What will you see this weekend... Land disputes? Fantastical tales? Corporate satires?
Friday, August 26, 2022 at 9:30PM 
There are a dozen movies opening today, four of which we've reviewed. Let's jump right into your options...
3000 YEARS OF LONGING (Theaters)
How exactly does one follow up Mad Max Fury Road? George Miller has opted for a part conversational part fantastical story of Tilda Swinton as a skeptical professor and Idris Elba as a genie. Elisa called it a "strangely fascinating disappointment" but loved the central conversational duet. "Three Thousand Years of Longing contains several stories told by the Djinn about his attempt to fulfill women’s desires while deeply loving them. Is he a fool or a seducer... or both? The lingering charm of the movie is in Arithea’s awareness of how every story about wish-fulfillment is either a trick or a cautionary tale for the person doing the wishing."
BREAKING (Theaters)
This crime drama started it's life as "892" when it premiered at Sundance. Abe warned that it could be triggering but praised the actors admiring John Boyega for his "fierce commitment to individuality and honesty but the true standout is Michael K Williams". The late brilliant Williams (Lovecraft Country, When They See Us) plays the hostage negotiator in this tense drama.
THE TERRITORY (Theaters)
This Brazilian doc is about a land dispute between farmers and indigenous community. We've had two reviews, both of them raves. Glenn thinks the movie will do well with awards and praises its cinematography turned directing, adding "The Territory very quickly transcends whatever lush imagery is immediately front and center, bursting with rage at the situation its Indigenous subjects are being forced to endure." Cláudio also loved it, saying "The Territory is a lean, mean thing, running under 90 minutes despite its epic scope. It's a cinematic experience defined by fury and urgency, starkly repudiating hollow optimism while leaving space for future redemption."
THE GOOD BOSS (Theaters)
Javier Bardem headlines this corporate satire as a manipulative factory owner. While Cláudio found it too simplistic and visually inert, he loved Javier Bardem's performance, writing "Like insincerity personified, Bardem plays Blanco as the antithesis of the title, undercutting every good action with a calculated coldness and smarmy smile. Morality is a matter of appearances for this man, and nothing in his capitalistic world contradicts that philosophy." The Good Boss, which was a Goya champ and Spain's Oscar finalist last season, is finally in US theaters.
There's plenty more opening today though we haven't seen these others. Maybe you'll beat us to it?
THE INVITATION (Theaters)
A thriller starring Nathalie Emmanuel (Furious 7, Game of Thrones) as a woman invited to a lavish wedding by distant relatives who soon finds herself in a nightmare of survival
SAMARITAN (Streaming on Amazon Prime)
Sylvester Stallone stars in a superhero film
ALIENOID (Theaters)
An action fantasy from South Korea about a swordsman, a divine sword, and an alien prisoner in a human body.
FUNNY PAGES (Theaters + VOD)
Actor turned writer/director Owen Kline brings us this coming of age story about a teenage cartoonist
LAST JOURNEY OF PAUL W.R. (Theaters + VOD)
A French adventure about an astronaut
OUT OF THE BLUE (Theaters + VOD)
An erotic thriller with Diane Kruger as a woman in an affair with a younger man (Ray Nicholson). Hank Azaria costars.
MANEATER (Theaters + VOD)
Yet another killer shark movie
ME TIME (Streaming on Netflix)
Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg star in this comedy about dads having a wild weekend
Which will you see or are you eyes elsewhere this weekend?
Reader Comments (7)
Being in another country, I have a different set of opening films of course (with some overlap).
Panar (son of Jafar) Panahi's family road-trip comedy HIT THE ROAD opened locally, and that's the one on my to-see list this weekend.
I'm going to stay home and watch Burning on MUBI.
I may watch Good Luck To You Leo Grande again, now that I know Emma Thompson is eligible for an Oscar for it, after Searchlight's appeal worked.
I’m going to see “Three Thousand Years Of Longing”. Tilda, Idris, George Miller, how could I resist?
And if time works out, I want to see “Carmen” (not the opera) with Natascha McElhone. I saw a poster of her in a red dress in the movie lobby and was immediately sold.
I have set a few hours aside on Sunday for a SharonStoneathon to include Diabolique The Specialist and The Mighty.
in bed - possibly covid - so I took chances to actually catch up with some streaming... liked Lightyear a lot, was respectful to 13 lives and disliked heavily The Gray Man...
next in line? Prey
Co-signing Glenn's and Claudio's rave for The Territory. It would be a great statement for this film to get a doc feature nomination.