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.
- No Escape – A family who have just relocated to Southeast Asia must survive a bloody uprising where foreigners are being targeted.
Directed by John Erick Dowdle (As Above So Below, Devil)
Starring Owen Wilson, Lake Bell, Pierce Brosnan
This movie has the most hilarious trailer of the year. It seems like a spoof movie, especially since it stars two mostly comedic actors. The dialogue, the direction, the action – it all is so ridiculously over the top and silly. I am actually astonished right now that this movie is not at a 2% on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s at a 43% and the consensus claims it has “taut B-movie thrills”! That means almost half the critics thought it was good. How is this possible? Have a completely misjudged it? Is that throwing the child across a rooftop scene actually good? - War Room – A struggling family seeks the help of an older woman who suggests how they can save their marriage through the power of prayer.
Directed by Alex Kendrick (Courageous, Fireproof)
Starring Priscilla C. Shirer, T.C. Stallings, Karen Abercrombie
Oh dear, I almost didn’t even include this in the guide because it’s so dumb looking but it’s releasing in over 1000 theaters so I figured I must out of diligence. This is another religious themed movie that looks horrible and made on a SyFy movie budget with SyFy level stars (although let’s be real, there’s no one even on Tara Reid’s level in this movie). This belongs on the Hallmark channel. It will probably make more money than The Man From UNCLE or American Ultra though. - We Are Your Friends – A young dude who’s disenchanted with the typical American Dream path decides to make it big as a DJ!
Directed by Aleksander Bach
Starring Zac Efron, Wes Bentley, Babe of the Week Emily Ratajkowski
And thus rounds out what must be the worst weekend at the movies this year. Why the hell didn’t Sinister 2 or American Ultra wait for this weekend? It’s freaking dismal. Either of those would have been highlights if they had just waited one more week. This Zac Efron joint looks so bad (and this coming from someone who likes him in general). It’s got everything in that damn trailer – a dumb reference to making it big with phone apps (which has nothing to do with the movie), a dumb romance, a dumb bunch of friends, a dumb internal strife over DJing. Alright, so it looks laughably bad.
- Z For Zachariah – Two survivors in a post-apocalyptic world are starting a good life together become strained by a newcomer who arrives.
Directed by Craig Zobel (Compliance)
Starring Margot Robbie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Chris Pine
I only watched the first minute or so of this trailer because it hooked me off that and I didn’t want to see too much. It’s an interesting set up for a thriller, with the layers of a dystopian and survivor movie genres combined. It’s got a great cast (looking forward to seeing Pine be a bit unhinged) and Zobel did a fantastic job directing and crafting real tension in Compliance. I’m sold and can’t wait to check this out. - Queen of Earth – A psychological thriller about two women who decide to reconnect their friendship at a lake house.
Directed by Alex Ross Perry (Listen Up Philip)
Starring Elisabeth Moss, Katherine Waterston, Patrick Fugit
I love the retro styling of the trailer and illustrated poster for this movie. I can’t quite peg the movie yet, if it’s a black comedy or really heavy on the thrilling angle, but it looks undeniably interesting. I really wanted to see Listen Up Philip last year, but it passed by, so I’m wondering what kind of tricks Alex Ross Perry has up his sleeve. These two movies both have a somewhat similar style, but also look quite different content/vibe-wise so he could be a really interesting director to pay attention to over the next few years. I’m on board to find out what he and Queen of Earth are all about.
