Here to take a look at the films coming out in wide and limited release this coming weekend. I’ll give you my thoughts to help you decide what’s worth checking out.
- Riddick – Vin Diesel returns as the dystopian antihero, fighting aliens and trying not to get sent to prison… yet again. From the more cult Pitch Black (2000) to the relentlessly commercial The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) this 9 years later follow up seems more of the same. It doesn’t really matter the quality, because Diesel is undeniably bankable and seems to reserve himself for the money makers. Obviously other studios have the same notion since nothing else is getting a wide release. The trailer really doesn’t do much to draw in those unfamiliar with the series, but it seems to be telling a very similar story to the other two movies so I’m not sure how appealing that is to fans either. I think this is a firm pass, but I suppose if you’re a big fan of the other two movies or the man who made Facebook a success then there’s not many other options for the weekend.
- This Is The End – …so maybe you can go out and catch the funniest movie of the year as it is re-released in theaters this weekend instead.
- Adore – This certainly looks titillating! Two lifelong best friends who had sons at the same time end up in romances with each other’s kids. This is not some sort of rom com hijinks either. It looks kind of sexy but also raw and creepy at times. Robin Wright and Naomi Watts look fantastic and the movie seems to have an interesting feel. The story feels European (which I’m sure fits well with French director Anne Fontaine) but has the backdrop of an Australian paradise. I’m hoping for a film that feels truly passionate and risque with a real emotional center. Although I do prefer the original title, Two Mothers.
Available on VOD and see where it’s playing in theaters here
- Hell Baby – My love for Rob Corddry wants me to love this. The first half of the trailer seems like a decent horror comedy with a couple moving into a haunted house in New Orleans only for the wife to become possessed and pregnant with said hell baby. The second half of the trailer goes slightly off the rails when Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lenon show up, but it’s not enough for me to write this off. The two wrote and directed, so it could be a hilarious spoof or a complete misfire.
Available on VOD and see where it’s playing in theaters here
- Touchy Feely – I saw this when it played at the Maryland Film Festival and while I found it to be a perfectly enjoyable slice of life indie comedy, it just didn’t leave that much of an impression. It’s about a masseuse that becomes repulsed by touching skin out of nowhere, amidst other family drama. You watch it for a very short while and then it just doesn’t really stick after you leave your seat. Nice performances though by Rosemarie DeWitt, Ellen Page, Josh Pais, and Allison Janney.
Available on VOD and see where it’s playing in theaters here
- A Teacher – This dark little psychological thriller looks really good. The thought of a teacher and student crossing the line into a relationship is so perverse it’s going to be hard to empathize with the film, but it seems like an intense and intimate character study along the lines of Shame as well which could be just as impacting if done well. If nothing else it seems like two great acting and directer debuts from Lindsay Burdge and Hannah Fidell, respectively.
Available on VOD and see where it’s playing in theaters here
