We’ve almost made it through August. It’s been rough this year — worse than normal, I’d say — but things are looking up as we have both awards AND Halloween/horror season right around the corner, as there are some new trailers to remind us of just that.
Opening this week:
Operation Finale
The subject matter regarding Operation Finale looks interesting. The movie itself, not so much. I love Oscar Isaac and I love Ben Kingsley, but Operation Finale looks like a long history lecture that I don’t particularly care to sit through. Great for your grandparents, maybe, but I think I’m good on this one.
Kin
The basic idea for Kin had me at first, but the more and more footage I see the less interested I become. It’s like E.T., only instead of an alien, it’s just a gun. Mmkay. Oh, and James Franco is back, because I guess he feels like he’s served his time and everything? Not sure how I feel about that, either.
Destination Wedding
Another movie that probably better suits my grandparents or mom better than it does me, Destination Wedding looks pretty harmless, and more Keanu Reeves is always a good thing, but I think I’ll just hold off until John Wick: Chapter 3.
The Little Stranger
I guess if I had to choose one of the movies opening this week to see, it would be The Little Stranger. Not because the trailers have wowed me, because they haven’t, but because it comes from the director of Room (not to be confused with The Room) and, fun fact, I LOVE Room.
New trailers:
Hell Fest (Sept. 28, 2018)
Halloween, Suspiria and Hellfest. These are the three horror movies that I’m still dying to see this year (The Predator and The Nun have my attention as well). Hellfest looks to have everything a horror fan could ever want — a fun premise, a creepy atmosphere and lots of scares. I’m even getting some Trick ‘R Treat vibes (one of my all-time favorite horror films) from the trailers
Bad Times at the El Royale (Oct. 5, 2018)
“Shit happens, get the whiskey.” I’ll buy that bumper sticker. I love the tone that the trailers for Bad Times at the El Royale are setting; they aren’t giving anything away but rather establishing this strange, Cabin in the Woods meets The Hateful Eight kind of setting.
The Front Runner (Nov. 21, 2018)
Well, this came out nowhere. As soon as the trailer for The Front Runner began I naturally assumed that it wouldn’t be coming out until next year, but nope, it’s only a few months away. While that seems a *bit* rushed, Jason Reitman is one of the most underrated directors working today (Tully, which came out earlier this year, was great, and Up in the Air is a modern-day masterpiece) and Hugh Jackman is always good, so I’m excited for this one.
The Other Side of the Wind (Nov. 2, 2018)
Netflix, somehow, got their hands on Orson Welles’ final film. Don’t ask me how, because I don’t know, as The Other Side of the Wind is something that most film fans thought was a myth. It’s hard to know what, exactly, we’re going to get with this one but it’s something that every cinephile out there is going to want to check out.
Await Further Instructions (Oct. 6, 2018)
I was scared the minute I saw Lord Frey, grandmaster of the Red Wedding himself, show up on screen. Await Further Instructions looks like it’s probably not going to attract non-horror fans, as this is some pretty heavy genre type stuff, but that’s right up my alley so, yeah, count me in.
Ben is Back (Dec. 7, 2018)
Okay, this trailer tells us absolutely nothing — and I mean nothing — about what Ben is Back is actually about, but I’ve got a feeling about this one. Partially just because I didn’t want the footage to end when watching this short clip: who’s Ben? Why’s he back? Why’d the girl freak out when she saw him, almost in a horror movie kind of way, only for it to play soft, welcoming music? So many questions, so little answers.
Age of Summer (Sept. 7, 2018)
Age of Summer looks like a mix of a lot of different movies — The Way, Way Back, Kings of Summer, Baywatch and Mud, just to name a few. It’s hard to get a read how this one will fair at this point, but I’m a sucker for coming-of-age films so I’m willing to give it a shot.
I Think We’re Alone Now (Sept. 21, 2018)
I just don’t know. All the trailers for I Think We’re Alone Now have reminded of one thing: The Leftovers. The Leftovers is one of the best television series that these eyes have ever seen, and this, in some ways, looks as if it’s just trying to capitalize off the success on the show. And yet, there’s something about these trailers I just can’t quite shake. Maybe it’s the cast or the cinematography, but deep down, I think there might be the possibility of something new here.
A Private War (Nov. 16, 2018)
While I’ve had all the respect in the world for Rosamund Pike ever since Gone Girl, I’m ready for her to start picking better projects. It’s not that A Private War looks terrible, it’s just pretty Oscar-baity to the point where I’ll wait to see what other critics say about it first.
Summer ’03 (Sept. 28, 2018)
American Pie meets a hundred different other movies. Do yourself a favor and go see Never Goin’ Back and Blockers — two movies that deal with at least somewhat subject matter and, most likely, do it much better than Summer ’03 will.
Air Strike (Oct. 26, 2018)
Adrien Brody…why? I’ve accepted the fact that Bruce Willis has completely sold out, but why, in God’s name, would Adrien Brody ever agree to sign on to something like this? Honestly, this is one of the worst looking trailers that I’ve seen in a while now. I could barely even sit through it without wanting to turn it off, imagine what it would be like to watch the entire film.
Rewind:
Room (2015)
Room will rip your heart into seven tiny little pieces, light those pieces on fire and then throw the ashes into a bucket of acid. The movie is that sad. Sad in a really thought-provoking and beautiful kind of way though, as this movie is perfectly crafted from start to finish. I can’t sit through the scene in the back of the truck (or the entire second half of the movie, really) without tearing up, but I also can’t recommend this movie highly enough.