least the last three years if not longer. I tried to make up for it this weekend, but fun trips cut it short this month. Here’s what’s rounding out September.
Do Revenge – This was a surprisingly fun and well done movie! On paper, this is a loose, high school based telling of Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train, but I also felt like Clueless and Cruel Intentions were inspirations, as well. And if those three things sound like they should not go together, then you haven’t watched this movie yet! It’s brash and mean, but so, so much fun watching these women rip each other apart. I don’t want to spoil the twist that comes near the end, but all in all, this is a movie I think any former (or current) high schooler can relate to in some way. Hopefully not all the ways.
Don’t Worry Darling – Given how much behind the scenes drama has been released in the run-up to Olivia Wilde’s second directorial effort, I prepared myself for a disaster. Instead, I saw a fairly interesting psychological thriller. If you watched even just the trailer and didn’t get The Stepford Wives vibes, then I don’t know what to tell you. Anyways, Alice is living what appears to be the perfect life in this idyllic desert town, but her world starts fracturing a little bit and now she’s convinced it’s all a lie. The truth is quite interesting if not 100 percent explained. It was enough for me to enjoy it though, and Florence Pugh is obviously a force to be reckoned with!
Pearl – I was so excited back in March when the preview for this prequel aired after the credits for X – how cool that they were filmed at the same time?! In this, we meet the much, much younger version of that killer grandma, but she’s no less likely to kill in this. All Pearl wants is to be famous, but the world just isn’t cutting her any breaks. Hey, if you can’t get mad, get even. In her case though, it’s both. Sure, there’s murder, but it all seemed a lot less gruesome in this candy-colored run. I also really liked how the film was able to tie events from 1918 to today…so sad. Go check this out though if you liked X and get ready for a sequel, MaxXxine, next spring!
See How They Run – I mean at this point, give me any version of a whodunnit and I’m going to like it. While this didn’t end up being on the same level as Knives Out, it was certainly a delight to watch. It also touted an equally impressive cast! Members of and Agatha Christie play turn into suspects themselves when the director slated to turn it into a movie winds up dead. I love that they were able to incorporate real life figures into this, as well! A must see if you want something fun while waiting for Glass Onion to drop on Netflix.
Fisherman’s Friends – Firstly, something named this would not ever make my watch-list had it not been recommended by a close friend. I can confirm that after watching it, it is not something I liked either. Not that it was bad, but the story was just something that didn’t resonate with me. In it, a bunch of English fishermen get the opportunity of a lifetime to record an album of sea shanties. What starts as a joke turns into a huge success for them, and the curmudgeon who signed them. There are the full gambit of emotions, though nothing ever cuts too deep. This is my friend’s comfort movie, and I can understand why, but it won’t ever bring me any comfort. Watch if you like sea shanties or musicals in general.
Day Shift – Another Netflix film getting checked off the list. This one wasn’t either bad or good. It’s riding somewhere in the middle, which given how many other films I’d like to see, is kind of a letdown. In this, Jamie Foxx plays Bud, a vampire hunter who has to operate during the day (neat twist). He also now needs to get back in the game officially to get some serious cash so his ex-wife doesn’t move away with their daughter. He’s allowed back in but with oversight – Seth (played by the always delightful, if not awkward, Dave Franco). The two reluctantly make a good team and end up taking down a vampire hell-bent on ruling over humans once more. I know this was intended as an action-comedy, but I don’t recall laughing even once. Still an okay watch, though.