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.
- Mad Max: Fury Road – The cult classic returns, and madness ensues during a journey across a desert landscape in a post-apocalyptic future. What a lovely day!
Directed by George Miller (the original Mad Max movies)
Starring Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult
This totally lived up to all the good things I’ve and you’ve undoubtedly heard by now. Coming from someone who’s never seen a Mad Max movie, I was able to completely just dive into this wild, fun ride without any hesitation. It’s just fucking cool. A review will be up on the site soon! - Pitch Perfect 2 – The Barden Bellas are back and on a mission to win an even bigger international aca pella competition.
Directed by Elizabeth Banks (directorial debut!)
Starring Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Babe of the Week Brittany Snow, Hailee Steinfeld, Skylar Astin
Pitch Perfect works far better than it should, or at least than you’d expect. It didn’t seem like it would amount to anything worthwhile, but then it was a pleasant surprise with its ability to entertain. There’s just enough weird bits and the jokes work well for the most part that it just has its own unique charm. It’s not necessarily a bad thing that they’re trying to recapture it, but it just seemed like such a random success that I’m not positive it can work twice. I am certainly going to check it out though, because I have such good will towards it (and especially to Anna Kendrick). I might have reservations but I’m hoping for the best.
- Slow West – A young Scot must travel across the wild west of America to reunite with a lost friend, and is accompanied by a loner in the process.
Directed by John Maclean (directorial debut!)
Starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, Michael Fassbender, Ben Mendelsohn, Rory McCann, Caren Pistorius
First of all, I’m already there for anything Michael Fassbender stars in. I’m not one to use the term bae, but it just so happens to apply for that man. He only picks interesting roles, and none have disappointed me. It also helps that the trailer completely hooked me. It’s a western, which isn’t exactly my favorite genre, but this looks like a fresh take with an off center approach and the cinematography looks gorgeous. I hope to see this soon and see if it’s as cool as it’s letting on. Available through video on demand. - Good Kill – A soldier who controls a drone from the comfort of his U.S. military base has a crisis of conscious.
Directed by Andrew Niccol (In Time, Lord of War)
Starring Ethan Hawke, January Jones, Zoë Kravitz, Jake Abel, Bruce Greenwood
This isn’t screaming must-see but it is giving me a heavy vibe that it could deliver on so many of the aspects that American Sniper was lacking. Both movies are about soldiers in similar positions – ones a sniper working out in the field and the other operates a drone but from a base in America. Even though the environments they’re operating in are completely different they’re both asked to make the call and the shot to kill people. Besides the difference in scenery though, Good Kill looks like it actually might deal more with the complicated and conflicted feelings that come with taking a person’s life, even if it is in the context of war. While American Sniper candy coated Chris Kyle’s feelings (in the movie version of the man), this seems to confront them head on, and could be far better for it. Available through video on demand.
