Friday's Box Office Preview
What to watch this weekend!
As much as television is having an ecstasy high right now, aside from Sinners, the theatrical box office of April floats in the Sargasso Sea of mediocrity. And this weekend’s releases couldn’t define that any better…
Weekend Movie Preview
The Wide Releases
I never saw The Accountant, but from what I read, it was an out of left field success… obviously so much that they decided to make a sequel.
And it seems where the original had a dash or two of Jon Bernthal, this one has considerably more. I can’t imagine that’s a bad thing, but I do believe he erodes some of what made the original anything special, turning The Accountant 2 into a buddy movie with a bunch of guns. I expect it to be competently made, with Bernthal bringing a level of levity audience’s have come to expect, but not much more. Reviews are mixed, which is exactly what you’d expect from a movie like this. I don’t begrudge its existence, because it harkens back to a mid-level 90s action movie, which we need more of, and I appreciate the straightforwardness of its premise: two guys kicking ass. But it’s also not something I’m rushing out out to see.
Watch this instead…
You need your Jon Bernthal fix. You may not know it yet, but you do. And while he’s been in a lot of movies, popping in to inject the meth many projects need to stand out, I suggest We Own This City, an HBO limited series about the crooked streets of Baltimore. Yes David Simon is involved and that should be enough. Wayne Jenkins is a modern day villain.
This weekend’s Horror
Until Dawn is Groundhog’s Day with axes, monsters and creepy face bugs… which is semi-innovative conceit since you can have theoretically have unlimited creative kills with a relatively small cast. And I’m sure some of the kills in this movie are going to be “fun” as much as murder can be considered fun, but introducing high concept in horror is not as easy as it looks and this feels like a gargled mess.
The Best of the Bunch?
The Legend of Ochi looks and feels like an A24 film, with that sheen of quirkiness that scratches a phantom itch of originality. The trailer gives off an old school children’s movie vibe, hinting at the sharp edges of life that kids should at least experience occasionally, showing them life isn’t always the end of a sitcom episode.
The Limited Releases
Lord knows how people can even see movies that are considered “limited” these days. The idea of a “limited” release is so vague and nebulous these days I can’t tell you how to even see these movies. According to Box Office Mojo, there are eight(!) limited releases this weekend:
I checked the independent films near me and NONE of them have screenings. And while I don’t live in New York city or Los Angeles, I also don’t live in a Dakota. So, good luck if one tickles your fancy? The thing is, if you dig deep into these, these movies run the spectrum of topics and genres. From high concept horror to foreign drama, we’ve got a diner menu of entertainment that no one can see. We live in such a weird time when it comes to entertainment.
Of all the trailers I watched, I would probably chase down Drop dead City, which is a documentary on New York City’s issues in 1975, but Neighborhood Watch has Jack Quaid, April (giving myself props on finding the trailer because you search for it on youtube and see what comes up) feels extremely heavy but timely, and Cheech and Chong, well - you know that’s gonna have some good high times.
What Am I Watching This Weekend
Netflix is giving us Havoc, and much like The Accountant 2, I can’t imagine it’s particularly original, good or memorable. But it does have Tom Hardy, and it’s directed by Gareth Edwards (he of The Raid fame) so I’ll give them two hours of my time. It looks like silly, dumb fun, and I can presume one or two cool film tricks…
See you Monday!