While I had anticipated being able to watch a crap ton of movies this weekend, I was actually quite busy. I think I was pretty lucky to have even gotten in what I did.
Sanctuary – One of my most anticipated movies of the year comes from this chamber piece starring one of my favorite actors, Christopher Abbott. It also features a knock-out performance from Margaret Qualley, an actress who is slowly growing on me. Really, both shine in this combo thriller/rom-com. I know that rom-com piece probably sounds a little surprising if you’ve seen the trailer, but trust me. It gets there and it totally works. For most of the film though, you’re left to wonder just how things are going to play out once Rebecca learns that she’s being fired from her job as Hal’s longtime dominatrix. This thing had so many twists and turns that I wasn’t sure how it was going to end up! A true delight.
Stranger by the Lake – Another LGBT entry for pride month, and this one hit some new marks! For a large part of this film you just see a bunch of guys looking to hook up in the woods by a beautiful lake. We most closely follow Franck, who’s looking to hook up with a Freddie Mercury-esque man named Michel. In the meantime, he strikes up a friendship with the straight, but newly single Henri. While there’s essentially phonographic levels of sex in this film, it’s all woven through several murders that take place at the lake. It’s quite obvious early on who the killer is, but that doesn’t stop any of the events in the last bit of the film any less edge-of-your-seat tense. Not for everyone.
Reality – I’m sure it’s sad that I had no idea about this whistleblowing event that happened not too long after Donald Trump took up residence in the oval office. Reality Winner, a former member of the Air Force, now working temporarily in the linguistic department of the NSA, is headed to her home to put some groceries away when her life changes forever. The FBI slowly swarm her home looking for any evidence that she’d removed classified documents from work and distributed them to third parties. It’s a slow build with some extremely awkward interactions, but it should come as no surprise that the FBI had an overwhelming amount of evidence already proving that Reality printed, removed, and shared a classified document with a media outlet. They just mainly wanted to know why. I don’t know that I can personally be mad at what she did. I think the American people had a right to know what she shared. Decide for yourself and watch this incredibly engrossing chamber piece – I think I like those types of films a lot!